Kind of a cosy crime but with expertise... You can certainly feel the vibe this is the first of what is likely to be a series and the expertise of a suspect main character is unique, however, not all that interesting to me. There is plenty of alternative suspects for us to conisder and this provides lots of opportunity for scientific equipment and our main charact Nell Ward to utilise her expert knowledge in order to clear her name and find the true cuplrit.

I received this book as an ARC and have provide my honest feedback

This was almost perfect for me - it didn't have quite enough "actual" clues that I could pick up on and use to solve the crime, it was more things being laid out then explained how they proved whodunnit at the end which isn't as fun and doesn't keep me as captivated as when there are either subtle hints or direct 'this is a clue, what does it mean?' moments but I still thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I am slightly slumpy at present, so this may have been me, but for a relatively short book, this seemed to drag at points and I'd have liked slightly faster pacing.

Potential (minor) spoilers:
Nell is an interesting character. At the start she felt very well rounded but then we learn something and realise she isn't quite what she seems and I'm interested to actually get to know her as the series goes on.
She is a very clever woman but also stupid and irritating - the fact she had no common sense at points, going off to the crime scene and going after a suspect.
I also felt she too easily got off with a lot of things and there were aspects I just didn't understand - the staying at the scene of a crime overnight (with police permission!!) made no sense. Surely they could've gone somewhere with conor (even dropped off at a hotel) but overall i found these things minor and in a way it adds to the charm of the series that it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's not quite what I'd consider cosy mystery territory (where I definitely am more forgiving of things, such as in The Charity Shop Detective Agency where the police literally give information to the elderly ladies trying to solve the mystery!) but it's pretty close and so I'll allow it!

I definitely plan to keep going with the series - hopefully as I get out of this slump I'll enjoy them more and more!

A Murder of Crows was a complex, confusing mystery book to get into.

There are characters like Nell, who didn’t seem to care that there was a murder let alone that she was in the vicinity where the murder took place. Nell seemed to be more focused on bats than her friend's death.

The sentences/paragraphs seemed to run on with words making it hard to understand the point of the content, often making the story lose point of direction.

Sadly this book wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Embla Books for the digital copy of A Murder of Crows for reviewing purposes.

This series starter is part police procedural and part amateur investigation, as Dr Nell Ward pulls on her hiking boots and sets out to find out who murdered Sarah Crows (great title pun there!), with the help of her colleague, Adam, and the handsome DS James Clark.

As well as a well-plotted mystery, along traditional lines but with an ecological twist, this features a side plot with one of the few love triangle I’ve read that actually works and feels believable/natural. I could definitely see a long series in the future for these characters.

With regards to the murder mystery, all of the clues were there and there was a small suspect pool to choose from, yet still the author managed to keep me guessing right up to the reveal – I do love it when an author can play fair and still surprise me!

On top of everything else, there is plenty of information here about ecology, particularly about bats, which I found utterly fascinating. I particularly enjoy a bit of education alongside my entertainment and this book delivers on both fronts.

Book 2 in this series, A Cast of Falcons has flown right to the top of my TBR mountain now and I can’t wait to bring you my review of it soon!

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Really enjoyed this book, my favourite genre are cosy thrillers, will be reading the sequel when it comes out. Characters were likeable and read this book over a couple of days.

A brilliant debut novel! The first in a new series that I absolutely loved and was very excited when I was approved for the sequel.

V. readable. Fresh and modern perspective on the cosy crime genre. Felt the pace was lacking in some places but overall v. much enjoyed and would highly recommend.

3.5 stars.
An enjoyable mystery that kept me reading late into the night, despite there being little doubt about the identity of the murderer.
Ecologist Dr. Nell Ward is at the site of a murder, in fact, there when it happens. She's there to perform a survey for the homeowner, then to look for signs of bat habitation (and badgers, etc.). She doesn't see the murder happen, but has a bad feeling, based on something she heard while working.
Unfortunately, when the police come to talk with her, she almost immediately seems a bit shifty and untruthful. The police jump to the wrong conclusion, finding it impossible that someone wold actually care about bats, etc., and have so many connections to the dead woman.

Nell's not lying about her involvement, but rather, about her actual name, or position, as a society heiress. Her discomfort with sharing this piece of information actually causes her a lot of trouble over the course of the story, both with the police and with a coworker (and one of possible love interests) Adam/Rav.

