A Generation of Vipers - Nell Ward Mystery #4

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.