A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery
This is book 5 of the Saffron Everleigh mysteries, set in the 1920s, when women have begun claiming new public lives. Saffron is a botanist, and her fiancé Alexander Ashton fully supports her career. But as the two of them take part in an archaeological dig in newly re-formed Turkey, Saffron is the only professional woman among the researchers—and historian Joseph Clark persists in tormenting her, with most of the other men finding Saffron’s troubles either amusing or not worth discussing. The gentle and shy Martin Neill accepts assignment as an assistant to her (with Alexander hoping Martin can keep Saffron safe), but among collapsing ruins, a venomous viper, and Martin’s sudden death, the risks are deadly. And that doesn’t even begin to consider the poisonous plants on which Saffron is an acknowledged expert! After all, her expertise got her into this. Alexander’s a great support, of course, but Saffron’s acutely aware that he doesn’t grasp the forces aligned against women in the field—he just wants to protect her. “On the expedition, she had to be self-sufficient if she was ever going to win respect on her own.”
Beyond the quick action scenes and repeated threats to Saffron’s life and liberty, Khavari delivers an empathetic yet clear-sighted portrait of early feminist challenges and shows they really haven’t vanished after all. Unfortunately, the eventual reveal of the villain may not be ideal for Saffron’s efforts to move beyond the culture of her time.