I liked the pacing of the story, and loved all the ecological info the author shared, and am interested in reading more Nell Ward mysteries.

What did reduce my enjoyment were a couple of things: a love triangle (I utterly, categorically hate them!) and one of the men making googly eyes at Nell: James. Every time he came into a scene I winced; this character totally set my teeth on edge. It was never just one thing about the character, but rather everything about him that dropped my positive assessment of the book. I want much, much more Rav in book two, with James eventually disappearing, forever. But, as it sadly seems James is in book two, I’ll have to probably skip all his sections when I eventually get to book two.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Embla Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I'm not sure how this got on my radar. I want to say Twitter, but I think I might have got an email from the publisher's publicity department, saying "Vote for this upcoming release's cover!" and I am a sucker for a mystery poll for a new series. And this is a cosy murder mystery series so, of course, this is right up my street, people!

Although, this wasn't what I was expecting for a cosy mystery. But more on that later...

Dr Neil Ward is an ecologist, not a detective. So when she took on a job for a local Manor House in Cookingdeal, this thinks it will be an easy open-and-shut to discover the building's wildlife. When she discovers a hidden tunnel, perfect for bats, she thinks she overhears something. It's not till a day or two later that she realises that she heard the home owner being murdered...

Desperate to help, she shows all her findings to the Police. But this has the opposite effect as the Police turn their sights on Neil being the prime suspect. Trying to clear her name, Neil and her colleague Adam decide to look into the murder. But that might be easier said than done...

Now, I said earlier that this wasn't exactly what I was expecting from a cosy mystery. Mainly because there were times, I didn't think this fits the cosy crime genre. There were times I went "I haven't read this in the cosy before, and if I had, there's an element of lightness and humour to these situations." Plus, there are topics that are very lightly touched on and I went "Oh, that's heavy for a cosy."

But, let's be real here: cosy crime in general is a wide scope. Yes, it's a sub-genre of crime/thrillers but is a large sub-genre. You can go really light or quite dark, and yet still fit nearly in this sub-genre. I mean, Agatha Christie fits this genre to most people and yet, I can name several where the crimes are quite brutal.

Plus, this felt quite slow at the start. I think this was because I was audiobooking this from my local library and not reading the eProof. If I was reading this, I would have devoured this so much quicker, but because I was audiobooking this to and from work, I would lost the pace as soon as the story hit its stride.

So yeah, I didn't get what I was expecting, because I fell into the trap of thinking "Oh, it's a cosy. That means this is going to be a light and easy read."

HOWEVER, once I got a good way into the book, I found my pacing and raced through it. This is a first in a series so, of course, this is more an introduction to the main characters: to Nell, Adam, James, Sylvia (who is awesome! I loved her so much!) and character building (hence the slowness at the same). We see character development (slow at the start, but things moved nicely around the 40% mark), a hint of a romance/love-triangle that will play very nicely into book two.

I don't think the link between this being for fans of Richard Osman, Joy Ellis and Faith Martin if I'm being completely honest with you. But, I do think this will fit more for fans of Midsomer Murders and Agatha Raisin books more. And yes, I want to read book 2, A Cast of Falcons, when it comes out in October (I believe the third in the series, A Mischief of Rats, will be out in early 2023).

I didn't finish this book, sorry, it looks like "cosy Crime" just isn't for me, to be honest I was put off by the map at the beginning and reading on a kindle makes it difficult to go backwards and forwards to see where they are, it was a bit long winded and very drawn out at the beginning and I just got bored

A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett is a clever take on the title (and the way of referring to a bunch of crows). Sophia Crows stood to inherit the manor house and all the property from her grandmother, who was currently in a care home, primarily for the monitoring of high blood pressure but also because her eyesight was going. Sarah saw her daily. They agreed that the property should be turned into a horse sanctuary, a project Sophie’s husband had endorsed whole-heartedly and was working on at this moment. Until Sophie discovered he wasn’t and expected to turn the property in to a housing development and make a fortune. Almost immediately Sophie contacted her lawyer, a childhood friend, and changed her will as well as putting together divorce papers. Those papers were never filed, however, as she was bludgeoned to death in a tunnel beneath the manor before that happened. Dr. Nell Ward was at the other end of the tunnel at the same time doing a bat survey, one of the many surveys necessary before building permits could be issued. She had been right there and what she thought was simply a falling brick, was probably Sophie’s murderer. The police didn’t actually believe her story, or at least that is how it seemed.

