A great addition to this series. As this is the fifth, I would encourage the reader to read them in order. This book is a great murder mystery which keeps the reader guessing throughout the story, as we are enthralled with Nell’s adventure in Ireland.

The setting and the scientific detail were spot on for me in this book. The Irish tropes and the mystery itself were not unexpected but still enjoyable.

A Trace of Hares is a tense, suspense-laden mystery with abounding Irish charm. The setting shifted quickly from convivial wedding to sinister mystery as brother vied against brother, and family secrets began their slow rise to the surface. When a body was found and a cold case reopened, Dr. Nell Ward was eager to offer her expertise. I loved her scientific savvy, and her irrepressible curiosity. She is a unique protagonist, and the bits of ecology peppered through the book were a pleasure to read. While I've not read the previous books in the series, this novel swept me right up, and I am eager to go back to see what adventures I've missed.

I requested the ARC of A Trace of Hares by Sarah Yarwood Lovett in the hope that we would return to the form of the excellent first two books in the series. Sadly this was not to be.
The ecologist Nell Ward and her boyfriend Rav are in Ballygiorra, Ireland for a few days to help celebrate the wedding of their friends Conor and Sylva. While there Nell is excited to have a tour of a local nature reserve which contains a historic bog. There she meets overly intense graduate student Aiofe. The following day Aiofe discovers a body in the bog and it’s not an ancient one. This one belongs to the wife of Conor’s brother who disappeared almost 20 years earlier.
In this book in the series, I can forgive the fact that Nell manages to get more unlikeable as the series progresses. I can forgive the fact that Nell and Rav’s relationship gets more unbelievable as the series progresses. I can forgive the fact that yet again a tissue-thin plot is masked by having too many characters initially then they are all whittled down in the last third of the story in order to reach a conclusion.
What I cannot forget in this story is the lazy stereotyping. A family of brothers in Ireland is at daggers drawn. Tick. All the Irish-born characters have Irish names. Tick. I mean, this is 2024, not 1824. The matriarch of the family is referred to as Mammie. Tick. One of the female characters has raven black hair and green eyes. Tick. Then out of nowhere, a nun pops up.
This series promised so much with the first two books but ultimately has fallen over big style, in my opinion.
My thanks to NetGalley, Embla Books, and Sarah Yarwoold Lovett for the ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

Bad Omens..
The fifth outing in the Dr Nell Ward Mystery series finds ecologist Nell in Ireland for the forthcoming nuptials of friends. Tension and bad omens abound despite the idyllic setting and when a gruesome discovery is made Nell once again finds herself seeking answers. Another engaging mystery with satisfying levels of ecological detail, a likeable protagonist, a deftly drawn cast of characters and an intriguing plot. A worthy addition to this enjoyable series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla books for this ARC. All my opinions are my own.

Having previous read all of SYL’s Dr Nell Ward series, I have to say, this one kept the pace, loveable characters and cosy vibes of all of its predecessors. This chapter in the series takes, ecologist, Nell off to Ireland for two close friends’ wedding and of course, Nell ends up embroiled in a murder case.

What I particularly liked about this story in the series is, it found a way to vary the nature of the case (mind the pun) so that it isn’t a matter of Nell unexpectedly ending up involved in another active murder case. Instead, this is (sort of) a cold case. In turn, this makes the likelihood of Nell’s involvement much higher and it shows a real depth in the level of ecological crime solving skills required of her.

Once again SYL brings us the loveable characters we know and adore and wraps them up in a (temporarily) cosy Irish blanket. She lovingly draws in side characters in this novel and gives them a turn in the spotlight, offering more insight not only into those characters, but the ones we already adore.

I would say that the big reveal of this one fell a little flat for me and felt a little predictable as the suspect list was narrowed down very early, however a second twist kept the tension high.

Overall, a really strong and engaging addition to an already wonderful series.

This 5th book in a wonderful series finds Dr. Nell Ward and friends in Ireland to celebrate a wedding. They’re suddenly involved in a murder when a body is found in a peat bog. I love the Irish atmosphere and the details about bogs and body preservation, and the way Nell’s background in ecology and science is woven through the story. While you could read this as a stand-alone, please do yourself a favor and read the previous books first, they’re too good to miss, and the characters back stories add to this book.
Thank you to Embla Books and NetGalley for an advance copy, the twists and turns kept me reading well past bedtime, I’, already looking forward to book 6.

