Murder macabre!

A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #2) by Kate Khavar         

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my goodness! This second foray into the perils of ingenious botanist Saffron Everleigh is as mind bending as the first.

Alexander Ashton, whom Saffron is strongly attracted to, the botanist who helped with tracking down the people who’d tried to poison her, is now off in Bolivia with the University College of London’s expedition into the Amazon. Saffron tries valiantly to read tender messages into his scientific letters. 

Since her close call with death and the unveiling of the culprit, Saffron has been granted a research position in the University’s Botany Department. This doesn’t mean that her male colleagues give her any more respect. In fact the very opposite is the problem.

Saffron’s been paired with Dr. Lee to research further into poisons and their effects. They are working together “to examine the effects of certain local botanical toxins more specifically.”

Only now Inspector Green needs their help. A woman’s been found dead with an unusual bouquet of flowers nearby.

Green needs Saffron to identify any possible poisonous blooms and Dr Lee to identify the cause of any symptoms. The bouquet includes of a pomegranate branch, foxgloves, buttercup, aconite and other delights.

The hunt for relevance, for possible perpetrators will take Saffron and Lee into the more racy clubs of London haunted by the elite. A dangerous choice, but as the stakes rise Saffron finds herself going forward relentlessly. As others receive deadly bouquets the chase becomes critical.

Lee has reasons for wanting to bow out as one person they meet is the enigmatic and dangerous Lord Vale. A man his Uncle Matt, the Baron Carmichael, an influential politician had warned Lee against. By the way, Saffron is the granddaughter of Lord Easting, of Ellington in Bedford. He is friends with Lee’s Uncle Matt. Saffron’s grandfather doesn’t approve of her work.

Clever, and intricately woven, the plot takes us into places of danger. It pulls us into wondering about old and newly discovered relationships, leaving Saffron at least unclear about either.

A Crooked Land ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.

Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change