Wind in the Willows meets Sherlock Holmes in this delightful cosy mystery novel, the first in the series. It's set in a forest village inhabited by larger-than-life woodland creatures with quirky personalities and a vividly rendered plot to sink your teeth into. #BookReview #Review #Books #Cosy #Mystery #Fiction #Animals #Detective #Novel #ShadyHollow #JuneauBlack

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Book Review: Shady Hollow by Juneau Black

Wind in the Willows meets Sherlock Holmes in this delightful cosy mystery novel, the first in the series. It’s set in a forest village inhabited by larger-than-life woodland creatures with quirky personalities and a vividly rendered plot to sink your teeth into.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Fiction, Cosy Mystery, Detective, Animals, Fantasy

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday

Review in one word: Delightful

The Shady Hollow series by Juneau Black is a delightful blend of cosy mystery and woodland whimsy, set in a forest village inhabited by woodland animals. At the heart of the series is Vera Vixen, an intrepid fox reporter with a keen nose for uncovering secrets beneath the town’s tranquil surface.

The stories blends the timbre of an Agatha Christie style whodunnit with gentle humour and charming interspecies and anthropomorphic relationships between animals. Juneau Black is the pen name of authors Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel, two friends and booksellers from Milwaukee who created the series out of a shared love for mysteries, animals, and stories with heart, cosiness and warmth.

The first in the series is Shady Hollow, a charming village nestled deep in a woodland. In this enchanting place, woodland creatures sip coffee, eat pumpkin pie and whisper gossip. At first glance, this is an idyllic forest community—until a grumpy old toad is found mysteriously murdered. Enter Vera Vixen, the village’s sharp-eyed reporter with a nose for both news and unravelling mysteries. As the first dead body in recent memory sends shockwaves through the sleepy town, Vera digs beneath the mossy surface of Shady Hollow to uncover tangled motives and murky pasts.

The anthropomorphic cast of animals are larger than life and stay with you for long afterwards. Owls, moose, bears, mice, beavers and foxes—each are brimming with quirks and vivid personalities that make this tale feel both timeless and fresh.

Shady Hollow is a pure delight and once I started reading this book I couldn’t stop, it was delightfully addictive. So find yourself a mossy corner, pour yourself a nice brew and savour the wholesome pleasure of this incredible mystery series. I wholeheartedly recommend this you won’t regret it and will be hankering quick-smart for the rest of the series!

Content Catnip