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Dr Vanessa Marwood #3
Moth to the Flames
The third instalment in the gripping Dr Vanessa Marwood series, for fans of Angela Marsons, Patricia Cornwell and Cara Hunter.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2025
37 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Buchanan
22 books595 followersHello! Fab to see you here. I live in Buckinghamshire, UK with my husband, my little girl and our (very naughty) puppy, Bronte.
I travelled extensively while working as a travel magazine editor, and have always been drawn to the sea after spending my childhood holidays on the south coast visiting family – a fascination that inspires my writing.
I now dedicate my time to writing and procrastinating on Facebook.
I'd love to hear from you so please come say hi on one of the following platforms... plus if you join The Reading Snug I've set up with fellow authors, Kelly Rimmer and Kerry Fisher, you might even bag yourself some freebies including an early copy of my latest novel, The Lost Sister!
https://www.facebook.com/TracyBuchana...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheRe...
https://www.instagram.com/TracyBuchan...
https://twitter.com/TracyBuchanan
https://www.tracy-buchanan.com
I travelled extensively while working as a travel magazine editor, and have always been drawn to the sea after spending my childhood holidays on the south coast visiting family – a fascination that inspires my writing.
I now dedicate my time to writing and procrastinating on Facebook.
I'd love to hear from you so please come say hi on one of the following platforms... plus if you join The Reading Snug I've set up with fellow authors, Kelly Rimmer and Kerry Fisher, you might even bag yourself some freebies including an early copy of my latest novel, The Lost Sister!
https://www.facebook.com/TracyBuchana...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheRe...
https://www.instagram.com/TracyBuchan...
https://twitter.com/TracyBuchanan
https://www.tracy-buchanan.com
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 23, 2025
The third instalment in the thrilling Dr Vanessa Marwood series!
I’ve read books 1 and 2 and couldn’t wait to get my hands on number 3. There’s something about this series that just scratches my brain, I don’t quite know how to explain it. Perhaps it’s the involvement of insects and how beautifully intriguing and interesting they all are.
Moth to the Flames takes us to Australia where Vanessa has just started her new life away from her morbid and complicated past. As always, she has no time to settle before she is called in to help with a string of homicides. Not only does she find 7 corpses, she’s now the expert expected to figure out why they’re all cocooned in Muga Silk and who put them there.
We have cults, murders, intricate parties and corruption, what more could you want from a novel?
Surprisingly, Vanessa finds herself more involved than she ever truly realised. Maybe her love for insects was nurtured from a young age by those who were supposed to have her best interests at heart.
I didn’t want this book to end. What a brilliant addition to an already thrilling series. I expected good things but still found myself shocked and surprised. Tracy’s knowledge of insects is anomalous; she truly has researched more than you’d expect from an author. I absolutely love the attention to detail in the story, the appreciation for nature and the development of Vanessa throughout. Finn was a great addition and I found myself rooting for them.
Only one thing slightly bothered me, I felt there were a lot of characters and I found myself forgetting who was who, especially Zoe 🙈 but that’s a personal opinion, I’m not the best at retaining information.
I won’t give too much away but as a thriller fanatic, this series is one of my favourites due to its alternative and unique premise.
Thank you to Embla Books and Tracy for sending me this fabulous book in return for my honest review and opinion.
I’ve read books 1 and 2 and couldn’t wait to get my hands on number 3. There’s something about this series that just scratches my brain, I don’t quite know how to explain it. Perhaps it’s the involvement of insects and how beautifully intriguing and interesting they all are.
Moth to the Flames takes us to Australia where Vanessa has just started her new life away from her morbid and complicated past. As always, she has no time to settle before she is called in to help with a string of homicides. Not only does she find 7 corpses, she’s now the expert expected to figure out why they’re all cocooned in Muga Silk and who put them there.
We have cults, murders, intricate parties and corruption, what more could you want from a novel?
Surprisingly, Vanessa finds herself more involved than she ever truly realised. Maybe her love for insects was nurtured from a young age by those who were supposed to have her best interests at heart.
I didn’t want this book to end. What a brilliant addition to an already thrilling series. I expected good things but still found myself shocked and surprised. Tracy’s knowledge of insects is anomalous; she truly has researched more than you’d expect from an author. I absolutely love the attention to detail in the story, the appreciation for nature and the development of Vanessa throughout. Finn was a great addition and I found myself rooting for them.
Only one thing slightly bothered me, I felt there were a lot of characters and I found myself forgetting who was who, especially Zoe 🙈 but that’s a personal opinion, I’m not the best at retaining information.
I won’t give too much away but as a thriller fanatic, this series is one of my favourites due to its alternative and unique premise.
Thank you to Embla Books and Tracy for sending me this fabulous book in return for my honest review and opinion.
