The Poison Grove

From the author of The Woman in the Garden, Jill Johnson is back with another gripping Professor Eustacia Rose Mystery...

Betrayal is a bitter poison . . .

After getting caught in the middle of a murder investigation involving her very own poisonous plants, Professor Eustacia Rose was sure she'd never see the inside of a classroom again. With the case now closed, she finds herself back teaching toxicology to a group of grad students, spending time with her plant collection, and even forming a blossoming relationship.

But when your work is with poisons, peace is sometimes hard to find. When a man is found dead with a needle in his neck, and a disturbing painting of Eustacia links her and the body, she suddenly finds herself thrust back into a world of crime.

And at work, there's yet another threat for Eustacia to deal with. A PhD student is desperate to get access to her poisonous plant collection, and when she refuses to help him, he starts buying illegal plant toxins from an unknown source - and soon turns up dead as well. Are the two deaths connected? And could she be the link? With no leads and the body count rising, Eustacia is left with no choice but to investigate herself, however dangerous it may become.

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 and Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club.

JILL JOHNSON has lived in Southeast Asia, Europe and New Zealand. She obtained a B.A. Degree in Landscape Design. She has previously owned an editorial cartoon gallery, a comic shop and has been involved in a graphic novel publishing house. She is a Faber Academy graduate and now lives in Brighton with her children. Jill's writing is inspired by her Maori heritage.