When a lady's maid is found dead in the Duchess of Thornfield's lavender garden, herbalist and amateur sleuth Clara Wetherly suspects poison—not suicide. London, 1857. Clara Wetherly is tending her medicinal plants in the Duchess's greenhouse when a scream shatters the morning peace. Rose Fletcher, the young lady's maid with ambitious plans, lies dead among the lavender beds, a teacup by her side and a mysterious key in her hand. While Inspector Graham Redgrave investigates the official angles—a rejected lover, a breach of promise, a scandalous pregnancy—Clara notices something far more sinister. The afternoon "confusion" episodes plaguing the Duchess. The systematic theft of jewelry from elderly ladies across Bloomsbury. The telltale signs of pennyroyal in Rose's teacup. With the help of the formidable Bloomsbury Ladies and her observant cat Marmalade, Clara must navigate the treacherous world of Victorian servants' secrets to unmask a killer who's been hiding in plain sight. But when the poisoner realizes Clara is closing in, the Duchess herself becomes the next target. As Clara races to prevent another murder, she discovers that in a household built on rigid class lines, the most dangerous person may be the one who seems most trustworthy. And with her growing feelings for the enigmatic Inspector Redgrave complicating everything, Clara must trust her botanical knowledge—and perhaps her grandmother's ghostly guidance—to solve her most perplexing case yet. A delightful Victorian cozy mystery featuring herbal remedies, subtle supernatural elements, a meddling matchmaker ghost, and a cat who always knows more than he should.
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