The Botanist's Assistant by Peggy Townsend

THE BOTANIST'S ASSISTANT by Peggy Townsend is a fun mystery in a university setting. The main character, Margaret Finch, is clearly neurodivergent so this is a bit reminiscent of The Maid or Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder. Initially, Margaret is so regimented that it is difficult to develop empathy, but it is wonderful to watch her grow (adopting a cat) and develop a sense trust with other people. She finds Professor Deaver (her boss whom she idolizes) dead and then struggles to convince school authorities that he has been poisoned. Her snooping is sometimes comical, but often effective, and whenever she thinks she clearly has a suspect identified, something happens to change that calculus. Deftly presenting interesting facts about botany and poisonous plants, THE BOTANIST'S ASSISTANT is an entertaining read with plenty of twists and surprises. Library Journal gave it a starred review while Publishers Weekly said, “sweet enough to charm cozy fans.”  Enjoy!!