The third novel in the Shady Hollow mystery series, I read each one in quick succession. Like a favorite dessert, not fancy but delicious and not too filling, I eagerly looked forward to the next installment. The characters, animals, are nicely fleshed out. I especially like Vera and her friendship with Lenore, two intelligent professional females. The mystery, while easily solved early on, presents enjoyable entertainment. I look forward to more murders in the bucolic village of Shady Hollow.

This is the third book in the Shady Hollow series and my first book. The beginning offers enough backstory that I wasn't confused about who was who.

Vera Vixon is a fox and a reporter in the local newspaper. She's dating Deputy Braun a bear. Her best friend Lenora, a raven and a bookshop owner.

There is a commotion outside when Dorothy Springfield a rat says her husband has been murdered when he is standing right before her. Vera starts looking into what could be the explanation when she uncovers so much more.

This was such a fun read. Especially figuring out how animals might live. Picturing if they are walking upright or on all paws. I enjoyed the mystery and will definitely be going back to read the beginning of the series.

And we’re back in the very cozy, slightly twee village of Shady Hollow for one more bloody (as in there’s actual dripping blood) mystery among this (mostly) charming group of people who just happen to be animals.

Don’t let that bit fool you. All stories are about people – even if they claim they’re not. Because people are all we know how to be – and we’re the ones writing the story.

Adora Springfield is dead – but this isn’t about her. Except when it is. Adora was, all things considered, adored by pretty much everyone in Shady Hollow and the neighboring, even smaller community of Mirror Lake. She lived a long life and contributed a lot to both communities. She’ll be mourned and she’ll be missed. And she left an estate worth killing for, tied up in an estate-planning tangle that is going to require both a lawyer and an investigative journalist to unravel.

Chief of Police Theodore Meade is a deadbeat. Not exactly, as he’s earning a decent salary as the leader of Shady Hollow’s two-bear police department. But he’s not doing the job. At all. Pretty much ever. He’s too “busy” fishing, leaving all the policing in town to his deputy-bear Orville Braun.

And Orville is pretty much sick of doing all the work and not being sure whether or not he’s getting any of the credit.

The case and the campaign both revolve – one clockwise and one anti-clockwise – around the person of investigative reporter and fox-about-town Vera Vixen. As a reporter for the local newspaper, the death of one of the town’s leading lights and the first contested campaign for Police Chief in years are both juicy stories that Vera is itching to dig her way into and write all about.

But Orville and Vera are romantically involved, even as they butt heads over pretty much every case. She can’t cover his campaign – no matter how much her boss wants her to use her “inside track” to get the real scoop. Her boss is GREAT at selling newspapers but LOUSY at journalistic ethics.

It’s Vera’s search for a bit of legal cover to protect her job with that leads her into the Springfield case. A case that Orville – and the rest of the town – refuse to see as a real case at all.

Dorothy Springfield, known to all and sundry as “Dotty” for her occasional flakiness, has returned from tending to her now-late mother-in-law and taking care of the funeral arrangements to cause a very public scene by claiming that her husband is NOT her husband. That her real husband is dead and whoever this rat (literally, the Springfields are the wealthiest rats in town) may look like her beloved Edward but he is absolutely NOT her Edward.

Everyone is certain that Dotty is just being dotty again. Vera has doubts. Initially little ones, as Dotty’s reputation has definitely preceded her – but doubts that are worth digging into because they’ll make an excellent story.

A story that nearly gets Vera killed. Again.

Escape Rating B+: This was not the book I originally planned to finish the week with, but that one (Last Exit) turned out to be a bit more book than I had time to chew at the end of this week. (I’m listening to the audio and it’s good but it’s also longer than I thought. The best laid plans of mice, men and book reviewers and all that.)

So I returned to Shady Hollow for one more lovely if murderous time. And it turned out to be a charming way to finish out the week.

