by Kate Khavari
Having thoroughly enjoyed A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons, I eagerly picked up A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality, the second book of the Saffron Everleigh mystery series. Book two finds Saffron still working to establish a secure place for herself in the botany department at the University College of London and saddled with a new research partner, Dr. Michael Lee. She’s trying to distract herself from the absence of Alexander Ashton, who’s currently on an expedition to South America, with her study of poisonous plants in the British countryside. But when a series of murders comes accompanied by strange bouquets of flowers, Detective Inspector Green comes seeking Saffron’s help, and she eagerly dives into the mystery.
Likes: Saffron’s a great character – independent, strong-willed, and unwilling to take no for an answer. I love the Victorian language of flowers (which will be familiar to fans of Enola Holmes), and the bouquets give Saffron the perfect reason to insert herself into the murder investigation. The 1920s details are all spot-on, with just the right amount to ground the reader nicely in the period without being overwhelming. And as far as the mystery goes, there are plenty of red herrings, nefarious characters, and secrets to keep the reader second-guessing through the end. There’s also a love triangle, which I often find contrived, but which made sense in this case (and that’s all I’ll say to avoid spoilers).
Dislikes: I did wish we had gotten further into the mystery around Saffron’s father, but this is a very minor quibble. I recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries set in the 1920s! And I look forward to book 3.
FYI: murder, poison, references to drug use, violence.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Liz Helfrich 