Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley

Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley ISBN-13: 9780399587900 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: June 4, 2019

Source: review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In return for a random act of kindness, scholar Li Bai Chang presents young cook Kat Holloway with a rare and precious gift--a box of marvelous tea. Kat thinks no more of her unusual visitor until two days later when the kitchen erupts with the news that Lady Cynthia's next-door neighbor has been murdered.

Known about London as an "Old China Hand," the victim claimed to be an expert in the language and customs of China, acting as intermediary for merchants and government officials. But Sir Jacob's dealings were not what they seemed. When the authorities accuse Mr. Li of the crime, Kat and Daniel find themselves embroiled in a world of deadly secrets that reach from the gilded homes of Mayfair to the beautiful wonder of Kew Gardens.


My Review:
Death in Kew Gardens is a mystery set in Sept. 1881 in England. This is the third book in the series. While the characters did briefly refer to a events that happened in the previous novels, they did not spoil whodunit. You do not need to read the previous novels to understand this one.

The mystery was a clue-based puzzle. The main characters did a good job of spotting things that were going on and asking relevant questions. I mildly suspected whodunit from early on, and the clues that they gathered slowly narrowed down the suspects until I was sure about whodunit. Kat figured it out at about the same time. The main characters were interesting and likable. The historical details (mostly about cooking, acceptable servant behavior, and exotic plants) were woven into the story. There was no sex. There were a couple uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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