On its surface, Mirror Lake is a typical cozy mystery set in a typical if somewhat twee small town. That all the people are animals adds to its charm for me, but may add to its twee-ness for others. YMMV but I like visiting the place.

The two cases are the bread and butter of this kind of story. A minor conflict between the townsfolk, a case of everyone in town knowing everyone else’s business and maintaining their assumptions about the people they know so well, and a twisty little bit of murder, with an amateur sleuth in the middle of entirely too many things for probability to have any bearing whatsoever.

(I always think that Cabot Cove and Midsummer County must have such a ridiculously high homicide rate that newcomers would stay far, far, away – but they never do.)

Series like Shady Hollow, whether featuring humans or animals-as-humans, are more about the town and its inhabitants than it is about the murders that take place. Which is a good thing in Mirror Lake as I figured out whodunnit long before the big reveal at the end.

The fun in the story is watching it all work itself out. Vera is both determined and dogged (whatever her species might be), but she’s also compassionate and caring and has invested herself thoroughly in her new home of Shady Hollow. As an amateur investigator, operating mostly on her own, she’s also very much a “fools rush in” type, putting herself in extreme danger in every book because she tends to figure out whodunnit by poking her nose into the killer’s business without being aware that she’s THAT close to the solution.

Which makes following Vera a lot of fun as she drops into Joe’s Mug for life-giving coffee, consults her best friend, bookstore owner Lenore for advice and crime-solving hints, and flirts and fights with her bearish beau whenever they both have a break between cases.

Unfortunately, this is the last – so far, at least – full length novel in the Shady Hollow series. There’s one very short novella, Evergreen Chase, left to go. It’s a holiday story, so I think I’ll save it for when fall starts to nip the air. Or whenever I need a bit of Vera’s animal magnetism.

I am thrilled to be back in Shady Hollow with characters I feel I know well. This third installment of this cozy mystery series did not disappoint. Vera Vixen, a reporter for the Shady Hollow newspaper, finds herself trying to unravel a new mystery. This mystery is a bit more complex because Dotty, a mouse, publicly claims that her husband has been murdered; the only hang-up, her husband is standing in front of her ... or is he?
This new mystery begins to take some interesting twists and turns that include surrounding towns; Orville has tossed his hat in the ring to challenge the current chief of police re-election. As Vera's beau, she isn't sure how to handle Orville's campaign to oust the sitting chief while needing to work closely with the police to solve the mystery, all while her boss wants her to cover the election for the newspaper.
This was a wonderful cozy mystery; the entire series has been a pleasure to read. Fingers crossed, they will continue the series!

This series is my go to for a rainy day where I want to snuggle under a blanket and read all day with coffee. The characters and settings are just like a warm hug for my brain. The stories don’t need to be so complicated o just enjoy reading how all the animals are living and I absolutely love Vera and how she thinks and solves the crimes of poor Shady Hollow.

Mirror Lake is the third book in the Shady Hollow series by Juneau Black.

I love this “no humans allowed” series. I enjoy trying to imagine the various animals interacting with each other. The dialogue is top-notch, and it will sometimes bring a chuckle or laugh.

Vera, a fox and reporter for the Shady Hollow Herald, and her bear deputy Orville are enjoying strolling around the annual Harvest Festival, taking advantage of various food and drinks. Suddenly, Orville spots his boss, Chief Meade, greeting people. Orville is distraught as Meade said he would stay with and crew at the police station. Suddenly Orville calls for everyone's attention. The crowd begins to murmur, and some feel that he will propose to Vera. But Orville surprises everyone by announcing he will be running for sheriff of Shady Hollow. When Vera’s boss, BW, learns this, he wants Vera to start writing articles on the election, following Orville as he campaigns for sheriff.

