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Nell Ward Mystery #2
A Cast of Falcons
When the wedding of her oldest friend ends with a shocking murder, Dr Nell Ward is once again caught up in a web of subterfuge, secrets and lies...
When her childhood friend Percy announces she's engaged to handsome businessman Hawke McAnstruther, Dr Nell Ward rashly offers to host the wedding at Finchmere, her family's estate. But she hadn't anticipated Percy's parents' fiery disapproval of the groom.
The ceremony is barely over before Hawke's shady personal and professional life starts to unravel, and tension ripples through the assembled guests. When the wedding night ends with a shocking death, Nell, best-friend, Rav and DI James Clarke all find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery worthy of Agatha Christie.
Surviving a terrifying threat to her own life, Nell has to face up to the truth. Not just about murder at Finchmere, but about where her heart truly lies...
When her childhood friend Percy announces she's engaged to handsome businessman Hawke McAnstruther, Dr Nell Ward rashly offers to host the wedding at Finchmere, her family's estate. But she hadn't anticipated Percy's parents' fiery disapproval of the groom.
The ceremony is barely over before Hawke's shady personal and professional life starts to unravel, and tension ripples through the assembled guests. When the wedding night ends with a shocking death, Nell, best-friend, Rav and DI James Clarke all find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery worthy of Agatha Christie.
Surviving a terrifying threat to her own life, Nell has to face up to the truth. Not just about murder at Finchmere, but about where her heart truly lies...
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2022
2525 people are currently reading
1547 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
19 books308 followersAfter spending sixteen years as an ecologist, crawling through undergrowth and studying 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.
Forensically studying clues for animal activity has seen Sarah surveying sites all over the UK and around the world. She’s re-discovered a British species thought to be extinct during her PhD, with her record held in London’s Natural History Museum; debated that important question – do bats wee on their faces? – at school workshops; survived a hurricane on a coral atoll whilst scuba diving to conduct marine surveys; and given evidence as an expert witness.
Along the way, she’s discovered a noose in an abandoned warehouse and had a survey de-railed by the bomb squad. Her unusual career has provided the perfect inspiration for a series of murder mysteries with an ecological twist – so, these days, Sarah’s research includes consulting detectives, lawyers, judges and attending murder trials.
Forensically studying clues for animal activity has seen Sarah surveying sites all over the UK and around the world. She’s re-discovered a British species thought to be extinct during her PhD, with her record held in London’s Natural History Museum; debated that important question – do bats wee on their faces? – at school workshops; survived a hurricane on a coral atoll whilst scuba diving to conduct marine surveys; and given evidence as an expert witness.
Along the way, she’s discovered a noose in an abandoned warehouse and had a survey de-railed by the bomb squad. Her unusual career has provided the perfect inspiration for a series of murder mysteries with an ecological twist – so, these days, Sarah’s research includes consulting detectives, lawyers, judges and attending murder trials.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 433 reviews
October 29, 2022
Rav has to be one of the biggest dickheads I’ve read about. Honestly. The character development of him completely spoiled this book for me. Nell deserves better.
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His reaction to Nell’s sex tape was so incredibly gross. He made it all about him. He isn’t entitled to know things about her, and rather than having empathy and being like “shit, I’m so sorry, what an awful thing to happen to you” he gets angry at her for the fact she hasn’t confessed all her darkest secrets.
At the end of the book he then goes on about how multiple murders in her estate are a problem for him because his parents will know, ignoring the massive problems this will cause for her family business.
What an asshole.
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His reaction to Nell’s sex tape was so incredibly gross. He made it all about him. He isn’t entitled to know things about her, and rather than having empathy and being like “shit, I’m so sorry, what an awful thing to happen to you” he gets angry at her for the fact she hasn’t confessed all her darkest secrets.
At the end of the book he then goes on about how multiple murders in her estate are a problem for him because his parents will know, ignoring the massive problems this will cause for her family business.
What an asshole.
August 11, 2023
3.5stars, rounded up
I’ve now read three of the Nell Ward series, but have read them out of order. No problem as each works as a stand-alone. This one starts with a wedding. But oh, what a wedding. Nell has offered to host the wedding of her best friend Percy to businessman, Hawke McAnstruther. But her parents threaten to disown her if she goes through with the wedding. It doesn’t take long for Nell to realize what a scumbag Hawke is. And by the end of the evening, someone is dead.
I was surprised that Yarwood-Lovett wrote Percy to come across as such a b*tch in this book. It was a surprise after the first in the series.
Yarwood-Lovett is an ecologist and deftly weaves facts about the natural world into her stories. This time, it’s owls and kestrels that we get to learn about.
At times, the love triangle between Nell, James and Rav came across as almost comical. For a group of adults, no one seemed to know their own mind and they acted more like teenagers.
This is a decent cozy mystery with plenty of suspects. The whole English social hierarchy is at play here, with titled families, upstart newcomers and n’er do wells. I didn’t feel that the ending totally held together. But it made for an easy, entertaining listen. This wasn’t as good as the other two books I’ve read in the series but I can still recommend it.
The Author’s Note was also a treat and I’m always pleased when it’s included in an audiobook.
I listened to this and Kristen Atherton did a good job as narrator.
I’ve now read three of the Nell Ward series, but have read them out of order. No problem as each works as a stand-alone. This one starts with a wedding. But oh, what a wedding. Nell has offered to host the wedding of her best friend Percy to businessman, Hawke McAnstruther. But her parents threaten to disown her if she goes through with the wedding. It doesn’t take long for Nell to realize what a scumbag Hawke is. And by the end of the evening, someone is dead.
I was surprised that Yarwood-Lovett wrote Percy to come across as such a b*tch in this book. It was a surprise after the first in the series.
Yarwood-Lovett is an ecologist and deftly weaves facts about the natural world into her stories. This time, it’s owls and kestrels that we get to learn about.
At times, the love triangle between Nell, James and Rav came across as almost comical. For a group of adults, no one seemed to know their own mind and they acted more like teenagers.
This is a decent cozy mystery with plenty of suspects. The whole English social hierarchy is at play here, with titled families, upstart newcomers and n’er do wells. I didn’t feel that the ending totally held together. But it made for an easy, entertaining listen. This wasn’t as good as the other two books I’ve read in the series but I can still recommend it.
