I'm not sure if Professor Roses' character is supposed to be portrayed as neurodivergent, but this is how she comes across to me. For me, this adds to the story as it allows us to try to work out her thought processes. Eustacia (Professor Rose) comes across as a very intelligent woman but has a side of naivety to her. She spends a lot of time trying to figure out what has happened and how she can help with the investigation and doesn't seem to think about the repercussions. By being helpful, she is constantly implicating herself.

Devil’s Breath is about a professor of Botanical Toxicology who gets herself embroiled in a murder plot that only she can solve. She is a complicated MC. She is not very likeable, she is withdrawn, clearly still grieving her father’s death, her social skills are clearly lacking and she definitely has a voyeuristic streak.
It it a fun whodunnit with lots of mysterious backstory. It did start on the slower side. Ther is a lot left unexplained that is really slowly revealed. Sometimes I thought the slow reveal was hindering certain parts of the plot. That said I love that Professor Rose starts gender ambiguous at first and love complicated queer characters. I also love a gorgeous cover as well.
Thank you @netgalley and @bwpublishing for the advanced copy. This is out now so find it, read it, and let me know your thoughts!

Unusual, Immersive..
Eustacia Rose, Professor of Botanical Toxicology, has a normally peaceful and quiet existence. She lives for her work and tends to her extensive plant collection. All that is about to change. She will soon find herself amidst a bizarre and confounding case involving the highly toxic plants that she knows so much about. An unusual and immersive mystery with a touch of gothic magic, a plot populated with a credible and deftly drawn cast of characters and an immersive narrative.

Eustacia Rose is a professor of botanical toxicology, now disgraced. Her life now revolves around her roof garden of poisonous plants as well as watching her neighbours with her telescope. She becomes obsessed with one, Simone and the many men in her life, all of whom Rose names after poisonous plants. When she sees Simone kidnapped, she is forced to leave her solitary life to investigate.

Devil’s Breath by Jill Johnson is an entertaining mystery with a very unusual female protagonist who you can’t help but like. In many ways, she reminded me of Golden Age detectives with her many eccentricities. My one quibble - there were several references to past events that seemed important to Rose’s story and made me think there must have been previous book(s).. Well, that and the fact that I will never again be able to garden without thinking about the many ways a whole lot of fairly common plants can kill you. Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope this really is the start of a new series.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and Black & White Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Eustacia Rose is a disgraced professor of plant toxicology. Mysterious and unfortunate events have led to her life as an (almost certainly) neurodivergent loner, who takes solace in the roof garden of deadly plants she has lovingly tended - that is until she finds herself entranced by the life of a beautiful stranger who lives opposite her building. Sure that she sees the woman being abducted, Eustacia throws herself into solving the crime of her missing neighbour and as the investigation progresses it becomes clear that it has more than a little to do with Eustacia's past. This is clever and has a pleasingly dry humour that contrasts nicely with the twists and turns of the plot. It looks like this is the first of a series and I am intrigued to see where the author takes Eustacia next.

“I’ve always been better with plants than people..”

Eustacia Rose is a professor of botanical toxicology, living a curiously solitary life in London with a collection of equally curious, poisonous plants in her secret rooftop garden for company. Her quiet and unassuming life is punctuated by a tendency to people-watch through her telescope – her particular focus on one neighbour and her many guests. When Eustacia befriends said neighbour, she is soon pulled into a toxic crime investigation, taking matters into her own hands.

This character-driven story is a fun little detective, crime novel. It starts with several beautifully evocative passages, painting a picture of a stunning London. The author pays glorious attention to detail, taking time to include plants and interesting tidbits about them all. I also loved how Eustacia constantly compares humans to plants in order ‘to understand them better’. Professor Rose reminds me a lot of Eleanor Oliphant from Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine; I’m not sure of the author meant to present her as neurodivergent, but Eustacia presented that way to me, with great effect. She undergoes some incredible character development, going from avoidant to fear-facing as the story develops.