Vera doesn’t feel BW’s request is proper and heads to the nearby community of Mirror Lake with a lawyer about what to do if her boss forces Vera to write articles. As Vera and the lawyer leave his office, they hear a terrifying scream from next door and immediately head towards the cry. They find Dorothy Springfield, a rat, screaming that her husband is dead and someone murdered him. But standing next to her is what appears to be her husband, very much alive. Vera decides that there might be a story here that, if she pursues, may keep BW from wanting her to report on the upcoming sheriff’s election. Vera will call on Lenore, owner of the Nevermore bookshop, and Lefty, the hapless raccoon, to help her in the investigation. Sui Lin, owner of a local cafe, will again have a paw in assisting Vera with her investigation.

This story is a very enjoyable, well-written, and plotted story. All the animals are interestingly presented and adorable. Most of the main characters of the previous books are back once again.

An entertaining series that I am looking forward to more books.

This series is so much fun! The setting is a town in the woods, where all types of animals (foxes, bears, rabbits, etc.) live together in harmony. Vera, a fox reporter in town, sets out to solve a decades old mystery when the body of a moose is dug up in the local apple orchard. The animals different attributes allow them to gain different perspective and insight into the case, making a mystery that involves only humans (and their comparatively limited abilities) seem a bit boring in comparison! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

Vera Vixen is enjoying celebrating the end of fall at Shady Hollow’s annual Harvest Festival in the company of her beau, Deputy Orville Braun. It’s a rare day off for them both: she’s the local newspaper’s star reporter, while he’s the one who usually does the heavy lifting in the town’s police station, where he’s the only other employee besides his boss, Chief Of Police Theodore Meade. When Orville spots Theodore at the Festival instead of at work as promised, he becomes incensed enough to take the stage:

QUOTE
“Ladies and gentlemice, if I could have your attention, please.” Orville’s voice boomed out over the crow. “I have an important announcement to make.”

The crowd murmured and whispered. Vera caught a few words here and there. Then she heard [gossip columnist] Gladys’s distinctive loud tone. “<i>Yes</i>. I knew it! He’s going to propose to Vera!”

A sheep standing next to Gladys tried to shush her when they saw Vera staring. Could it be true? Vera wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She liked Orville very much, but they had not been dating all that long!
END QUOTE

Vera is not the only nonplussed festival attendee when Orville’s announcement turns out to be professional instead of personal. He’s decided to run for the elected position of Chief Of Police, figuring that if he’s doing most of the work and taking on most of the responsibility, he might as well have the title to go with it. Theodore, of course, is not going to go down without a fight, leading to one of the more interesting election seasons for the usually placid town.

BW Stone, Vera’s editor, wants her to get the inside scoop on the campaign, but Vera rightly feels that this would be unethical. She decides to consult with local lawyer Walter Fallow however, just in case. It’s while at his offices near Mirror Lake that she and the attorney hear a blood-curdling scream from one of the homes nearby.

Coming out to investigate, they discover that Dorothy Springfield is accusing her husband Edward of being an imposter at best and a murderer at worst. Given both Dorothy’s history of mystical leanings and the very recent death of her beloved mother-in-law, everyone assumes that she’s just having a bit of a nervous break and that her poor husband is suffering the consequences. Dorothy flees to a nearby bed and breakfast, refusing to stay in the family home, and Vera wonders if there isn’t a story here – especially since she’ll need to placate a BW put out by her refusal to cover the election. Vera’s wise friend Sun Li helps to put Dorothy’s plight into perspective for her:

QUOTE
Sun Li took a slow sip of tea, then said, “I’ve traveled quite a bit in my life, and I’ve seen a lot of things other folks would describe as impossible.”

“What are you saying?” Vera asked curiously.

“Just that if you do plan on investigating this–and it’s intriguing enough to be right up your alley–I’d suggest you start with the assumption that Dorothy is correct and that her account is reliable. Everyone else seems to think she’s made a mistake. And if you think that, too, you’ll only discover what everyone else will. Try a different approach.”
END QUOTE

With election fever gripping Shady Hollow, as well as the arrival of a handsome author who may have designs on Vera, our heroine certainly has a lot on her plate even as she tries to figure out the truth behind the rupture between the Springfields. But with her erstwhile protector Orville absorbed in campaigning, will Vera be able to stay out of mortal peril in her attempt to uncover the truth?