The Author’s Note was also a treat and I’m always pleased when it’s included in an audiobook.
I listened to this and Kristen Atherton did a good job as narrator.
December 6, 2022
A Cast of Idiots! What an achievement, writing a book with so few decent, likeable characters. Rav is a creep. James is a jealous fool. Percy is a spoilt, obnoxious brat. Nell is an interfering, self important busy body - I too would have pushed her off the bridge.
June 19, 2023
A Cast of Falcons is the second instalment in Sarah Yarwood-Lovett's cosy(ish) mystery series featuring ecologist-turned-amateur-sleuth Dr. Nell Ward.
Nell (a.k.a. Lady Eleanor Beaumont) offers to host the wedding of her best friend Percy (Lady Persephone Doineann MacKenzie) at the Beaumont family seat, Finchmere. In spite of her parents' disapproval, Percy is set upon marrying Hawke McAnstruther, a flashy but ruthless hotel-casino magnate, who the reader can identify as a wrong-un from the outset. Members of the extended MacKenzie family and hangers-on mix awkwardly with the upwardly-mobile McAnstruthers as representatives of the British tabloid press look on, and sparks soon begin to fly. When the groom plummets to his death from the top of Finchmere's grand stairwell late on his wedding night, it seems someone has acted with murderous intent on their animosity towards the greedy and lascivious Hawke.
While Nell's boyfriend and fellow wedding guest Detective Inspector James Clark immediately switches into his professional guise, Nell and her colleague and best friend, Dr. Aravindan "Rav" Kashyap start pursuing clues themselves in an amateur capacity. Much of the madcap behaviour of the central and supporting characters in the lead-up and aftermath of the crime borders on slapstick, and there are suspects galore who might have wished Hawke McAnstruther dead. Following on from the previous book, the love triangle between Nell, James and Rav is further developed, with results that honestly left me feeling a little underwhelmed.
While this book doesn't contain as much ecological content as its predecessor, the plot incorporates fascinating snippets that aid Nell, James and Rav in solving the crime. These include the establishment of barn owl nesting habitats in barns, the location of otter spraint (droppings) to locate a safe river crossing and - as an allegory for the behaviour of some of the human characters - the aggressive behaviour of kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) in invading the nests of other birds. For me, this aspect of the plot was far more compelling than the hi-jinks of the upper-class characters, and I hope that author Sarah Yarwood-Lovett will re-amplify the ecological content in future instalments in the series.
I'd recommend A Cast of Falcons to readers who enjoy cosy mysteries and fiction featuring the British aristocracy behaving badly (think Jilly Cooper). Readers with an interest in ecology, specifically the habits of Britain's native birds and animals, will find the ecological details of additional interest.
My thanks to the author, British-born ecologist Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, publisher Embla Books and NetGalley (UK) for the opportunity to read and review this and other books in the series.
Nell (a.k.a. Lady Eleanor Beaumont) offers to host the wedding of her best friend Percy (Lady Persephone Doineann MacKenzie) at the Beaumont family seat, Finchmere. In spite of her parents' disapproval, Percy is set upon marrying Hawke McAnstruther, a flashy but ruthless hotel-casino magnate, who the reader can identify as a wrong-un from the outset. Members of the extended MacKenzie family and hangers-on mix awkwardly with the upwardly-mobile McAnstruthers as representatives of the British tabloid press look on, and sparks soon begin to fly. When the groom plummets to his death from the top of Finchmere's grand stairwell late on his wedding night, it seems someone has acted with murderous intent on their animosity towards the greedy and lascivious Hawke.
While Nell's boyfriend and fellow wedding guest Detective Inspector James Clark immediately switches into his professional guise, Nell and her colleague and best friend, Dr. Aravindan "Rav" Kashyap start pursuing clues themselves in an amateur capacity. Much of the madcap behaviour of the central and supporting characters in the lead-up and aftermath of the crime borders on slapstick, and there are suspects galore who might have wished Hawke McAnstruther dead. Following on from the previous book, the love triangle between Nell, James and Rav is further developed, with results that honestly left me feeling a little underwhelmed.
While this book doesn't contain as much ecological content as its predecessor, the plot incorporates fascinating snippets that aid Nell, James and Rav in solving the crime. These include the establishment of barn owl nesting habitats in barns, the location of otter spraint (droppings) to locate a safe river crossing and - as an allegory for the behaviour of some of the human characters - the aggressive behaviour of kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) in invading the nests of other birds. For me, this aspect of the plot was far more compelling than the hi-jinks of the upper-class characters, and I hope that author Sarah Yarwood-Lovett will re-amplify the ecological content in future instalments in the series.
I'd recommend A Cast of Falcons to readers who enjoy cosy mysteries and fiction featuring the British aristocracy behaving badly (think Jilly Cooper). Readers with an interest in ecology, specifically the habits of Britain's native birds and animals, will find the ecological details of additional interest.
My thanks to the author, British-born ecologist Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, publisher Embla Books and NetGalley (UK) for the opportunity to read and review this and other books in the series.
June 8, 2023
***100 Days of Summer Reading 2023***
Prompt: Book featuring a character who is an archeologist, anthropologist, paleontologist, wildlife or marine biologist. Or who generally works in a similar field.
12 sided dice roll: 6
Dr. Nell Ward is an ecologist and her alter ego is Lady Eleanor, living at Finchmere, her family's estate. When her best friend is getting married and needs a venue, she offers Finchmere. And then everything goes wrong. First the groom makes a skeezy pass at Nell (and she stabs him with a fork! Go,Nell!). Then this same groom falls or is pushed from an upper level and is dead as a doornail on the wedding night. He is only the first….
Nell puts all her ecologist observational skills to work with James, her detective inspector boyfriend, and Rav, her handsome co-worker, to figure out who the murderer(s) is/are. In the meanwhile, Nell must figure out which of the men she is working with is most important to her. James, being a white dude with a position of authority, assumes he will be her choice. Rav, unsure whether his traditional Hindu parents will accept a white aristocrat as his partner, waffles a lot. By book's end, I had no doubt that Nell had chosen correctly, but you'll have to read for yourself to find out who is the lucky guy. Mind you, I was disappointed that she had to survive a life threatening injury to figure out which one to choose.
