Professor Eustacia Rose has been arrested. Her charge: possession of poisonous plants without the appropriate licence. But behind the scenes, ulterior motives are at play…

Locked in a windowless cell, Eustacia begins to uncover memories she didn't know she had. Her father's work on a mysterious academic paper. The night he was arrested, accused of murder. And a woman with long black hair that Eustacia does not recognise.

Linking all the memories is Marcus Smith, her father's unscrupulous assistant, a man she thought was long dead. Marcus ruined her father's career, stole his research and vanished after a heated confrontation. But the past never stays buried, as Eustacia knows all too well.

With the help of DCI Roberts and determined allies, Eustacia races against time to expose the deceptions of the past and solve a fresh murder before it's too late. This is her only chance to clear her father's name and settle a decades-old score, but the truth can be a bitter pill to swallow…

‘A tangled poisonous plot with a unique, thorny character at its heart, Jill Johnson has created a whodunnit as addictive as any narcotic’ – ANDREINA CORDANI
‘Original and engrossing’ – JANE BETTANY
‘Eustacia is a delightful sleuth . . . A charming, quirky and compulsive read’ – JESSICA BULL

SECRETS ARE THE DEADLIEST POISON

Eustacia Rose is done with murder cases. She’s ready to settle down with her partner, Matilde, and focus on her work at the university. To live a normal life.

But then along comes a case she can’t resist investigating – because this time, the murder victim was poisoned with hemlock, one of the plants stolen from Eustacia’s illicit garden of poisonous plants. And Eustacia is not the only one desperate to retrieve her lost treasure: the beguiling trader of rare plants, Zsa Zsa, and rival university professor Hutchins are on the trail, too, not to mention the dangerous criminal gang determined to keep hold of the lethal plants.

The stakes are higher than ever for Eustacia. Because if she cannot save her plants in time, there will be more deaths – and this time, the blood will be on her hands . . .

With a quirky protagonist, dark academia aesthetic and an array of exotic poisonous plants, this unique spin on the classic murder mystery novel will hook fans Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Robert Thorogood’s The Marlow Murder Club and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.

‘A tangled poisonous plot with a unique, thorny character at its heart, Jill Johnson has created a whodunnit as addictive as any narcotic’ – ANDREINA CORDANI
‘Original and engrossing’ – JANE BETTANY
‘Eustacia is a delightful sleuth . . . A charming, quirky and compulsive read’ – JESSICA BULL

SECRETS ARE THE DEADLIEST POISON

Eustacia Rose is done with murder cases. She’s ready to settle down with her partner, Matilde, and focus on her work at the university. To live a normal life.

But then along comes a case she can’t resist investigating – because this time, the murder victim was poisoned with hemlock, one of the plants stolen from Eustacia’s illicit garden of poisonous plants. And Eustacia is not the only one desperate to retrieve her lost treasure: the beguiling trader of rare plants, Zsa Zsa, and rival university professor Hutchins are on the trail, too, not to mention the dangerous criminal gang determined to keep hold of the lethal plants.

The stakes are higher than ever for Eustacia. Because if she cannot save her plants in time, there will be more deaths – and this time, the blood will be on her hands . . .

With a quirky protagonist, dark academia aesthetic and an array of exotic poisonous plants, this unique spin on the classic murder mystery novel will hook fans Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Robert Thorogood’s The Marlow Murder Club and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.

‘Dark academia meets cosy crime . . . Unique and darkly funny.’ Suzy Apsley, author of Crow Moon

Betrayal is a bitter poison . . .

Professor Eustacia Rose’s life is returning to normal. She is back teaching at UCL and her relationship with Matilde is blossoming. All is well.

Until a man is found with a needle in his neck, on the brink of death, and a disturbing painting of Eustacia links her to him.

To make matters worse, a stalker at the university is blackmailing her to gain access to her poisonous plant collection, and soon another body ties the professor to the dark world of illegal synthetic plant toxins.

With no leads and the body count rising, Eustacia, now firmly in the frame, is left with no choice but to investigate the deaths in earnest herself, however dangerous it may become.

With a quirky protagonist, dark academia aesthetic and an array of exotic poisonous plants, this unique spin on the classic murder mystery novel will hook fans Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.

‘Bloomin’ enjoyable! Well-written eccentric escapism’ Claire Wilson, author of Five By Five

After a nerve-racking investigation, Professor Eustacia Rose’s life is returning to normal. She is finally back teaching at UCL and her relationship with Matilde is blossoming. But when a man is found dead with a needle in his neck, and a disturbing painting of Eustacia links her and the body, her fragile peace suddenly begins to crumble.

At work, there’s another threat for Eustacia to deal with. A PhD student is desperate to get access to her poisonous plant collection and begins to stalk her. When she refuses to help him, he starts buying illegal synthetic plant toxins from an unknown source then turns up dead. Once again, Eustacia is the link.

With no leads and the body count rising, Eustacia, now firmly in the frame, is left with no choice but to investigate the deaths in earnest herself, however dangerous it may become.

With a quirky protagonist, dark academia aesthetic and an array of exotic poisonous plants, this unique spin on the classic murder mystery novel will hook fans Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project and Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.

Praise for DEVIL’S BREATH (A BBC Between the Covers Book Club Pick) and Jill Johnson’s PROFESSOR EUSTACIA ROSE

‘A blooming good read’ – THE TIMES

‘A must for lovers of crime fiction that’s just a bit different from the norm‘ – HEAT magazine

‘[This is like] Sherlock Holmes meets Gardner’s Question Time‘ – NISH KUMAR on BBC2’s Between the Covers

‘I loved the toxicology and was fascinated! I started to become very plant aware, even to the extent that I started watering plants at home!’ – BEN MILLER on BBC2’s Between the Covers

‘With Eustacia Rose, Jill has created an utterly unique character and has ensured that the detective genre turns a new leaf. Mystery, murder, and mulch. What’s not to love.’ – ADIL RAY OBE

‘Professor Eustacia is a brilliant and original new heroine‘ – JULIA FELLOWES, bestselling author of the Mitford Murders series

‘Professor Eustacia Rose, genius botanical toxicologist, eccentric loner, instinctive detective and all-round mystery – a splendid creation‘ – ESTHER FREUD, author of I Couldn’t Love You More

‘One of the most unique characters you’ll ever meet. Jill Johnson writes masterfully, hooking you in from the beginning and taking you on a journey that feels like it’s happening next door.’ – JJ BOLA, author of The Selfless Act of Breathing

‘Jill Johnson blows literary Devil’s Breath straight into the reader’s bloodstream via the gloriously authentic and eccentric Professor Rose. I fell in love with this.’ – NIKKI BEDI, Presenter of Saturday Live, BBC Radio 4