Ward was actually Lady Eleanor Ward-Beaumont, the daughter of an earl and an MP. She had wanted something of her own and her job as an ecologist was that thing, including working using a professional name rather than her full name. The police didn’t see it that way: if she would lie about her name, what more could she lie about? She came to them with time-stamped photos and narrative documenting what she had been doing that day. They also viewed that as suspicious. She was a terrific character, cautious because of previous hurts. She wasn’t a murderer. The mystery was a good one, rooted, as often murders are, in money. It is amazing how the most innocent things can be misconstrued in a different situation. After several false starts the police captured the true murderer and life went back to somewhat normal. It was a good book with an intricate plot.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Murder of Crows by embla Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #emblabooks #sarahyarwoodlovett #amurderofcrows

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Nell Ward is an ecologist, and is performing an ecological survey of a large property which is to be developed. While there, she finds a tunnel, leading into the lower levels of the house. She thinks she hears something, but doesn't know what, and it makes her nervous so she leaves. Meanwhile, Sophie Crows, the property owner, is being murdered in the tunnel.

It quickly becomes clear that Nell is being framed for the murder and she tries to clear herself. Fair enough - but I found the police decision to charge her fairly flimsily based. There didn't seem much reason to decide that Nell would kill Sophie, because several years before she had attended a dance with Sophie's current husband, and had not had any apparent relationship with him after that point. Even less reason for her to participate in the ongoing sequence of murders! Yes, Nell has been less than straightforward about her life and family, but I found it difficult to imagine why this would lead the police to decide that she must be a murderer.

Another interesting thing about this book is that the author uses her own knowledge/experience as an ecologist to tell us an awful lot of technical details about badgers and dormice and most especially bats. They certainly were convincing, but I will admit to skimming over some of the technical details - maybe a little less of that would be good?

I did enjoy reading the book. The characters were interesting, and the overall plot was as well. There's supposed be a sequel coming and I'll probably read that - this was the author's first book, and some of the problems I had with it may well be less pronounced on her next outing.

A Murder of Crows is the début instalment in Sarah Yarwood-Lovett's brand new series featuring ecologist, Dr Nell Ward and its set in a village called Cookingdean, near Pendlebury, south-east England.

The book is full of science trivia so if you don't like that then A Murder of Crows will not be for you. It wasn't my favourite part of the book, but the mystery was good. Nell discovers that she is in a difficult situation when an ecological impact survey for a potential construction project lands her in the role of the chief suspect in the occurrence of death on the site, a remote old manor house. whilst she was present. DCI Val Johnson and DS James Clark investigate and try to untangle the mess of clues, whilst Nell decides she needs to conduct her own investigation to prove her innocence and her colleague, Dr Adam Kashyap is around to help.

A good solid tale, I intend to continue the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Embla Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A Murder of Crows was an enjoyable read, revolving around a British ecologist’s efforts to extricate herself from suspicion of murder.

Dr. Nell Ward is conducting an ecological survey on the grounds of Manor House Farm, in south-east England. In the course of her work, she identifies and enters a disused tunnel in the grounds - a possible hibernaculum environment for several species of bats. Whilst inside the tunnel, Nell hears strange noises and follows her intuition to leave as quickly as possible. It transpires that she's overheard the murder-in-progress of landowner Sophie Crows, whose battered body is subsequently discovered at the other end of the tunnel, which leads to the Manor House's cellars.

Nell finds herself treated as both a witness and potential suspect by the Major Crime Team at Pendlebury, led by DCI Val Johnson and DS James Clark. Their suspicions grow when they learn that Nell has been hiding a major part of her identity, and that she has a past link to the victim. Meanwhile, Nell is navigating both a flirtatious relationship with her colleague Dr. Adam Kashyap and her growing mutual attraction to DS Clark. Desperate to clear her name, Nell uncovers irregularities within the development Sophie and her husband had proposed for Manor House Farm, indicating a potential motive, but the alternate suspect has an iron-clad alibi. Can Nell draw on her knowledge of ecology to find the missing link and solve Sophie's murder?

