Thank you NetGalley for approving me to read this. A very good read that had me hooked, once started I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend

One of my favourite cosy series out there. Nell and the team at EcoLogical are in the midst of an ecological survey for a housing developer, and making plans to relocate various reptiles on that heathland to a portion of it that will be set aside specifically for them. Nell is also worrying about Rav, still in hospital and recovering from his car accident in the previous book. He doesn’t seem to be making any progress, and she’s concerned he may be giving up.

As always, well-written and well-rounded characters, including sense of place, a twisty story and plot and a satisfying ending (if a bit grimmer than normal cosy ‘trope’). I did actually guess the main murderer, but didn’t piece together the motive, but didn’t mind as it’s always interesting to see how the clues come together for Nell. The dialogue is excellent in these books, moving the story along and giving you ecological highlights & information, which you need to pay attention to as there’s always a reason for it!

Recommended for clever, well-thought out plots, and great characters and story.

I have loved reading all of the Dr Nell Ward stories. Will there be more? I hope so. I really enjoy the mixture of mystery/detective alongside the expertise of Dr Nell in all things animal habitat and conservation. This is a really original perspective with great characters and compelling storylines.

*4 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

An interesting read. A few different things going on. I thought things worked out well in the end. Would recommend.

Nell Ward is struggling to complete the surveys on Furze Heath as commissioned by a client who wants to ensure minimal ecological impact for a new development. However when the body of a murdered woman is found Nell's safety comes into question. She is also grappling with the impact of the accident that took place at her family home and which has left her boyfriend Rav in hospital with potentially life-changing injuries.
I am growing to really like this series of crime mysteries with a strong ecological slant and this is another strong episode. For someone new to the series I think they would struggle with the back stories are they are rather complicated and not really explained here, but I was fine. I do describe these books as 'cosy crime' but some of the themes here, especially about abuse and violence against women, are not very cosy!

A Generation of Vipers
Book 4 in the Dr. Nell Ward mystery series
by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

Summary

A killer is hiding in plain sight, like a snake in the long grass...
When Dr Nell Ward stumbles across a woman's body amongst the purple heather on Furze Heath, she was on the lookout for nests of poisonous adders.
But something is lurking out here far more dangerous than vipers.
A cold-blooded killer is on the loose and this is not his first victim. As DI James Clark begins to investigate, a pattern emerges pointing towards this being the work of a serial killer. Every victim shares the same physical characteristics - all of which are a match to Nell herself.
As Nell is pulled into a tightly coiled mystery, she can't help feeling someone is tracking her every move...
Can she unmask the murderer before they strike again?
A completely gripping and page-turning cosy mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett and Robert Thorogood.

My Thoughts
Before reading A Generation of Vipers, I read the first three books, A Murder of Crows, A Cast of Falcons, A Mischief of Rats, in the series. While it isn’t necessary to read the first three, I recommend it. You’ll get a better understanding of the characters, their relationships to each other, and how they change throughout the series.

I also have to mention the titles—all of them use collective nouns for the specific animal in the title. In other words, a group of crows is called a murder, a group of falcons is called a cast, rats are referred to as a mischief, and vipers are a den. The next two books in the series are titled the same way. Clever, but not surprising considering Sarah Yarwood-Lovett was an ecologist for 18 years prior to becoming an author. That experience comes through in A Generation of Vipers.

Yarwood-Lovett has used that experience to create strong characters, especially Dr. Nell Ward. Nell is an ecologist, working for a company that conducts surveys of potentially ecologically valuable sites for clients. This career draws on knowledge of environmental concerns, but not in an over-bearing way. But as Nell goes about her job, this time conducting surveys on a construction site, she stumbles across a body and finds herself involved in another murder investigation. A scientist, Nell is smart and has an inquisitive mind. Qualities that also serve her well in murder investigations. But in A Generation of Vipers, Nell is in the crosshairs of a murderer, and her smarts may not be enough to save her.

Some of the tropes present in the story are the English countryside/village, amateur female sleuth, friendship and tension with the local constabulary, and a tight community of people she can depend on when needed.
The mystery kept me guessing all the way to the reveal. Yarwood-Lovett excels at planting red herrings and misdirection. At one point, early on, I was sure I had the mystery solved. But doubts set in as I kept reading, and when the killer was finally revealed I wasn’t even close, and I’m fine with that. Her characters are well-rounded and include several members of the local police department and her co-workers.

