Mockingbird Court, page 1
Juneau Black
Mockingbird Court
Juneau Black is the pen name of authors Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel. They share a love of excellent bookshops, fine cheeses, and a good murder (in fictional form only). Though they are two separate people, if you ask either one a question about her childhood, you are likely to get the same answer. This is a little unnerving for any number of reasons.
Also by Juneau Black
The Shady Hollow Mystery Series
Shady Hollow
Cold Clay
Mirror Lake
Twilight Falls
Summers End
Shady Hollow Holiday Short Stories
Evergreen Chase (eBook only)
Phantom Pond (eBook only)
First Vintage Books Edition 2025
Copyright © 2025 by Jocelyn Koehler and Sharon Nagel
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Published by Vintage Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Black, Juneau, author.
Title: Mockingbird Court / Juneau Black.
Description: First Vintage Books edition. | New York : Vintage Books, a division of Penguin Random House, 2025. | Series: A Shady Hollow mystery; [6]. | Summary: “In the latest installment in the beloved Shady Hollow series, everyone’s favorite vulpine investigator Vera Vixen must contend with a cold-hearted killer—and the ghost of her own past”—Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2025005871 | ISBN 9780593470558 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9780593470565 (ebook)
Subjects: LCGFT: Cozy mysteries. | Animal fiction. | Novels.
Classification: LCC PS3602.L293 M63 2025 | DDC 813/.6—dc23/eng/20250313
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2025005871
Vintage Books Trade Paperback ISBN 9780593470558
Ebook ISBN 9780593470565
Book design by Christopher Zucker, adapted for ebook
Cover design and illustration by Perry De La Vega
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The authorized representative in the EU for product safety and compliance is Penguin Random House Ireland, Morrison Chambers, 32 Nassau Street, Dublin D02 YH68, Ireland, https://eu-contact.penguin.ie.
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Contents
Dedication
Author’s Note
Cast of Characters
Map of Mockingbird Court Apartment 5A
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
_153301507_
For everyone who packs an extra book, just in case
Author’s Note
You are about to travel into a world not like our own, which is, of course, one of the most wonderful aspects of books. If you have not visited Shady Hollow before, we must advise you that you may marvel at some of what you discover. Is it possible that so many animals could live next to each other, paw to paw, wing to wing, and yet find it all harmonious and fruitful? Is it possible that a wolf walks among sheep in a civilized manner? Is it possible for a shrew to share a meal with a buck without considerable awkwardness involving silverware? It is possible, and what’s more, it is happening now, in the pages ahead. Leave your questions, bring your curiosity, and be welcomed to Shady Hollow.
Cast of Characters
Vera Vixen: A cunning, foxy reporter with a nose for trouble and a desire to find out the truth, no matter where the path leads.
Lenore Lee: This dark-as-night raven runs the town’s bookshop, Nevermore Books, and has a penchant for mysteries.
Lefty: A masked raccoon who prefers to be the only criminal of note in Shady Hollow.
Chief Orville Braun: This large brown bear is the Shady Hollow constabulary. He works by the book. But his book has half the pages ripped out.
Bradley Marvel: A famous, fedora-wearing author of thrillers. The wolf’s sudden arrival in Shady Hollow hints of twists and turns to come.
Darcy Montrose: The lynx is Bradley’s coolly competent assistant, though that title hardly scratches the surface of all that she does for her boss.
Richard Renard: This fox considered himself a mover and shaker in the city. Unfortunately, he never considered what would happen when he made the wrong move and shook the wrong creature.
Priscilla Renard: Richard’s elegant and wealthy wife, who proves difficult to find when officials want to question her.
Geoffrey and Ben Eastwood: This hospitable chipmunk couple operate the local bed-and-breakfast, a boon for city-dwellers arriving in haste.
Walter Fallow: Mirror Lake’s beloved local lawyer has a proprietary interest in any legal cases in his domain.
Wendell Knox: This bison is a detective with the metropolitan police, and he follows the trail of suspects to Shady Hollow. But he has his own theories about who’s responsible.
Chloe McKibben: An old friend from Vera’s school days, this cat is now a respected attorney in the city whom Vera calls upon for aid.
BW Stone: The cigar-chomping skunk is the editor in chief of the Shady Hollow Herald, and he believes that bad news makes for good sales.
Joe Elkin: A genial giant of a moose who runs the town coffee shop, the local gathering spot. If news is happening, Joe has heard it.
Gladys Honeysuckle: The hummingbird is the queen of gossip in Shady Hollow, and she’ll flit her way into everybody’s secrets to get the juiciest bits.
