Sometimes you just need an entertaining, escapist read to while away the hours, and Juneau Black (the pen name of authors Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel) certainly delivers all the small-town cosy crime vibes, with the animal quirkiness of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox . . .

a perfect long weekend binge-read’ Culture FlyA MURDER TO SOLVE. A REPORTER ON THE CASE. CAN YOU SPOT THE SECRETS IN SHADY HOLLOW?In the woodland community of Shady Hollow, you’ll discover a secret.

Moose and mice, owls and bears live side by side in civilized harmony. Shady Hollow has a coffee shop and a bookshop, a haberdasher and a bank. All is well .

. . until the town’s querulous toad shows up dead.

It’s something this village haven’t seen before: a murder. Vera Vixen is new in town. She has a nose for news and catches the scent of a story, one that leads her to dark places.

As she stirs up the still waters, the fox exposes more than one mystery, and the folks in Shady Hollow learn that some of their neighbours are lying, while others are downright dangerous. It will take all of Vera’s cunning and quickness to come out alive. Entertaining and perceptive, Shady Hollow 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 Shady Hollow, you won’t easily forget them. ‘It sounds daft – it is daft – but it’s also lots of fun’ The People’s Friend Magazine