4.5* Another great installment in this series about an ecologist, Dr Eleanor (Nell) Ward. This time, the activities at the family estate involve classic car racing and hosting Rav's family at the even. Nell has booked too much for herself to do, including helping a friend and fellow ecologist survey newt populations in a local pond. She also needs to find time for another murder! This time it's the professional driver of one of the cars, Jack Rafferty, a fellow who keeps hitting the tabloids for all the wrong reasons, who is found dead in a car partly submerged in the newt pond.

This is one of my favourite series. I love the characters and feel this book has got the series back on its feet after a bit of a wobble last time. There's a lot going on so you do need to pay attention. They keep me reading steadily and I like to try to guess 'whodunnit', but I've not been able to guess so far, despite having suspicions.

Recommended for great characters and dialogue, well done mysteries and lots of motion - there's a good pace to it. Looking forward to the next one in the series. Half a star deducted for the cliffhanger ending, though!

Great entertaining cosy thriller, enjoyable for a quick read.i really enjoyed this and have read all in the series. Recommend reading it to friends and family

A Mischief of Rats is the third entertaining cosy mystery in Sarah Yarwood-Lovett's series featuring heiress-ecologist Dr. Nell Ward. The plot in this instalment revolves around the annual classic motor racing event held at Nell's family's estate, Finchmere.

Nell and her friend Mai are distracted from an ecological survey of greater crested newts in a woodland pond when they discover a body in a submerged crashed car. The deceased had been due to drive a high-spec electric vehicle in the upcoming Finchmere classic, which Nell is heavily involved in organising.

While I have to admit that motor racing leaves me cold, I found that that element of the narrative was well integrated into the plot and I remained interested throughout. As in previous books, Nell's work as an ecologist gives her a unique perspective on the evidence, which again proves pivotal in solving the mystery.

I had the sense that A Mischief of Rats featured more ecological content than its series predecessor, and less of the aristocratic hi-jinks which I found quite irritating in the last book. This is proving to be an engrossing series, and I'm looking forward to reading book #4, A Generation of Vipers, scheduled for publication on 15 August 2023.

I'd recommend A Mischief of Rats to readers who enjoy action-packed cosy mysteries with a bit of a twist. Readers with an interest in ecology and natural sciences will find this a particularly stimulating read. [N.B. There are no actual rats in the story, the reference is an analogy for the behaviour of some of the human characters!]

My thanks to the author, ecologist-author Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, publisher Embla Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this and other titles in the series.

I was hoping to read more queer books this month (Pride, baby!) but I took a left turn with A Mischief of Rats by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett. Third book in the Dr Nell Ward mysteries, we following Nell as her family’s estate hosts its annual classic car weekend event. Nell is already spread thin with her duties, but she’s meeting her boyfriend’s, Rav, parents who don’t like Nell, but when she discovers the body of one of the event’s drivers, all evidence seem to point to accident. Until the Police (including Nell’s ex, Di James Clark) discover that’s not an accident as the car’s brakes were cut…

I enjoy this series (I’m not sure I would call it a cosy murder as it does have dark elements, but it does fit in the subgenre of “cosy”) and I have plans to continue with book 4, A Generation of Vipers, but I am going to admit that I didn’t enjoy Mischief of Rats as much as I have with Nell’s previous outings. And, am going to be honest, am not 100% sure why. The characters were great, the mystery was twisty and the ending (can’t anyone catch a break!?). But there was something that just didn’t push my buttons, and I’m not sure why. I didn’t rush to finish this compared to A Murder of Crows or A Cast of Falcons. But, like I said, I am going to keep going with Vipers and see what happens next (some happiness. Please, give me something happy!)

A Mischief of Rats is the third book to feature ecology conservationist Dr. Nell Ward, by Dr. Sarah Yarwood-Lovett. Released 28th Feb 2023 by Bonnier on their imprint Embla Books, it's 420 pages and is available in paperback, audio, 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The previous 2 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 situation when the murder of a flamboyant "bad boy" race driver occurs on her family's estate during a rally event and threatens to draw her family into danger and scandal. 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 usual romantic plot elements are present in abundance and for readers who don't like any romance in their cozies, proceed with caution - there's an semi-unresolved romantic triangle here with added family drama courtesy of Nell's boyfriend's family which has racial overtones (Nell is caucasian and her boyfriend and his family are ethnically Indian).

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 diatoms in (human) bone marrow with gleeful abandon.

