Phantom Pond

Shady Hollow #4.5

by Juneau Black

In the woodlands around Shady Hollow, there’s a legend about a mysterious creature known as Creeping Juniper. According to local lore, she’s a sort of witch who dwells deep in the woods, casting spells on the shore of Phantom Pond. It’s a harmless old tale, until a prank goes wrong. When a young creature goes missing, all the clues point to Creeping Juniper. But to solve the mystery and rescue an innocent victim, Vera Vixen and her friends need to find a place that doesn’t appear on any maps. Can they discover the location of Phantom Pond before it’s too late?

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Halloween, Short Stories

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2023

About the author

Joint pseudonym of Elizabeth Cole and Sharon Nagel. For works of these authors written under their own or other names, search also under: Cole, Elizabeth (Author of romance fiction) or Nagel, Sharon, 1966-

Reviews

[Brady Lockerby]

So cute!! The perfect novella for this time of year. Really loving these characters so much

[Jan Agaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

so cute & wholesome as always & i loved the ending!

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Piper,

LOVED THIS! Such a warm, cozy read that is so perfect for this time of year.

[Beka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this cover wish they were selling physical copies of this short stories. This Halloween story was a fun, atmospheric read and definitely delivers on all the cozy, spooky fall vibes. I’m a sucker for anthropomorphic animals just living their lives and doing cozy activities and that’s what these stories are.

[LisaReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very quick, cute short story. It’s Halloween themed which was perfect since Halloween is in 2 days. This was my first book I’ve read in this series and since you can read them in any order, I’m glad I started with this one. It gives you a sense of what the other books will be like and I’m excited to dive into the rest of the series.

[Daijah · Rating 4 out of 5]

actual rating: 4/5 stars

the perfect bite-sized read to bridge the gap between spooky season and full cozy mode. this is book 4.5 in the shady hollow series, but don't let that number scare you off. i've only read the first book and this novella, and i never felt like i was missing anything important. the story stands on its own beautifully, so if you're eyeing this for the halloween vibes, just grab it.

anthropomorphic animals solving mysteries shouldn't work as well as it does, but here we are. there's something delightful about watching woodland creatures navigate small-town drama and investigate suspicious happenings, and it keeps the series from falling into the typical cozy mystery trap of feeling too samey. vera makes a fantastic lead, the kind of character who's clever without being insufferable about it.

this novella nails the cozy halloween vibe without tipping into actual horror territory. you get the trappings of the season, the atmosphere, that slight edge of unease, but it never loses its warmth. reading this in early november felt like wrapping myself in a soft blanket that still smells faintly of pumpkin spice and dead leaves. the mystery isn't a full murder investigation like the main series books, but it didn't need to be. the stakes fit the format perfectly, giving us just enough intrigue to stay engaged without demanding too much emotional investment.

the world-building surprised me too. for such a short book, we got some genuinely interesting details about how shady hollow works and the creatures who live there. it made me realize how much i've been sleeping on this series by only reading the first book and then jumping ahead. i need to fix that immediately because if the other books maintain this same energy, i'm about to have a new comfort series to rotation through whenever i need something light and lovely.

if you want something gently spooky that goes down easy, this delivers exactly what it promises.

[Susanne Latour · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love everything about this cozy little series.

[Correna Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this cozy series!

[Kelsey Cornelsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like all the books in this series this short story was just as charming with a fun mystery that needed to be solved.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Very cute!! I would recommend reading at least the first book in the series before enjoying this Halloween short story, but I’ve only read a chapter or two of Shady Hollow and I did just fine!

If you’re looking for a short and cozy Halloween-time mystery, this one just may do the trick! 😊

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this series and this novella was the perfect bite-sized mystery to get in the halloween mood. The seasonal imagery these authors create is always wonderful and I really appreciated the mystery itself and the fun (yet spooky) twists.

[Janelle King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even the short stories are spectacular! This captured the spooky essence of Halloween, while still remaining cozy and sweet. And on top of that, the writing is spellbinding All these books need a physical place on my shelf. 👏🏾

[Erin Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first one I've read in this series, I wanted to read the novella to see how I would like it and I absolutely adored it. I'm immediately going to run to Shady Hollow and start from the beginning 🙌🏼

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute little autumn tail/tale.

[Demetra McBrayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cozy Halloween story that was a joy from start to finish.

[Kasey Tutt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d been saving this novella for Halloween since last year, and while it delivered on atmosphere and was a quick, easy read, it left me wondering what the point was 😬 It captured the mood of fall nicely, but it didn’t have the eerie or haunting quality I expected from a Halloween read.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was so cute! I looooved the ending explanation :)

[Marlana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, sweet, spooky and satisfying! A wonderful twist on a witch in the woods and missing children... and a clever reimagining of Halloween with Mischief Night. PS: truly some of the most delicious sounding foods in fiction! Extra Rich Gingerbread Cupcakes? Mischief Night Pumpkin Bars? Spooky Dark-Chocolate Doughnut? PLEASE!!!

[Sharon Echele · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think i want all of these on all my shelves in every single room of my home

[Hannah Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like a warm hug, the descriptive language explaining the world of Vera Vixen is magical to say the least. This short story is a quick happy read with a great storyline. I only wish there was a paper copy!!

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfectly cozy & whimsical autumnal read.

[megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

my emotional support woodland creature murder books strike again ! i hope they never end this series

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awe this was a cute little Halloween story. It also doesn’t really move the plot along so if you aren’t caught up with the main books storyline it doesn’t spoil anything.

[Angustia⋆Cósmica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mischief Night rolls in; as creatures dress up and claim for sweet delights amidst this wonderful autumn setting, tragedy strikes with a missing little squirrel.
What sort of mystery is Vera in to solve this time? Will our headstrong reporter believe in fantasy and myths if it means bringing a lost soul back?
I know I would.

Also Mischief Night? How utterly adorable is that. My teeth hurt over that cute stuff, I love it!
Almost as much as I loved this little bite-sized story, I could read about Vera's adventures nonstop and never grow tired of it!

It was nice to see our usual setting dealing with magic (Yes. The talking animals now get to deal with magic, I think that's neat.) and break from the usual animal-made crimes.

All my love towards this series as always 🦊🍂

[My Little Happy Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

This was a cute little novella in one of my favorite cozy series! I accidentally forgot to read this in the correct order, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

This novella is a great improvement on the previous novella in terms of character consistency and tone.

I always enjoy reading about the characters from the Shady Hollow series, and this book was no exception. I wondered how spooky the Halloween/fall themed book would be, but I found it to be very sweet and positive as opposed to scary!










Potential spoilers below in the content warnings:









Content:
•Discussion of a witch/magic
•A child is missing (implied or discussed potential harm, kidnapping, injuring, etc.)

[LeonDante · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd short story from the authors, and I loved the atmosphere they set up. Easy read and this one really hit the nail on the head for a cozy mystery. I definitely wanna see this one as a stop motion movie.

[Candii · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
im a sucker for anything halloween themed. i liked that it wasnt the "formula" that we so often see in murder mysteries. i really hope we get a cameo of a certain character in future books as i really liked them!

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute, short, fun little story! Perfect for October.

[Blair Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, cozy, and cute! Still hold the charm of the Shady Hollow series and gets right to the point. Loved it for a fall read!