Cold Clay

Chapter 1

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?

These are the sorts of questions a journalist asks. In her den, Vera Vixen was in fact asking herself exactly what the headline would be for the next issue of the Shady Hollow Herald and whether she could improve it. She loved the little town, but it usually was not the most exciting place in the world. Vera wasn t sure she could handle looking at another headline like Mirror Lake Beach Closes Early or Best Walking Paths in the Whispering Woods. Those were not ledes to inspire.

There must be something worth writing about today, she muttered. I just have to find it.

As Vera prepared to leave her cozy home, she pulled a woolen scarf off a hook by the door and draped it about her shoulders, pleased with the way the deep evergreen color contrasted with her rich red fur. She adjusted the wire-­rimmed glasses on her nose, tipped her felt hat to a slightly jauntier and more reporterish angle, and then stepped outside to greet the day.

The early-­autumn mornings were rather chilly now, and quite often a layer of fog would slip into town at night, slinking through the quiet streets and curling up around the great trees in the park. Early risers had to brave a clinging mist that hid the details of the world, making Shady Hollow seem like a dream of itself. But soon the sun would rise over the distant ridge and burn away the fog until the last ragged strips retreated into the woods as the town bustled into action and animals emerged from houses and dens to begin their work or play.

Juneau Black is the pen name of authors Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel. They share a love of excellent bookshops, fine cheeses, and good murders (in fictional form only). Though they are two separate people, if you ask either of them a question about their childhood, you are likely to get the same answer. This is a little unnerving for any number of reasons.
 

Praise for The Shady Hollow Mystery series:

Black s books  Shady Hollow, Cold Clay and Mirror Lake . . . have become my favorite new comfort reads. The plotting is sharp, the prose lean and the atmosphere pure joy. Vixen and the rest of the critters never feel like anthropomorphic Disney cartoon characters. I eagerly await a fresh infusion of Shady Hollow mayhem.
The New York Times

  Watership Down meets Mickey Spillane. A mystery of rare and sinister charm.
Alan Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of the Flavia de Luce series

A magical confection that will leave you nostalgic for the storybooks of your youth.  It s quirky and clever, charming and smart.  I read Shady Hollow in one sitting and can t wait for more!
Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of First Frost

Get ready to fall in love with Shady Hollow and its quirky cast of animal characters. Charming and clever, Juneau Black will take readers on delightful ride as the mystery unfolds. I can t wait to read more!
Amy E. Reichert, author of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club

Need a book to curl up with by the fire? This is it! Shady Hollow must be the coziest of cozy crime stories. It s a whimsical woodland murder mystery like no other! I not only enjoyed reading about it I want to live there, surrounded by enigmatic pandas, diligent mice and well-read corvids. I have to try the food, listen to the gossip and visit the tiny café and I don't even care that there is a murderer on the loose!
Leonie Swann, bestselling author of Three Bags Full