Like the first book, I found the title annoying. At least a pair of falcons make a cameo appearance here, but a better title might have been A Parliament of Owls, as a nesting pair of Barn Owls feature prominently in the solution of the groom’s murder.
Prompt: Book featuring a character who is an archeologist, anthropologist, paleontologist, wildlife or marine biologist. Or who generally works in a similar field.
12 sided dice roll: 6
Dr. Nell Ward is an ecologist and her alter ego is Lady Eleanor, living at Finchmere, her family's estate. When her best friend is getting married and needs a venue, she offers Finchmere. And then everything goes wrong. First the groom makes a skeezy pass at Nell (and she stabs him with a fork! Go,Nell!). Then this same groom falls or is pushed from an upper level and is dead as a doornail on the wedding night. He is only the first….
Nell puts all her ecologist observational skills to work with James, her detective inspector boyfriend, and Rav, her handsome co-worker, to figure out who the murderer(s) is/are. In the meanwhile, Nell must figure out which of the men she is working with is most important to her. James, being a white dude with a position of authority, assumes he will be her choice. Rav, unsure whether his traditional Hindu parents will accept a white aristocrat as his partner, waffles a lot. By book's end, I had no doubt that Nell had chosen correctly, but you'll have to read for yourself to find out who is the lucky guy. Mind you, I was disappointed that she had to survive a life threatening injury to figure out which one to choose.
Like the first book, I found the title annoying. At least a pair of falcons make a cameo appearance here, but a better title might have been A Parliament of Owls, as a nesting pair of Barn Owls feature prominently in the solution of the groom’s murder.
November 22, 2022
This book annoyed me far more than it should have done, because at it's core it's well written and enjoyable. It suffers from not knowing whether it's a Mills and Boon with murders, or a murder mystery with a bit of romance thrown in - it errs far too much to the former ("Oh! The smouldering looks! The passion! The electric tension! Oh, his tight arms and broad shoulders! Oh - FFS, just get ON with it!"), with the irreconcilability of the characters' stupidity and inability to work out a relationship actively detracting from the story. You end up just shouting at the book and telling the characters to just GET ON WITH IT as they vacillate between the full panoply of teenage emotions. It also suffers from being too much like a screenplay for a film, rather than the text of a book, with the pace of the investigations and the interplay between characters just laughable.
When it's good, it is good, but it's often puerile and routinely annoying, and that undermines it.
When it's good, it is good, but it's often puerile and routinely annoying, and that undermines it.
November 10, 2022
4.5★s
A Cast of Falcons is the second book in the Nell Ward Mystery series by British-born ecologist and author, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett. A few adverse circumstances see Nell Ward offering her dear friend Percy (Lady Persephone MacKenzie) the Finchmere estate as the venue for her wedding. There are some last-minute dramas with Percy’s parents, who vehemently disapprove of her fiancé, Hawke Anstruther, threats of disinheriting, even! But the wedding goes ahead.
Nell tries to spend some time with Hawke, trying to learn a little more about her best friend’s new husband, but his sleazy behaviour certainly doesn’t endear him to her. Soon Nell, too, thinks Perce has made a big mistake. And then, after most of the guests have gone, and the family are heading off to bed, Hawke falls over the balustrade, from the second or third floor, to his death, as his best man and the housekeeper stand below, stunned. Was it a terrible accident? Or was he pushed?
DS James Clark, now Nell’s boyfriend, quickly tries to control the scene, and summons his colleagues. The scene is processed by SOCO, and all those in the house are interviewed; Nell and her work colleague, Rav find a spot to eavesdrop. It quickly becomes apparent that many of those still in the house have a motive.
After this, the victims begin dropping like flies, and at least one of them has quite definitely been murdered, in the library, with a dagger. Barely twenty-four hours later, three are dead and one is in Intensive Care. Nell and Rav can’t resist mounting their own investigation; after all, three deaths in her own home! James thoroughly disapproves, both of their actions and their close association. And Rav and Nell need to remember that, while they dissect each death and discuss possible motives and opportunities, others might also eavesdrop.
Nell is puzzled by several lies her best friend seems to have told her, and an angry uninvited intruder presents as yet another possible perpetrator. As well, Nell has managed, with a few ill-chosen words, to somehow put James, Rav and Percy all offside.
Once again, Yarwood-Lovett gives the reader a clever plot with plenty of hints forming muddy trails that then have red herrings dragged across them. Once again, her ecology background is woven into the story, although quite a bit more subtly this time, but still forming an integral part of the mystery. In this instalment, Nel’s romantic situation undergoes a significant change, and it will be interesting to see what Yarwood-Lovett has in store for this quirky protagonist in the next book, A Mischief Of Rats. A very enjoyable cosy mystery.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Embla Books
A Cast of Falcons is the second book in the Nell Ward Mystery series by British-born ecologist and author, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett. A few adverse circumstances see Nell Ward offering her dear friend Percy (Lady Persephone MacKenzie) the Finchmere estate as the venue for her wedding. There are some last-minute dramas with Percy’s parents, who vehemently disapprove of her fiancé, Hawke Anstruther, threats of disinheriting, even! But the wedding goes ahead.
Nell tries to spend some time with Hawke, trying to learn a little more about her best friend’s new husband, but his sleazy behaviour certainly doesn’t endear him to her. Soon Nell, too, thinks Perce has made a big mistake. And then, after most of the guests have gone, and the family are heading off to bed, Hawke falls over the balustrade, from the second or third floor, to his death, as his best man and the housekeeper stand below, stunned. Was it a terrible accident? Or was he pushed?
DS James Clark, now Nell’s boyfriend, quickly tries to control the scene, and summons his colleagues. The scene is processed by SOCO, and all those in the house are interviewed; Nell and her work colleague, Rav find a spot to eavesdrop. It quickly becomes apparent that many of those still in the house have a motive.