As far as detective narratives go, I thought this was a compelling one, as I truly didn’t know where the story would take me next. My only qualm is that there are a LOT of character names to remember, some of whom disappear and don’t resurface until quite a while later!

Professor Eustacia Rose whole life is her study of poisonous plants. Professor Rose doesn't seem to be comfortable interacting with people. She doesn't like loud noises or people touching her. Life for her is very routine. Eustacia does seem to grieve for her father that she lost very deeply. She wears his suits and fixes her hair in the same style he did.
Eustacia has a roof top garden full of poisonous plants and a very powerful telescope. She begans to conduct a character study of her neighbor Zena. She becomes obsessed with Zena and the drama and men in her life. Professor Rose ends up meeting Zena in real life and her adoration intensifies. One day she sees one of the men push Zena in a car and she decides to rescue her. Lots of mysteries and dips and turns happen.

I liked this book. I liked the way Professor Eustacia Rose developed her life and found more meaning. However their isn't very many likeable characters in this book and that makes reading this story problematic for me. Zena for instance is an awful person (you read and decide what you think), she hasn't many redeeming qualities. The story itself makes you feel uncomfortable for Eustacia. Everyone has meet an Eustacia...smarter than her own good, eccentric characteristics.... I did enjoy being in her head.

An unlikely, unconventional detective mystery of sorts. Eustacia is a connoisseur of poisonous plants. She has a strong appreciation for their beauty and their malice. She is also a keen observer of those around her, but when one neighbor starts to have curious visitors Eustacia cannot help but find the answers for herself. Trouble is, she’s fallen headlong into a mystery that proves to be more complex and dangerous than her quiet life previously was.

I enjoyed the main character as a person. Her intellect was intriguing. I think if I were to become entranced in an irresistible investigation I would probably fumble in the same ways. I do hope we get more of Professor Eustacia Rose soon!

Thank you NetGalley, Black & White Publishing, and author Jill Johnson for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, oh my god, I loved this book.

When I first started reading this I was unsuspecting of how amazing it would be. The incredible details Jill Johnson put into this book are so good! I love all the interesting plant information, and how Eustacia compares humans to plants because it makes it easier to understand people, which I think is very funny because honestly, I need that too.

The story was so interesting, to the point where I couldn't stop reading, I just had to know what happened. I love a book where you cannot predict what will happen next and that is what this book did for me!

I also really like the character development in Professor Rose, you notice how at the start she is basically very avoidant of anything and anyone (I relate) and she gradually comes out of her shell, she faces her fears, and she starts socializing again after a hard time.

Words cannot explain how much I liked this book, amazing work!

Thanks to netgalley and the author for providing me with a copy of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review! Glad I had the opportunity

a post will be made on instagram on the 17th of july, i will share the link here as well

This is an interesting one as the premise is so original and I love the naming of the main character. Eustacia Rose.

The novel starts with real impetus and then, in my opinion looses its way early on for twenty or so pages with some voyeurism that made me wonder if I would continue.

Fortunately I did and the novel really picked up again without the sex!

It's a complicated structure, with complicated timelines and geographies and on the whole Jill Johnson does an excellent job of keeping everything spinning.

Eustacia, our hero, is an interesting and difficult character, but we can tell she has her own charisma and appeal. I love the neighbour who lives in the basement and the ending.

I really look forward to the next novel from Jill JOhnson


Thank you to Netgalley and Black and White Publishing. for allowing me the opportunity to review this novel.

Eustacia is a Professor of Botanical Toxicology, she lives alone in her reclusive world, tending to her precious collection of rare and poisonous plant species.
She is drawn into a dangerous world after becoming infatuated with her neighbour.

