What do you think?
Rate this book
Shady Hollow #2
Cold Clay
A MURDER TO SOLVE. A REPORTER ON THE CASE.
CRIMES OF THE PAST WON'T STAY BURIED . . .
In the woodland community of Shady Hollow, you'll discover a secret. Moose and mice, owls and bears live side by side in civilised harmony. The town has a coffee shop and a bookshop, a haberdasher and a bank. Life is peaceful, until a skeleton is found buried deep under an apple tree. Danger has returned to Shady Hollow.
Ace reporter Vera Vixen only wants a good news story as harvest time arrives with the promise of glorious feasts ahead. But the discovery of the body casts a darker shadow. Soon enough, the coffeeshop's owner is being dragged down to the police station. Vera can't believe gentle Joe the moose is a killer. To get to the bottom of the matter, she will have to dig into the secrets her neighbours would rather leave buried forever . . .
Entertaining and perceptive, Cold Clay is fast-paced and witty, with characters that jump off the page and a hugely satisfying mystery to solve. Once you've met the residents of ShadyHollow, you won't forget them.
CRIMES OF THE PAST WON'T STAY BURIED . . .
In the woodland community of Shady Hollow, you'll discover a secret. Moose and mice, owls and bears live side by side in civilised harmony. The town has a coffee shop and a bookshop, a haberdasher and a bank. Life is peaceful, until a skeleton is found buried deep under an apple tree. Danger has returned to Shady Hollow.
Ace reporter Vera Vixen only wants a good news story as harvest time arrives with the promise of glorious feasts ahead. But the discovery of the body casts a darker shadow. Soon enough, the coffeeshop's owner is being dragged down to the police station. Vera can't believe gentle Joe the moose is a killer. To get to the bottom of the matter, she will have to dig into the secrets her neighbours would rather leave buried forever . . .
Entertaining and perceptive, Cold Clay is fast-paced and witty, with characters that jump off the page and a hugely satisfying mystery to solve. Once you've met the residents of ShadyHollow, you won't forget them.
240 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2017
About the author
Juneau Black
11 books1,327 followersJoint 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-
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,150 reviews
October 20, 2024
I think I enjoyed this one more than the first! Love this series & can’t wait to finish them all
July 21, 2022
i'm so upset by this series! i really loved the aesthetic of it and both books i got through were very cozy reads, but it was so predictable it became a chore to get through. the first book, shady hollow, started off with an incredibly promising idea. i was disappointed in the end, but decided to carry on my reading because i had hope that the authors may flesh out something new and interesting to develop this series. however, cold clay regurgitated the same idea from the first book and i was already bored by page 60. i should've skipped reading the cast list, because as soon as i saw the new characters that were introduced and the blurbs for each of them, i pieced together what i thought would happen. and it was exactly right.
this is supposed to be a mature series, with the promise murder and darkness and messy relationships, but it feels juvenile in every way. i'm going to forego reading the last part of this series, mirror lake, because i feel like i already know what to expect: in a sleepy woodland town where nothing bad ever happens, suddenly another animal is murdered by the character we suspect the absolute most and vera, our detective, will take 200 pages to gather enough evidence to confirm what we already knew to be true.
i loved the language, cover art, and setting of these books - they made me want to crawl in and live the life of a nice moose who owns a coffee shop across from the raven's library - but the actual storylines left me bored and yearning for more.
this is supposed to be a mature series, with the promise murder and darkness and messy relationships, but it feels juvenile in every way. i'm going to forego reading the last part of this series, mirror lake, because i feel like i already know what to expect: in a sleepy woodland town where nothing bad ever happens, suddenly another animal is murdered by the character we suspect the absolute most and vera, our detective, will take 200 pages to gather enough evidence to confirm what we already knew to be true.
i loved the language, cover art, and setting of these books - they made me want to crawl in and live the life of a nice moose who owns a coffee shop across from the raven's library - but the actual storylines left me bored and yearning for more.
