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There just are not enough lemur based steam punk stop motion films.
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Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Crafter’s Passion by Kris Schnee.
Seattle, WA, CreateSpace, March 2018, trade paperback, $7.99 (247 pages).

This actually shouldn’t be reviewed here because it’s not anthropomorphic. But it’s in Kris Schnee’s Thousand Tales series, and the previous four books all had protagonists who became fantasy animals: a griffin, a squirrel-girl, a coyote-man, and a pegasus. If you’re a Thousand Tales fan, you’ll want to read it despite its protagonist remaining human.

Schnee’s Thousand Tales books aren’t meant to be furry fiction, but science-fiction. Schnee postulates that by 2038, Artificial Intelligences have become so advanced/powerful that when a new one code-named Ludo is put in charge of the Thousand Tales interactive game, and programmed to make sure its players “have fun”, Ludo does everything to ensure that they have fun – including giving them the choice of abandoning their human bodies and living in Thousand Tales permanently, as the creature of their choice.

The process involves the scanning of their brains (an expensive process that results in the death of their human bodies) and the transfer of their minds to Ludo’s control within its Thousand Tales universe. Most governments (much more regimented than today) oppose this. But it involves a person’s free choice, and some experts argue that the process involves the successful transferral of the person into a new body without being killed.

“On a whim he set the two computers down on opposite sides of the room. He said to the Slab, ‘Tell me about Thousand Tales.’

It displayed a list of search results. The first three were about a shadowy tax-cheat corporation encouraging the rich to abandon society through the guise of a video game that ought to be banned. The fourth was something about the game’s AI doing charity work. The fifth was back to negative coverage of why the expensive brain uploading procedure was really just a form of suicide. Stan had grown up knowing how search engines were engineered to ‘guide public opinion’ by arranging the results the right way. He could read between the lines and see that the people doing the guiding hated this game.” (p. 12)

Crafter’s Passion is set in 2038, when Thousand Tales is just getting started. Stan Cooper has recently graduated from high school, and is enrolled in a mandatory Youth Community Center to perform government services, to decide whether he will be allowed to advance to college. He becomes a farmer in California’s Imperial Valley, growing needed food. Stan emphatically does not want to be a farmer. Like most older adolescents, he is addicted to video/interactive games, and the hottest new one is Thousand Tales. Supposedly if you can afford it, you can have your brain transferred into the fantasy world to live in its virtual paradise world permanently. But Stan is penniless. He can only afford to buy a handheld console, to enter the virtual world temporarily in his spare time.

Stan is not interested in becoming a fantasy animal, and is happy to remain human. What he is interested in is creating things; in earning his own way rather than having things given to him, whether it’s the government’s minimum for all citizens or the game’s minimum for players who do not advance themselves:

“He checked his inventory. Besides the garbage and default clothes he had nothing. That was better than being handed a ready-made warrior. ‘How do I get a weapon?’

‘You can ask around for a hand-me-down, or start off with some beach-combing for rocks and sticks. There’s a basic crafting bench outside.’

He didn’t want anybody’s handouts. ‘Thanks, I’ll look around.’” (p. 9)

Stan slowly becomes skilled in wood- and metal-working and similar crafts, both for himself and selling what he makes to others. He can use his skills in both the gaming world and the real world, but his supervisor at the Youth Community Center tries to force him to spend all his time doing what the government orders:

“‘What’s so funny?’ said Hal.

‘It’s not important.’

‘Your thoughts are important. I want to know what was going through your head when you decided to run off for this particular event.’

‘I already said I’d scheduled it in advance. I didn’t know I was being automatically signed up for the blood drive.’ Stan sat up straighter. ‘I didn’t think the Community would start claiming my blood without my formal permission.’

‘You gave permission to the necessary rules by coming to the Youth Community Program.’

‘I never had a choice about doing national service years.’” (p. 131)

In the course of the novel, Stan spends more and more time in Thousand Tales and rises with Ludo’s help. This is at the expense of his duties at the Youth Community Center, and he suffers for it.

