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A review by twistedflower2357
Shady Hollow by Juneau Black
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A good cozy! I found this to be a lovely, relaxing read and a pretty solid mystery overall. Be warned that the uncovering of clues is fairly slow-paced, with a greater focus on the motivations of the characters rather than the evidence and murder method. It’s definitely more of a “who-dunnit” than it is a “how-dunnit”.
The characters are all charming and have at least a small level of depth to them (though I wouldn’t go into it expecting major character development or otherwise deeply-written characters). However, there are a few side characters who I found myself rooting for or wanting to learn more about, but once something interesting was revealed about their characters, they were just… kind of dropped? Overall, I don’t terribly mind, since they were dropped for not being relevant to the mystery any longer, but it was still a bit disappointing. There are also some characters who rely on racial stereotypes, such as Lefty the raccoon and Sun Li the panda, where the animal apecies clearly correspond to different human races. These stereotypes are occasionally addressed with a little nuance, but most of the time are not. Some uncomfortable, off-handed jokes are made about racial profiling by police officers and stereotypes about the ingredients in Chinese food. It’s not very plot-relevant so I can’t say it’s a bad book just on that basis, but it’s definitely something to be aware of going in.
The focus is more on the well-developed atmosphere, a wonderful mix of cute small-town vibes with something sinister lurking beneath. One significant strength of this book is just how much Shady Hollow feels like a small town, not shying away from the good or the bad parts of that. Sure, it’s romantic and cozy, but there’s also the sense that the residents of Shady Hollow are largely close-minded and content to jump for the easiest solution to a complex murder, lending to a constant undercurrent of tension and giving Vera’s occupation as a news reporter some extra interest and relevance.
I don’t think this is a groundbreaking mystery on a technical level. The final reveal might not “wow” you if you’ve read more complex mystery stories, but I’ll reiterate that the strength of this book isn’t necessarily with the intricate mystery or characters, but the excellent atmosphere and whimsy. It’s written, paced, and executed well, making it a solid pick for anybody in need of a nice murder mystery to fall into for a few minutes before heading to bed. I would recommend it to a fan of cozies. But if you’re like me and you prefer sprawling and complicated mysteries, this book may not work for you.
The characters are all charming and have at least a small level of depth to them (though I wouldn’t go into it expecting major character development or otherwise deeply-written characters). However, there are a few side characters who I found myself rooting for or wanting to learn more about, but once something interesting was revealed about their characters, they were just… kind of dropped? Overall, I don’t terribly mind, since they were dropped for not being relevant to the mystery any longer, but it was still a bit disappointing. There are also some characters who rely on racial stereotypes, such as Lefty the raccoon and Sun Li the panda, where the animal apecies clearly correspond to different human races. These stereotypes are occasionally addressed with a little nuance, but most of the time are not. Some uncomfortable, off-handed jokes are made about racial profiling by police officers and stereotypes about the ingredients in Chinese food. It’s not very plot-relevant so I can’t say it’s a bad book just on that basis, but it’s definitely something to be aware of going in.
The focus is more on the well-developed atmosphere, a wonderful mix of cute small-town vibes with something sinister lurking beneath. One significant strength of this book is just how much Shady Hollow feels like a small town, not shying away from the good or the bad parts of that. Sure, it’s romantic and cozy, but there’s also the sense that the residents of Shady Hollow are largely close-minded and content to jump for the easiest solution to a complex murder, lending to a constant undercurrent of tension and giving Vera’s occupation as a news reporter some extra interest and relevance.
I don’t think this is a groundbreaking mystery on a technical level. The final reveal might not “wow” you if you’ve read more complex mystery stories, but I’ll reiterate that the strength of this book isn’t necessarily with the intricate mystery or characters, but the excellent atmosphere and whimsy. It’s written, paced, and executed well, making it a solid pick for anybody in need of a nice murder mystery to fall into for a few minutes before heading to bed. I would recommend it to a fan of cozies. But if you’re like me and you prefer sprawling and complicated mysteries, this book may not work for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Police brutality
There is a character who experiences discrimination due to being a raccoon , in a way that could mirror the experiences of people of color being accused of crimes. The emotional consequences of this are not explored in depth, but it is a significant plot point. There is also some xenophobic behavior towards a different character, though it is not as plot-relevant.
Finally, there are also a few moments where police brutality is lampshaded as a joke.