Fair Botanists, Sara Sheridan

'Compelling, fascinating... A cracking good read'' Val McDermid ''An evocative, enjoyable portrait of 1820s Edinburgh'' Sunday Times ''Lush, seductive'' Daily Mail ''Completely enchanting'' Scotsman ''A beautiful tale of scandal and intrigue'' Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora *** Could one rare plant hold the key to a thousand riches? It''s the summer of 1822 and Edinburgh is abuzz with rumours of King George IV''s impending visit.

In botanical circles, however, a different kind of excitement has gripped the city. In the newly-installed Botanic Garden, the Agave Americana plant looks set to flower - an event that only occurs once every few decades. When newly widowed Elizabeth arrives in Edinburgh to live with her late husband''s aunt Clementina, she''s determined to put her unhappy past in London behind her.

As she settles into her new home, she becomes fascinated by the beautiful Botanic Garden which borders the grand house and offers her services as an artist to record the rare plant''s impending bloom. In this pursuit, she meets Belle Brodie, a vivacious young woman with a passion for botany and the lucrative, dark art of perfume creation. Belle is determined to keep both her real identity and the reason for her interest the Garden secret from her new friend.