Yarwood-Lovett also included a section at the end called “The Nature of the Crime.” In this part of the book, she talks a bit about her writing process. She also draws upon her extensive experience as an ecologist, explaining more about the methods and species included in the book. I’m glad she included it because I liked reading it. I enjoyed reading all the books in the series so far, and I’m looking forward to reading the next two books.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Embla book for a copy of #AGenerationOfVipers in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

I’ve been reading this series since A Murder of Crows and it was always and entertaining and informative read as there’s a solid mystery but also a lot of information about the wild-life which is being surveyed by Nell.
This is the darker and the most intriguing book in this series as there’s a cold case related to a serial killer, a group of new colleagues who could be hiding something from their past. Nell is crushed by what happened to Rav (see A Mischief of Rats) and all the women who were killed looked like her.
This the start of a fast paced and highly entertaining novel that kept me on the edge and made me learned about the animals they were surveying.
There’s a lot of developments, there’s changes in the life of the characters but there’s also a lot of humour.
The cast of characters is as likeable as usual and I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the twists always surprised me even if I was able to guess the culprit (no logic, simply gut feeling).
I can’t wait to read A Trace of Hares, this one is highly recommended.
Many thanks to Embla Books and Compulsive Reader for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A Generation of Vipers is the fourth book featuring Dr. Nell Ward written by Dr. Sarah Yarwood-Lovett. Released 15th Aug 2023 by Bonnier on their Embla Books imprint, it's available in ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free, as are the other books in the series.

This is a consistently well written series with an experienced female ecologist who finds herself in a position to solve crimes with an element of biology/ecology/conservation in the mix Although it has the bones of a cozy mystery, there are elements of procedural and some slightly more graphic violence and descriptions than are usually present in cozies.

The main protagonist is a conservation ecologist and it's a profession which she shares with the author. It's an oft-said proverb that authors should write what they know, and Dr. Yarwood-Lovett has done just that; describing the realities of crawling through brambles and schlorping through mud to observe and record field study data.

The book is full of science tidbits and trivia and for me, that was the highlight. Without being pedantic or lecturing, the author pulls back the curtain on tantalizing bits of nature most never see. There are technical terms bandied about, and there are some places which require a little more attention on the part of the reader - but they're relatively few and far between and I think most readers will have no problem understanding the necessary jargon from context.

There is a fair bit of romance included in the mix and readers who enjoy that with their mysteries will be in raptures.

Four stars. It does move slowly in places, but the author does a thorough job of building up the characters' back-stories and settings. With four well plotted books extant, it would be a great choice for a binge or buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is the fourth book in the Dr Nell Ward eco-mystery series and is my favourite so far.

I somehow managed to miss book three (which error I will be remedying ASAP) but it caused no problem in catching up with the characters here, as the author has seeded all of the information you need to know throughout the plot.

All the usual characters – Nell, Rav, James, Sylvia, Erin and more – return, some in a better state than when we last saw them and some less so. And on top of dealing with a serial killer targeting her-lookalikes, Nell has ecological surveys to complete with skeleton staff, hospital visits to endure, and a trio of new and distinctly shady colleagues to train up – one or all of whom have secrets to hide.

And as if all the intrigue wasn’t entertaining enough, the book is peppered (as usual) with fascinating information about bats, birds, snakes and the preservation of their habitats in both theoretical and practical ways.

I made the mistake of starting this story in the evening and didn’t put it down until the late hours of the following morning… it was just that good. I definitely recommend this whole series for mystery lovers, as it is getting better with each book, and I will be very carefully looking out for the next instalment!

Really enjoyed the mix in this fourth addition to Nell Ward series. A serial killer on the loose, snakes both crawling and human and the ecological angle all add to the thrill of reading this very well written story.

‘A killer is hiding in plain sight, like a snake in the long grass...’

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

This is Book 4 in a series of semi-cosy mysteries with an ecological slant. It features Dr. Nell Ward, an ecologist who recently has found herself drawn into a number of murder investigations.

Book 3, ‘A Mischief of Rats’ had ended with a shocking event and I don’t wish to enter spoiler territory as it has an ongoing impact on the series’ characters, so will skirt around it in my summary.

