The Fair Botanists

*SELECTED AS THE WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022*

Compelling, fascinating . . . A cracking good readVal McDermid
An evocative, enjoyable portrait of 1820s EdinburghSunday Times
Lush, seductiveDaily Mail
Completely enchantingScotsman
A beautiful tale of scandal and intrigue Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora

***

Could one rare plant hold the key to a thousand riches?

Its the summer of 1822 and Edinburgh is abuzz with rumours of King George IVs impending visit. In botanical circles, however, a different kind of excitement has gripped the city. In the newly-installed Botanic Garden, the Agave Americana plant looks set to flower - an event that only occurs once every few decades.

When newly widowed Elizabeth arrives in Edinburgh to live with her late husbands aunt Clementina, shes determined to put her unhappy past in London behind her. As she settles into her new home, she becomes fascinated by the beautiful Botanic Garden which borders the grand house and offers her services as an artist to record the rare plants impending bloom. In this pursuit, she meets Belle Brodie, a vivacious young woman with a passion for botany and the lucrative, dark art of perfume creation.

Belle is determined to keep both her real identity and the reason for her interest the Garden secret from her new friend. But as Elizabeth and Belle are about to discover, secrets dont last long in this Enlightenment city . . .

And when they are revealed, they can carry the greatest of consequences . . .

***

Dazzling, original, full of wonderful charactersKatie Fforde
An absolute treat for fans of historical fiction and rich storytellingRed Magzine
Lively and generous-hearted, with an array of utterly engaging characters, this enchanting novel reads like a warm tonic for the soulMary Paulson-Ellis
As rare and lush as the Agave flower itself, The Fair Botanists is a richly realised, transportive delightRachel Rhys
Beautiful . . . Every sentence is a gift. If you love The Doll Factory or The Binding, youll love thisMiranda Dickinson
Delightfully original, sensuous historical fiction, led by a charge of female characters as captivating and complex as the brightest of botanical flowersCari Thomas