The book is full of science tidbits and trivia and for me, that was the highlight. Without being pedantic or lecturing, the author pulls back the curtain on tantalizing bits of nature most never see. There are technical terms bandied about, and there are some places (courtroom expert testimony) 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. It does move slowly in places, but the author does a thorough job of building up the characters' back-stories and settings. Definitely looking forward to finding out what comes next. This book has a self contained mystery arc, and so it works well enough as a standalone. With three books extant currently, and at least three more planned, it would be a good choice for a binge/buddy read.

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

Thank,you to NetGalley, Embla books and the author for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. P

I came into this series through book 2 courtesy of NetGalley and couldn’t resist requesting the third book as the second was so enjoyable. I personally think that this one was even better and my main comment is….ROLL ON BOOK FOUR! I know we only have to wait until Summer 2023 but I want it now.

Another fabulously written and fascinating plot with twists and turns, returns of some fantastic characters and some extremely annoying new characters were thrown into the mix of this new novel. It was brilliant and I was left constantly guessing and trying to figure out “who dunnit”.

I love the main character in this book, Nell. She's passionate about her career as an ecologist and it shows through in the care she takes with the environment and her charges. The mystery is cute and cozy and exactly perfect if you love the English countryside. I recommend reading the first two books in the series simply because they're equally good and it's nice to build on Nell's backstory however, this works just as well as a standalone

Dr. Nell Ward is an ecologist. Her family is having its annual classic car weekend and this year there is a classic car that has been restored with an electric engine entered in the race. There is a lot of interest in the car, fed by its tabloid fodder driver, "love rat" married man Jack Rafferty. She and her boyfriend Rav are there, and his parents will be there to meet her in person although they have already formed a negative opinion about her through newspaper articles about her prior involvement in murder investigations.

Nell is collecting samples from a pond when morning when she and her friend discover the car in the pond, with Jack Rafferty dead inside. Complicating matters, she spies one of Rav's sister's earrings in the car. Further complicating matters, Nell's cheating ex DI James Clark is in charge of the investigation and is at the event with Nell's man-eating cousin Shannon. Yes, there is a lot going on! Many people wanted Jack dead and there is a further angle of car fraud involved.

I enjoyed this complex mystery, and found it to be a nice mix of cozy mystery and police procedural. I learned a little about ecology and car racing. The only bummer was the cliffhanger ending. I really hate those. I prefer to want to read the next book in the series because i really enjoyed the prior one, not because the author manipulated the reader into feeling like they have to.

I have enjoyed reading this collection so far and this addition was just as good. This one keeps you guessing till then end and then the cliffhanger! Look forward to the next one.

Good story. This has lots of helpful reviews already, so I'll just recommend it to mystery and cozy fans.

Thanks very much for the free review copy for review!!

A Mischief of Rats is the third instalment in Sarah Yarwood-Lovett's series featuring ecologist, Dr Nell Ward set in south-east England. Nell is assisting to run a classic car event at her family's estate featuring cars that have been converted with electric engines. Nell is helping her ecologist friend, Mai who is making some changes after rehabilitating a woodlands pond when they discover a car in the middle of the pond, the driver still at the wheel, dead.

Nell's beau, DI James Clark investigates and tries to untangle the mess of clues, aided by Nell. They work to uncover motives in this good solid tale. I intend to continue the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Embla Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Nell Ward is busy helping to run a classic car event at the family estate when she decides to visit an ex-student who is now running a local woodland preserve. When she arrives they are both shocked to find a car has crashed into the pristine wildlife pond and Nell realises the dead driver is a celebrity racer. Having to balance her new relationship with her commitments, Nell tries to solve the crime
I had read one of Yarwood-Lovett's books before and had found it lacking a little but this one seemed more coherent. OK, so the plot isn't the best (and there was far too much car talk for me) but I quite like the ecological stance as it offers something a little different

My thanks to Embla Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A Mischief of Rats’ by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett.

This is Book 3 in a series of cosy mysteries featuring Dr. Nell Ward, an ecologist who has recently found herself partaking in a spot of amateur sleuthing.

Dr Nell Ward is working with her friend Mai on a survey of the local newt population in a woodland pond. Mai is excited to share the news that the area is due to have its final assessment to receive the designation of a Site of Special Scientific Interest. However, the women are shocked to discover a car submerged in the pond - with its driver dead behind the wheel.

Nell immediately recognises the dead man as professional racing driver, and tabloid love rat, Jack Rafferty. He is in the area to take part in a glamorous classic car event at Finchmere House, her family’s estate.

