11 year murder mystery to solve

The second in the shady hollow series, it gets easier to forget they are all animals, this has more of a mystery to work out, and long overdue justice is finally served. Joe learns where is wife is, and why, Vera learns to trust Orville. Better than book one, or I’ve got better at ignoring obvious problems.

This is the second book I’ve read in this series, and I enjoy them so much. They’re short enough to read in one day, and I find them so heartwarming to read. When I pick it up it’s like returning to see old friends, I just love the characters and the storytelling style.

I can’t wait for more of these books, they’re like a big cuddle! With a bit of murder…he he

My thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

After reading "Shady Hollow" I couldn't wait to re-immerse myself in this charming world, and this sequel did not disappoint! I love cozy mysteries, as I said in my last review for this series, and I love the clever, anthropomorphic characters. Cold Clay kept me in this cozy little world a while longer. This series is just so well thought out and charming. Thank you so much for the ARC, and I can't wait for her next book!

Vera Vixen finds herself on the hunt for a murderer once again, but this time the trail is colder. When the bones of Joe’s wife are found buried in the Cold Clay Orchards, Vera needs to step in before Joe gets put away for life. At the same time, her burgeoning friendship with Deputy Braun is dealt a blow with the arrival in town of an elegant mink, who seems to be taking a great interest in events in Shady Hollow.

Having throughly enjoyed reading Shady Hollow, I eagerly awaited the sequel, and thankfully Cold Clay did not disappoint. The characters are so well created, displaying the characteristics expected for their animal type, so that it could be read as a human story. The plot line is possibly a little thin, in that the villain is quite easy to identify, but it is still a story I didn’t want to put down.

Thoroughly enjoyable read and looking forward to the next instalment!

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Cold Clay’ by Juneau Black in exchange for an honest review.

This is Book 2 in Black’s series of sweet cosy mysteries set in Shady Hollow, a woodland community populated by anthropomorphised creatures living side-by-side.

Life in Shady Hollow has returned to its usual peaceful pace until a skeleton is found buried deep under an apple tree at Cold Clay Orchard. Who is it and how long has it been there?

Once the skeleton is identified it casts a dark shadow over the community as one of its most beloved residents is arrested for murder. Local reporter Vera Vixen goes against her editor’s orders and starts digging into the case and uncovers secrets that her neighbours would rather stay buried forever.

Juneau Black opens with a useful list of the novel’s current characters and a map of Shady Hollow and its Environs.

Overall, I found this charming cosy mystery a quick and easy read. A perfect way to escape the everyday world for a while. ‘Mirror Lake’, the third book in the series, is due out in April 2022.

The Shady Hollow series is always such a joy to read. I absolutely love hearing the descriptions of all the animals and the detective murder mystery. This is slightly different from Shady Hollow in the fact that this is a murder mystery involving a body that has been discovered from a long time ago. I enjoyed the reprise of all of the characters from the previous book alongside some new characters.

A superb sequel to my new favourite book series. I love everything about it and cannot wait for the next instalment

Cold Clay is the second Shady Hollow village cozy mystery by author co-op duo Juneau Black. Originally released in 2017, this reformat and re-release from Hatchette on their Hodder & Stoughton imprint from 3rd March 2022 is 240 pages and is available in paperback format. Other editions are available in other formats.

This is a whimsical and offbeat cozy with the unusual twist that all the characters are highly anthropomorphic animals who talk, have jobs, and occasionally commit crimes. The story is set in a village (Shady Hollow) and the book is replete with those oddball/eccentric small-town cozy characters. Main protagonist Vera Vixen is the local beat reporter who is investigating events surrounding the discovery of a skeleton long buried in a local orchard.

All the standard cozy tropes are front and center: amateur plucky reporter who can't let a mystery go uninvestigated, handsome lawman love interest (he's a bear), a long ago unsolved disappearance, skullduggery, and village secrets. There are several disparate plot threads which are skillfully woven together into a comfortably satisfying denouement and resolution.

Despite being full of talking animals with "schtick-y" alliterative names, it's definitely not a children's or juvenile book and wouldn't be appropriate for small kids. It's also not animals as characters (à la Rita Mae Brown, Lillian Jackson Braun, & co.), but more like Mandy Morton's trippy Hettie Bagshot mysteries. The characters - are - animals. They speak and go about their business like humans in animal form. They do seem to refrain from eating one another for the most part and rabbits and mice coexist mostly peacefully with foxes, mink, and bears.