After this, the victims begin dropping like flies, and at least one of them has quite definitely been murdered, in the library, with a dagger. Barely twenty-four hours later, three are dead and one is in Intensive Care. Nell and Rav can’t resist mounting their own investigation; after all, three deaths in her own home! James thoroughly disapproves, both of their actions and their close association. And Rav and Nell need to remember that, while they dissect each death and discuss possible motives and opportunities, others might also eavesdrop.
Nell is puzzled by several lies her best friend seems to have told her, and an angry uninvited intruder presents as yet another possible perpetrator. As well, Nell has managed, with a few ill-chosen words, to somehow put James, Rav and Percy all offside.
Once again, Yarwood-Lovett gives the reader a clever plot with plenty of hints forming muddy trails that then have red herrings dragged across them. Once again, her ecology background is woven into the story, although quite a bit more subtly this time, but still forming an integral part of the mystery. In this instalment, Nel’s romantic situation undergoes a significant change, and it will be interesting to see what Yarwood-Lovett has in store for this quirky protagonist in the next book, A Mischief Of Rats. A very enjoyable cosy mystery.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Embla Books
November 20, 2022
I did say I wouldn't read any more of these, but I had already downloaded this one having a Kindle Unlimited cheap deal and had a quick look at it before returning unread as I intended .... then started reading it and quite enjoyed it so carried on. This book is set on Nell's family estate where she is hosting a grand wedding for her friend Percy (Persephone) due to some problem at her friend's estate. Unfortunately, the groom is a grade A sleaze ball who thinks nothing of having a quickie with Shannon, who I gather is a cousin of Nell and Percy, just before the ceremony. He has dubious dealings in business too, such as deliberately running hospitality venues into the ground through fake negative reviews etc then buying them up cheap. Needless to say I couldn't wait for him to be bumped off which does happen ... eventually. And, of course, that's not the last death.
I didn't mind that a lot of this hinged around family dynamics. It actually worked better than the first book, though fell down slightly in having just too many minor characters who were hard to keep straight. Another issue is that the story went on a bit too long with the guests having to hang around the estate at police insistence. I didn't find it credible that a certain main character was able to leave hospital so rapidly, even discharging themselves, and relatively unscathed given what had put that person there. It just wasn't credible that they would be able to walk. And it lost all credibility when it transpired that the forensic team had missed a certain clue - I might have suspended disbelief (and anyone who reads the book will see that is straying into pun territory) over what that clue indicated, but it would have been far more believable if the item had been gathered and reported on but its significance not understood except by the team of amateur sleuths. It's really not credible that SOCOs wouldn't have found and bagged that item.
Given all this, plus the author's muddling of infer and imply near the end of the story and some Americanisms such as kneeled instead of knelt and the initial higher rating dropped to 3 stars by the end and I really won't be reading any more of these.
I didn't mind that a lot of this hinged around family dynamics. It actually worked better than the first book, though fell down slightly in having just too many minor characters who were hard to keep straight. Another issue is that the story went on a bit too long with the guests having to hang around the estate at police insistence. I didn't find it credible that a certain main character was able to leave hospital so rapidly, even discharging themselves, and relatively unscathed given what had put that person there. It just wasn't credible that they would be able to walk. And it lost all credibility when it transpired that the forensic team had missed a certain clue - I might have suspended disbelief (and anyone who reads the book will see that is straying into pun territory) over what that clue indicated, but it would have been far more believable if the item had been gathered and reported on but its significance not understood except by the team of amateur sleuths. It's really not credible that SOCOs wouldn't have found and bagged that item.
Given all this, plus the author's muddling of infer and imply near the end of the story and some Americanisms such as kneeled instead of knelt and the initial higher rating dropped to 3 stars by the end and I really won't be reading any more of these.
November 8, 2022
Holy crap. I need so much less of the adults acting like ridiculous love sick teenagers. And for anyone to put up with the antics of the cousin because "she's family" beggars belief. All of this stupidity distracts from the mystery...
Read
June 20, 2023*DNF’d at 30%*
The Cluesletter | @mysterymanon (IG) | @mysterymanon (TT)
A CAST OF FALCONS is book two in the Dr Nell Ward mystery series. I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, A Murder of Crows.
I ended up DNFing this installment due to the pacing and side stories. It's a slow start: the body doesn’t appear for quite some time, and the murder plot is slowed down by the romance and friends/family subplots. Some readers might enjoy the slower pacing and extra stories, but as someone who prefers a strong mystery above all, this just didn’t work for me. Plus, the love triangle that was established in the first book is still going strong in this one, and felt tired and overdone.
This would be a great book for the right reader, but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley & Embla Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Cluesletter | @mysterymanon (IG) | @mysterymanon (TT)
A CAST OF FALCONS is book two in the Dr Nell Ward mystery series. I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, A Murder of Crows.
I ended up DNFing this installment due to the pacing and side stories. It's a slow start: the body doesn’t appear for quite some time, and the murder plot is slowed down by the romance and friends/family subplots. Some readers might enjoy the slower pacing and extra stories, but as someone who prefers a strong mystery above all, this just didn’t work for me. Plus, the love triangle that was established in the first book is still going strong in this one, and felt tired and overdone.
This would be a great book for the right reader, but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley & Embla Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 1, 2023
Book 2 of the Nell Ward Mystery series. I really enjoy this book. The narrator, Kristin Atherton does a fantastic job. I had to yell at the book a couple times, though I already have the audiobook of #3 and hoping the series continues to stay strong.
October 30, 2022
Too twee
I enjoyed the first one but this was too far fetched. The heroine could do no wrong and this was hard to believe. The plot was clumsy and so are the characters. Needs more subtlety.
I enjoyed the first one but this was too far fetched. The heroine could do no wrong and this was hard to believe. The plot was clumsy and so are the characters. Needs more subtlety.
October 18, 2022
This installment of the Dr. Nell Ward Mysteries felt like a callback to a Golden Age story where a series of murders happen in a manor house. Nell is hosting the wedding and associated activities for her best friend Percy, whose precipitous decision to marry a man her family hates causes much upset and well, murders.
Nell. James and Rav are all on the scene, James as Nell's boyfriend, and Rav as her best friend (and kicking himself for taking too long to divulge his feelings for her). (I was gritting my teeth again every time James appeared in a scene, as I really didn't like him in book one.)
