BRAINERD — The “Shady Hollow” series is fun — plain and simple. The animal puns and silly names are utterly delightful, and I’m obviously partial to the main character being a newspaper reporter. The quirky characters are as colorful as their names — like Lenore the Raven, who owns Nevermore book store, town gossip Gladys Honeysuckle the hummingbird and Reginald von Beaverpelt, the wealthy owner of the town’s sawmill.
Thoughts of the movie “Zootopia” and the classic novel “The Wind in the Willows” come to mind, mixed with a little Miss Marple sleuthing. Shady Hollow is a quaint woodland community, but the riverside town certainly has its share of mysteries as well. The dichotomy between the wholesome village and the shocking crimes committed there make this series the epitome of the cozy mystery.
You’ll likely want to curl up right alongside Vera in her little den with a large cup of tea. The writing team of Juneau Black, pen name of authors Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel, creates an enthralling atmosphere, loveable characters and intriguing storylines. Both authors will appear at this year’s Friends of the Brainerd Public Library’s Wine and Words event.
The “Shady Hollow” series includes four full-length novels and two short stories so far. The fifth installment, “Summers End,” is due to hit shelves July 9. Journalistic ethics might have taken a bit of a hit in “Shady Hollow,” with foxy reporter Vera Vixen overstepping police procedure .