I'm calling it quits on this series. In my opinion, all the charm and whimsy from the first book has been lost. I have no idea why they wanted to turn an adorable, unique storyline into another cozy mystery series that revolves around drinking endless cups of coffee and the main character arguing with her police office boyfriend.
This is a delightful cozy mystery where each character is an animal. This is book 3 and while easily understood, for maximum enjoyment read the series in order. (Shady Hollow is first, Cold Clay is second.) Intrepid reporter Vera Vixen is on the case of a rat who is not himself and her relationship with police bear Orville Braun is progressing.