Kate Khavari

Kate Khavari's A Botanist's Guide to Society and Secrets is the third volume in the Saffron Everleigh historical mystery series, and it's every bit as good as the first two volumes. Khavari has been gradually sliding in some potential larger-scale problems to go with the specific mystery at the heart of each novel, so readers aren't just wondering whodunnit?, but are also waiting to see how the relationships among the continuing characters develop.

In one way or another, the longer-term problems probe the question of what it means to be female in England in the aftermath of WWI. Saffron, our central character, is determined to be a professor of botany as her father was, but her grandparents, who control the family's wealth, are becoming increasingly harsh in their efforts to get her out of London, into the family home, and married off to an appropriate man who can help build the family's wealth.

Saffron's childhood friend and current roommate, Elizabeth, is also seeking freedom to enjoy London life and to grasp every opportunity to enjoy herself. The one who is trying to prevent her emerging, more daring identity is her brother. And that brother has unresolved conflicts with Saffron's beau/friend Alexander (it varies regularly), who has asked Saffron to help prove his brother's innocence as he faces a murder charge...

The things I'm sharing here are set up for the novel, not revelations that come further into novel, so no worries about spoilers.

If you enjoy historical mysteries with plucky, intelligent, stubborn, female central characters, this is a series you'll want to check out. You can probably read the series (currently three volumes) in any order, but I would suggest reading them in order so you can watch the relationships between the recurring characters develop.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.… (mere)

As with the first two books of the series, this third book is blossoming with intrigue, murder, mayhem, and a bit of romance. It is set in 1920s London with a rich narrative of period detail. It quickly sucks you into a time when respect was almost impossible for working females to win – especially female scholars.

Saffron Everleigh is a brilliant botanist who has had to fight and claw to claim a place as a researcher at the University – and she has to fight against prejudices, jealousies, and resentment every day to keep that position. In the previous two books, Saffron has willingly become entangled in murder investigations involving poisonous plants. Those investigations jeopardized her job and personal relationships, and she is glad to have left that behind her. With things settling down – her research project underway – and things getting back to an even keel with her work colleague (and romantic interest), microbiologist Alexander Ashton, she is looking forward to her next steps. Until . . .

Alexander has spent a lot of time over the last two books admonishing Saffron for her involvement in murder investigations – though he still helped her. Now, imagine his chagrin when he must ask for her help – with a murder investigation. As part of his job as an engineer, Adrian, Alexander’s brother had traveled by train to pick up a set of plans. He didn’t pay a lot of attention to the only other passenger in his car – until the man died. Since the man was poisoned, Adrian was the prime suspect.

Saffron agrees to do what she can to help, but – this time – Inspector Green isn’t inviting her into the investigation. While she can work around him, his cooperation would be much more helpful. This intricately woven mystery takes Saffron from the university, through secretive government labs, and on to government organizations who all want the biggest, best, most effective weapons.

The mystery is engaging, the prose educational, and the story easily translatable into today’s world. I particularly enjoyed the growth of Saffron’s relationship with Alexander and hope that continues to be the case. Yet another interesting part of the story is Nick, Saffron’s best friend’s brother. Is he a good guy or a bad guy? He certainly gave no indications of any soft good-guy edges to him, so I have to wonder if we won’t see more of him because he wants Saffron to work at one of his secret government labs.

This is a well-crafted story that I can recommend if you enjoy a thrilling, thought-provoking read. When I mentioned above that it was educational, I was truthful, as it is filled with a plethora of information on plants, poisons, microbes, methodologies, etc. For me personally, I could do with less of that, but it doesn’t detract from the story in the least – and it might even raise my IQ a bit.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (mere)

The third Saffron Everleigh historical mystery has the botanist looking into a lab which may by turning biologicals into weapons of mass destruction.

Alexander Ashton, former love interest who might become a love interest again, comes to Saffron to urge her to convince the police that his brother Adrian had nothing to do with the death of a man sharing his train compartment. The man was an emigre and scientist at a government sponsored research laboratory.

Meanwhile, Saffron's roommate Elizabeth's brother Nick has come to call. This older brother has been scarce for years. He is supposedly former military and now working for the agriculture department. He makes a fuss over both is sister and Saffron. It doesn't take the young women long to become suspicious of Nick since evidence seems to indicate that he's a spy.

Nick recruits Saffron to work in the suspicious lab playing on her patriotism, her curiosity, and her desire to make sure science isn't used for immoral purposes after a second suspicious death connected to the lab. Her involvement attracts the attention of other ruthless characters.

This was an enjoyable historical mystery set in the years following World War I. I like Saffron both for her intelligence and for idealism.… (mere)