"A family wedding. An unsolved murder. Til death us do part?

Dr. Nell Ward is in the lush, emerald-green hills of Ireland to attend the wedding of two dear friends at a picture-perfect farmhouse.

But family tensions are running high in the days before the happy couple tie the knot. And when Nell hears a fox kill a hare in the early morning, the bad omen sends shivers down her spine. Almost like it is a sign of something to come...

Then one of the locals makes a gruesome discovery in a nearby peat bog. The habitats are famous for the ancient bodies they can preserve for thousands of years. This woman, however, died much more recently and was clearly a victim of foul play.

Nell and her friends are suddenly in the middle of another murder case. Can they trace the truth to unmask a long-hidden killer and save the wedding, before it's too late?

An absolutely gripping and page-turning cozy mystery to curl up with. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and Janice Hallett."

I mean, bodies in peat bogs is a thing with me. A thing I love.

Good Irish atmosphere and excellent writing highlight this mystery. Unfortunately I found the characters unlikeable for the most part (not always a downside, but here tough to enjoy) and the solution rather perfunctory. Also I fould a 20 page or so detailed description of how to conduct a DNA test skipable. Others may find it fascinating

It is so lovely to catch up with Nell and her friends in the fifth book by Sarah! I found the book to be fast paced, so descriptive and well written. I could imagine myself in Ireland. Nell and friends are in Ballygiorria, Ireland for several days to celebrate Conor and Sylvia's wedding. Nell goes to a nature reserve where she meets a grad student Aiofe. Aiofe finds a body in the peat. What is the identity of the body? Why is it there? What happened? Was it an accident or murder? Who is the culprit? For answers to these questions, you will need to read the book.

Another good story in the Dr Nell Ward series. A very good cozy crime book with interesting characters and a good plot. Enjoyed it being set in Ireland and plenty of twists and turns.

Twenty years ago a mother and her very young daughter went missing. Since then, her family (mainly her sister Maeve) and that of her husband, Brendan, have been at odds, tragedy, blame, revenge all to the fore. Move to present-day and Brendan's brother Conor is getting married. Big family reunion (and subsequent fights) with Dr Nell and Rav (lead characters) in the thick of it - guests of the groom. A body is then found in a nearby bog and Nell is in there like a shot - ecologist, forensic interests and so on - determined to identify the body and also determined to find out what happened to the missing mother, Siobhain. There are only 12 or so main characters so easy to follow. There are, as usual, two almost plots - the murder and missing woman and then details of Nell's scientific background - how you take samples for DNA analysis, what processes you go through, various ecological discussions. Can't comment upon the former, not my field, but I am an ecologist/palaeoecologist and do have some issues although 'artistic' licence has to be allowed. It does grate however, especially as other reviewers feel this is a really valuable part of the story. Pollen identification does not typically use photos from an electron microscope but takes hours, sitting at a standard compound microscope, scanning across a slide (which has already taken hours to concentrate up the pollen from the sediment being studies). Pipewort grows in bog pools/shallow lakes and confined to the west of Ireland but it's pollen has only ever been recorded in eastern Canada. Cloudberry is found in one site in Tyrone and hardly ever flowers in the UK or Ireland, pollen has been found in one site in Eire, south of Dublin (Neotoma database). It is not necessarily a plant of high altitudes, rather high latitudes - northern Scandinavia, Whilst the author has clearly done a lot of research she has, rather, stretched her knowledge I feel. It also imbalances the story - very detailed scientific aspects versus an awful lot of personal inter relationships. The second plot is mostly about the generally angry/bitter relationships between family members although we do eventually find out what happened to Siobhain and the baby (that was pretty obvious to me from the beginning but I'm not going to spoil that for others). I read the author's "A mischief of rats" last year and found that better -"it is really good to see some accurate science." It was less dense, slightly more generic, science which sat alongside the murder and I reckon that she's just gone over the top a bit this time. It's not a smooth read. 3.5* not quite round uppable. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Dr Nell Ward, our favorite ecologist, is in Ireland for the wedding of her friend Conor when a body is discovered in the nearby bog. The chemistry of the bogs preserves bodies for an extremely long time. Some bodies discovered there are over 2000 years old 😱, and have been sort of mummified by the process.

The body in this story belongs to the wife of Conor’s brother, who disappeared along with her 3 month old daughter about 20 years ago. So of course Nell and Rav (and cousin Shannon and her detective boyfriend James) help figure out who did it and why, and are put in grave danger more than once along the way.

