Sophie Crows, 26 and owner of Manor House Farm is murdered and the police immediately turn their attentions on Dr Nell Ward, an ecologist who was present on the site and had a meeting with the deceased on the day and exact time she was killed.  Their only problem is although they have means and opportunity tied up she appears to have no motive.  As the police set about constructing their case Nell desperately tries to prove her innocence. 

 

The narrative perspective switches between Nell and the police investigation.   This appears at first to be a cozy mystery and it is obviously set up as an ongoing series - my problem is I just didn’t connect strongly enough or find the characters interesting enough to want to read further and I felt this way fairly early on in the story.   

 

I liked Nell’s career choice which in itself is interesting being an ecologist research into bats etc but her background and in particular we learn something about her past which causes me to question how someone with that kind of ‘secret’ would then want to continue to get involved in situations where the past would constantly be a threat to her mental stability.  So why would you want to put that at risk therefore how could you use her character in a series of mysteries? 

 

Most of the other characters are okay except for a couple who did get on my nerves but I’m sure they are suppose to so I can forgive that. 

 

But then we get to the denouement the story suddenly takes an about turn and becomes a Mills & Boon romance (ugh!) which just made me groan, roll my eyes and laugh out loud.  I have no issue with a romantic element to a story but really at least make it fun not stupid. 

 

Sorry this definitely was not for me.