Despite an oddly-structured back-and-forth timeline and a liberal sprinkling of both plot holes and factual (legal) inaccuracies, the book was redeemed by a well-conceived mystery plot, interesting characters and the skilful interweaving of ecology into the story. I found the storyline about Nell's rehabilitation of an injured long-eared bat fascinating, and the integration of ecological concepts throughout the plot was well-executed by author Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, herself an ecologist.

I'd recommend A Murder of Crows to readers who enjoy cosy mysteries with a touch of will they-or-won't they romance, especially readers with an interest in ecology and the environment as a subplot. I'm intrigued to hear that Sarah Yarwood-Lovett already has two additional books featuring Dr. Nell Ward scheduled for future publication, and will be interested to read them on release.

My thanks to author Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, publisher Embla Books and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Thanks to NetGalley and Embla books for this ARC. I enjoyed this mystery story. Dr. Nell Ward was at the right place at the wrong time. She has been framed for the murder of a client and no matter how much she helps the police to prove why she was at the site of the murder, they keep finding reasons to blame her. Especially after they discover her secret past. The mystery kept me wanting to read more to find out how the book would end. Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of cosy mysteries.

A MURDER OF CROWS by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett is a richly-detailed mystery with an ecological slant.

Dr. Nell Ward is conducting an ecological survey of an old manor home's hidden tunnel when she hears a sudden noise. She passes it off as a falling brick, natural in a crumbling tunnel, but when Sophie Crows' body is found in the tunnel soon after, Nell realizes she may have heard the killer. What's more - Nell is now a suspect.

Overall, I did enjoy this one. There was a lot of detail: explanations of wildlife, nature, and other elements of ecology (thanks to the author's own background in the field), as well as what I thought was a thorough view of the investigation process. Sometimes, though, it felt like *too* much detail that wasn't always related to the mystery. There's also a love triangle that felt unnecessary. As a whole, the book is well-written, but the mystery takes some time to develop. It's a slower read.

I'd describe this as a cozy-adjacent mystery: a fairly clean read, save for descriptions of revenge porn and slightly more violence when describing the victim's death. I'd recommend this to those looking for a solid, if a bit slow, mystery, with ecological themes.

Thank you to Embla Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I've shared my review to Goodreads, and will post it on Instagram on the book's release date.

An excellent start to what I hope will be a long series! Murder, romance, bats and badgers - who could ask for more? Nothing nasty, nothing overly challenging, it’s Midsomer Murders with an ecology sideline. You will learn a lot about bats, badgers and the vital role of ecologists in the UK today, and happily settle into solving the murder of an heiress, with multiple suspects (of course), some will-they-won’t-they action, fast cars, muddy knees and a gun - and enough sudden twists to satisfy any lover of a good murder. A perfect poolside read for the summer holidays.

My thanks to Embla Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A Murder of Crows’ by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett.

This is the first in a new series of cosy mysteries featuring ecologist Dr. Nell Ward, who had no aspirations to become an amateur detective yet finds herself in the middle of a murder case.

In the sleepy village of Cookingdean Dr Nell Ward is engaged in an ecological survey in the grounds of a local manor house. Whilst inspecting an old tunnel, she overhears something that turns out to be a murder. She tries to be helpful to the police though finds herself their prime suspect!

In order to clear her name Nell, along with her colleague Adam, set out to solve the murder using their skills as ecologists to uncover details no one else would notice. Yet investigating the murder comes with its own dangers. Add to this Nell has a secret of her own that may well be exposed.

I enjoyed this novel very much. It’s always fun to discover a new series and as I have been interested in ecology since my teenage years its themes were especially appealing. Dr Sarah Yarwood-Lovett was herself an ecologist for sixteen years and draws upon this expertise to inform her narrative. There is a great deal of fascinating information within the novel, especially about bats and badgers.

I definitely will be looking forward to reading more of this ecological-themed mystery series.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I can say I loved a story if I can't wait to read the next in the series. And I can't wait the next in this enjoyable and entertaining series.
I had fun, liked the quirky and fleshed out characters and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
I also learned something more about bats and surveys.
Nell is lovely character that grew on me. I can't wait to catch up with her and the cast of characters.
An entertaining and compelling story, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

EXCERPT: 'You . . . you don't sound very fine. Why are you whispering?'