In addition to the lack of anthro animals, there are other differences. Ludo spends most of the time appearing to Stan as a man “with spiky hair, cool sunglasses and a cape made of stars,” instead of as a beautiful woman.

And Crafter’s Passion isn’t entirely without any anthro animals:

“The camera went to third-person to show him growing, stretching, until he burst free of the net in a flick of… fins? He was solid grey, a horizontal fluked tail thrashed behind him, and his air meter had expanded. He was a dolphin!” (p. 35)

“‘You’re a myth,’ he said.

The griffin said, ‘Not anymore!’” (p. 119)

“A series of thumps sounded from inside, and a muffled ‘Darn it!’ Something metal crashed and bounced. Stan stepped back from the door just as it opened. He found a harried white rabbit-man with his fur mussed, half-dressed in a steel breastplate and holding a pair of leather gloves with his big teeth. The bunny stood at about Stan’s height (counting ears) and was fumbling to get his armor on.

‘Davis?’ said Stan.

‘Yes, sir, I do believe I am. And what else I am is late. ‘Scuse me.’ He fiddled with some buckles.

‘Can I help?’

‘You know what? Yes.’ He turned around and let Stan help him with the armor. ‘Sorry not to be hospitable, but I am on set in five. Another time?’” (p. 198)

Crafter’s Passion (cover by NextMars) doesn’t have many anthro animals in it, and it’s very heavily into Thousand Tales as an electronic playable interactive video game rather than a fantasy world. But it’s still a Thousand Tales novel. Fans of Schnee’s series will know what to expect.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon.  You can access exclusive stuff for just $1, or get Con*Tact Caffeine Soap as a reward.  They’re a popular furry business seen in dealer dens. Be an extra-perky patron – or just order direct from Con*Tact.

Our live show at Motor City Con with a stacked show! Special guests are Uncle Kage, Boozy Badger & Path Hyena, as well as old favorites Draggor & Pandez! There's also video if you prefer that --- https://youtu.be/Kr08nSd_o28 www.draggetshow.com Be sure to check our website for all Things Dragget Show! Podcasts, videos, merch and more! Also, don't forget we stream the D&D sessions Sunday at 7pm Central on YouTube! YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/DraggetShow Patreon: www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow 194 - With Uncle Kage, Boozy Badger & Path Hyena! - Our live show at Motor City Con with a stacked sh…

Bored Inc. is the interesting name chosen by an art collective we met at WonderCon. Here’s how they describe themselves on their web site: “We are a mother & daughter design team creating super cute characters on lots of different products. We hope our characters make you happy and encourage you to explore your creativity and imagination!” They are especially adept at fantasy enamel pins, featuring their character “Afro-Cat” and others. Not to mention magnets, buttons, stickers, and other goodies.

image c. 2018 Bored Inc

You know, it’s getting to be an old saw that the rest of the world gets to see some very cool animation — and much of it furry! — that we never get distributed over here. Oh well, here’s hoping that opportunities arise! Next on the list? The Tales of Tatonka, an animated series for kids that was created by Cyber Group Studios. According to Animation World Network, “The Tales of Tatonka tells the adventurous stories of four wolf cubs who grow together as a family living with nature. Their friend Tatonka, the bison, helps the young wolves explore their wilderness home along with friends Cinksi the lynx, Poum the bear, Wahi the squirrel and Wambli the eagle. Written by Pierre Sissmann and directed by Olivier Lelardoux, The Tales of Tatonka has received multiple awards across the world including a Golden Panda nomination in China and Karusel TV’s Best Kids’ Series in Russia. The series combines an 11-minute animated adventure with a live action segment titled ‘The World of Tatonka,’ depicting animal life in the wild.” So if you’re in China or Russia, look it up!

image c. 2018 Cyber Group Studios

Who knew the new sets of Lego Minifigs has a few fursuiters? https://youtu.be/6gFtSMrXJhc
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I guess I also should look out for furry haiku. "MОTHER is a short animated film for the poetry anthology 'The Pies of my childhood'"
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Roo and Tugs recently appeared on Conspire-A-Theory, hosted by PsyChris. We're pleased to re-broadcast the episode in its entirety!





