A Botanist’s Guide to Society and Secrets

Author Khavari, narrator Jodie Harris, and botanist-turned-sleuth Saffron Everleigh are a dream team. In this latest installment in the “Saffron Everleigh” mysteries (following A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatalities), Saffron’s case turns into espionage when men from her past seek her help. Initially, a sheepish Alexander, Saffron’s former love interest, seeks her help in proving his brother innocent of murder despite Alexander’s past ultimatums. Then Elizabeth’s brother Nick ambles onto the scene with a barely hidden secret agenda. To aid them and her country, and satisfy her curiosity, Saffron infiltrates a deadly government lab. Harris continues to give Saffron the practical voice she uses to hide her inner turmoil from the world. She’s well aware that neither her department nor her family will grant her any slack when her questions about her father, her relationships, and her future trouble her. Harris voices Saffron’s roommate, Elizabeth, with such energy that listeners may hope Elizabeth gets more page time in subsequent books. It’s a solid series entry, though listeners may be divided on the quick resolution of the previous book’s conundrum.