This is a very easy to read and follow book. Eustacia is a fascinating person, completely different to any other character I have read but also very familiar to me. She is complex, her need for solitude and order driving her quiet little life, yet the pull of one person changes her entire routine and forces her to experience a completely new kind of life and face her many phobias.
The story was quite a simple one, my only gripe is that things from the past were referenced frequently that were clearly important to Eustacia's story but were never fully shared, I assumed I was reading a book in a series but I can't find evidence of that online.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read and review this book.

Eustacia likes her plants more than she likes people, but the plants she likes are poisonous, mostly deadly, hallucinogenic at the very least. But although Eustacia isn't a fan of people she very much enjoys spying on her neighbours with her telescope, from the safety of her lethal rooftop garden. When one neighbour in particular catches her eye Eustacia suddenly finds herself out of her depth and caught up in a mystery that brings up a lot of unpleasant memories. An engrossing, fast paced read that has me reevaluating my houseplant collection.

Dr. Eustacia Rose is a botanical toxicology professor who has a garden full of poisonous plants and who entertains herself by watching her neighbors through a telescope.

She becomes embroiled in a situation with her neighbor and the neighbor's activities and she has to confront past issues during the sorting out process. (Is that vague enough to not give away the plot?)

The book is incredibly interesting, educational, and drew me into the story wholeheartedly. I can't wait to read more by Jill Johnson.

This book was provided to me for an honest review by NetGalley and the publisher.

I liked this academic thriller. There was really no guessing where it was going to end and it came together well. The main character was interesting, I felt different from what is typical in many ways, There were a lot of side characters but it was pretty easy to keep everyone straight and follow along, even with all the various plant names. Speaking of plants, it was also an interesting mini lesson in poisonous plants. The writing was lovely, and I would be interested in more if this becomes a series.

As someone who has always found solace in the company of plants, I was immediately drawn to Jill Johnson's novel, "Devil's Breath." The story centres around Eustacia Rose, a professor of botanical toxicology who lives a quiet life tending to her garden of poisonous plants in London. However, when she hears a scream from her neighbour's house, Eustacia is unable to resist the temptation to investigate.

What unfolds is a tale of mystery and intrigue as Eustacia becomes increasingly involved in the lives of her neighbour, Simone, and the men who visit her. Using her extensive knowledge of poisonous plants, Eustacia nicknames the men after their toxic effects on Simone but soon realizes that there is far more at play than meets the eye.

As the story progresses, Eustacia finds herself entangled in a web of secrets and deceit that ultimately leads to a tragic outcome. The suspense builds with each page, and I found myself unable to put the book down as I desperately tried to unravel the mystery alongside Eustacia.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the book was the role of poisonous plants in the plot. As someone who has always had a fascination with botany, I appreciated the detailed descriptions of the different plants and their various toxic effects. It was clear that the author had done extensive research, and I learned a lot about poisonous plants throughout the course of the book.

However, what really stood out to me was the character of Eustacia Rose. As a protagonist, she is unique in her introverted nature and her love for plants over people. Her unwavering dedication to her garden of poisonous plants was both fascinating and unsettling, and her gradual involvement in Simone's life was both unexpected and thrilling.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed "Devil's Breath" and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or has an interest in botany. The story was both gripping and educational, and I found myself invested in the characters and their fates. Jill Johnson has crafted a novel that is both engaging and thought-provoking, and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

I was hooked in reading this from the cover and description alone, so I was glad with how well everything worked together. Jill Johnson has a great writing style that did everything that I was expecting. I loved the idea of a secret garden of poisonous plants. It has a suspenseful feel to it and I’m glad I got to read this.

Eustacia/Professor Rose, the main character, absolutely makes this book. You should read the book for that alone! But the story line has been propagated, manicured and tended for our entertainment. (Maybe we would all be safer if we wear a coat and gloves when we look after the plants in our homes. At least Rose would probably think so, or alternatively she would tell us to dispose of them all very carefully indeed.) Read the book and you will understand. Thank you to Black and White Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine.

Well, I hate to say it, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy it. It had such potential and I was really looking forward to it but it just didn't deliver, in my opinion.