On the eve of the first Finchmere Fete, Dr. Nell Ward discovers she has a stalker focused on murder.

Her long-term boyfriend Rav, Dr. Aravindan Kashyap, and Nell started the “Following Finchmere” YouTube channel to showcase their sustainable efforts at Nell’s family estate. The channel is a hit, and Rav is a superstar. But with his popularity comes danger. As the Fete is set to begin, with thousands expected to attend the three-day event, a murderer is somewhere in the crowd, focused on eliminating Nell. The stalker’s identity eludes the police, and the body count begins to grow. The stalker is cunning and always one step ahead of the authorities. Will they stop the stalker before they stop Nell?
Overall, I don’t think this book is as well-written as the previous ones. The writing seems rushed and there are too many sub-plots. But, give it a go if you’ve read the previous ones. If you haven’t read the previous ones, read those first to understand what’s going on with the characters. There’s a lot of backstory that isn’t addressed in this book.
3/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Embla books for an e-copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

A Swarm of Butterflies is the sixth book to feature ecology conservationist Dr. Nell Ward, by Dr. Sarah Yarwood-Lovett. Due out 26th Aug 2024 from Bonnier on their Embla Books imprint, it's 300 pages and will be available in paperback 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. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU to borrow.

This is a diverting series featuring an intelligent female ecologist who finds herself in a dangerous and difficult situations and seems to have a habit of tripping over (and then solving) unexpected deaths and crimes. 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 muck to collect water samples and collecting and analyzing species data and changes in environment and habitats.

The book is full of science tidbits and trivia which for science interested readers will be a bonus. 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 jargon from context.

Four stars. The pacing is deliberate in places, but it doesn't drag, and it's not unwieldy or ponderous. This book has a self contained mystery arc, and so it works well enough as a standalone. With six books extant currently in the ongoing series, it's be a good choice for a long binge/buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A solid mystery, with unexpected twists and turns. This was my first foray into Dr. Nell Ward's world, where in this book, she receives disturbing letters from what appears to be an obsessive fan. It did take me a bit to figure out the "Who's Who" and it probably works better if you read the series from the beginning. Regardless, I thought the mystery grabs you and this book reads quickly (which is sometimes a treat for the brain). I enjoyed the story's location and the wildlife theme (beekeeping and butterflies). It is a recommended read, particularly if you happen to be sitting in your garden surrounded by flowers, butterflies and bees.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an impartial review.

Nell and Rav's rewilding project at Finchmere is a brilliant success and has led to them charting it's progress through their live channel. Unfortunately this has led to the realisation that Rav has a stalker and they are scary.
To add to the stress, the Finchmere Fete, celebrating the success of the place is imminent and they can't afford to run away and hide.
When someone murders the local vicar, they aren't sure if it's connected with other things, but as they bodies mount, people's secrets start coming out and there are so many suspects it's difficult to chose who may be the murderer or stalker.
Very readable, a delight to read.

this was my first introduction to this series and I really enjoyed it. I usually prefer more of a cozy mystery but I do love a good murder mystery, especially with butterflies involved. Nell is a very interesting character and I enjoy that science is intertwined with the mystery.

Dr Nell Ward is back and this is a mystery that kept me gripped. The twists kept coming as we were sent this way and then that by Sarah Yarwood Lovett in this new adventure for Nell and Rav. This time it felt much more personal as both of them were centre stage and I kept changing my mind as to who the culprit was to the very end.
I love the style of this series. A clever mystery to solve with the ecology and nature details woven into the story. The descriptions of the estate and in particular the thyme fields sounded idyllic. Rav and Nell are great together and the whole team at Finchmere work so well in providing that backdrop to the story.

Nell and Rav’s Youtube channel, Following Finchmere which examines ecology and rewilding, has gained a huge following but it is Rav who has become a star. So much so, he now has a stalker. At first it is anonymous letters declaring their love for him and telling Nell she’s not good enough for him and should leave him alone. But as Finchmere plans for a summer fete, the letters to Nell become more threatening and it becomes clear that, whoever the stalker is, they are close to them and, clearly, they are escalating. First, Nell’s house burns down and she just barely escapes. Then she is attacked and, again, just barely escapes. Rav wants to cancel the fete but Nell refuses to be intimidated. And then someone close to them is murdered.