February 11, 2022
Shady Hollow #2
3.5 rounded down
Vera Vixen is hoping for a bit of excitement to pep up her newspaper headlines. Her interest is distinctly piqued when a large group of ferrets are moving goods into a rental that has lain empty for a while. Who is moving in? Well, it transpires it’s Octavia Grey, a very grand and refined Mink who is planning to open “Grey’s School of Etiquette“. However, her attention is further snagged as an incident at Cold Clay Orchard, a collective run by rabbits. They produce high quality fruits and are currently picking the apple harvest. Peter and Ralph are removing a tree that hasn’t thrived when Peters shovel and covers… dun, dun, dun …some bones. Deputy Orville Braun (hotly pursued by Vera in more ways than one) investigates. Dr Broadhead, the adder medical examiner, pronounces the bones to be from a moose and wait for it, it’s another murder in Shady Hollow. Who is it? When? Why? Could this be Joe Elkins wife who walked out on him and Joe Junior eleven years ago and was never heard from again? Vera is on the scent!
First of all, I have to say it’s not as funny as the first book but it’s charming and sweet despite the murder! The characters are great, though Octavia Grey proves to be one very cool customer. I love Vera, she’s a very clever vixen and she has a real nose for a story and loads of gumption. Some characters back stories are really entertaining too. There are rather a lot of fortuitous finds in this one but the plot does start to connect well, thanks to Vera lies and nefarious deeds are uncovered. The tone is a delightful “old-fashioned“ one that I really like and I think the authors have hit on an excellent format for escapist reading in these uncertain times.
My only negative other than less humour, is there is some plot filling in this one which we don’t need, nice though they are.
Looking forward to number three which hopefully will have some belly laughs.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
3.5 rounded down
Vera Vixen is hoping for a bit of excitement to pep up her newspaper headlines. Her interest is distinctly piqued when a large group of ferrets are moving goods into a rental that has lain empty for a while. Who is moving in? Well, it transpires it’s Octavia Grey, a very grand and refined Mink who is planning to open “Grey’s School of Etiquette“. However, her attention is further snagged as an incident at Cold Clay Orchard, a collective run by rabbits. They produce high quality fruits and are currently picking the apple harvest. Peter and Ralph are removing a tree that hasn’t thrived when Peters shovel and covers… dun, dun, dun …some bones. Deputy Orville Braun (hotly pursued by Vera in more ways than one) investigates. Dr Broadhead, the adder medical examiner, pronounces the bones to be from a moose and wait for it, it’s another murder in Shady Hollow. Who is it? When? Why? Could this be Joe Elkins wife who walked out on him and Joe Junior eleven years ago and was never heard from again? Vera is on the scent!
First of all, I have to say it’s not as funny as the first book but it’s charming and sweet despite the murder! The characters are great, though Octavia Grey proves to be one very cool customer. I love Vera, she’s a very clever vixen and she has a real nose for a story and loads of gumption. Some characters back stories are really entertaining too. There are rather a lot of fortuitous finds in this one but the plot does start to connect well, thanks to Vera lies and nefarious deeds are uncovered. The tone is a delightful “old-fashioned“ one that I really like and I think the authors have hit on an excellent format for escapist reading in these uncertain times.
My only negative other than less humour, is there is some plot filling in this one which we don’t need, nice though they are.
Looking forward to number three which hopefully will have some belly laughs.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
April 21, 2023
This was my second visit to Shady Hollow and I just adore it! The mystery itself was straightforward and easy to work out, which would usually be a negative for me. But Shady Hollow is just a nice, soft landing setting where murder happens sometimes. I
n this case more than a decade ago as bones are unearthed in the apple orchard at harvest time. The bones belong to a moose and before long, Joe, the town's resident moose and coffee slinger is under suspicion for killing his wife and letting everyone think she'd simply left him. Tenacious reporter, Vera Vixen thinks the police have it wrong and of course, begins investigating. This causes problems with the police and her romantic life as she had been dating Deputy Orville Braun. All other denizens of Shady Hollow have opinions on Joe's innocence and some even have information to impart along the way. There's also a new business opening in town, owned by a mink named Octavia who is an etiquette and manners aficionado.