NOW LISTEN!

Catch the original release at https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/conspireatheory/episodes/2018-03-19T18_13_11-07_00
Original description:
Episode 017: Fur what it's worth. Furry/Paranormal centered episode. Another special, Getting to know the neighbors, show. This time Roo & Tugs from the popular furry podcast, “Fur What It's Worth” join to talk about the their show. The ups and downs facing the furry fandom/community, as well as the drama and the fun within it. After the break, things get spooky with the crew's paranormal encounters which include, UFOs, Ghost Children, Shadow beings in the bedroom, A black eyed Old Lady, and even a Haunted Chair! http://www.furwhatitsworth.com Music "Assimilate" by -KLR- https://soundcloud.com/kiracura Here's where to reach me online if you would like to drop a story, ask a question, or commission an artwork. Show E-mail: conspireatheory@outlook.com Twitter: @psychochris ( https://twitter.com/psychochris ) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConspireATheory Tumblr: https://psy-chris.tumblr.com Instagram: conspire_a_theory FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/psychris/ DA: https://chrisholm.deviantart.com/

  Conspire-A-Theory - Roo and Tugs recently appeared on Conspire-A-Theory, hosted by PsyChris. We're pleased to re-broadcast the episode in its entirety! - NOW LISTEN! - Catch the original release at https://www.podomatic.

A VR Planet of the Apes vr game where you get to be the apes? Amazing! I would have expected the developers to force you to be a human. I want a Rampage VR game where you get to be the monster right away.
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On April 6, catch the convention debut of an Official Selection from SF IndieFest and the SXSW Film Festival. 

FWA just updated their schedule with all the details. Director Brett Hanover and collaborators will be in attendance. It will be an “After Dark Panel.” FWA is part of the story of the movie – it’s a local con for the film makers who come from Memphis.

Rukus (2018, 87 min):

• Trailer and a short review.
• Announcement from the San Francisco premiere, and a look at furry indie movies.

In January I helped bring a large furry group to SF Indiefest. It was an awesome experience, and cinema lovers who appreciate the art form should get a thrill from it. Rukus is punk influenced storytelling between queer coming-of-age story, experimental fiction, and a love letter to fandom. This isn’t a sunny movie but it has joy and passion in it. There’s suicide, sex, and finding identity. It rewards multiple watches where you can peel up the rough edges to find a lot going on underneath. My favorite part is how it takes chances with a shoestring budget, and it’s something a community can count as a DIY product from itself. (I’d love to see that become a scene.) Plus, screening at SXSW is a big deal in the larger scheme of things.

I think one of the reasons I find the furry fandom so appealing and cool is that it facilitates an identity around creation instead of consumption.

It feels more like a community than a result of a good marketing campaign.

— several gay monsters (@Orcanist) January 22, 2018

I am just completely floored that someone made a movie about an old friend of ours, Rukus, and that it's being played at SXSW. https://t.co/xuGUurekAF
Lots of weird feels...

— Triad (@triadfox) March 20, 2018

Brett Hanover tells me:

It was really well received at SXSW – good turnouts for all three screenings, and a very positive response from the Austin furry community. Had a few other people from the film there who weren’t in SF, too – so overall, a very positive, emotional week.

Next screenings for Rukus:

• April 13: Indie Grits Film Fest in Columbia, SC
• April 20 and 24: Anthology Film Archives in NYC. That’s part of a film series organized by Madsen Minax called “The Cinema of Gender Transgression: Trans Film.”

Article about Rukus, the indie furry doc/fiction hybrid movie. It just screened at @sxsw, a big honor to get. I love that the director mentions the furmeet for the premiere in San Francisco, by me, @RelayRaccoon and a few dozen furs. https://t.co/HuS2EZiBeJ

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) March 16, 2018

Brett Hanover’s RUKUS is an incredible, indescribable movie that has been in production for over ten years. It had a major effect on all of us in the audience. Go in blind, as I did. #SXSW pic.twitter.com/xCi5pRDrRr

— Blair Hoyle (@Blair_Hoyle) March 11, 2018

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon.  You can access exclusive stuff for just $1, or get Con*Tact Caffeine Soap as a reward.  They’re a popular furry business seen in dealer dens. Be an extra-perky patron – or just order direct from Con*Tact.