DI James Clark suspects that this isn't the tragic accident it initially appears and calls on Nell and her ecological skills to help uncover the murderer. Nell discovers that the case is more complex than she imagined yet is determined to uncover the truth. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I feel that Sarah Yarwood-Lovett has found a good balance between the mystery aspects of the novel and providing interesting material on ecology, conservation and its links to forensic science. She provides background in her closing notes, ‘The Nature of Crime’.

There’s a romantic aspect to the series that I feel has been well integrated into the narrative. In ‘A Mischief of Rats’ Nell is introduced to her partner’s family, who are not particularly keen on her involvement with their son, especially objecting to her background as part of what they perceive as a flawed and entitled class.

Although I am not overly keen on motor racing, this was an exciting mystery and what an ending! It definitely leaves me eager for the next in the series, ‘A Generation of Vipers’, due to be published in the summer.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

EXCERPT: ' . . . There is one other thing. We've found another crashed car this morning. Further along the road from the collapsed wall. And well down the bank, hidden from the road. A dog walker found it.'
'What?' Nell's mind reeled. 'Was it a classic BMW?'
'Er . . . yes -'
'Where? Exactly?' Nell headed for the Land Rover.
'Just before the junction.'
'Have you called the police?'
'Yes, apparently they're on their way.'
'Good. I am, too.'
'But . . . it's not just a car, Nell,' Astrid said, her voice shaky. 'Someone's in it. You know. Dead.'

ABOUT 'A MISCHIEF OF RATS': When a driver dies during a glamourous classic car event at her family's estate, Dr Nell Ward is in a race against time to uncover the truth and prevent the killer from making a speedy getaway...

Back in her natural habitat, Dr Nell Ward heads to a woodland pond to survey local newt populations. She's shocked to discover a car submerged in the water - with the driver dead behind the wheel.

Nell recognises the dead man as professional racing driver, and tabloid love rat, Jack Rafferty, whose performance on (and off) Finchmere's racetrack had earned him enemies.

Suspecting this isn't the tragic accident it appears DI James Clark calls upon Nell and her ecological skills to help find the murderer. But she soon finds that more lurks under the surface than she could ever have imagined. Despite the danger, Nell is determined to dredge up the truth from the murky depths of this case, before it's too late...

MY THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed A Murder of Crows, but A Mischief of Rats, although I love the title, has failed to provide the same level of enjoyment.

I really thought I would enjoy this much more than I did, having a passion for motor racing and enjoying learning more ecological facts. I don't feel that I learned anywhere near as much about newts as I did about bats. Even the motor racing aspect left me strangely unmoved. And there's an awful lot of dialogue. Lots and lots of dialogue. Far too much.

Again there's no shortage of suspects for the murders, but I felt the plot and motive were a bit thin on believability. Another thing that irritated me, and it's mentioned more than once, is that it's only two months since Nell last discovered bodies and was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Another thing that annoyed me was the cliffhanger ending. It was unnecessary and over the top. This book should have ended with the penultimate chapter.

A Mischief of Rats just didn't draw me in. It was an okay read for me, no more. And the only rats in evidence are human ones.

⭐⭐.5

#AMischiefofRats #NetGalley

: #sarahyarwood-lovett @emblabooks

T: @Sarah_Y_L @emblabooks

#contemporaryfiction #cosymystery #murdermystery #romance

THE AUTHOR: After 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. (Amazon)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Embla Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of A Mischief of Rats by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

A Mischief of Rats by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett is another in the series featuring Dr. Nell Ward, a scientist, and her alter ego, Lady Eleanor Ward-Beaumont, the daughter of an earl and the person trying to keep the family estate afloat. In this case, it’s a car race, a full weekend really, of classic cars. A race that has been a tradition for years. This year there will be a modified vehicle participating, an electric car. Everyone is excited about it until there is a murder and then a trusted car dealer is accused of fraud. Everything them becomes fraught, mostly will trepidation. Nell is also trying to navigate the meeting between herself and her boyfriend, Raj’s family, who are traditional and know of Nell only from newspaper articles featuring murders. Raj’s younger sister isn’t helping, either, by getting involved with a famous, married race driver.