'Well, I've just been to the police, to tell them what I heard in the tunnel . . .'

'You did?' An exhale puffed down the line. 'I'm so relieved you told them. So now they'll realise you may be in danger. Offer some protection instead of treating you like a . . .'

'Yeah. That's not exactly how it went down. Oh . . . bollocks . . .' Nell crouched down low as the guard walked along the cordon towards her. She had hoped to speak to James; even if he thought she was pathetic, at least he seemed inclined to believe her. But, instead, it was Val who received Nell's update with the sceptical remark that, now that she was a person of interest, how handy it was that she could suddenly remember more details. The cynicism had pushed Nell to take a more . . . proactive approach.

'What are you doing?'

'I can't really speak now.'

The silence at the end of the line convinced Nell that he had gone and it wouldn't be rude to hang up. But as her thumb reached the button, Adam swore through the phone.

'Nell, I can see where you are. You're still sharing your location with me from doing the survey. What the bloody hell are you doing?'

ABOUT 'A MURDER OF CROWS': Dr Nell Ward is an ecologist, not a detective. But when she’s the prime suspect in a murder, only her unique set of skills could help to clear her name…

In the sleepy village of Cookingdean, Dr Nell Ward is busy working in the grounds of a local manor house. Whilst inspecting an old tunnel, the last thing she expects to overhear is a murder. As the only person with any clues as to what happened, Nell soon finds herself in the middle of the investigation.

Desperate to clear her name Nell, along with her colleague Adam, set out solving the murder using their skills as ecologists to uncover details no one else would notice. But it soon becomes clear that playing Agatha Christie is much harder than it might, at first appear…

MY THOUGHTS: A Murder of Crows is a nice cosy mystery with a twist - Lady Eleanor Ward-Beaumont, heiress, to a few select people; Dr Nell Ward, ecologist, to everyone else.

Don't go into A Murder of Crows expecting a tea and crumpets in front of the fire type of cosy; it's more hiking boots, waterproofs and bats, with the occasional flute of champagne. There are no 'cute' plays on words - excuse my sigh of relief - but you will learn a lot about bats. And Nell is quite adept at using her ecological survey equipment for surveillance on murder suspects.

There's lots of ecological trivia imparted (my life is much enriched by now being able to differentiate between rodent poo and bat poo), but at no point is it preachy or overwhelming. It's just worked nicely into the plot.

There's no shortage of suspects for the murder, and it's planning and execution is actually quite clever. Unusually for a cosy, there are chapters written from the investigating officers points of view, which I quite liked.

The possibility of romance is hinted at throughout with two men vying for Nell's attention, but she manages to get offside of both of them at various times.

I enjoyed this read, but once the murderer is exposed there's a little too much after story. I believe that this is the first in a proposed series, so perhaps the author is just setting the stage for what is to come. Time will tell.

I will be putting my hand up for a copy of the next in the series.

⭐⭐⭐.6

#AMurderofCrows #NetGalley

I: #sarahyarwood-lovett @emblabooks

T: @Sarah_Y_L @emblabooks

#contemporaryfiction #cosymystery #murdermystery

THE AUTHOR: After spending sixteen years as an ecologist, crawling through undergrowth and studying nocturnal habits of animals (and people), Dr Sarah Yarwood-Lovett naturally turned her mind to murder. She may have swapped badgers for bears when she emigrated from a quaint village in the South Downs to the wild mountains of the Pacific Northwest, but her books remain firmly rooted in the rolling downland she grew up in.

Forensically studying clues for animal activity has seen Sarah surveying sites all over the UK and around the world. She’s re-discovered a British species thought to be extinct during her PhD, with her record held in London’s Natural History Museum; debated that important question – do bats wee on their faces? – at school workshops; survived a hurricane on a coral atoll whilst scuba diving to conduct marine surveys; and given evidence as an expert witness.

Along the way, she’s discovered a noose in an abandoned warehouse and had a survey de-railed by the bomb squad. Her unusual career has provided the perfect inspiration for a series of murder mysteries with an ecological twist – so, these days, Sarah’s research includes consulting detectives, lawyers, judges and attending murder trials. (Amazon)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Embla Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

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