Devil's Breath
By Jill Johnson
‘A creeper vine of intrigue and suspense, with a most unlikely and engaging star detective at its heart'
‘Devil’s Breath is at once fascinating and eerily compelling, and Professor Eustacia Rose is a delight – a brilliant and original new heroine who may be an expert on rare poisonous plants but has a lot to learn when it comes to the dark side of human nature'
‘Professor Eustacia Rose, genius botanical toxicologist, eccentric loner, instinctive detective and all-round mystery – a splendid creation'
Appearing on BBC Two
A BBC Between The Covers bookclub pick. Series 7, episode 5
A BBC Between The Covers bookclub pick. Series 7, episode 5
Blurb
I’ve always been better with plants than people . . .
Eustacia Rose is a Professor of Botanical Toxicology who lives alone in London with only her extensive collection of poisonous plants for company. She tends to her garden with meticulous care. Her life is quiet. Her schedule never changes. Until the day she hears a scream and the temptation to investigate proves irresistible.
Through her telescope, Professor Rose is drawn into the life of an extraordinarily beautiful neighbour, Simone, and nicknames the men who visit her after poisonous plants according to the toxic effect they have on Simone. But who are these four men? And why does Eustacia Rose recognize one of them?
Just as she preserves her secret garden, she feels inexplicably compelled to protect her neighbour. But when her precious garden is vandalized and someone close to Simone is murdered with a toxin derived from a rare poisonous plant, Eustacia finds herself implicated in the crime and decides to take matters into her own hands . . .