Sun Li: This panda is a former surgeon and current chef. He runs the Bamboo Patch, serving mouthwatering meals and exquisite tea.
Barry Greenfield: A senior reporter at the Herald. The old hare has the cynicism of long experience, and he never misses a trick.
Ambrosius Heidegger: This owl is a professor of philosophy and a bit of a know-it-all, but he’s always got snacks.
Chapter 1
The ferry steamed upriver, cutting through the blue waves at a steady pace. Vera Vixen stood along the side rail, gazing at the trees passing by. Most were still the deep green of summer, but some had started to change colors, revealing their autumn glory. A few leaves dropped from a maple branch overhanging the river, bright spots of gold swirling in the ripples, carried into the ferry’s wake. The fox smiled to see it, thinking that the leaves were almost like coins scattered over the blue silk of the water.
The woodlands were beautiful at any time of year, but fall was her favorite season. There was just something special about the cool, crisp breezes and the brilliance of the sky, and the way that the ever-shortening days seemed so precious and fleeting. It inspired a creature to enjoy them to the fullest and not think too much about the coming cold.
The gentle scenery was such a change from the city, where she’d boarded the ferry. The city was all clash and hustle, with boats moving every which way on the busy bay where this river met with two others. The confluence brought together creatures from north, west, and south at a point along the eastern sea. It was a natural gathering spot and thus no surprise that creatures settled there and built it from a tiny village to the thriving metropolis it was today. The sheer numbers of inhabitants meant that buildings stretched taller than anywhere else, with birds nesting on the top floors, many mammals and others occupying the lower parts, and basements and subbasements dug for those who preferred to dwell underground.
It was invigorating and inspiring…until it was exhausting. On the ferry ride home, Vera watched with relief as the city’s skyline shrank in the distance. She greeted each larger patch of farmland and forest with glee, knowing that the woodlands awaited her.
Under her paws, Vera felt a shift in momentum. The ferry slowed to a stop at Elm Grove, just downriver from Shady Hollow. Vera sighed, filled with that particular impatience of one who is near the end of a long journey.
Luckily, the stop would not take long. Several passengers disembarked, carrying traveling cases and knapsacks. Two rabbits hopped excitedly upon greeting each other on the dock, ears flapping. Some of those departing called cheerful farewells to creatures still on the ferry—a testament to those rare and fleeting friendships that arose when good folks traveled together, however briefly. The workers on the ferry, mostly otters and river rats, gently encouraged everyone to clear the dock so that they could cast off the lines and proceed upriver.
Just as the boat was pushing away, a gray shape rushed along the dock, aiming for the ferry.
“Wait for meeeeee!” the figure called in a frantic tone.
Vera knew that voice, and almost instinctively she looked to where the creature had come from. Sure enough, a small group of townsfolk were already giving chase, yelling, “Stop, thief!”
But it was too late. The thief in question leaped aboard, skidding to a halt only a short distance from Vera.
“Lefty,” she said, offering a paw to help the raccoon up.
“Oh, hey, Vera,” he replied. Then he turned anxiously to check the progress of his pursuers. They’d halted at the edge of the dock, exchanging tense words with the otter who’d cast off the last line.
“Sorry, we can’t back up,” the otter shouted over the increasing distance. “We’re on a schedule!”
“You’ve got a thief on board!”
“You mean Lefty? I’ll make sure he pays for a ticket!”
The sheep who’d been the lead pursuer bleated, “I don’t care about the ticket. I care about my laundry!”
“I didn’t take your silly sheets!” Lefty shouted, joining the argument. “It was a misunderstanding! Go back home and I’m sure you’ll find the sheets…unless someone stole them!”
The sheep stomped angry hooves on the ground, then wheeled about and retreated to the scene of the crime (alleged crime). The two remaining pursuers, a stoat and a rabbit, just looked at each other and shrugged.
“Okay, I guess that’s it,” the rabbit called, conceding defeat in the chase.
“You can always send word to the police in Shady Hollow!” the otter called back.
“But also, don’t bother!” Lefty added helpfully, peeking over the rail, his paws clutching the sturdy wooden side.
The dock shrank in the distance as the ferry chugged onward.
Vera turned to Lefty. “So, did you steal those sheets?”
“Of course not!” The raccoon sounded appalled at the very notion. “I stole some high-grade honey and used the sheets to hide the loot!” He lifted a bag, clanking from the glass jars of illicit stickiness within.
Vera shook her head, not surprised at the petty thief’s antics but still a little shocked by the cheek of him denying one theft only to announce another.