I'm not going to spoil the mystery but the whole thing was just fun time spent with characters I like. It's a feel-good book and I recommend it. I will definitely continue the series.
n this case more than a decade ago as bones are unearthed in the apple orchard at harvest time. The bones belong to a moose and before long, Joe, the town's resident moose and coffee slinger is under suspicion for killing his wife and letting everyone think she'd simply left him. Tenacious reporter, Vera Vixen thinks the police have it wrong and of course, begins investigating. This causes problems with the police and her romantic life as she had been dating Deputy Orville Braun. All other denizens of Shady Hollow have opinions on Joe's innocence and some even have information to impart along the way. There's also a new business opening in town, owned by a mink named Octavia who is an etiquette and manners aficionado.
I'm not going to spoil the mystery but the whole thing was just fun time spent with characters I like. It's a feel-good book and I recommend it. I will definitely continue the series.
September 27, 2025
This series is so cozy and comforting. My girl Vera is everything!! She’s my absolute favorite.
September 25, 2025
3.5 stars
enjoyed the first book, i think the whodunnit was just too obvious in this book but im hoping this is just second book syndrome
enjoyed the first book, i think the whodunnit was just too obvious in this book but im hoping this is just second book syndrome
April 15, 2025
Rereading this lovely and cozy series. Wish I could find more cozy mysteries with animals behaving like humans (just ✨️better ✨️)
February 26, 2022
This series is the cozies of cozy mysteries. Seriously, reading Cold Clay was like a warm hug. I love the world that Juneau Black has created and the characters are very charming. A lovely blend of an old school murder mystery and the types of animal stories I read as a kid.
ARC Provided by NetGalley
ARC Provided by NetGalley
April 27, 2024
3.5 rounded up. I loved being back in this world. Didn't need the fox/bear romance, but it was not a big part, other than her jealousy. The audio was good, except for the voice of Lenore the best friend/raven. It was just still so cozy and just what I was looking for.
May 15, 2024
book slump so bad im reading cozy zootopia-esque mysteries where i end up solving the murder halfway through
October 11, 2023
I've only read two books in this series so far, but wow-they have become such a comfort for me. Shady Hollow is a small town filled with woodland animals and mystery. Similarly to the first book, this book also centers around Vera Vixen, a hard working reporter, working to solve another mysterious murder.
I just adore these books. I loved this one just as much as the first book and cannot wait to read the other books in this series. If you love cozy mysteries, I think you'll really enjoy this series.
(Also, I think the cozy, woodland vibes of the covers perfectly encapsulate the overall vibes of the books too.)
I just adore these books. I loved this one just as much as the first book and cannot wait to read the other books in this series. If you love cozy mysteries, I think you'll really enjoy this series.
(Also, I think the cozy, woodland vibes of the covers perfectly encapsulate the overall vibes of the books too.)
July 18, 2026
a charming second installment in the shady hollow series. i love the cozy setting, the animal characters, the bookishness, and the quaint language - but the mystery let me down.
where was the twist?? i had so many theories, but instead we're left with the most obvious and uncreative possible resolution. i had considered the resolution as a possibility, but dismissed it because i thought we'd need to have a twist of some sort - but NOPE. what a boring choice.
the jealous and controlling on/off cop/detective romance puts a serious damper on the book. and i struggle to understand why the authors would choose to populate this cozy universe with cops and prisons. this could be such a pure joy, but it's not.
regardless of its flaws, i love this series on a conceptual level. it elates me to read about a community of woodland creatures and their sleepy small town. i truly want to love these books! hopefully the next volume will be more satisfying.
where was the twist?? i had so many theories, but instead we're left with the most obvious and uncreative possible resolution. i had considered the resolution as a possibility, but dismissed it because i thought we'd need to have a twist of some sort - but NOPE. what a boring choice.
the jealous and controlling on/off cop/detective romance puts a serious damper on the book. and i struggle to understand why the authors would choose to populate this cozy universe with cops and prisons. this could be such a pure joy, but it's not.
regardless of its flaws, i love this series on a conceptual level. it elates me to read about a community of woodland creatures and their sleepy small town. i truly want to love these books! hopefully the next volume will be more satisfying.
