A Murder of Crows

Nell Ward, Book 1

By: Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton

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, she did not expect to overhear 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....

The start of an exciting new cosy crime series—perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Fiona Leitch, Faith Martin and The Appeal.

©2022 Sarah Yarwood-Lovett (P)2022 Bonnier Books UK

Great narration kind of a meh story

The story started strong but it kept being muddled but silly character choices and the love triangle that wouldn’t stop. I wanted more amateur detective…it was a bit of a slog to get through in the end

Really good book!

Very interesting - I learned a lot about bats! And very entertaining, looking forward to the next in the series

Storyline

Fun listen! Put a smile on my face several times while also bringing me to the edge of my seat.

The characters and the information on bats in the UK.

Like the premise of titled personages trying to stay away from the privilege of their titles while engaging in their fields of profession. Light but entertaining.

I was really enjoying this…

Even though the cliched “blind cops” was in use, I liked the story. Then, I had to endure the silly “does he/she really love me” got to be too much. Except for the last 2 hours, I enjoyed it.

Exciting 1st book in a mystery series

I was charmed by Nell Ward’s ecological survey work and what I learned about the long-eared golden bat. The afterward about the reality of this rare creature is the best ending for the book.
This is a well-paced first book by the author and i am eager to listen to a second. My only complaint is with the repetition of phrases like “her stomach churned” or someone”gaped” a few too many times.

Enjoyed!

Cannot wait to read the next book in this series

Very enjoyable storyline

Nice introduction to the characters

Lots of cliches

Great narration but I couldn’t slog through the storyline. Maybe I’m too old and it would appeal to a younger age group. Read more like a teen novel

Cozy without being cheesy

A murder mystery that’s interesting and detailed without being gruesome. A little romance but not too much. This is considered “cozy” but it’s not sticky-icky hallmark movie unbelievable which is very refreshing. It’s like if Indiana jones had a daughter with Jessica fletcher. A little action, intrigue and fun environmental facts.

Read for the mystery and ecology

The narrator is very good. The story strains credulity with police procedures and the odd love story. The love story is mostly wondering looks as a woman who knows a lot about animal behavior seems to lack knowledge of human behavior.