When Animal Crossing Meets Murder
Isn't the cover adorable?
Recently, I went to the Writer’s Block bookstore in West Orlando, a local shop full to the brim with a variety of stories. Wanting to #supportsmallbusinesses and also pick up a new read (all while neglecting my current TBR pile on my bookshelf…oops), I purchased a copy of Juneau Black’s Shady Hollow novel.
It was touted as a book fit for fans of Animal Crossing and Agatha Christie — a very compelling and unexpected duo. As a fan of those two things, naturally, my interest was piqued. Unassuming, cute characters…and murder? Indeed that was the case.
Readers follow Vera Vixen, an aptly named investigative journalist…who happens to be a fox. You’ve got that right: this is a novel where the whole motley crew of characters are woodland creatures living in the titular Shady Hollow.
An author’s note from the Juneau Black writing duo (composed of authors Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel) does advise readers that they take liberties with the animal natures of its cast of characters. Foxes see eye-to-eye with moose, bears, and even mice. “Keep in mind, gentle reader, that this is a work of fiction,” the authors note at the very beginning. “The characters’ resemblances to real creatures, alive or cruelly murdered, is incidental indeed.” Even with this in mind, though, the good ol’ willing suspension of disbelief kicked in, and I settled into this story humming with mystery.
The story follows Vera and her neighbors as they unravel a murder that happened in their little slice of forest. Otto Sumpf, a grumpy toad living at the edge of the forest, is found murdered in the pond one day. Vera, along with her raven friend Lenore and bear deputy Theodore race against the clock to unmask the killer before they strike again.
Like the English major I am, I love a tale that grounds you with a strong sense of place without harping on details excessively. This story does that, immersing readers into the forest of Shady Hollow without long monologues (I’m looking at you, Tolkien!) The characters are charming, if not a little on-the-nose with their stereotypical tendencies. A cunning fox reporter, a beaver industrialist running a sawmill, you name it. I found it pretty endearing.
A piping mug of chai and some fall-themed ambient YouTube videos pair very well with this book. At 240 pages, it’s a quick read, but perfect for an evening at home.
This book isn’t life-changing by any means (it’s about a fox investigating a small-town murder, after all) but it’s exactly what I needed. Shady Hollow brought just the right amount of charm and wit to my Saturday, and I enjoyed getting lost in an idyllic woodland neighborhood gone awry.
4.5/5 ⭐️