The mystery was straightforward. The dialogue was a bit choppy, but not egregiously so, especially considering that this is a collaborative writing effort. There is a weird atmospheric vibe throughout, but that could just be the surreal effect of the characters being talking animals which is never addressed in any way. I had some issues engaging with the main protagonist. She strikes me as an appalling combination of gullible and obnoxious, but she is undoubtedly plucky. It's not stated explicitly, but there is also a retro vibe to the whole story. For example, early on in the story, Vera's so concerned that other diners in a restaurant shouldn't get the wrong idea when she shows up at the local diner with boyfriend-bear Orville at breakfast time that she makes a point of saying to those present that they happened to run into one another on the way (just so no-one would think they spent the night together).

Odd mystery. Well constructed, but off-kilter in some way which is difficult to define. It has definite shadings of noir, but is, at the heart of it, a village cozy.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is the second book in The Shady Hollow series. You definitely need to read the first book before reading this one, as the story follows on from the first book.
This is a very quirky and enjoyable cosy crime book. The anthropomorphic characters are well developed and cleverly crafted. I really liked reading this book, it is entertaining and enjoyable.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Intrepid reporter Vera Vixen returns to investigate a new case, as bones are uncovered in the local orchard. But with a glamorous new resident taking an interest in a certain semi-spoken-for police bear, will Vera be able to put the pieces together in time to save her friend (and source of coffee) and her budding romance, or will her cat-like curiosity lead her into danger… again?

Fun and quirky, with the unique hook of an anthropomorphic animal cast of characters, this Shady Hollow series makes excellent light-hearted mystery reading. I recommend reading the books in order, and can confidently say that they are getting better as they go, as the characters develop and the community takes on further shape and substance with each new story.

There is so much scope here for a long-running series, as even minor side characters clearly have their own stories just waiting to be told, and I am looking forward to each and every one that comes! Vera is a very likeable main character and carries the plot along in a natural, believable way (in so far as a coffee-addicted fox journalist can be ‘natural and believable’!) and the mystery storyline is clever and well-written.

I definitely recommend this series to anyone looking for a cosy mystery with a fresh perspective, and could see this also appealing to younger readers (middle-grade or teen upwards) looking for a gentle introduction to the genre.

‘As might be expected from its name, the village of Shady Hollow is nestled deep in the woods, covering a wide valley between two mountains. What might be less expected is the fact that the village residents are all animals, representing many species and temperaments. Just how can a rabbit live and work alongside a fox? Why do a sparrow and a bear read the same newspaper? On a more practical level, where are the rabbit and fox working, and what is the headline on the paper?’

– Juneau Black, Cold Clay

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

A fun cosy murder mystery which just happens to feature woodland animals. Like CSI Sylvanian Families perhaps.

I enjoyed my return to Shady Hollow in the company of intrepid reporter Vera Vixen. She drinks such a lot of coffee and eats so many delicious-sounding treats during the course of this book that I’m surprised she doesn’t have trouble sleeping!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. Cold Clay is the second in the series to feature Vera the Vixen, journalist/ detective in the Shady Hollow series. There are no spoilers in the novel but I do recommend reading them in order. If the only reason is because they are very light- hearted for a crime novel, are easy to read and they are pure escapism.

If you have read book one you will have met Joe the moose who owns the coffee shop. You would know that his wife, Julia, left him years earlier. But this novel shows a different explanation for her disappearance and Vera is determined to prove that he wasn’t involved. Even if it causes an argument with Orville who she has become very close to.

I did see who was responsible for Julia’s disappearance but I don’t think it was meant to be a surprise. What I couldn’t see was who and how, and I enjoyed reading how Vera discovered the answers. She couldn’t see though, that others were also suspicious.

I don’t really think of these characters as creatures, probably because you wouldn’t expect foxes, bears, ravens etc to eat cake and drink coffee. Many feature from the earlier book, some of them I saw in a different way. Esme, in particular, was much nicer and I feel that Vera’s friendship with her could grow. I love her relationship with Orville, the detective and the descriptions of both her frustration and love for her job.

Another very entertaining read and I’m looking forward to book three

Well I liked this. Yes, I had the culprit pegged very early on, yes there's a bit of too stupid to live going on, but also the writing is engaging and I still like the slightly brain befuddling nature of a book that's about a community of animals and how exactly it's all meant to work. It's not world changing, and it's not high art - and it doesn't have the humour of say Jasper Fforde when he does stuff like this in Nursery Crime - but it's a very pleasant way of passing a few hours.

The second in the Shady Hollows series sees Vera Vixen determined to clear her friend’s name when he is accused of murder. Once again, Animals of Farthing Wood meets Agatha Christie by way of Mossflower, except with the cosiest of cosy mysteries. I’m loving this super cute series and it’s cast of intrepid animal characters.

