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And this remains a problem, lexicographically speaking. Language lovers adore collective nouns, but most of them don't meet the criteria for entry. For lexicographers, a word hasn't fully entered the language until it's used consistently in running prose without any sort of parenthetical explanation or gloss, and many of these terms haven't. How often does one need to refer, for instance, to a group of brewers or butchers? And collective nouns for hermits seem to be magnificently missing the point.
A Murder of Crows (film) - Wikipedia A Murder of Crows (film) - Wikipedia
One of the surprising things about the lists of terms of venery is that they sometimes give different names to the same animal depending upon where they are. The coining of collective nouns didn't end in the 15th century; the penchant for wordplay never goes out of style. Here are some of our favorite more modern collectives: Carey's offsider, Sergeant Dodd, is the star of this book and he is a delight. The way he solves courtly London problems with Scots countryside logic is wonderful to behold.I listened to Ian Skewis narrate this book which I think certainly added to the experience. His mellifluous Scottish voice is perfectly suited to a tale set on the west coast of Scotland. The plot was a conundrum. A missing persons case initially, it turned into something more. The reveal of the criminal surprised me, as I'm sure it was meant to do. Yet somehow I felt manipulated and dare I say... used. Desperate to clear her name Nell, along with her colleague Adam, set out solving the murder using their skills as ecologists to uncover details no one else would notice. But it soon becomes clear that playing Agatha Christie is much harder than it might at first appear…
Mike’s review of A Murder of Crows - Goodreads
I finished listening to this one yesterday. The narrator, Kristin Atherton is excellent - one of the best - IMO! She's the reason I bought this book. It's a murder mystery and it's well written and keeps a steady pace. The author must know or must work as an ecologist or be an expert in bats as all that information was very interesting, but it didn't sound like a lecture - it tied in nicely with the main character's profession and with the murder. I've one complaint The romance - that self-doubting "is he just a friend or is he really interested in me??" And then the constant interruptions when one was finally going to confess all - so frustrating! Frankly, I liked James - he made his intentions clear - Adam's reaction to hearing about her past was too harsh and I think he missed his opportunity - see you later! The book ended on a romantic cliff hanger - more frustration.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 brambles to map badger setts and collecting and analyzing bat poop with gleeful abandon. Did you know bat droppings are (logically enough) full of insects and they crumble, whilst rodent poo *squishes*? I didn't, and now we both do. It's relevant to the story. Detective Clifford Dubose receives a copy of Russell's book from an anonymous sender and realizes that the murders in the book are identical to the real-life deaths of five attorneys that were written off as accidents or suicides. Russell is arrested and charged with the murder of the attorneys. He hires his former colleague Elizabeth Pope to defend him and tells her about Marlowe and the manuscript. She doesn't believe him and drops him as a client. Dubose searches Russell's home and finds hidden pictures of all the dead attorneys. Russell realizes he is being framed and goes on the run.
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