A few years ago, I was in New York City and I popped into a Book Culture (it’s since become one of my favourite bookstores, and I try to visit whenever I’m in NYC!). Book Culture has a section called “Blind Date with a Book.” The books are wrapped and have short descriptions to help you gauge whether they’re books you might like, without revealing the titles. I loved the idea and bought a couple of wrapped books that day.

When I later unwrapped one of the books, I was intrigued by its gorgeous cover. The book was called Shady Hollow by Juneau Black (I later learned that Juneau Black is the pen name of Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel). I loved the book, and have since read every other book and novella in the series.

The series is comprised of 6 novels and 2 seasonal novellas (one set during Halloween, the other set during the holidays). The books are cozy murder mysteries and the characters are woodland creatures, with the main character being reporter Vera Vixen, a fox. The premise may sound bizarre, but it works. While some of the books were somewhat predictable, every time I returned to the world of Shady Hollow, it was like visiting old friends. Most of the Shady Hollow books take place in the fall, and it’s clear that the authors are true fall lovers! You can’t read these books and not appreciate the season. Not to mention, every book’s cover is as beautiful as the first one. Unfortunately, Mockingbird Court, which was released in 2025, is the final book in the Shady Hollow world.

If you’re looking for a comfort read, I highly recommend the Shady Hollow series.