Dr Nell Ward is on Furze Heath on the lookout for nests of poisonous adders. Instead, she stumbles upon a woman's body amongst the purple heather. It appears that the murderer has a type and unfortunately it fits Nell to the extent that when DI James Clark first arrives at the scene he fears that Nell had been the victim.

Nell is also dealing with upheavals at EcoLogical Solutions as a new housing development means that a variety of reptiles will need to be carefully relocated from Furze Heath. Also, three new male staff members have joined the company and we get a quick glimpse that one is harbouring troubling thoughts!

It’s not long until Nell begins to feel that someone is watching her. Can she and James unmask the killer before they strike again?

In this series Sarah Yarwood-Lovett has established a strong balance between the central murder mystery and the environmental case that Nell and her colleagues are addressing. As someone with a lifelong interest in ecology and conservation I really appreciate this opportunity to learn more about various related subjects.

I always enjoy Sarah Yarwood-Lovett’s closing notes, ‘The Nature of Crime’. Here she discusses the six native species of reptiles as well as where in the novel she utilised dramatic license.

The next in the series, ‘A Trace of Hares’, is due to be published next spring. As I enjoy stories featuring hares I am already looking forward to it.

Overall, I found ‘A Generation of Vipers’ an intelligent and engaging mystery that built to the kind of conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat. I read it in a single day.

I do enjoy this series of books following Nell, an ecologist with a passion. I felt at a bit of a disadvantage reviewing this book as I missed the previous one. However as I was familiar with the three main characters it did not spoil the story. And what a story! The author has a definite gift for creating tension and building up the fear factor, Nell becomes the focus of a series killer and her former bf James tries very hard to keep her from becoming the next victim. Meanwhile Ravi is going through his own trial and I was a bit surprised that he and Nell are a couple now but this obviously happened in the last book. An altogether excellent read as we can now expect from this author, I still find Nell a bit irritating she is either foolish or fearless, not sure which. I would recommend this series and preferably in order unlike myself. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC of A Generation of Vipers.

Another gripping instalment in the world of Dr Nell Ward.
Thought this was a fascinating storyline with a potential serial killer on the loose again and several cold cases frustrating DI James Clark and his team. Throw in the ecological surveys for Nell and the team and you’ve a cracking mix of police investigation and reptiles needing protection from development.
Great meeting the team again and having new characters introduced to add a little mystery to the story.

When a serial killer is murdering victims who look like Dr Nell Ward, she finds herself in danger and DI James Clark is desperately trying to uncover who is responsible.

I simply cannot get enough of this brilliant book series!

Every time I finish reading one of the Dr Nell Ward books I instantly want to get to the next one. I adored the addictive plot which had me constantly guessing and trying to spot clues as it was incredibly clever. Nell and her team were working with snakes, which made for a really fascinating ecological focus in the book.

The characters are easily my favourite aspect of the book. Their development over the series has been outstanding and the emotional moments really got to me. I found myself tearing up more than once!

If you love a cosy mystery with an original protagonist then I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Embla Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The Dr. Nell Ward series is a cozy mystery series, but not the frivolous kind of cozy, if that makes sense. Nell is an ecologist and with each book, she’s involved in a study of either a specific site or species. Here, she’s doing a survey on a site due to be developed when she discovers a young woman’s body. A woman that bears a striking resemblance to her.
This book picks up right after book 3, A Mischief of Rats, leaves off. Do not read this as a stand-alone. You need to have at least read the prior book.
The book is equal parts mystery as DI Clark tries to solve the murder, which appears to be tied to similar prior murders, and Nell’s personal life. The mystery side throws out several suspects and quite a few red herrings. I always feel like I learn something when reading this series and this time is no exception. Yarwood-Lovett is also an ecologist and her knowledge shines through each book.
The climax is truly something and I will admit to lots of squirming while reading it.
My thanks to Netgalley and Embla Books for an advance copy of this book.

A Generation of Vipers is the fourth Nell Ward mystery and picks up where the last book left off. Nell is juggling the demands of her work as an ecologist with motivating her paralysed boyfriend Rav, and dealing with new colleagues to boot. If that wasn't enough, a serial killer is targeting young women with the same physical characteristics as Nell - could she be at risk? Can DI James Clark intercept the murderer before it is too late?

A Generation of Vipers is a great example of cosy crime, there's plenty of suspects, red herrings and loose ends to contend with. Plus a very uncomfortable situation in a car full of snakes - there's a massive trigger warning, even if you don't mind them too much.