Of course James is involved with the investigation, though in a lesser capacity as he has a conflict of interest through his relationship with Nell. Nell keeps finding herself discussing points of the case with Rav, and the two end up discovering an ugly mess of secrets and dirty business practices as they sleuth their way through the guests' motives.
I really enjoyed this instalment, and learned a little more about barn owls (Nell and Rave opened the book by setting up a safe spot for a pair of owls to roost.) I love the way the highly observant Nell and Rav are able to deduce their way to the truth, despite the many obstacles in their way.
When's the next book out because I want to read it.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Embla Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Nell. James and Rav are all on the scene, James as Nell's boyfriend, and Rav as her best friend (and kicking himself for taking too long to divulge his feelings for her). (I was gritting my teeth again every time James appeared in a scene, as I really didn't like him in book one.)
Of course James is involved with the investigation, though in a lesser capacity as he has a conflict of interest through his relationship with Nell. Nell keeps finding herself discussing points of the case with Rav, and the two end up discovering an ugly mess of secrets and dirty business practices as they sleuth their way through the guests' motives.
I really enjoyed this instalment, and learned a little more about barn owls (Nell and Rave opened the book by setting up a safe spot for a pair of owls to roost.) I love the way the highly observant Nell and Rav are able to deduce their way to the truth, despite the many obstacles in their way.
When's the next book out because I want to read it.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Embla Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
October 19, 2022
r. Nell Ward, an ecologist, is hosting the wedding of her best friend at her family's estate. Unfortunately, all of the bride's family hates the groom and even Nell finds him offensive. When the groom is found dead, Nell's friend becomes a prime suspect. Of course, Nell is determined to prove her friend innocent.
I found this book cluttered with family relationships and a love triangle. There was all the drama of the bride's family conflict with their daughter about her choose of groom to the point of threatening to disinherit her. Most of her friends agree the man is bad news. Meanwhile, Nell is having family drama of her own and is stuck in a love triangle. All of this fills the book and the murder comes a bit far down way. I just thought all the drama, while it made for plenty of suspects, just distracted from the mystery.
The mystery itself wasn't bad. I liked the way the writer included ecology and ornithology information that was actually important to solving the mystery. I felt that the writer knows how to spin a story and how to develop characters and relationships. It just felt the relationship dramas took too much of center stage.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book cluttered with family relationships and a love triangle. There was all the drama of the bride's family conflict with their daughter about her choose of groom to the point of threatening to disinherit her. Most of her friends agree the man is bad news. Meanwhile, Nell is having family drama of her own and is stuck in a love triangle. All of this fills the book and the murder comes a bit far down way. I just thought all the drama, while it made for plenty of suspects, just distracted from the mystery.
The mystery itself wasn't bad. I liked the way the writer included ecology and ornithology information that was actually important to solving the mystery. I felt that the writer knows how to spin a story and how to develop characters and relationships. It just felt the relationship dramas took too much of center stage.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 1, 2023
Ugh! The first book was decent, but this was such a disappointment on many levels.
Spoilers…
The story arch involving James was off, it seems improbable that he would cheat after his recently ended last romantic relationship. More importantly, he was described as a fumbling unprofessional detective even as untrained Nell beat him to every lead. Nell gave James grief for suspecting her developing relationship with Rav, when in fact his suspicions were true! And Rav is a whimpering fool that Nell constantly excuses all the way to the very end of the book when he whines about how difficult it will be for him to explain his relationship with Nell to his parents. And Nell is so full of herself that she refuses to acknowledge her interfering might thwart the ability of the police to charge the murderer. I thought I would like Nell, but she’s actually quite unlikeable in this book.
Spoilers…
The story arch involving James was off, it seems improbable that he would cheat after his recently ended last romantic relationship. More importantly, he was described as a fumbling unprofessional detective even as untrained Nell beat him to every lead. Nell gave James grief for suspecting her developing relationship with Rav, when in fact his suspicions were true! And Rav is a whimpering fool that Nell constantly excuses all the way to the very end of the book when he whines about how difficult it will be for him to explain his relationship with Nell to his parents. And Nell is so full of herself that she refuses to acknowledge her interfering might thwart the ability of the police to charge the murderer. I thought I would like Nell, but she’s actually quite unlikeable in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2022
On dear, a car crash of a book
Rarely felt less connected with the characters in a murder mystery.
I'm afraid I found the storyline preposterous and had to give up halfway through. I did enjoy the information about the barn owls though.
Rarely felt less connected with the characters in a murder mystery.
I'm afraid I found the storyline preposterous and had to give up halfway through. I did enjoy the information about the barn owls though.
November 30, 2024
In shock that I managed to finish this before the end of the month.
This book very much lived up to the standard of the first one. Can't wait to pick up the third.
This book very much lived up to the standard of the first one. Can't wait to pick up the third.
May 13, 2023
Just about everything I liked about the first book disappeared in this one. Oh sure, there was a little ecology (nothing to do with falcons btw), but most of the book seemed to focus on the James-Nell-Rav love triangle and who's the worst member of the dysfunctional families. I forgot who was who half the time, and some of the scenes were intermixed with no clear distinction letting the reader know we were switching to different characters and scenes... in one paragraph you're with James, the next it's Nell and Rav, back to James, then you're with Percy. You're left feeling like a pinball being batted all over the place... come to think of it, playing a few rounds on a pinball machine would have been more interesting... but I digress.
I didn't connect with any of the characters, including our 3 returning main characters from book 1, and it's a bit unbelievable how much interfering happened in the crime scenes and investigations in this book without any repercussions. The plan to get into the sealed bedroom was just ludicrous as was the fact that they are never seen...lol.
And Rav... don't get me started! He comes across as a stalker in this book... and passive aggressive about it half the time to boot! I almost DNFed because I started disliking his character so much, but I decided to plow ahead. The continuing description of his body during his attempt to rescue Nell actually made me roll my eyes... more like a bodice-ripper romance novel (definitely not a fan of those either btw) than a tense rescue scene. James wasn't much better really...petulant and a pretty inept detective IMO... except when it comes to delving into the reasons for Shannon's behavior apparently... insert more eye rolls here.