You just know that anything from a publisher called Plotless Comics is going to be interesting, right? Well that’s the home of Walrus-Rabbit, created by Matt Marchetti (the actual title is much much longer but we’ll leave it at that), and SadoCat, created by Cory Patten. Needless to say things are not very serious but are very very strange in these funny animal superhero comics. Read all about these characters and more at their Plotless web site.

image c. 2018 Plotless Comics

Furry filmmaker, Eric Risher [1], director of the documentary Furries [2] has made a con video for this years Texas Furry Fiesta in Dallas. I love all the high quality video furs produce now, it's all Very cool. "This year, I traveled to Texas for the first time to attend Texas Furry Fiesta in Dallas. The convention was held at the Hyatt Regency, a brand new location for the con, which pulled in record attendance with 3,866 furries. I had a blast, and I hope you enjoy this convention video I made to celebrate the convention." [1] https://twitter.com/furryfilmmaker [2] https://FurryFilm.com
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The animation business joins the #metoo movement, a campaign for awareness of sexual harassment that started with powerful people in Hollywood.

John Kricfalusi, creator of the Ren & Stimpy show that gained a cult and influenced many 1990’s TV cartoons, is subject of a report about grooming and sexual abuse of young girls. They were taken under his wing as aspiring artists.

These aren’t just allegations; when he was around 40 he had an underage girlfriend, as mentioned in a book about him, and his attorney admits it was true.

Ren & Stimpy played at the Spike & Mike Animation fest in the 1990’s. I remember getting my mind blown when the fest toured to my town. It inspired me to do indie stuff (like this news site.) There’s more of a furry connection than just fandom, though.

There’s a general industry connection. Since the #metoo campaign came out in October 2017, I’ve been holding on to an animation story by request due to sensitivity about the climate (nothing more than that). Pro talk on a furry site can be a bit tricky because of general stigma.

There’s a personal story too. I didn’t expect this in 2018, because I hadn’t thought about John K. in a while – but I’m not surprised. In the early 2000’s, I saw blog commenters joke about him being a Svengali to pretty young girl artists (I had no idea about the underage part). 15 years ago, give or take, I went to a party at his house in Ontario and saw something myself there.

Oh, we’re arguing today because the guy who made Ren & Stimpy groomed minors and had a 16 year old live-in girlfriend when he was in his 40’s, despite the fact the age of consent in California has been 18 since 1970?

...What exactly are we arguing about here?

— Boozy Badger (@BoozyBadger) March 30, 2018

Does 2 Gryphon know it's the lawyers job to defend people? What does he know about John K, whose lawyer confirmed he had a 16 year old girlfriend in his 40s. Calling foul isnt the same as court guilt, there are times to both-sides it but this isn't one. https://t.co/tOmMczokh4

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) March 30, 2018

There are actual furry artists in this community who have worked for John K, saw this first hand, and mentioned seeing it while it was happening. Even without his lawyer saying so, we know this is true, I met witnesses at Further Confusion who were -there-.

— Chakat Slamfire (@ChakatSlamfire) March 31, 2018

back in 2007—ELEVEN DANG YEARS AGO—i wrote a humor column AS John K. to make fun of him. it's incredibly fucked up that the allegations against him are so much more extreme than my actual jokes pic.twitter.com/OC7Fw74Bqw

— Wow, Bob Mackey! (@bobservo) March 30, 2018

Trashy! My original fursona is a punk pack rat.

Background to my story: in 2003 I was in Canada, in a sort of punk collective and the animation scene. (That’s how I knew the director of the Furry Force animation I was in for a second; he’s a great friend and we shared space at one point.) I was noncitizen, so I couldn’t take offers of animation studio jobs. That left me homeless and looking for a path while sleeping in boiler rooms, closets or on couches of people I was helping to start projects. Then there was crashing parties – (and sometimes dumpster diving clothes and even food, freegan-style, because sell-by dates aren’t use-by dates on good sealed stuff. But that’s another story!)