March 10, 2025
This book is the third installment in a series that contained multiple unique bug-inspired mysteries. I have not read the other 2 but something about this one made me curios about both. Vanessa, willing jumps into a case with a bizarre bug-inspired twist, when she was supposed to be on vacation. Admittedly, the case certainly sounded interesting and definitely the type of case to try a woman I began to think of as a female Hodgins from Bones. Her expertise draw her into a case with bodies wrapped in silken cocoons full of lots of juicy bug evidence. From there, we get to see a bit of the personal for both Vanessa and her detective partner, Fin. From bug inspired cults, we get a peak behind the curtain to understand what made out main pair tick and why they chose the professions they did.
I wondered about the title a few times but it is so appropriate for many reasons. Vanessa is drawn like a moth to a flame to the case as is Finn. The cult members are drawn like a moth to a flame to a life that will allow then to become something more. None of them realize until being drawn in that the flame can be dangerous. When Vanessa, Finn and the local coppers visited the cult for the first time, I was a bit sickened by the torturous lives the people chose. Those torturous lives gave them something to believe in when the real world got to painful but talk about jumping from the frying bad to the twisted fire.
My biggest complaint with the book were the lengthy expositions where we were being told something with little action or character development. Those lengthy passages knocked what should have been an easy 4+ star book down to a 3.5 star book in my opinion as those passages were a bit dry.
Thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books for the opportunity to read this ARC..
I wondered about the title a few times but it is so appropriate for many reasons. Vanessa is drawn like a moth to a flame to the case as is Finn. The cult members are drawn like a moth to a flame to a life that will allow then to become something more. None of them realize until being drawn in that the flame can be dangerous. When Vanessa, Finn and the local coppers visited the cult for the first time, I was a bit sickened by the torturous lives the people chose. Those torturous lives gave them something to believe in when the real world got to painful but talk about jumping from the frying bad to the twisted fire.
My biggest complaint with the book were the lengthy expositions where we were being told something with little action or character development. Those lengthy passages knocked what should have been an easy 4+ star book down to a 3.5 star book in my opinion as those passages were a bit dry.
Thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books for the opportunity to read this ARC..
February 13, 2025
The latest entry in this series is amazing. Dr. Vanessa Marwood is down under in Australia to speak at a conference, but her trip becomes so much more. She meets and becomes close with a detective named Finn who was brought in to investigate a horrible case of several victims found wrapped in silk cocoons. Everyone believes the crime is tied to the local cult (I mean, who wouldn’t think so) especially as they revere insects to an extreme degree. The deeper they investigate the darker it gets, with harassed ex-cult members, spin-off branches, and insect fetish...activities. More victims are found, and it seems there’s no end in sight. Will they be able to find and stop the killer before more lives are lost?
I love the theme of metamorphosis and how some people can take and twist concepts like this into their own warped versions. Most people don’t take it literally, building cults through their devotion and performing rituals to intertwine the spiritual and physical. Turning the natural into the very unnatural. Vanessa’s character is great at explaining the scientific aspects of entomology while also relating it to human behavior. The author’s knowledge is fascinating, and I love learning and being entertained by these stories.
There are teasers that lead me to think there will be more Marwood family revelations to come and I can’t wait for the next book to see what happens!
I love the theme of metamorphosis and how some people can take and twist concepts like this into their own warped versions. Most people don’t take it literally, building cults through their devotion and performing rituals to intertwine the spiritual and physical. Turning the natural into the very unnatural. Vanessa’s character is great at explaining the scientific aspects of entomology while also relating it to human behavior. The author’s knowledge is fascinating, and I love learning and being entertained by these stories.
There are teasers that lead me to think there will be more Marwood family revelations to come and I can’t wait for the next book to see what happens!
February 15, 2025
Dr. Vanessa Marwood is back in the third installment of this insect themed crime investigative mystery. Traveling to Australia, forensic entomologist Dr. Vanessa Marwood further delves into discovering the truth behind the group that forced her mother to abandon her family and become involved in smuggling illegal insects into the United States. Upon her arrival, six bodies are found in an abandoned warehouse, wrapped in silken cocoons, as if staged for metamorphosis. Together with local investigator, Finn, Vanessa slowly starts to unravel how far-reaching this mysterious group is.
If you enjoyed the first two books in this series, you'll enjoy this third as well. I'm not a huge insect fan, but I love how we get little tid bits of information about insects, as well as a behind the scenes tour of how silk is made without it being overwhelming. The pacing of this story is on par with the previous two books. The bigger mystery of her family's past is revealed some more and the murder mystery is solved while still leaving it open for more sequels. I can't wait for the next installment to come out.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this ebook.
If you enjoyed the first two books in this series, you'll enjoy this third as well. I'm not a huge insect fan, but I love how we get little tid bits of information about insects, as well as a behind the scenes tour of how silk is made without it being overwhelming. The pacing of this story is on par with the previous two books. The bigger mystery of her family's past is revealed some more and the murder mystery is solved while still leaving it open for more sequels. I can't wait for the next installment to come out.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this ebook.