A Swarm of Butterflies is the sixth book in A Dr Nell Ward Mystery Book cozy mystery series by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett and it is one heck of a page turner. The characters are well-drawn and there’s plenty of suspense, suspects, and red herrings to keep the reader engaged. As in her other books, Yardwood-Lovett provides interesting references to ecology as well as, in this case, technology. A very interesting murder that kept my attention throughout.

Thanks to Netgalley and Embla Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I cant get enough of this series of books. There is so much going on and you get sent off in so many directions. **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

This is the sixth book in the Dr. Nell Ward series and I always enjoy the ecology theme (and learn some obscure nature facts) while reading. I do think you should read the series in order as you would miss a lot of the back story and general character development if you read this book as a stand alone.

The mystery in this book revolves around a stalker which is a different set up than previous books (and most mysteries) so that was something new and helped create a new format where there might be crimes to solve, but the central question was around the stalker's identity. It was a little like a locked room format with limited suspects who were all close to the main characters/integral to the plot which was a fascinating set up.

There is also a background story of YouTube fame which made things interesting as well. The way technology was used to investigate, but also used by the perpetrator to mask their identity and confuse alibis and issues was also something new and different as usually investigative technology is on the side of the investigators and unless widely unrealistic, the same tools you hear about in most mysteries or at least police procedurals.

Overall, a very satisfying read and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an impartial review. This is the sixth novel in the Nell Ward series of books which are loosely pitched in the cosy mystery genre, although some aspects of them are a bit too gory for that really! Fans of the series will not be disappointed as this delivers up more of the same.

I have to admit to being fully invested in the lives of Nell, Rav and others so I wouldn’t read this anyway, but I don’t think it’s as good as some of others. The story gets overly convoluted as it goes on, so much that we have to have a wrap up session where Nell, Rav and James discuss what happened just so we’re all clear. Also given the events of the book, it ends just a little too happily for my liking, I can’t help thinking if I’d been in that situation I wouldn’t recover so fast.

There are also some inaccuracies around procedure for death certification, which happens to be something I know a bit about, so that grates - don’t include details of procedures unless you know them inside out! A lot of authors do this for the processes around life events and it’s annoying when you know they’ve inaccurate, particularly when the author goes to great lengths to ensure the things they do know about are accurate.

Overall, one for fans only, and if you’ve not read any of the series, do start at the beginning!

"When Finchmere's first summer fete turns fatal, Nell has more than just a killer to net...

Since their YouTube channel, Following Finchmere, has taken flight, showcasing Dr Nell Ward's sustainability transformation at her family's Finchmere estate, it's her partner and colleague, Rav, who's become the star.

Amongst Rav's fan mail and gifts, Nell makes the chilling discovery that one person's obsession with him has metamorphosed into a deadly threat.

Just as Finchmere flings open its gates to welcome swarms of visitors to their idyllic summer fete - celebrating rewilding, artisan produce and local crafts - Nell realises the disguised peril has already wormed its way into the heart of Finchmere itself, and the path of destruction soon leads to murder.

DI James Clark's and Nell's powers of observation are put to the test to detect the camouflaged predator. With everyone as a suspect, who can Nell really trust when those she loves are in danger?

A Swarm of Butterflies is the sixth book in the Dr Nell Ward series. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and Janice Hallett!"

I mean, of course the murder is already in the offing!

It is like meeting up with friends for a natter when reading this series. Dr Nell Ward, Dr Rav Kashnap, DI James Clark and Sylvia Shawcross are once again caught up in the middle of a crime adventure. Finchmere Estate are planning their first Finchmere Fete following their successful YouTube programme, Following Finchmere and their latest project focusing on rewilding the estate and opening artisans' businesses. We learn that Rav has a number one fan but no one knows who that is until the big reveal at the end of the book. It is a well written mystery and it's taught me a bit about ecology and very descriptive about the locations based on the estate. All the sub plots come together with a dramatic ending and the big reveal of the fan came as a total surprise to me.