I definitely won't be back for any more in the series since Sarah made me dislike all of the main characters of the series early on in this installment.
I didn't connect with any of the characters, including our 3 returning main characters from book 1, and it's a bit unbelievable how much interfering happened in the crime scenes and investigations in this book without any repercussions. The plan to get into the sealed bedroom was just ludicrous as was the fact that they are never seen...lol.
And Rav... don't get me started! He comes across as a stalker in this book... and passive aggressive about it half the time to boot! I almost DNFed because I started disliking his character so much, but I decided to plow ahead. The continuing description of his body during his attempt to rescue Nell actually made me roll my eyes... more like a bodice-ripper romance novel (definitely not a fan of those either btw) than a tense rescue scene. James wasn't much better really...petulant and a pretty inept detective IMO... except when it comes to delving into the reasons for Shannon's behavior apparently... insert more eye rolls here.
I definitely won't be back for any more in the series since Sarah made me dislike all of the main characters of the series early on in this installment.
Read
February 14, 2025Well, that was a disappointment. Too many love squabbles and not enough murder mystery.
February 21, 2023
Better than the previous book in the series, but the two love interests, James and Rav are annoyingly syrupy. Too many characters to keep track of & toward the end the plot becomes unbelievable— Nell is up and about 24 hours after a brain injury? The item discovered on the dagger, really? The resolution to Percy’s parents drama—really weird. I could go on. Stick with Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz.
February 19, 2023
Another clever murder mystery involving Dr Nell Ward and her colleagues. This one had the added intrigue of a family inheritance and many secrets. As in the first Nell Ward mystery, a mix of good old detective skills and luck surrounds Nell as she tries to work out what has happened- throw in an interesting ensemble of side characters and it’s made the next one in the series an intriguing wait.
March 7, 2023
Unsure about the characters in this book. Nell is fiercely private, Percy is a complete jerk at times. James, who spent the first book lusting after Nell and getting her by this book, sleeps with a suspect during a murder case, suddenly Nell matters no more and he prefers Miss Martini ( anytime, any place anywhere with anybody !! ) Shannon. But Nell doesn’t mind as she fancies Rav anyway. Let me remind you that Rav is her ecological partner with whom Nell shared a place and slept with when it suited her. Rav, by the way, is an selfish A-hole who thinks only of himself!!!
A lot of characters in this book, gets confusing at times.
A lot of characters in this book, gets confusing at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2024
The first book of this series was an enjoyable read, primarily because there was a little bit of ecology sprinkled in which I enjoyed. What I didn't like about the first book was the love triangle at the end.
This book had basically no ecology (just a wee little bit brought in regarding owl pellets) and the love triangle was now forefront and honestly, just ridiculous. In the first book, there were some characters that I enjoyed. Here, those same characters were obnoxious and annoying for a whole mess of reasons.
I gave it two stars because I finished it (although at times I almost didn't). I won't be reading any more books in this series.
This book had basically no ecology (just a wee little bit brought in regarding owl pellets) and the love triangle was now forefront and honestly, just ridiculous. In the first book, there were some characters that I enjoyed. Here, those same characters were obnoxious and annoying for a whole mess of reasons.
I gave it two stars because I finished it (although at times I almost didn't). I won't be reading any more books in this series.
March 31, 2024
It really couldn’t have happened to a more deserving fellow. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for whoever did the world a favor by bashing Hawke McAnstruther over the head before he could do any further damage to Nell Ward’s best friend Percy and her family.
Which is also, come to think of it, Nell Ward’s family – just at a bit of extension.
It IS too bad, however, that whoever eliminated Hawke from the gene pool before he could contaminate it further, the arsehole (they’re all Brits, only arsehole will do) did the deed at Nell’s family estate, Finchmere, just hours after the conclusion – the epically awful conclusion at that – of Percy’s wedding to the bastard.
Luckily for Percy, she wised up to her new husband’s evil ways in those few scant hours between the ceremony and his spectacular fall from grace onto the floor two or three stories below. So it’s good riddance to bad rubbish – and at that point it might really have been a drunken accident.
The wealth, influence and titles of both Percy’s AND Nell’s family are more than enough to ensure that the official verdict reads exactly that.
The only person who will really miss Hawke is his mother Linda. But not for long, as sometime in the wee hours of the morning someone savagely slit her throat and impaled the murder weapon in her chest to make sure that the job’s been done.
HIS death COULD have been an accident. HER death absolutely could not be accidental, nor is there any scenario where it could have been self-inflicted. Even the police are able to draw the obvious conclusion that there is at least one murderer on the premises – and possibly two.
There are plenty of suspects for Hawke’s murder, as the man was a charming, conniving slimeball who left a trail of ruined companies and broken people in his wake – and clearly planned to do the same to Percy, her family, and her family’s properties.
Motives and suspects abound for HIS murder, but for HERS, not so much. Leaving the police flailing, caught between compromised crime scenes, endless possibilities for sneaking around the stately pile without being seen, and more motives than they can shake a truncheon at.
But Nell Ward, as demonstrated in her first, and all-too-personal, investigation in A Murder of Crows, just can’t keep her nose out of the investigation. She might not be in the frame this time around, but her best friend and her extended family certainly are.
Even if that puts her on the opposite side of the investigation from her current boyfriend, Detective Inspector James Clark, and pushes her straight into the arms of her work partner and best friend Rav.
Exactly the place that Rav has always wanted her to be.
Escape Rating B+: The latest book in this series, A Trace of Hares, is coming out today. I’m reading this series from the beginning, so I’m not there yet, but I wanted to mark the day so here we are. I’m enjoying this series because I really like the protagonist, Nell Ward, and her geeky love of bats and owls as well as her personal and professional advocacy for ecology in general. Although, at least so far, she does seem to have a bit of Midsomer-itis.
Admittedly, from where I’m reading, the series is only two books in and so far she’s been intimately involved with both murders. And based on the blurb for the next book, A Mischief of Rats, that streak of unbelievably bad luck is not running out any time soon. Which it really needs to, as no one’s luck is this bad.
