Mirror Lake

Mirror Lake (2020) Juneau Black (A Shady Hollow Mystery)

Orville Braun has decided to run for sheriff, and Vera’s boss, BW Stone, wants Vera to give the paper the inside scoop.

But Vera has ethics and decides to consult the local lawyer for advice.

“Ah, but now you have the important phrase on the advice of counsel. That helps a lot. I’ll write up a letter, too, for you to shove in Stone’s face when he gets overeager.”

“And what if he gets so mad that he fires me?”

“He’d be a fool to do that,” Mr. Fallow said promptly. “Everyone knows you’re one of his best reporters. But just in case, I’ll add a paragraph explaining that it would be actionable if you were to lose your job as a result of your ethical stance. No one wants to be on the receiving end of actionable.”

We don’t spend quite as much time this book in Joe’s Mug, but we still get plenty of Lenore.

“The rug?” Lenore asked. “It’s a rat thing. They claim floorcloths are a very practical method to prevent damaging and dirtying floors during large events. The color shouldn’t matter, but for funerals and wakes and whatnot, they’re always black, or dark-colored if you can’t get black on short notice. I tell you, rats can claim they’re not superstitious, but no rat will have a pink floorcloth at a funeral!”

“You’re a font of information,” Vera told her friend.

“I took a class at university all about rituals of death among various species.”

Again, although on some levels this feels like a kid’s book, there are so much for adults.

Elmo’s Bar was a clapboard structure perched on the narrow bank. Unlit lanterns hung from the eaves, and fishing nets festooned the outer walls. A sign with blue letters proclaimed:

Elmo’s Bar
you can’t go lower than here

It’s a delight.

Characters: Vera Vixen, Lenore Lee, Joe Elkin, Joe Elkin Jr, Theodore Meade, Orville Braun, Howard Chitters, BW Stone, Anastasia von Beaverpelt, Esmeralda von Beaverpelt, Edith von Beaverpelt, Lefty, Ambrosius Heidegger, Sun Li, Gladys Honeysuckle, Barry Greenfield, Dorothy Springfield, Edward Springfield, Walter Fallow, Bradley Marvel, Arabella Boatwright

Cover design and illustration by Perry De La Vega

Publisher: Vintage

Rating: 8.5/10

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