I always enjoy these books, as much for all the nitty-gritty information about an ecologist’s’ work as for the cozy mystery. I enjoyed that the characters were rewilding Finchmere and the descriptions of the different aspects of the project. The mystery didn’t work as well this time though. I guessed the stalker’s identity in the first chapter unfortunately because of the ecology theme. Also, I didn’t buy that Rav—whose toxic jealousy in the first few books and bitterness in the last were quite off-putting—would suddenly be able to become this universally loved hero. It’s still a fun, easy read with engaging characters, and I will be reading the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books for letting me read an ARC of this book.

I absolutely love this series and was delighted to find the characters back at Finchmere. I enjoy all the ecological information as much as the whodunnit aspect. The characters are so beautifully written, although I did want to kick Rav rather hard a couple of times. I did guess who the stalker was, but that in no way impeded my enjoyment of the book; rather I was delighted to find I was right and for the character to get their comeuppance. A total delight.

I always look forward to a new book in this series, and this one didn’t disappoint. The author found a great way to keep the story fresh, it’s centered on familiar ground, Nell’s family estate of Finchmere, has many of she and Rav’s friends we’ve come to know, while at the same time bringing in a whole cast of new characters who are new tenants of the estate, providing local shops and produce, along with the reverend of their chapel. A fete to celebrate those rewilding of local landscape and to encourage more to learn about it, as well as a chance to celebrate local endeavors ends up being the backdrop for murder. Nell is already facing the loss of her home, and nearly her life, to a fire, now they need to determine if that is related to a stalker and the deaths. With a large cast of suspects and ample motives, this kept me guessing. The motives and emotions attributed to the characters are very realistic, nothing is too far fetched, except I do hope Nell and Rav have finally learned their lessons about going to chase after clues on their own!
I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys not too cozy mysteries with an intelligent cast and an interest in eco friendly practices. Thank you to Embla Books and NetGalley for an advance copy.

not-TTS-enabled, suspense, cozy-mystery, twisty, eco-awareness, ecologist, ecology, friends, friendship, families, relationships, relatives, amateur-sleuth, local-law-enforcement, rewilding, country-estate, influencer, made-me-smarter, murders, investigations, fete, fundraiser****

I would have been able to really enjoy this book had it been TTS enabled. I did think that this one was more dependent on earlier books in the series, but the learning opportunities were just as good. The murder plot was solid and moved smoothly through the twists, extra bodies, and red herrings. The characters are well drawn and believable.
I requested and received a temporary EARC from Embla Books via NetGalley Thank you!
eBook is not TTS enabled.
#DrNellWardmysteriesBk6

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Super glad this story is back at Finchmere. I read this in one day because the flow of the book was just easy to gobble up. Lots of fun ecology factoids thrown in too!

Overall a good edition for the 6th book of the series.

Having loved A Trace of Hares by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, I was excited to receive an arc of her next book. A Swarm of Butterflies didn’t let me down. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Set at Finchmere estate, where a fete was organised over 3 days to promote the rewinding project of Nell and Rav, it was being videoed to show on their You Tube channel. Unfortunately over the period they encounter murders, threats fire and stealing, to name but a few problems. James the Detective tries to solve the murders, but he doesn’t quite solve them before Nell and Rav do. So many people had the motive to commit murder, but it took me until almost the end of the story to guess the murderer. I love the way Sarah uses the title of the book several times through the story. I also learnt details about the blue butterfly, of which I knew nothing. My thanks go to NetGalley and Embla books for an arc of this book. I would highly recommend it.

Although this instalment of Dr Nell Ward's adventures had a bit of a slow start, once the story got going, it was fast-paced and exciting.

A whole cast of shady characters as suspects and lots of fun ecology facts along the way, which I think is one of my favourite things about this series!

I have enjoyed the books in this series. This one took me a little longer to get into, I think this is partly due to the number of characters readers are introduced to and partly due to a very busy time at work.
After that initial delay the story moved with pace - as did my reading. The main characters' development over the time span of the novels is clear to see and it's good to read characters who are familiar but keep evolving. Sarah Yarwood-Lovett's knowledge of ecology adds a unique take to the cosy mystery genre and I always leave her books having learnt something as well as having enjoyed the text.

Another very enjoyable mystery.