The Purple Fern

An exotic fern delivered anonymously adorns the corner of a wealthy botanist's study. Days later he's dead poisoned by a toxin so rare only the plant itself could contain it. Was it an accident... or the perfect murder?Detective Alden March called in from London is skeptical of coincidences. His investigation into the rare Adiantum Violaceum-the mysterious purple fern-reveals a tangled plot of academic jealousy stolen research and an affair that threatens reputations across the scientific elite. But as more bodies begin to fall March realizes the killer's motives go far deeper than anyone suspects.Fergus Hume's The Purple Fern is a gripping botanical mystery where science obsession and death intertwine. From the hallowed halls of natural history museums to the mist-shrouded greenhouses hiding deadly plants every clue draws you closer to the roots of evil.The truth is buried in the soil and someone is killing to keep it there.