Review of 'The Botanist Secret' by Liz Eeles
Release date: October 2, 2026
Publisher: Bookouture
REVIEW
I am a huge Liz Eeeles fan so I will read and review anything she writes. The Botanist Secret is a departure from her previous rom coms and women’s fiction books but the same incredible literary skill, confident maturity, tight plot, unforgettable characters, historical elements and intriguing secrets are still here. This one, though, is a true mystery novel with a missing person to find and high stakes moments. There are lots of honest clues plus red herrings, too, a flawed relatable sleuth (professional investigator), an atmospheric setting (stormy island), increasing tension, a small circle of suspects, plus secrets, surprises and twists. As you would expect in a mystery, there are lots of doubts planted in the characters’ minds. The climax is very thought-provoking with some unexpected revelations (one that only readers get to know about) but every loose end is tied up magnificently.
I was totally gripped by this story and could not set it down! I did not do much else but read all evening and a good portion of the night as I wanted to see how it would pan out. And the hours of lost sleep were truly worth it! There is so much here I can praise—including the foreboding and eerie atmosphere with its mystical touches reflected in the environment. Plus the Binding Tree, the superstitions and the mythical monster from folklore, added some rich cultural texture, unease and suspense. The island itself is a character and the weather reflects its moods.
The Botanist’s Secret is told through three points of view which gives us quite a wide advantage. This allows for greater depth and complexity of characters, setting and events. We see everything through three sets of eyes, read their thoughts and learn of their biases, opinions, moral dilemmas, personal struggles and their pasts. And we see how they each view the other’s actions. Plus looking at the story world from various angles, draws us deeper into the drama and it becomes a more immersive experience.
Tamsin lives with her grandmother Morwenna on the remote and wild Merwin Island where they are the sole caretakers. This is a place where Tamsin grew up and had a happy childhood, though her grandmother’s odd ways/beliefs sometimes provoked nightmares in her. But when she went away to university to study botany, those superstitions/fears were replaced with scientific knowledge and she learned about the ‘majestic oak, birch and rowan trees that covered the remote island, its wide array of plants, and the myriad species of fungi and moss that carpeted the woodland floor…” She then wanted to pass on this knowledge to others—which she does when the many botany students from various universities come to visit the island under her direction.
As for Morwenna, a botanist who uses her creams and mixes as natural medicines, she is deeply entrenched in the island’s fabric. She refuses to leave the island so Tamsin returns to live with her again and creates a job for herself by being a botany guide. One day an investigator, named Arthur, makes his way over on the boat with a number of university students. He has been hired by an adult son to find his missing mother. Arthur is persistent and once asking Tamsin and her grandmother if they knew of Jana, and they say no, he feels they are hiding something—or at least one of them is acting suspicious. But the road block does not slow him down for her finds ways to continue his search. He is not just a seeker of truth to complete his investigation, but he truly begins to care about these two ladies and tries to help when a threatening storm hits the island. During this extreme weather disturbance, the stability Tamsin and Morwenna have maintained for years, begins to crack. The weather has forced the secrets to surface. The Binding tree is a symbol of the islanders’ traditional beliefs but it will act as a bringer of truth. For it will uproot a buried past and the revelations will shock more than one person.
Through Morwenna’s viewpoint we go back in time a fair bit to get her history and what happened that shaped her into who she is today. She has experience many losses. We are given bread crumbs of her personality and habits along the way as the plot develops. There are some tense moments. But we get the impression everything she does is for love of her daughter and granddaughter. She is very protective of those she cares about. But how far can you go to protect those you love?
The novel, particularly through Arthur, represents the law and the voice of reason (he was a cop but now is an investigator) while Morwenna gives us the superstitious or intuitive perspective. Arthur must enter the grey areas. What is the right thing to do when exposing the truth could do more harm than good? Arthur must make some hard decisions—being caught between the law and moral ambiguity. He is faced with two legitimate values. I have heard it said: “Navigating the space between the law and a moral grey area involves balancing strict legal rules with subjective ethical duties and competing personal values.” The novel shows us what that looks like and how one character must find an acceptable solution and resolution.
This is a powerful story that I have not stopped thinking about since finishing it in the wee hours of the night. I can still feel that storm! Not only the physical one but also the internal emotional turmoil experienced by the three point of view characters: Tamsin, Morwenna and Arthur. Get a copy of this novel and read it. A mystery that will make you wonder, wriggle and wrestle with the decisions these three must make. A solid, suspenseful, thriller mystery. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC.
