Book cover of A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons

Book description

The Lost Apothecary meets Dead Dead Girls in this fast-paced, STEMinist adventure.

Debut author Kate Khavari deftly entwines a pulse-pounding mystery with the struggles of a woman in a male-dominated field in 1923 London.

Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh is determined to blaze a new trail at the University…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I loved the main character, the beautifully named Saffron Everleigh. She’s a woman in 1923 London, trying to make her way in academia at a time when women weren’t usually allowed in the doors.

Her scientific interests and studies in botany come in handy when she attends a dinner party for the school, and a professor’s wife drops to the floor, poisoned by an unknown substance. Working with the equally passionate, ahem, Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, Saffron must investigate the murder or wind up next on the murderer's list. There are two more books in this series, so we…

In the cozy mystery by Kate Khavari, Saffron is the main character who follows in her father’s footsteps as a botanist.

She’s in search of a Chilean species commonly known as Devil’s Trumpet, which has a beautiful trumpet-shaped flower that hides its poisonous use. 

This story is a ‘will-they-or-won’t they’ romance between Saffron and Alexander, a biology researcher, but what’s romance without a little plant poison in the mix?

If you love A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons.

Browse books like A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons

Book cover of The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Book cover of Hemlock
Book cover of The Poison Diaries

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,395

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons, you might also like...

Book cover of In Bad Faith

In Bad Faith by Geoffrey Carter,

Nelson West, a former Chicago homicide detective, is hired by wealthy heir Lionel Bing to discreetly help “fix” scandals and legal problems for his father’s wealthy friends.

Bing, a brilliant but troubled investigator, suffers from PTSD symptoms as a result of being kidnapped and witnessing the murder of his mother…

Book cover of Your Sun Will Rise Again: Poems of Hope and Survival

Your Sun Will Rise Again by Joseph Jean Baptiste Jolicoeur,

Your Sun Will Rise Again is a powerful collection of poetic reflections on hope, resilience, and the human spirit. Written with sincerity and depth, these poems speak directly to those navigating life’s challenges, offering comfort, clarity, and quiet strength in difficult moments.

Through simple yet profound language, the book reminds…

5 book lists we think you will like!