John K. was at an animation event I was at. I got his address for the afterparty. His house was 1960’s bachelor-pad style, with vintage kids toys, wrestling vids and a shag carpet party basement thing. I got fed, had some beers, looked at some stacks of intern art submissions, and watched girls get rounded up to a closed room where John was going to play ukelele for them. Only the girls, including hopeful young students. It was a bit odd.

Only in 15 year hindsight does it click into a pattern. Now I can suggest that what I saw is a supporting detail for info that just came out. In 2003, it appeared to be no more than “this stranger is weird”. I neither owned a computer, had a presence online, or was professionally or personally connected enough to follow up, so it was useless info without context.

Also, talking to police was dangerous. I’d been caught in a cop’s spotlight after midnight, diving in a dumpster and retrieving bagged day-old bakery stuff. (Call me if you ever need garbology for investigative journalism.) The cop took my business card for ID, trusted my talk and let me go – unaware that my student visa was expired and I could have been deported across a border and away from people I relied on. That was a scary feeling, and a very small clue about challenges for reporting things.

Now if you can imagine yourself in furry animal paws, think about being brown or a non English speaker in the USA, or underage with a story that’s hard to tell.

 

John K. was a boss and mentor to people speaking up now, including artists Katie Rice and Robyn Byrd. Cartoon Brew is one of the most active sources for insider news, and the founder (Amid Amidi) had worked with them and John K. In 2018, Amid is praising these women for speaking up. He says the reporting has many details he didn’t know. They’re also commenting on the story in their own words.

I wonder if this has anything to do with 2017 news that Ren & Stimpy were rejected from proposed movies? They cited poor reception for the 2003 “Adult Party Cartoon.” (It could be another furry topic, maybe, about stigma on adult stuff and whether or not abuse was in the equation at the time.)

This is a story about people who are popular and looked up to, and trusted when maybe they shouldn’t be. Fandom knows this well, or it should.

Another thing we know well is supporting others. Check out the art and comics of Katie Rice and Robyn Byrd.

Maybe it's perverse but for now I'm just going to keep lobbing the photo "receipts" at the universe. John's 16-year-old girlfriend was really a thing! It was me! (And at 17, 18, 19, 20, 21...) #johnk #JohnKricfalusi #MeToo pic.twitter.com/RQSY6fEN38

— Robyn Byrd (@TopographicFish) March 31, 2018

Deepest love and respect for @TopographicFish. We were brought together as girls with the same weird, funny ambitions. Instead of nurturing our friendship we were pitted against each other by an egotistical pervert. He's not in control anymore.

— Katie Rice (@katiejrice) March 31, 2018

Hey also, @arianelange of Buzzfeed deserves a huge shout out. For six months she's been doing countless interviews, scouring blogs and books, and wading through giant piles of emails and transcripts, all to corroborate our stories and keep us safe by making our case air-tight.

— Katie Rice (@katiejrice) April 1, 2018

Thanks @DogpatchPress for doing this writeup with followups from your perspective! https://t.co/DkFx2qiH26

— Robyn Byrd (@TopographicFish) April 4, 2018

pic.twitter.com/SXrXEetklz

— Sarah Andersen (@SarahCAndersen) March 31, 2018

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon.  You can access exclusive stuff for just $1, or get Con*Tact Caffeine Soap as a reward.  They’re a popular furry business seen in dealer dens. Be an extra-perky patron – or just order direct from Con*Tact.