July 21, 2023
This little series of animal society and the occasional murder is totally delightful.
July 24, 2022
Read this book ridiculously fast! Once again, a highly entertaining and cute mystery. I found this one WAY easier to figure out than the first book—it was probably a little too obvious imho.
I’d recommend not thinking too hard about these books. If you do, you’ll realize that a consistent theme is that outsiders are not to be trusted. In both books, the person who’s new in town ends up being the murderer. Not great lol. Also maybe lowkey copaganda since Vera is in love with the sheriff?
But if you don’t think about any of that stuff, it’s a light and fun read!
I’d recommend not thinking too hard about these books. If you do, you’ll realize that a consistent theme is that outsiders are not to be trusted. In both books, the person who’s new in town ends up being the murderer. Not great lol. Also maybe lowkey copaganda since Vera is in love with the sheriff?
But if you don’t think about any of that stuff, it’s a light and fun read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2025
another huge win for me!!! love love LOVE that the coziness isn’t just fluff and that each character’s life and history are all so detailed!!! this one has a bit of romance drama which is so funny and sweet to me 🤣🤍 onto the next book! have been really enjoying listening to this series back to back!! i just can’t get enough of it 🥹
January 17, 2026
these are so quick and enjoyable! she squeezes so much cozy mystery fantasy into such a short amount of pages. this is for the times you just want to turn your brain off and enjoy a good story
October 2, 2025
Loved returning to the world of Shady Hollow—and perfect timing considering this is delightfully autumnal read. Vera Vixen is an excellent sleuth and I just love this setting and the writing.
Minus one star for a mystery that was not quite as surprising as I had hoped (I had a similar complaint with book one). All the same, I will recommend it, because it’s just so enjoyable.
Minus one star for a mystery that was not quite as surprising as I had hoped (I had a similar complaint with book one). All the same, I will recommend it, because it’s just so enjoyable.
March 11, 2022
2.75 ⭐️ rounded up
While the setting and woodland creatures in this cozy mystery are delightful, the plot of this follow up to Shady Hollow was not as delightful. There is only one viable suspect from the very beginning, and the mystery just wasn’t as fun or satisfying as the one in Shady Hollow. I also knocked off a star for the weird “not like the other girls” instances, which sounds hilarious considering this is a book about woodland creatures, but unfortunately it seems even the residents of Shady Hollow are afflicted by the scourge that is internalized misogyny. All that aside, I read this series because I enjoy anthropomorphized animals, woodland settings, and a fun, easy cozy mystery. This book delivers on that. I will be giving the third book a chance when it is released in April. Hopefully is is closer to the quality of Shady Hollow.
While the setting and woodland creatures in this cozy mystery are delightful, the plot of this follow up to Shady Hollow was not as delightful. There is only one viable suspect from the very beginning, and the mystery just wasn’t as fun or satisfying as the one in Shady Hollow. I also knocked off a star for the weird “not like the other girls” instances, which sounds hilarious considering this is a book about woodland creatures, but unfortunately it seems even the residents of Shady Hollow are afflicted by the scourge that is internalized misogyny. All that aside, I read this series because I enjoy anthropomorphized animals, woodland settings, and a fun, easy cozy mystery. This book delivers on that. I will be giving the third book a chance when it is released in April. Hopefully is is closer to the quality of Shady Hollow.
April 11, 2022
After reading Shady Hollow, I couldn't wait to read the next book in the series. Even though this novel wasn't quite as good as the previous one, I still enjoyed this tale of the woodland creatures.
