A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons (Saffron Everleigh, #1) by Kate Khavari – Review

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5 stars, academia, audiobook, Book Review, botany, feminism, historical, Kate Khavari, mystery, romance, series

Review of A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons

This historical Jazz Age mystery features botanist Saffron Everleigh.  She is the research assistant to a Professor Maxwell.  As the only woman in the department, Saffron struggles to make her mark in an academic world where women are not overly welcome, and must put up with bias, and even sexual predation.

Alexander Ashton, is a microbiologist. (That means, he is into bacteria.)  Both Saffron and Alex attend a party where a murder occurs.  When it is determined to be poison, Dr. Maxwell is the prime suspect because of a poison plant he discovered on one of his expeditions.  

Saffron will make it her mission to make sure the true culprit is found.  Alex comes along for the ride, I suspect because he has a thing for her.  The investigation leads the pair to several suspects and takes them on all sorts of adventures, otherwise known as exercises in snooping.  One of my favorites was when, under cover of darkness, they sneak into a garden to obtain a plant that may or may not be the source of the poison.  You may imagine this is not a dirt-free exploit.

A large cast of characters made it a little challenging to follow, especially since I was listening to the audiobook.  But soon, the major players sorted themselves out.   As Saffron and Alex investigate, they uncover all sorts of secrets and shady academic types.  Which means there are multiple suspects in the murder.  I loved the mystery and the adventurous mystery solvers.

The book has a little bit of romance and lot of mystery, adventure and danger.  Historical mystery readers might want to check this one out. Kate Khavaris is new to me, but her next Saffron Everleigh books is on my TBR list!

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A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

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, in this entertaining examination of society’s expectations.

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Ghost Light (Ivy Granger, #2) by E.J. Stevens – Audiobook Review

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5 stars, audiobook, Book Review, E.J. Stevens, fae, ghosts, paranormal, series, Tracy Odom, wisp, witches

About Ghost Light by E.J. Stevens, Narrated by Tracy Odom

Ivy Granger, psychic detective, thought she’d seen it all…until now.

With a vengeful lamia that only she can see on the city streets, reports of specters walking Harborsmouth cemeteries, and an angry mob of faerie clients at her office door, it’s bound to be a long night. Add in an offense against the faerie courts and a few foolish bargains and one thing is clear – Ivy Granger is in some seriously deep trouble.

Ivy Granger is back, gathering clues in the darkest shadows of downtown Harborsmouth. With the lives of multiple clients on the line, she’s in a race against time. Ivy finally has a lead to the whereabouts of the one person who can help her control her wisp abilities, but will she put the needs of her clients above her own?

If Ivy doesn’t find a solution soon, she could wind up a ghost herself.

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Review of Ghost Light

Yes, I’ve been reading and/or listening to this series out of order.  But it works for me.  So it can work for you. 

Ivy Granger is a psychic/fae/princess/wisp/human/ detective.  Don’t worry, the book tells you about all of these aspects of Ivy’s DNA.  In Ghost Light, Ivy and Jinx take on a case to find a host of missing children.  In the meantime, the ex-wife of Ivy’s boyfriend, Ceff, King of the Kelpies, plots revenge while the happy couple get to know each other.  Also, Ivy begins the search for her father after announcing her princessship to the fae world.  The plot winds around several storylines and relationships but comes together nicely at the end, with hints of future events. 

I listened to the audiobook, nicely narrated by Tracy Odom.  Thanks to the author who gave away some audiobooks – I was lucky enough get this one.   My review is my honest opinion.

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Hunting in Bruges (Hunter’s Guild, #1) by E.J. Stevens – Audiobook Review

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5 stars, Anthony Bowling, audiobook, Belgium, Book Review, Bruges, E.J. Stevens, ghosts, Melanie A. Mason, paranormal, series, vampires, witches

About Hunting in Bruges by E.J. Stevens

The only thing worse than being a Hunter in the fae-ridden city of Harborsmouth, is hunting vamps in Bruges.

Being shipped off to Belgium sucks. The medieval city of Bruges is quaint, but the local Hunters’ Guild is understaffed, the canals are choked with dead bodies, and there’s no shortage of supernatural predators as likely suspects. On second thought, maybe Bruges isn’t so bad after all. With a desire to prove herself, protect the innocent, and advance within the ranks of the Hunters’ Guild, Jenna Lehane hits the cobbled streets of Bruges with blades at the ready. Someone, or something, is murdering tourists and dumping their bodies in the city’s scenic canals.

With the help of a mysterious stranger, Jenna begins to piece together clues that are dotted throughout the city like blood spatter. Determined to stop the killings, Jenna delves into a bloody local history that only raises more questions–but some secrets are best left buried. Jenna must put her combat training to the test as she struggles to unearth the truth about an ancient enemy. Hunting in Bruges is the first novel in the Hunters’ Guild urban fantasy series set in the award-winning world of Ivy Granger.

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Review of Hunting in Bruges

5 stars for the narration and for the story. Two narrators, Melanie A. Mason and Anthony Bowling, do a wonderful job of bringing this story to life. Having listened to more than one book from E.J. Stevens and this narration team, I am ready to listen to the next book!

But before that, I should talk about this book.  Bruges, a city I know next to nothing about, is the colorful location for this paranormal mystery.  Full of ghost, ghouls, vampires and many other supernatural creatures, there is no lack of action for our valiant Hunter and her friends.  Ivy Granger readers might recognize Jenna LeHane.  In Hunting in Bruges, Jenna is the star.

Several secondary characters add depth, humor and motivation to the story.  Jenna’s mysterious stranger (as mentioned in the book blurb) is totally charming and certainly adds a light-hearted tone to an otherwise dire situation.  The overall story has a resolution but also sets the reader up for the ongoing story of the war with the supernaturals.

Thanks to the author who gave away some audiobooks.  I was please to get this one!  My review is my honest opinion.

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