This anthropomorphic mystery series is the coziest of cozy reads, a sort of Beatrix Potter for grown-ups with a plucky fox reporter and her smart, if by-the-book, bear boyfriend solving crimes and bringing evildoers to justice. The conundrums are never too complicated but the dialog and details of the woodland creatures going about their small town lives are almost effortlessly charming. The books, of which this is the third in the series, are wholly engrossing, and make for one of the more pleasant ways to while away a few hours cozily reading.

This series brings me such joy; comfort reading at its finest! I hope there are more books on the horizon because I’m not ready to say goodbye to Vera and all the rest of the Shady Hollow citizens.

The third entry in this series maximizes the comfy-cozy atmosphere of Shady Hollow and its neighboring towns and moves the characters along nicely. My only knock is that the central mystery is really, really straightforward - so much so as to be distracting? That's not a good explanation really, and I'm not asking for a mystery that involves a chart or anything, but the happy medium of "puzzler vs. not going to drive you mad" present in the other entries is missing here. The authors are definitely not interested in blazing new trails and those readers looking for intricate plotting will have passed on this series a while ago so I'm not sure why this bugged me, but here we are. Shady Hollow is for cookies not conundrums. It's a fast read and perfect for the nightstand - a definite recommend.

Like me, you may have thought this book was for children…the cover is cute, no? Well, if you thought that, you and I would both be wrong! This is not only adorable, but a really great series! Give yourself a break from reality and head to Shady Hollow for awhile. You won’t regret it!

As sweet and charming as the first two books in the Shady Hollow series. The authors that make up Juneau Black have created a delightful and whimsical cast of characters along with an interesting plot. Love this book and highly recommend for anyone looking for a cozy mystery. Compulsively readable.

Oh, what a treat it is to be back in Shady Hollow! And to face the intriguing dilemma of a rat-who-is-dead...or maybe not. Juneau Black once again, as in the first two Shady Hollow outings, delivers a twisty, funny, outrageously creative mystery in the classic tradition. MIRROR LAKE is another delight in this fiercely original series.

Many thanks to Vintage and to Netgalley for the opportunity of an early read.

This is a fun cozy mystery series, but it's not quite what I'd hoped. For some reason the writing doesn't fully click with me, and while I ADORE the premise, the execution isn't my cup of tea. Super glad this exists in this gorgeous reissued format and hope it paves the way for more quirky cozies.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of this book. The rating of this book is entirely of my own opinion. #MirrorLake #NetGalley

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

My son's really loved this book. They are 5 and 9.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Fun, enjoyable cozy mystery series with likable characters. Holds up well for the third in a series.

The third book in the Shady Hollow Mystery series, Mirror Lake, was such a thrill of a ride! After finishing up the first two books I was eager to dive right into this one and it had so many fun twists and turns.

I really enjoyed this read and the characters that were introduced, some of the main characters even had a slightly bigger role in this book as well. The protagonist, Vera Vixen (a reporter fox), is one of my favorite amateur sleuths lately, I just love her personality and curious nature. Between a very peculiar mystery and a town voting for a new Chief of Police, there was a steady pace of action through the whole book and always something going on.

The mystery was fairly easy for me to figure out but it was still running through my mind even when I had to take a short reading break to cook dinner. I found myself talking out loud about other possible theories while chopping romaine and second guessing my suspicion. Glad my husband wasn’t watching me or he would have sworn I finally lost my marbles. This book had some fun twists and a few moments of high tension. Overall, it was a really enjoyable read!

This book is due to release at the end of April this year and I highly recommend preordering it along with the first books in the series. Great cozy mystery with wild creatures in place of humans, and a forest rather than a bustling city. Such a fun book!