I look forward to reading more books featuring Nell and her extended family.

A mixture of conservation and crime is at the forefront in this cozy mystery series. Dr Nell Ward keeps getting in the way of a serial killer and has heartache at home with the rehabilitation of Rav her partner seriously injured in an accident. New colleagues of Nell are introduced giving you plenty of suspects. Nell is a character whose very determined her Ecological work comes first which leads to often being in the thick of it. You would have to read other books in the series to get a better insight into the main characters.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher, Embla Books) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Dr Nell Ward is back in the fourth book in the series .
Nell is doing an ecological survey on Furze Heath when she stumbles across a body which bares an uncanny similarity to herself.
It seems that this murder has been committed by a serial killer and he has Nell firmly in his sights .
DI James Clark Nell’s ex partner is on the case and realises she could be in danger from the beginning when he initially mistakenly believes the murder victim is Nell.
Nell is having a fractious relationship with Rav her current partner, due to him being paralysed in an accident at an event that took place at her family’s country estate.
Can she make Rav see that she really loves him and isn’t feeling sorry for him?
Nell is a fascinating character and as the series continues Nell becomes a more likeable character in the beginning she was rather terse and closed off .
Excellent writing , excellent story , excellent characters!
Highly recommended! Looking forward to the next in the series !
Thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books.

A Generation of Vipers by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett is another compelling mystery surrounding Nell (Lady Eleanor Ward-Beaumont) and her cadre of ecologists. Nell works with a group that often does site assessments for developers. She and Rav are also recovering from Rav’s auto accident which left him paralyzed (hopefully temporarily) after his car ran into a pile-up on Nell’s family’s track as he was making a parade lap. He is not talking to Nell and more importantly, not doing his physical therapy. Nell’s mother, who is an MP is pushing some bills to be harder on crime and criminals To make matters worse a body was discovered on the heath where Ecological Solutions was working.. Everyone is very busy. James is called to the newest murder site and for a moment thinks it is Nell. It looks very much like her from the back. They team realizes they are looking for a serial killer who seems to be escalating.

Nell is an exciting character, very well-written, who comes from a background of privilege but has a deep desire to help put the earth back in balance, especially Finchmere, which is her family’s estate and her legacy. She is brilliant, courageous, and beautiful: a deadly combination. She is in love with Rave but right now this, also brilliant, ecologist is too depressed to move forward. She needs to get him to speak to her and to help motivate him. The mystery is a good one, deeply rooted in the past and so very sad. The difficulty the police are having is there are too many suspects, all workplace acquaintances of Nell. Or course, she doesn’t really take James’ warnings seriously, coupled with the cleverness of the murderer. These things put her in serious danger. Only Rav and the connection they have will save her from the murderer. Excellent book, full of information about the wildlife of the area and the jobs of an ecologist as well as a compelling romance and murder mystery.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Generation of Vipers by Embla, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Embla #SarahYarwoodLovett #AGenerationOfVipers

A Generation of Vipers is the fourth (Dr.) Nell Ward mystery and it has plenty of snakes - both reptiles and humans! Nell is an ecologist and is doing a survey of reptiles, including poisonous adders, that may have to be relocated due to a construction project. However, the area where Nell is working is the domain of the "Heath Hunter" and she seems to be in his targets. 

The mystery stands on its own, but Nell's personal life is complicated: the lead detective on the case, DI James Clark, is her ex-boyfriend who is now dating her cousin! Her mother is a member of parliament and some of her colleagues resent her wealthy background. Be aware that developments with Nell's current boyfriend, Rav, will spoil the prior book if you haven't read it.

I enjoy Nell, Dev, and her parents and also like the chapters that detail the investigation being done by DI Clark and his team. I was pleased that some of the characters I hadn't cared for in prior books showed growth in this installment. Nell's colleagues, however, are awful! I have never cared for Erin, the young woman Nell is mentoring, and she does nothing to change my opinion in this book. Nell has new co-workers in this book that are even worse than Erin, but that fits well with the plot because each of them could be the serial killer James is searching for. I like the mixture of ecology, mystery, and drama in this series and really like the way things turned out in this book and would rate it 4.5 stars. I can't wait to find out what's in store for Nell in future books. 

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Embla Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.