A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and POisons
Saffron Everleigh’s first Mystery
Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh is determined to blaze a new trail at the University College London, but with her colleagues’ beliefs about women’s academic inabilities and not so subtle hints that her deceased father’s reputation paved her way into the botany department, she feels stymied at every turn.
When she attends a dinner party for the school, she expects to engage in conversations about the university’s large expedition to the Amazon. What she doesn’t expect is for Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives, to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin.
Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect and evidence quickly mounts. Joined by fellow researcher–and potential romantic interest–Alexander Ashton, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons to clear Maxwell’s name.
Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list?
Perfect for lovers of:
Agatha Christie
Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
The Lost Apothecary and Dead Dead Girls
Women in science
Academia
Botany and poisons
“Intelligent, witty, and brave . . . Khavari has created a fast-paced, interesting mystery.”
—Bookpage
Frequently Asked Questions:
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Yes, this is the first book in the series.
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While inspired by women in the sciences and set at the real-life University College London, this story is entirely fictional.
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Yes and it is magnificent. You can find it at any online retailer.
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Not yet, it’s under construction!
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…No.
I made it up. It is based on a real genus of plants, Solandra, of the nightshade family. Nightshades are famously poisonous (and delicious, if you like tomatoes, eggplants, or potatoes), and this particular genus includes many vines native to Central and South America.
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The Xolotl vine is named for the Aztec god of fire and lightning, and the pronunciation I attempt to use is based on the Nahuatl language. It is pronounced “shuh-luht.”