“Aw, come on,” said Lefty. “Do you even know how much of this stuff Mr. Bell hoards? He won’t miss it, and there’s plenty of folks who appreciate a fine sweetener and are willing to pay for it. I say let the market decide. I facilitate transactions, that’s all.”
Vera sighed. “If I wasn’t so tired from my trip, I would argue this point, Lefty. But I just can’t.”
“Aw, sorry, Vera. You do look a bit tuckered out.” To his credit, Lefty did seem legitimately concerned. “What happened?”
“Oh, nothing in particular,” the fox replied. “I had some business in the city, and I spent time with an old school friend. Do you happen to remember years ago, how there was a proposal to build a bridge across the river at Crooked Neck?”
“Yep. It was supposed to make it easier to access the western shore over there and get all the lumber and ore and crops to the city ports more quickly. But then it didn’t happen. Wasn’t there something about the span being too dangerous?”
“That’s exactly what I want to find out,” she said. “All the reasons for the project’s failure were contradictory and very mysterious. Anyway, I spoke to the architect, who’s living in the city. I had other research to do, too…and you know how chaotic it can be down there. The ferry ride back is always longer than you think.”
This was not just a weary traveler’s lament. The return trip to Shady Hollow actually did take longer than the ride downriver since the ferry had to compete against the current.
“That’s true,” the raccoon agreed. “But at least you didn’t have half the city police force on your tail! Happened to me once, and whew! There’s a reason they hire cheetahs as beat cops, you know?”
Not being in the same line of work as Lefty, Vera hadn’t thought about it until now, but she conceded it would make running away difficult.
Lefty added, “It pays to know about the tunnels, is all I’m saying.”
Vera decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. “What’s this week’s pie at Joe’s?” she asked, going with the first thing that popped into her head.
“Candied apple pecan,” Lefty replied instantly. “Real, real good.”
Maybe she’d stop at Joe’s before she even went to her own home. A slice of pie and a cup of hot coffee sounded like just the thing. Though the trip hadn’t been terribly long, she had been hurrying from the moment she woke to the time she curled up in bed. That was city life, and when she was younger, it had all felt incredibly exciting and fun. But after living in the sedate woodlands up north for a while, she couldn’t imagine ever moving back to the hustle of the city. She’d come to prefer the slower pace and the friendliness of the small towns along the river, especially Shady Hollow…which should be coming into view any moment now.
River traffic was heavier than usual, and Vera remembered that the Harvest Festival must be imminent. Or had it already started?
“Lefty, did I miss any of the Harvest Festival?”
“Oh, no, it doesn’t officially begin for a few days. But folks are getting ready for it. Lots of visitors…who should want to buy honey,” he added, rubbing his paws together in anticipation.
“Assuming you’re still at large and able to peddle your ill-gotten gains,” she warned him. “But I’m glad I made it back in time. I love the Harvest Festival.” Who wouldn’t? It was a weeklong event that celebrated the very best aspects of the season, often in edible form.
Her belly growling at the mere thought, Vera remained at the rail for the rest of the trip. She could scarcely keep her paws still on the deck planks.
It was hard to say where the wilderness ended and civilization began. Vera watched the parade of trees—green, green, yellow, orange, green again, and a shock of scarlet—go by without a break. But then a small building poked out amid the colors, no more than a modest cabin. And then another building, and then two, and then she was no longer looking at a few outposts within the forest; she was looking at scattered trees within a growing town. Her town.
Docks and jetties poked into the water, and the buildings drew closer together, nestling along the shoreline. She saw familiar signs for boat repair shops, the local pub, and more. Each one felt like a friendly greeting. Funny how even a short time away could make one feel so strongly about returning home!
At last, the ferry approached the main dock in Shady Hollow. Creatures gathered near to greet relatives and friends. The otter crew guided the boat to its slip with the ease of long practice, and Vera gathered her traveling case and satchel, lining up with the other passengers to disembark.
On the dock, Lefty waved goodbye to Vera and dashed off with his bulky sack. Vera walked at a slower pace, enjoying the autumnal touches that were beginning to appear everywhere she looked. Wreaths made of wheat sheaves adorned with fabric ribbon had been hung on windows, bright gourds were tucked away in doorways, and (quite frequently) little wooden crates perched on stoops, all holding beautiful displays made from excess crops from backyard gardens. She saw bunches of herbs, long green and yellow squashes, windfall apples, and piles of chestnuts. Most of these boxes also bore a sign with some variation of Grew Too Much! Please Take! At one stoop, Vera secured a late tomato and a small bunch of basil, excellent sandwich components for later.