Julia Elkin, wife of Joe Elkin, supposedly walked out on Joe over ten years ago, but then her bones are accidentally discovered at Cold Clay Orchards. Both Vera Vixen and Deputy Orville Braun together investigate who is behind this murder.
My favorite creatures in this story are:
Vera Vixen - The foxy reporter for the Shady Hollow Herald.
Deputy Orville Braun - The hard-working large brown bear.
Lenore Lee - A dark-as-night raven who owns Nevermore Books, the town's bookshop.
Joe Elkin - The genial giant of a moose who owns Joe's Mug, the town coffee shop.
Esmeralda von Beaverpelt - The hardworking waitress at Joe's Mug.
Julia Elkin, wife of Joe Elkin, supposedly walked out on Joe over ten years ago, but then her bones are accidentally discovered at Cold Clay Orchards. Both Vera Vixen and Deputy Orville Braun together investigate who is behind this murder.
My favorite creatures in this story are:
Vera Vixen - The foxy reporter for the Shady Hollow Herald.
Deputy Orville Braun - The hard-working large brown bear.
Lenore Lee - A dark-as-night raven who owns Nevermore Books, the town's bookshop.
Joe Elkin - The genial giant of a moose who owns Joe's Mug, the town coffee shop.
Esmeralda von Beaverpelt - The hardworking waitress at Joe's Mug.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2023
Even better than Shady Hollow, Cold Clay is a fun twisty woodland "cold case." You can't help but love the characters, so you root for Vera as she sets out to prove Joe's innocence, and I loved how she gets it all wrong and all right in turn.
I also love how old foes become new friends in this one, and how some things never change.
Mystery readers who love to be stumped might not enjoy this series as much as I do, but the Shady Hollow books aren't just about an unsolvable mystery, but about a wonderful community and solving their problems with them. And that's what makes it wonderful!
I also love how old foes become new friends in this one, and how some things never change.
Mystery readers who love to be stumped might not enjoy this series as much as I do, but the Shady Hollow books aren't just about an unsolvable mystery, but about a wonderful community and solving their problems with them. And that's what makes it wonderful!
October 9, 2024
Would have been 5 stars but I predicted who the killer was
September 20, 2026
unfortunately, this second installment in the shady hollow series relies almost entirely on the charm of woodland creatures solving cold cases to carry the story instead of building any actual murder mystery
once the novelty of the animal cast wears off, so does interest in the narrative
once the novelty of the animal cast wears off, so does interest in the narrative
August 5, 2026
positively endearing
September 3, 2026
actual rating: 4/5 stas
read during catch up 24-hour readathon: link tba
review to come.
read during catch up 24-hour readathon: link tba
review to come.
October 22, 2022
Hach I’m so happy I stumbled over this series
May 16, 2025
I love this silly little concept of doing a cozy mystery but make them all animals.
The cozy aspects hit right, but the mystery leaves much to be desired when you figure out exactly what happened before the book even hits the half way mark. Also, it felt very immature at times - especially in the romance, which could have been left out entirely and nothing would have changed whatsoever.
Still going to continue on and enjoy the cozy moment as they come through my library holds.
The cozy aspects hit right, but the mystery leaves much to be desired when you figure out exactly what happened before the book even hits the half way mark. Also, it felt very immature at times - especially in the romance, which could have been left out entirely and nothing would have changed whatsoever.
Still going to continue on and enjoy the cozy moment as they come through my library holds.
October 11, 2022
Gosh….this book series is just like a warm hug. It was pretty predictable which is why it’s not a full 5 stars. But everything else was perfection.
Watch my reading vlog for full thoughts: https://youtu.be/fKVqy_w0Y-U
Watch my reading vlog for full thoughts: https://youtu.be/fKVqy_w0Y-U
September 1, 2026
Welcome back to Shady Hollow! A delightful little town full of mostly delightful forest creatures, big and small.
Julia, wife of Joe, who is a moose and owner of the local coffee shop ‘Joe’s Mug’ and a beloved town member, left over a decade ago and hasn’t been seen since. Until maybe now, when a rabbit comes across the bones of a moose in the forest.
