Review by Booklist Review
Lab assistant to the charismatic Dr. Jonathan M. Deaver, the meticulously organized Margaret Finch has a deep sense of purpose and love and respect for science and her part in his cancer research as well as a high regard for her boss. When Margaret finds Deaver dead in his office, she immediately notices some anomalies in the scene, quickly believing he was poisoned. However, the university administration and the police conclude he died from a heart condition. Not convinced, Margaret opens her own investigation, working with janitor Joe Torres, a former journalist, and identifying several people who had reason to want Deaver dead, with Margaret discovering that Deaver was not the paragon she believed. The university administration threatens Margaret with dismissal from her beloved job if she continues her inquiry, but she and Joe persevere. The realistically described frame of scientific research, botany, deadly plants, and university politics and an endearing, sharply-defined, layered, mid-fifties heroine who begins to find friendship and expand her life add up to a fresh, satisfying stand-alone cozy.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
An introverted scientist investigates the death of her boss in this gentle whodunit from Townsend (The Beautiful and the Wild). Research assistant Margaret Finch idolizes her boss, Dr. Jonathan Deaver, who leads their lab in developing a plant-based cure for cancer. She's also a stickler for details, so when Deaver is found dead in his office, irregularities in the scene make Margaret unwilling to accept the official explanation that his heart condition caught up with him. Her rigid ethics make her even more unwilling to support university administrators who want to keep a lucrative grant by removing Deaver's name from his research and crediting his colleagues instead. Though the social aspects of sleuthing are difficult for her, Margaret enlists the support of an ex-journalist currently working as the lab's janitor to help her piece together the clues. Townsend's plotting is straightforward, the novel's supporting characters play close to trope, and the climactic reveal lacks surprise. Still, Margaret is an endearing enough heroine that readers will be gratified to see her hard work vindicated. Though familiar, this is sweet enough to charm cozy fans. Agent: Heather Jackson, Heather Jackson Literary. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Margaret Finch is a 54-year-old botany-lab manager whose attention to detail and strict routines make her an excellent scientist, though most people consider her eccentric. Currently, she's helping Dr. Jonathan Deaver with a plant extract that looks like a promising cancer cure. When arriving at work one morning, Margaret is shocked to find Deaver's corpse in his office. The police suspect a heart attack, but Margaret knows atropine poisoning when she sees it and decides to conduct her own investigation. With a little help, she follows clues and hunches as she narrows the suspect list. What she discovers is unexpected and will change her life forever. Featuring endearing and offbeat characters, Townsend's whodunit provides lots of clues and red herrings, mixed with science and botany. In an author's note to readers, Townsend professes her immense respect for scientists, which comes through in the novel. Lowman delivers an excellent narration, providing Margaret with a funny, deadpan persona and capturing a wide range of emotions and personalities in her portrayal of other characters. VERDICT Townsend's (The Beautiful and the Wild) latest is a treat. Share with those who enjoy quirky sleuths such as Nita Prose's Molly Gray.--Joanna Burkhardt
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