A Swarm of Butterflies

After spending sixteen years as an ecologist, crawling through undergrowth and studying the 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 rediscovered 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 while 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 derailed 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.