Joe is now under suspicion and Vera, a fox and newspaper reporter extraordinaire, is determined to clear his name and find out if this is indeed Julia and what happened to this moose regardless.
Last time I had the physical book in front of me. I found that to be helpful because it listed the various main creatures of the story with names and occupations etc. I think it may have also had a town map, but I could be making that up as well as a few drawings, but I can’t remember that part for sure either. The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, did a fantastic job with this book.
The author gives a very kind warning before the book begins, basically saying, if your imagination can’t handle animals of all sorts living together and having human jobs etc, then this isn’t the book for you!
It’s not a fast paced book, it’s not full of tension or drama or suspense, but it is delightful and quite fun to picture this make believe town full of these woodland creatures living as humans do. It kind of reminds me of when I played with mapletown (was that the name) critters when I was little. I may have to look into that, because it literally just popped into my head as I was typing this.
Anyways, it’s cute. It’s adorable. It’s different and it lets my imagination go free without overthinking things because I know it’s all pretend. I don’t over analyze things or think, well ‘this isn’t realistic’ or ‘would that really happen’.
The covers of these books…..beyond adorable and darling!!
Let yourself have fun with these cute stories and your imagination roam free because it’s a fun little place to visualize!!
Rating posted: 8/31/26
Review posted: 9/2/26
Julia, wife of Joe, who is a moose and owner of the local coffee shop ‘Joe’s Mug’ and a beloved town member, left over a decade ago and hasn’t been seen since. Until maybe now, when a rabbit comes across the bones of a moose in the forest.
Joe is now under suspicion and Vera, a fox and newspaper reporter extraordinaire, is determined to clear his name and find out if this is indeed Julia and what happened to this moose regardless.
Last time I had the physical book in front of me. I found that to be helpful because it listed the various main creatures of the story with names and occupations etc. I think it may have also had a town map, but I could be making that up as well as a few drawings, but I can’t remember that part for sure either. The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, did a fantastic job with this book.
The author gives a very kind warning before the book begins, basically saying, if your imagination can’t handle animals of all sorts living together and having human jobs etc, then this isn’t the book for you!
It’s not a fast paced book, it’s not full of tension or drama or suspense, but it is delightful and quite fun to picture this make believe town full of these woodland creatures living as humans do. It kind of reminds me of when I played with mapletown (was that the name) critters when I was little. I may have to look into that, because it literally just popped into my head as I was typing this.
Anyways, it’s cute. It’s adorable. It’s different and it lets my imagination go free without overthinking things because I know it’s all pretend. I don’t over analyze things or think, well ‘this isn’t realistic’ or ‘would that really happen’.
The covers of these books…..beyond adorable and darling!!
Let yourself have fun with these cute stories and your imagination roam free because it’s a fun little place to visualize!!
Rating posted: 8/31/26
Review posted: 9/2/26
August 16, 2024
3.25 - this was another short and sweet semi-cozy mystery in the village of Shady Hollow. I was interested in reading the next book in this series because it focused on a lovable character from the first one and because I thought the actual premise had quite a bit of pleasant whimsy and wanted to see more of it.
I think my main critique is just that the twists and turns aren’t shocking or hard to see coming whatsoever. It felt pretty obvious who the actual murderer was early on, and so it was really a matter of just figuring out how the pieces tied together. These books so far have just been predictable, and I think it’s the characters and the interesting world that has made me want to keep reading rather than the actual mysteries. I'll probably continue the series for the vibes, but not much else.
I think my main critique is just that the twists and turns aren’t shocking or hard to see coming whatsoever. It felt pretty obvious who the actual murderer was early on, and so it was really a matter of just figuring out how the pieces tied together. These books so far have just been predictable, and I think it’s the characters and the interesting world that has made me want to keep reading rather than the actual mysteries. I'll probably continue the series for the vibes, but not much else.
January 3, 2025
adore this series 💚
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,150 reviews