Synopsis
From the bestselling author of BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick, Devil's Breath, comes the latest gripping instalment in Jill Johnson's Professor Eustacia Rose Mysteries.
'A tangled poisonous plot with a unique, thorny character at its heart, Jill Johnson has created a whodunnit as addictive as any narcotic' - ANDREINA CORDANI
'Original and engrossing' - JANE BETTANY
'Eustacia is a delightful sleuth . . . A charming, quirky and compulsive read' - JESSICA BULL
SECRETS ARE THE DEADLIEST POISON
Eustacia Rose is done with murder cases. She's ready to settle down with her partner, Matilde, and focus on her work at the university. To live a normal life.
But then along comes a case she can't resist investigating - because this time, the murder victim was poisoned with hemlock, one of the plants stolen from Eustacia's illicit garden of poisonous plants. And Eustacia is not the only one desperate to retrieve her lost treasure: the beguiling trader of rare plants, Zsa Zsa, and rival university professor Hutchins are on the trail, too, not to mention the dangerous criminal gang determined to keep hold of the lethal plants.
The stakes are higher than ever for Eustacia. Because if she cannot save her plants in time, there will be more deaths - and this time, the blood will be on her hands . . .
With a quirky protagonist, dark academia aesthetic and an array of exotic poisonous plants, this unique spin on the classic murder mystery novel will hook fans Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Robert Thorogood's The Marlow Murder Club and Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club.
'A tangled poisonous plot with a unique, thorny character at its heart, Jill Johnson has created a whodunnit as addictive as any narcotic' - ANDREINA CORDANI
'Original and engrossing' - JANE BETTANY
'Eustacia is a delightful sleuth . . . A charming, quirky and compulsive read' - JESSICA BULL
SECRETS ARE THE DEADLIEST POISON
Eustacia Rose is done with murder cases. She's ready to settle down with her partner, Matilde, and focus on her work at the university. To live a normal life.
But then along comes a case she can't resist investigating - because this time, the murder victim was poisoned with hemlock, one of the plants stolen from Eustacia's illicit garden of poisonous plants. And Eustacia is not the only one desperate to retrieve her lost treasure: the beguiling trader of rare plants, Zsa Zsa, and rival university professor Hutchins are on the trail, too, not to mention the dangerous criminal gang determined to keep hold of the lethal plants.
The stakes are higher than ever for Eustacia. Because if she cannot save her plants in time, there will be more deaths - and this time, the blood will be on her hands . . .
With a quirky protagonist, dark academia aesthetic and an array of exotic poisonous plants, this unique spin on the classic murder mystery novel will hook fans Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Robert Thorogood's The Marlow Murder Club and Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club.
Details
22 May 2025
9781785307331Imprint: Black & White Publishing
Reviews
'Professor Eustacia Rose, genius botanical toxicologist, eccentric loner, instinctive detective and all-round mystery - a splendid creation.'
'With Eustacia Rose, Jill has created an utterly unique character and has ensured that the detective genre turns a new leaf. Mystery, murder, and mulch. What's not to love.'
'Sherlock Holmes meets Gardeners' Question Time'
'I absolutely tore through it! Eustacia is a delightful sleuth and, as a fellow plant lover, I adored the way the mystery was revealed as we learnt more about the poisonous plants in her collection. Who knew there were so many ways to die in a garden? Overall, it's a charming, quirky and compulsive read and I look forward to many more adventures with the professor.'
