A Murder of Crows: The start of a completely gripping British cozy mystery series perfect for 2026!

Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

Jul 2022 · A Dr Nell Ward Mystery Book 1 · Embla Books

About this eBook

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.

Praise for A Murder of Crows

'It has a great combination of suspense and romance.' - NetGalley Reviewer

'I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in record time.' - NetGalley Reviewer

'Such a good read! This is perfect for fans of Richard Osman!' - NetGalley Reviewer

'With a compelling plot and a solid narrative, this is a wholly immersive one-sit read.' - NetGalley Reviewer

Ratings and reviews

eco-awareness, small-town, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, ecologist, mystery, thriller, cosy-mystery, England, rural**** I agree with DS James Clark (no matter what DCI Val Johnson said), that was more than I think I wanted to know about bats! The characters are interesting and engaging, the mystery and resolution are pretty well done. There was some awkwardness characteristic of first in series, but unlike on-screen, books always keep getting better with each new one! I requested and received a free e-book copy from Embla Books via NetGalley Thank you!

A Murder of Crows was an enjoyable read, revolving around a British ecologist’s efforts to extricate herself from suspicion of 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. Thanks to author Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, publisher Embla Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Pleasant but difficult to see how it could be a series, given the specialist nature of Nell's expertise and the fact that she is in a small village

About the author

After spending sixteen years as an ecologist, crawling through undergrowth and studying the 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.