But that’s more of an overall issue that will hopefully resolve itself later down the series. This particular entry in the series, however, was a whole lot of murder-y fun, in spite of the personal consequences for Nell. It’s pretty easy to be a bit gleeful in this one, as the first murder victim was an arsehole, the second murder victim, the arsehole’s mother, proved that his apple didn’t fall all that far from the tree, and frankly the eventual third victim wasn’t all that great an excuse for a human being either even if he was a member of Nell’s extended family.
The family of the suspects may not have been nearly as despicable as the Thrombeys in Knives Out, but comparisons could certainly be drawn.
In the first book, Nell displayed the geeky professional persona of Dr. Nell Ward, while keeping her aristocratic background – among other secrets – hidden for as long as she could. It wasn’t until the local police went so far as to actually arrest her for murder with only vague suspicions and circumstantial evidence that her alter ego of Lady Eleanor Ward-Beaumont, niece to the Duke of Aveshire, daughter of the Earl of Finchmere and his wife, Imelda Beaumont MP, and heir to Finchmere came out – along with her family’s expensive and effective legal counsel.
Not that any of the above stopped Nell from investigating her way out of a rather well-placed frame and clearing her own name. Both of them.
This time around it’s Nell’s ‘lady of the manor’ persona that’s on display – although Nell the ecologist peeks out frequently and eventually manages to solve this murder as well – to the consternation of the police. Again.
I found Nell to be a likable amateur investigator, and certainly felt for her inability to keep herself out of the investigation. After her previous experience, I wouldn’t have trusted the police either – which makes her decision to date the man who investigated her the first time around a bit questionable. While the ‘torn between two (potential) lovers’ dilemma that Nell is in the midst of isn’t my favorite, it was certainly an interesting twist on the theme to experience it more from one of those two lovers’ points of view instead of Nell’s. I’m hoping that she sticks to the choice she made in future books in the series, but we’ll see.
I’m certainly planning to see that for myself as I continue my reading of this series. I’ll be picking up A Mischief of Rats the next time I’m in the mood for a cozy-ish, Midsomer Murders-type mystery. I may not have caught up with the series in time to read and review A Trace of Hares on its publication date, but I have a chance of being ready for the following book, A Swarm of Butterflies, by the time it comes out in August!
Originally published at Reading Reality
Which is also, come to think of it, Nell Ward’s family – just at a bit of extension.
It IS too bad, however, that whoever eliminated Hawke from the gene pool before he could contaminate it further, the arsehole (they’re all Brits, only arsehole will do) did the deed at Nell’s family estate, Finchmere, just hours after the conclusion – the epically awful conclusion at that – of Percy’s wedding to the bastard.
Luckily for Percy, she wised up to her new husband’s evil ways in those few scant hours between the ceremony and his spectacular fall from grace onto the floor two or three stories below. So it’s good riddance to bad rubbish – and at that point it might really have been a drunken accident.
The wealth, influence and titles of both Percy’s AND Nell’s family are more than enough to ensure that the official verdict reads exactly that.
The only person who will really miss Hawke is his mother Linda. But not for long, as sometime in the wee hours of the morning someone savagely slit her throat and impaled the murder weapon in her chest to make sure that the job’s been done.
HIS death COULD have been an accident. HER death absolutely could not be accidental, nor is there any scenario where it could have been self-inflicted. Even the police are able to draw the obvious conclusion that there is at least one murderer on the premises – and possibly two.
There are plenty of suspects for Hawke’s murder, as the man was a charming, conniving slimeball who left a trail of ruined companies and broken people in his wake – and clearly planned to do the same to Percy, her family, and her family’s properties.
Motives and suspects abound for HIS murder, but for HERS, not so much. Leaving the police flailing, caught between compromised crime scenes, endless possibilities for sneaking around the stately pile without being seen, and more motives than they can shake a truncheon at.
But Nell Ward, as demonstrated in her first, and all-too-personal, investigation in A Murder of Crows, just can’t keep her nose out of the investigation. She might not be in the frame this time around, but her best friend and her extended family certainly are.
Even if that puts her on the opposite side of the investigation from her current boyfriend, Detective Inspector James Clark, and pushes her straight into the arms of her work partner and best friend Rav.
Exactly the place that Rav has always wanted her to be.
Escape Rating B+: The latest book in this series, A Trace of Hares, is coming out today. I’m reading this series from the beginning, so I’m not there yet, but I wanted to mark the day so here we are. I’m enjoying this series because I really like the protagonist, Nell Ward, and her geeky love of bats and owls as well as her personal and professional advocacy for ecology in general. Although, at least so far, she does seem to have a bit of Midsomer-itis.
Admittedly, from where I’m reading, the series is only two books in and so far she’s been intimately involved with both murders. And based on the blurb for the next book, A Mischief of Rats, that streak of unbelievably bad luck is not running out any time soon. Which it really needs to, as no one’s luck is this bad.
But that’s more of an overall issue that will hopefully resolve itself later down the series. This particular entry in the series, however, was a whole lot of murder-y fun, in spite of the personal consequences for Nell. It’s pretty easy to be a bit gleeful in this one, as the first murder victim was an arsehole, the second murder victim, the arsehole’s mother, proved that his apple didn’t fall all that far from the tree, and frankly the eventual third victim wasn’t all that great an excuse for a human being either even if he was a member of Nell’s extended family.
The family of the suspects may not have been nearly as despicable as the Thrombeys in Knives Out, but comparisons could certainly be drawn.
In the first book, Nell displayed the geeky professional persona of Dr. Nell Ward, while keeping her aristocratic background – among other secrets – hidden for as long as she could. It wasn’t until the local police went so far as to actually arrest her for murder with only vague suspicions and circumstantial evidence that her alter ego of Lady Eleanor Ward-Beaumont, niece to the Duke of Aveshire, daughter of the Earl of Finchmere and his wife, Imelda Beaumont MP, and heir to Finchmere came out – along with her family’s expensive and effective legal counsel.
Not that any of the above stopped Nell from investigating her way out of a rather well-placed frame and clearing her own name. Both of them.
This time around it’s Nell’s ‘lady of the manor’ persona that’s on display – although Nell the ecologist peeks out frequently and eventually manages to solve this murder as well – to the consternation of the police. Again.
