A Murder of Crows is the first book in a new modern cozy(ish) mystery series by Dr. Sarah Yarwood-Lovett. Released 1st July 2022 by Bonnier on their imprint Embla Books, it's 368 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. 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.
This is a diverting series starter with an academically experienced female ecologist who finds herself in a dangerous and difficult situation when an ecological impact survey for a potential construction project lands her as the chief suspect in a homicide which occurred on the site at the same time she was present. 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 usual romantic plot elements are present in abundance and for readers who don't like any romance in their cozies, proceed with caution - there's an unresolved dramatic triangle here which saw me raising my eyes heavenward on a couple occasions.
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 to map badger setts and collecting and analyzing bat poop with gleeful abandon. Did you know bat droppings are (logically enough) full of insects and they crumble, whilst rodent poo *squishes*? I didn't, and now we both do. It's relevant to the story.
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 a tantalizing bit of nature most never see. There are technical terms bandied about, and there are some places (courtroom expert testimony) 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 jargon from context.
The plot is overshadowed by the attraction triangle of the MC and a male colleague and (of course) the handsome detective investigating the crimes. There is so much drama and ridiculous convoluted *unnecessary* sighing and angst which could be resolved with a one sentence explanation that I had to just power through. There are many readers who enjoy that in their books and they'll 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. Definitely looking forward to finding out what comes next.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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