I’m so invested in these characters that I’m literally prepared to beg the author to let Rav have a happy safe time for the next book. 😬

Special thanks to Netgalley and Embla Books for an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication date March 27, 2024

A Trace of Hares by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett is a fantastic cozy mystery that has the perfect blend of drama, humour and atmosphere to make it unique in the contemporary cozy mystery genre.

Dr Nell Ward and her partner Lew travel to Ireland to attend a wedding of friends and as is very common at these events, stress and conflicts abound.

In the midst of all the drama, Dr Nell here's a blood curdling screaming, which she assumed was a fox killing a hare, and although disturbed by it, dismisses it out of hand. Until, a villager discovers a body, a woman, recently decesed in a peat bog. Not the best precursor to a wedding!

I am really beginning to enjoy this sub-genre as an alternative to my usual Cozy mysteries (Regency/Victorian/1900s) and I would encourage anyone who enjoys cozy's to check it out. This is my first book from Sarah Yarwood-Lovett and it was a great read.

This author has a fantastic flow, her storylines are strong and yet unpredictable and her research and descriptions are on point without using stereotypical descriptions of Ireland (the peat bogs and their history/ use are so very rarely mentioned in contemporary fiction)


Thank you to Netgalley, Embla Books and Sarah Yarwood-Lovett for this gripping ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.

Dr Nell Ward is attending the scenic wedding of two of her closest friends in the beautiful Irish hillside. As the days to the pending nuptials grow closer so to does tension among the families. When a body is suddenly found in the nearby bog the real drama begins. This picturesque wedding has now turned into a hunt to find a killer as Nell must use her skills to deduct who the culprit is before another victim is possibly claimed.

This is my first Sarah Yarwood-Lovett book and after completing this one I know it will not be my last! As this is the fifth book in a series I can say as I haven’t read the others I had no trouble at all picking up with these characters. You most definitely could treat it as a standalone rather than an installment in a larger series if you wish however, I now want to read all the previous ones as this book was just so fun to read . A Trace of Hares had a great setting, a suspenseful murder mystery, family dynamics/tension, and even some science. While reading it becomes apparent that the author has definitely done their research when it came to the setting of these peat bogs and the ancient traditions of sacrifices that surround them. The author also does a fantastic job of weaving in facts about DNA and ecology while still managing to give off cozy mystery vibes. Nell as an FMC was a great lead and I found her to be incredibly believable, knowledgeable, and passionate. The twists and turns that occur were attention grabbing and kept me guessing. Overall I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to following up with future installments in the series.

If you are a fan of whodunnit mysteries with some forensic and ecological science all while being in the cozy Irish countryside then you have to check out this book!
A Trace of Hares comes out March 27th, 2024.

Thank you again NetGalley and Embla Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I've read all of the Nell Ward books, but found that this latest was a bit of a slog. It just seemed that there was too much going on and I found the multiple threads distracting. And, as a scientist, I thought that while the description of gel electrophoresis was correct, it oversimplified the DNA analysis part. I'm not ready to give up on Nell yet, but this wasn't my favorite book of the series.

suspense, twisty, cozy-mystery, ecologist, eco-awareness, ecology, friends, friendship, families, bog-bodies, cold-case, relationships, relatives, made-me-smarter, family-drama, Ireland, amateur-sleuth, local-law-enforcement****

Dr Nell Ward is off to Ireland to attend the wedding of friends but winds up finding a fairly recent body in one of the bogs. Intriguing characters and a riveting plot make this one every bit a excellent as the previous books in series.
I requested and received a temporary EARC from Embla Books via NetGalley Thank you!
eBook is not TTS enabled.
Expected publication March 27, 2024

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having being fascinated with the idea of bog bodies for years, the inclusion of these as a theme was amazing. And (this is always the main thing I am mindful of when reading crime books) I didn't pick the murderer until near then end. Very enjoyable and would definitely recommend this book.

I enjoy learning about something I’m not too familiar with, in this case ecology. In this story the author has connected it in an interesting way to the mystery. It’s an easy read, I look forward to the next in the series.

Another excellent book by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett featuring Dr Nell Ward. This time the book is set in Ireland and the descriptions of the country side are delightful and the storyline and characters are most intriguing and entertaining. I highly recommend this book.