The Botanist’s Assistant, Peggy Townsend (Review by Rachel Taran)

Rating: 4.0/5 Stars

You might not expect a murder mystery to be light and fun but The Botanist’s Assistant is exactly that. From the lively cast of characters to the unexpected twists and turns of the plot, this story was not only thoroughly enjoyable but it also kept me guessing until the very end.

Margaret Finch is a research assistant at a university science lab. She is extremely particular in how she lives her life, from her meticulously planned outfits to her strict daily schedule. She comes across as odd to those who know her, but as the book progressed, it didn’t take long for me to find her quirks endearing.

When a death occurs on campus, it is quickly written off as a natural cause. However, Margaret suspects otherwise. Among her various quirks, she is extremely observant and catches many clues that the police have overlooked. With this knowledge, she begins a quest to not only find justice for the victim but to catch a potential killer that might still be in their midst. Like a true scientist, we see her collect and analyze data about everyone, from her lab colleagues to the dean to professors and even to the victim’s spouse. With the help of a friendly janitor (who just happens to be a former journalist), we are able to see Margaret follow different leads as she starts to piece together the roles of everyone she has been questioning.

Along with trying to figure out the murder, we also start to learn a little bit more about Margaret and her life, which only adds to the depth of her character and the story as a whole. While there are aspects of Maragaret’s backstory that I wished were expanded upon, the various plots that unraveled related to the mystery were all neatly tied up at the very end. I was completely caught off guard at the reveal of the killer, which to me is the hallmark of a well-crafted mystery. Once the killer is revealed, the rest of the story wrapped up a little too quickly, though the final scenes were heartwarming as it seemed that Maragaret had finally found her place in the world and her people who understood her.

If, like me, you are a fan of true crime and happy endings, you will really enjoy this book!