The Perfect Poison - Amanda Quick

Victorian London holds many secrets. But none are so closely
guarded as those of the shadowy Arcane Society. In her suspenseful new
novel, New York Times-bestselling author Amanda Quick delves into
this underworld of passion, greed, and powers that lie beyond this realm
. . .

Plagued by rumors that she poisoned her fianc, Lucinda Bromley
manages to live on the fringes of polite society, tending her beloved
plants-and occasionally consulting on a murder investigation. For the
notorious botanist possesses a unique talent: She can detect almost any
type of poison, especially ones that have their origins in the botanical
kingdom.

But the death of a lord has shaken Lucinda to her core. At the murder
scene, she picks up traces of a poison containing a very rare species of
fern. So rare, in fact, that only one specimen exists in all of England- and it was stolen from her conservatory just last month.

To keep her name out of the inquest and to find the murderer, Lucinda
hires fellow Arcane Society member Caleb Jones who runs a psychical
investigation agency. A descendant of the founder of the Society, Jones
is very skillful at protecting its secrets-and frighteningly good getting
at the truth. Immediately, Lucinda senses both a raw power and an
undeniable intensity in the imposing man.

But as a nearly overwhelming desire blooms between Caleb and Lucinda,
they are drawn into the dark heart of a deadly conspiracy that can be
traced to the early days of the Arcane Society -and to a legacy of
madness that could plunge Caleb into the depths of his own tortured soul.
. . .