I found Nell to be a likable amateur investigator, and certainly felt for her inability to keep herself out of the investigation. After her previous experience, I wouldn’t have trusted the police either – which makes her decision to date the man who investigated her the first time around a bit questionable. While the ‘torn between two (potential) lovers’ dilemma that Nell is in the midst of isn’t my favorite, it was certainly an interesting twist on the theme to experience it more from one of those two lovers’ points of view instead of Nell’s. I’m hoping that she sticks to the choice she made in future books in the series, but we’ll see.
I’m certainly planning to see that for myself as I continue my reading of this series. I’ll be picking up A Mischief of Rats the next time I’m in the mood for a cozy-ish, Midsomer Murders-type mystery. I may not have caught up with the series in time to read and review A Trace of Hares on its publication date, but I have a chance of being ready for the following book, A Swarm of Butterflies, by the time it comes out in August!
Originally published at Reading Reality
January 11, 2025
2.75⭐️Started off strong but got a little confused with some of the descriptions of the crime scenes and how the clues/evidence were related. But this book reminded me how much I like a good murder mystery (vs a psychological thriller).
July 30, 2025
I enjoyed the mystery and the setting but I sorely missed the unique ecological focus that made this series stand out. Overall, good but unfortunately generic, and I hope future books return to what made the first book so different.
December 10, 2024
really didn’t understand the character development in this book, the romantic drama was transparently manufactured against the character’s nature, there was probably a better way to handle the evolution of Nell’s personal life, now we all hate that guy and are going to have to continue to deal with him
even romance writers fumble the love triangle trope so I’m not surprised
even romance writers fumble the love triangle trope so I’m not surprised
October 16, 2022
I fell in love with this series after reading the first book and couldn't wait to read this one. The main character, Dr. Nell Ward, is an ecologist. The author is an ecologist, so there are a lot of details about the work Nell and her colleague, Rav, do out in the field. The first book dealt with bats and this one involves barn owls (and a falcon) which I found very interesting. I think Nell's background and the scientific facts included in the stories make the book and the series something unique.
In this book, Nell's best friend is one of the prime suspects in a murder and Nell will do whatever it takes to prove her innocence. She is able to easily find several other suspects, but finding the necessary proof is more difficult. Nell gets a helping hand from Rav, which makes DI James Clark, very jealous. I was happy to see this developing love triangle seems to have wrapped up and in a way that had me cheering. This book showed that one of the men was the most worthy of Nell's affections by far, but am afraid the author may have been hinting at future obstacles.
I liked the murder investigation and the way Nell and Rav worked together to get evidence. The life or death drama in the story had me on the edge of my seat. There are some very unpleasant side characters in this book and they bring out the worst in some of the other characters which made part of the story a little hard for me to take. However, overall I liked this book almost as much as the first one in the series and would rate it 4.5 stars. I really enjoy Nell's character and am already looking forward to the third book in the series which is scheduled to be released next year!
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Embla Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
In this book, Nell's best friend is one of the prime suspects in a murder and Nell will do whatever it takes to prove her innocence. She is able to easily find several other suspects, but finding the necessary proof is more difficult. Nell gets a helping hand from Rav, which makes DI James Clark, very jealous. I was happy to see this developing love triangle seems to have wrapped up and in a way that had me cheering. This book showed that one of the men was the most worthy of Nell's affections by far, but am afraid the author may have been hinting at future obstacles.
I liked the murder investigation and the way Nell and Rav worked together to get evidence. The life or death drama in the story had me on the edge of my seat. There are some very unpleasant side characters in this book and they bring out the worst in some of the other characters which made part of the story a little hard for me to take. However, overall I liked this book almost as much as the first one in the series and would rate it 4.5 stars. I really enjoy Nell's character and am already looking forward to the third book in the series which is scheduled to be released next year!
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Embla Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
May 29, 2023
Listened to this on BorrowBox. Ugh. Noooooo, I was so impressed by the first book I thought I would keep loving the characters and story. This book was so frustrating and there was so much miscommunication and jealousy and I really didn’t like it. Instead I lost so much respect for the two men in this story - my love for the main character grew but ugh I couldn’t stand Rav or James in this whole book. The mystery was actually better than the last one but the romance overtook it this time and it was soooooooooooooo frustrating. I really felt for Nell after her ‘accident’ but just could NOT root for Rav at all. I also hate Percy and all her family. They all suck. I’ve heard this series described as a ‘cosy’ mystery, but this book gave me a headache.
I love how clever this author is - with all the ecology & detail we get but ugh, give us more cute nerdy obsessions and less dramatic love stories where both guys SUCK.
I love how clever this author is - with all the ecology & detail we get but ugh, give us more cute nerdy obsessions and less dramatic love stories where both guys SUCK.
March 19, 2025
CAWPILE 6.43 3.5 STARS
Read for Battleathon Sep 2023.
2nd in the Dr Nell Ward series- I jumped from the first straight into the second.
This one had a more complicated vibe with a wedding from hell- I have to say that I found very few of the characters likeable. Percy, Nell's best friend I found extremely irritating and unreasonable.
I loved the setting and seeing more of Nell's parents.
I'm jumping straight into the 3rd since I have it on my shelf.
Re-Read March 2025 while working my way through the series.
CAWPILE 5.14
3 STARS
I didn't like this as much upon re-read. I found so many of the characters incredibly irritating. I love the nature bits- the bit with the owls was lovely. I still don't like Rav. Going to continue as I have all 6, #3 is a re-read too and then I'm into new territory.
Read for Battleathon Sep 2023.
2nd in the Dr Nell Ward series- I jumped from the first straight into the second.
This one had a more complicated vibe with a wedding from hell- I have to say that I found very few of the characters likeable. Percy, Nell's best friend I found extremely irritating and unreasonable.
I loved the setting and seeing more of Nell's parents.
I'm jumping straight into the 3rd since I have it on my shelf.
Re-Read March 2025 while working my way through the series.
CAWPILE 5.14
3 STARS
I didn't like this as much upon re-read. I found so many of the characters incredibly irritating. I love the nature bits- the bit with the owls was lovely. I still don't like Rav. Going to continue as I have all 6, #3 is a re-read too and then I'm into new territory.
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