A Swarm of Butterflies

by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

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.