Magic, mischief, and danger collide in this fast‑paced fantasy set in modern‑day New Zealand. Fourteen‑year‑old Charlotte Underwood arrives to apprentice under Mikaere Tahuriorangi, the most gifted Potion‑Master of his generation. His remote home, surrounded by strange and powerful herbs, seems like the perfect place to learn — until Charlotte discovers she’s stepped straight into the heart of a global magical crisis.

Potion apprentices around the world are disappearing, and a rogue Potion Master is hunting them for their blood. When Charlotte becomes his next target, she’s thrust into a whirlwind of schemes, narrow escapes, and uneasy alliances with the secretive magical agency known as The Order.

As she trains, Charlotte uncovers a rare and dangerous talent: the ability to summon the spirit of the deadly Belladonna plant. Controlling it could save lives or destroy everything. With magic spiraling out of control and loyalties shifting around her, Charlotte must confront her limits, trust her instincts, and learn when to ask for help.

Told through letters, reports, and notes from those caught up in the chaos, A Dash of Belladonna is a lively, imaginative adventure full of tension, humour, and heart. Perfect for readers who love contemporary fantasy, botanical magic, and heroines who grow into their power one mistake at a time.

“Dearest friend,

Tomorrow I fly to New Zealand, a country where my future master will no doubt teach me the deepest secrets of brewing the most marvelous, miraculous and magical potions. Perhaps he will teach me how to make an invisibility potion? No, no. Too mundane. I'm sure he'll teach me the sort of magic that paints the Milky-Way with the stars, the kind that swaps the sky with the still ocean, or the ones that make fireflies dance in winter. Okay, all of those are illegal, but a girl can dream, right? Ma, of course, thinks I'm going to get kidnapped by some moustache-twirling villain and become embroiled in a magical struggle that's been brewing for centuries. If I had a say, I'd add a dash of danger and adventure in there. Why stop at getting kidnapped? Why not rebirth an ancient magic everyone thought was extinct?

What would I do if I find myself in a series of such non-sensical events? Who knows? But I promise you I wouldn't give up without a proper, magical fight.

Your Fantabulous Friend.

"When do you become an adult? What requirements do you have to fill to become an adult? Do you wake up one day and get awarded a certificate to prove that you are an adult? Is it when you can vote? When you can drink? What did being an adult mean to me?"“