March 27, 2025
I was not keen on this book, perhaps because I hadn't read the others in the series. I did not really get the main two characters , Finn the detective and Vanessa a forensic entomologist at first, but did come to appreciate them more later in the book. The crimes were supposedly cult based, but that too felt disjointed and there were jumps between different people supposedly involved with the cults. There are also a lot of people in the book, so at times difficult to keep track of them all. The plot did gradually take form though there were more questions than answers for me as some of the loose ends are tied up. I did not like the extensive information about insects, especially at the start of the book, it was dry and did not add a great deal to the investigation for me.
Not for me, but thanks to Net Galley for the ARC
Not for me, but thanks to Net Galley for the ARC
March 14, 2025
This is Book 3 of Dr Vanessa Marwood, a forensic entomologist (bug lady). This story finds our hero in Australia on what is meant to be a holiday! Of course, Vanessa is not known for her downtime, lol!! Her reason is to meet DI Finn Harper, who is a leading expert in Cults. However, Vanessa is soon drawn into the mysterious murders of bodies found and helps Finn unlock why they are displayed in this way. All the subplots are woven together to lead to a dramatic conclusion. It was a ripper of a book!! More please!
February 27, 2025
This is such a great series, it's very different focusing on Dr Marwood the bug lady as she helps with different investigations. This is the third book in the series and this time Vanessa is in Australia, I definitely think you need to have read the previous ones to fully enjoy the books as they're all intertwined.
I enjoy the style of writing and the fast pace and last minute twists.
Look forward to the next one and where Vanessa ends up next.
I enjoy the style of writing and the fast pace and last minute twists.
Look forward to the next one and where Vanessa ends up next.
March 25, 2025
Dr Vanessa Marwood is in Australia looking for answers Detective Finn Harper a cult expert might be able to supply them but then bodies are discovered leading to her helping. Full of twists and good chracters and plenty if info about insects. This series is getting better with each book. Thanks to Embla books and Netgalley for this review ARC.
March 12, 2025
This is such a great series, and while they can technically be read as standalones, I think they work better if read in order. Vanessa's family is tied up in some mysterious bug ring that runs throughout the 3 books.
I'm so intrigued by the weird cult element. We get to see just how far it reaches and learn a bit more about Vanessa's family in this book but there are still so many questions.
I love learning about all of the different bugs, and the entomology side of the case is so interesting. It makes a nice change from the usual crime thriller setup.
Vanessa is such a cool character and as usual there are some great side characters. I loved Finn and his adorable daughter.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked but I did find there were a few long winded chapters where we were just thrown a lot of information or theories, which slowed down the pace. I can't wait to see where the story goes next though.
I read an ARC via NetGalley
I'm so intrigued by the weird cult element. We get to see just how far it reaches and learn a bit more about Vanessa's family in this book but there are still so many questions.
I love learning about all of the different bugs, and the entomology side of the case is so interesting. It makes a nice change from the usual crime thriller setup.
Vanessa is such a cool character and as usual there are some great side characters. I loved Finn and his adorable daughter.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked but I did find there were a few long winded chapters where we were just thrown a lot of information or theories, which slowed down the pace. I can't wait to see where the story goes next though.
I read an ARC via NetGalley
April 4, 2025
I couldn’t wait to rejoin the world of Dr. Vanessa Marwood, this time travelling with her work to Australia. This provided totally different settings for her further investigations.
The characters leapt off the pages fully formed, straight into my mind, the cult leaders chillingly authentic in their beliefs. Vanessa Marwood is a brilliant character, challenging long held images of women in so many ways, highly intelligent, successful career, complicated family life and yet so well grounded and empathetic.
The twists in the stories are chillingly realistic, including fascinating insights into the world of entomology, an area I never thought would interest me - how wrong was I?
Seeing how Tracy Buchanan cleverly picks threads from the first two books and follows them through this story as well, gives real impact to the far-reaches of the perpetrators.
Book 3 in the fabulous series, how long until the next book?
The characters leapt off the pages fully formed, straight into my mind, the cult leaders chillingly authentic in their beliefs. Vanessa Marwood is a brilliant character, challenging long held images of women in so many ways, highly intelligent, successful career, complicated family life and yet so well grounded and empathetic.
The twists in the stories are chillingly realistic, including fascinating insights into the world of entomology, an area I never thought would interest me - how wrong was I?
Seeing how Tracy Buchanan cleverly picks threads from the first two books and follows them through this story as well, gives real impact to the far-reaches of the perpetrators.
Book 3 in the fabulous series, how long until the next book?
March 18, 2025
This is a brilliant crime series. Vanessa Marwood, world renowned forensic entomologist, finds herself in the middle of another murder crime scene. This time on a busman’s holiday in Australia, where she continues to find dark links to her own family’s history. Having read, and enjoyed, the first two books I felt scared for all the characters being introduced, wondering which were going to be alive by the end of the book. I particularly liked insect mad child Elsie, daughter of love interest Police Detective Finn. I’m now looking forward to the next instalment as there’s a suggestion that they will be in the next book too. Thank you to Embla Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews