A BOTANIST'S GUIDE TO PARTIES AND POISONS

Academia in 1920s England is the darkly atmospheric setting for this fast-paced and fearless debut historical mystery with a brilliant new heroine as engaging as she is intrepid. Newly-minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh is in a race against time to free her wrongly-accused Professor and find the real murderer.

When Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London she expects to conversations about expeditions to the Amazon, but she doesn't expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors' wives to drop to the floor, foaming at the mouth from poison by an unknown toxin. Dr. Maxwell, Saffron's mentor, is the main suspect, having had an explosive argument with Mr. Henry a few days prior. As evidence mounts against Dr. Maxwell and the Amazon expedition draws nearer, Saffron realizes if she wants her mentor's name cleared, she'll have to do it herself. Equal parts deadly poisonous plants and budding romance between Saffron and another young research assistant named Alexander keeps this unique new series abuzz with murderous motives, scholars, policemen, allergic reactions, and refined mayhem. Former teacher Kate Khavari is the author of fiction ranging from historical mysteries to high fantasy epics.