CBR 16 Bingo – Détante: The town was peaceful, but that state of peace was clearly fragile, and it was disturbed.
In the small town of Shady Hollow woodland creatures live in harmony and peace. That is until Otto Stump, an old toad, is killed. The town reporter, Vera Vixen, who has been looking for a way to rise in the ranks in the town paper plans to write about the case and do some investigative work of her own. When she discovers that the death might be a murder, she decides to get to the bottom of it, no matter where it takes her or what path it leads her down. Through this, she uncovers more about this quaint fairy-tale like town than anyone would have realized.
In general, this is a pretty good book. It’s cozy and comforting but it’s also a murder mystery. People have described it as “if Agatha Christie wrote The Wind in the Willows” which is an incredibly accurate description. I did find some of the characters to be one-dimensional, but, otherwise, it was an enjoyable read. I also really appreciated that the author took the time to add a note about how the town functions with foxes and rabbits living together, and mice chatting eye-to-eye with moose, and what to do if that bothers you.
Anyway, I’d give it 3.75 stars (It’s more than 3.5 but I’m not feeling generous enough to give it 4. Also, just saying, why does everyone use a 5-star system? 5 seems like too few and then I go around giving 3/4 of a star. Or maybe that’s just me being indecisive).
Pretty good book, despite a few flaws. Would recommend for a cozy winter read, sitting in a comfy chair by a fire in January when its cold and sad outside.