The second in the series about Shady Hollow residents. Interesting that all the residents are birds or animals - shades of farthing wood!! The characters are well developed and with a good storyline, you forget the characters are not human! A good mystery and a little bit of romance!!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this review copy. This review is written voluntarily by me.

In general, I still have an easy and engaging read even though this sequel has a darker tone (and less humorous) from its prequel. In this novel, the case is closely related to the incident that happened to a family in the town that is really close with the protagonist, making it much more important to solve the case because of the loose threads. I actually could already guess who is the culprit (it is really obvious by the way) but I am really interested in how the crime is done. There is some budding romance in here (but only a little). I think this case is also interesting as the previous one, but it is sadder. In conclusion, if you are a fan of cozy mystery, I recommend this book.

Shady Hollow is normally a quiet and safe village, so it comes as a shock to the residents when a set of bones are found burrined on Col Clay orchard, especially so soon after the Shady Hollow murders. Reporter Vera Vixen is yet again one of the first to the scene, and hot on the scent of the story. She's determined to find out what really happened, nevermind how far into the past she has to delve.

I'm reading this right on the back of the first book in the series, Shady Hollow, and must say that whilst I still enjoyed the story the novelty isn't quite the same this time around.

Those of you who've followed my blog for a while will know that as a general rule I'm not a fan of reporters, particularly as main characters. This is because I often see them as meddling rather than helpful, especially during crime novels. Vera Vixen really started to fall into that territory for me in this one, witholding information from the police on a couple of occasions. I know it's a cosy mystery and that a lot goes down in these that wouldn't in real life, but this is a huge bug bear for me and one I just don't think I'll ever be able to overlook or forgive! Aside from that she is a very likeable character, and I do appreciate that she sticks up for her friends and is determined to find the truth rather than the easy answer.

The mystery in this one was just as well thought out as the first book, although I did have a pretty good inkling from early on as to who the culprit was. I didn't piece all the information together until quite late in the book though.

As a whole it's another light and fun read, and if you enjoyed the first one you'll like this one too. It isn't the end of the world if you haven't read the first one, but you'll know more about the characters if you have so I would read them in order.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Staughton for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the arc of Cold Clay by Juneau Black in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. Cold Clay is the sequel to Shady Hollow
and takes place several months after the shocking murders that threw the village into disarray. Life has now returned to peaceful routine, which for most is a welcome relief, but not for Vera Vixen…who might just be finding life a little boring.

Autumn has arrived, with all things autumnal including pumpkin pie, and apple harvesting at the Cold Clay orchards, and all seems calm until a tree removal by the orchard’s hardworking rabbits reveals the unexpected skeletal remains of a moose.

Of course nothing spreads faster than bad news and talk soon turns to the disappearance of Shady Hollow’s coffee shop owner Joe’s wife Julia eleven years earlier. Julia had wanted more than settling in a small village and had disappeared, leaving Joe to bring up their baby son, with everyone assuming she’d walked out on them. The remains are quickly identified as Julia’s and cause of death determined as murder. Did Joe murder his wife? There’s no evidence to support that it was, but nor is there anything to put anyone else in the frame…

Once again Vera, our investigative reporter is on the case, but where does she start? Plus, this isn’t the only reporting she needs to cover, the arrival of Octavia Grey, the slinky silver-furred mink, who has come to Shady Hollow to open her school of etiquette is her editor in chief’s prime concern. Especially when said mink is buying full-page ads in Vera’s newspaper, which means Vera has no choice but to enrol in etiquette classes for the paper.

Once again Juneau Black delivers a ‘cosy mystery’ that you just can’t resist curling up with. Vera Vixen continues to be the epitome of a determined go-getter reporter with an eye for the story and a shoulder for friends to lean on.

Once again her friendship with Lenore is central to keeping her investigation pointed in the right direction, and Lenore is the perfect Watson to Vera’s Sherlock. Previous characters from Shady Hollow emerge, with this book adding layers to the introductions made in Shady Hollow and the village comes to life a little more in this second foray.

Cold Clay is a welcome return to Shady Hollow, and continues to deliver mysteries in a Murder She Wrote with animals theme, that delivers a light, engaging read that is easily enjoyed in a single sitting.

4.5* upped to 5
This is the second instalment in this lovely series and I thoroughly enjoyed even if the tone is a bit darker and there's less humour.
Vera is a great character: clever and strong willed, able to see beyond the appearances.
I love Shady Hollow and the inhabitants, you get used to this cast of characters and I hope that Vera and Orville will found the HEA.
The mystery is solid, full of twists, and I had my suspects but it was a pleasure to discover the culprit.
This series is becoming a favorite and I can't wait for the next story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Love this series! It reminds me of a mash up of Miss Marple and Farthing Wood!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.