This book took a minute to get involved in but when I did it was exciting. Nell is very sensible and sees things, enabling her to assist in the investigations. It really is an inconvenience that her ex-boyfriend is the detective in charge, but that is not her problem. It is an intriguing mystery, one I which Nell plays a part by analyzing the water (he drowned) and samples found in the body, which needed to match. She was very professional and did everything properly, important because most of the people involved weren’t local and speed was important. She was left running as her official duties were changing as the investigation progressed. The murderer was clever and didn’t make it easy, especially was there were multiple suspects. It was a well-done, enticing book that I totally enjoyed reading.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Mischief of Rats by Embla Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #EmblaBooks #SarahYarwoodLovett #AMischiefOfRats

Delighted to catch up with my favourite Ecologist Dr Nell Ward, who for the third time finds herself mixed up in the business of murder! A Mischief of Rats is based around a large country estate hosting a classic cars race. One of the cars to be unveiled is environmentally friendly and is to be the star of the show, displayed by a well known racer and ladies man. Nell uses her time at the estate to work on gathering samples from the pond, but discovers more than she bargained for - a car and a dead driver. Another fabulous murder mystery with an ecological slant. This can be read as a standalone, but is best as series. There is a dramatic cliffhanger making us eager for book 4. There are due to be 6 books in total. I look forward to reading the next 3 books in the series. #amischiefofrats #embla #netgalley

Read through netgalley for an honest review
I’ve now read three of the books in this series. Think like Agatha raisin type mysteries which won’t change your world but are a nice read. I liked the first two but I think this one didn’t draw me as much. I don’t really have any interest in cars which didn’t help and Rav and Nell started to annoy me.
The plot was a bit harder to follow as well than the previous books but like an episode of midsomer murders, it all tied up in the end.
If you like a cozy mystery, these books are good escapism.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of A Mischief of Rats (A Nell Ward Mystery #3) by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett from Net Galley and Embla Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…this part cozy mystery meets police procedural is an intelligent, authentic, and quirky read which I would highly recommend…

A Mischief of Rats is the third entry in the Nell Ward Mystery series and much better than the first book a Murder of Crows which I previously reviewed. Having not read the second book I was a bit lost in parts, but it was still good as a standalone. This time around the book had a much more cohesive feel and the prose flowed at a nice pace. Thankfully the dreaded love triangle is gone, and Nell is putting her life together after what appears to be traumatic trials, she endured in book two and starting a new life with her boyfriend Rav.

We begin with Nell in charge of organizing a race at her family’s estate featuring classic cars that have been converted with electric engines. We meet some of the race staff and participants, especially womanizing and reckless racer Jack Rafferty, his supermodel wife, and entourage.

With a complicated schedule of not only organizing the race, juggling a romance and the dreaded “meet the parents” weekend, Nell is up early helping her ecologist friend Mai put final changes in place after rehabilitating a woodlands pond for designation when they discover a car in the middle of the pond, and with the driver still at the wheel…. dead. When Nell recognizes the body as none other than Jack Rafferty she wonders if this was an accident or was something more sinister behind it. Knowing his reputation Nell is aware that the suspect pool is huge, and when a lone earring on the car’s dashboard indicates that her boyfriend’s sister might be somehow involved her life becomes more complicated.

This time around I really enjoyed this entry in the series. Author Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, who has created an intelligent likeable protagonist, Dr. Nell Ward who, like the author, is an ecologist, adding a nice angle to the story. Although I’m not fond of cliffhangers, this part cozy mystery meets police procedural is an intelligent, authentic, and quirky read which I would highly recommend.

A classic car weekend event is taking place at Dr Nell Ward's family home, when one of the drivers dies in suspicious circumstances. Nell is soon dragged into the investigation when DI James Clark realises he needs her help, but the situation turns out to be more dangerous than they realised.

Another fantastic book in the Dr Nell Ward series that is a must-read.

I think what makes the series so great is how each book has felt completely fresh and tells a unique story. The introduction of Nell's passion for cars was the perfect backdrop to an exciting adventure. There is so much going on, with interweaving plots and new characters to meet. It made for a thrilling ride - excuse the pun!

Nell is such an original protagonist because her speciality is ecology and this gives a fascinating insight into the subject. I love that I feel like I know the characters because they have developed so well over the series.

If you enjoyed the first two books in this series you will definitely love this too!

Thank you NetGalley and Embla Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Dr Nell Ward an absolute expert in the natural environment is surveying the local Newt population when she comes upon a car submerged in a pond. She realises she knows the driver. This is the start of a gripping mystery that will involve professional car racing and fraud. The relationships of the characters have previously been set up in previous stories in the series. This is a fresh look at the expert helping the police being an ecologist. Plenty of suspects and twists in the story keep you interested until the finale.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher, Embla Books) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.