This makes me want to check out some of the Canadian cons now.
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www.draggetshow.com Be sure to check our website for all Things Dragget Show! Podcasts, videos, merch and more! Also, don't forget we stream the D&D sessions Friday at 7pm Central on YouTube! YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/DraggetShow Patreon: www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow 193 - FIRECAST! - www.draggetshow.com Be sure to check our website…

reminder that these stream FRIDAY @7pm on YouTube if you would like to join the chat! for all things Dragget: www.draggetshow.com Here is video of it w/ illustrations and more! -- https://youtu.be/LkCLDESOkkM Our Patreon w/ great new rewards! www.patreon.com/thedraggetshow Telegram Chat: t.me/draggetshow Dungeons & Draggets #10 - reminder that these stream FRIDAY @7pm on YouTube…

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Cold Clay: A Murder Mystery by Juneau Black.
Philadelphia, PA, Hammer & Birch, November 2017, trade paperback, $12.95 (198 {+ 1] pages), Kindle $4.99.

This sequel to Shady Hollow: A Murder Mystery, described as “a Murder, She Wrote with animals”, is a worthy followup to it. Again the cast is:

“Vera Vixen: This cunning, foxy reporter has a nose for trouble and a desire to find out the truth, no matter where the path leads.

Deputy Orville Braun: This large brown bear is the more hardworking half of the Shady Hollow constabulary. He works by the book. But his book has half the pages ripped out.

Joe Elkin: This genial giant of a moose runs the town coffee shop – the local gathering spot. If gossip is spoken, Joe has heard it, but this time, he is the gossip.”

And too many others to list here. Cold Clay takes place several months after the events in Shady Hollow.   The animal inhabitants of the village of Shady Hollow are settling back into their peaceful routine – newspaper reporter Vera Vixen might call it boring – when the rabbit farm workers of Cold Clay Orchards who are transplanting an apple tree find the skeleton of a moose buried beneath it.

The news soon spreads, and all thoughts turn to the popular moose proprietor of Joe’s Mug, Shady Hollow’s coffee shop. Joe’s wife Julia disappeared eleven years ago. She was flighty and hadn’t wanted to stay in what she considered a nowheresville, so when she vanished, leaving Joe with their baby son, everyone assumed that she had walked out on them. But a moose’s skeleton, which is soon determined to be the missing Julia’s, and that she was murdered, sets all Shady Hollow talking again. There’s not really any evidence against Joe, but there isn’t against anyone else, either.

“Orville gestured for Vera to come to his desk. He handed her a copy of the arrest report, and said, ‘The orders from Chief Meade [another bear] are clear. In light of the evidence of a troubled marriage and Julia’s disappearance eleven years ago, and the recovery of the body this week, we arrested Joe Elkin on the charge of murder.’

‘Oh, Orville,’ Vera said, unable to hide her disappointment.

He bent his head, saying in a much lower voice, ‘You can’t print this, Vera. Meade insisted I arrest somebody, and Joe is the only suspect. He wants it to be understood that the police are on top of the matter.’

‘But you don’t think Joe did it!’ Vera guessed.

‘If he’s innocent, he’ll be fine.’ Orville’s expression was one of extreme doubt.” (pgs. 91-92)

Vera, an investigative reporter, is determined to discover who really did it since the police aren’t looking for anyone else. But where are there clues to an unsuspected murder eleven years earlier? And Vera is forcibly sidetracked when Octavia Grey, a haughty silver-furred mink, moves to Shady Hollow, starts a school of etiquette, and takes out a full-page ad for it in Vera’s newspaper. Vera’s skunk editor, who doesn’t want to offend a major advertiser, orders Vera to enroll in Ms. Grey’s school and spend all her time writing puff pieces on it.

Vera senses something suspicious about the aristocratic Ms. Grey almost immediately. But she suspects some kind of con artist at worst. How could a newcomer to Shady Hollow be connected to a murder eleven years in the past?

Cold Clay is full of the animal inhabitants of Shady Hollow. There’s Vera’s friend Lenore Lee, the raven proprietor of the village’s bookshop. There are Edith Von Beaverpelt and her daughter Anastasia, snobs who don’t want to be interviewed by a lowly reporter, and Howard Chitters, Mrs. Von Beaverpelt’s mouse manager of the local sawmill. There are Gladys Honeysuckle, the town gossip (a professional; she writes a gossip column for the Shady Hollow Herald), and Sun Li, the panda owner of The Bamboo Patch, an Oriental vegetarian restaurant. Professor Ambrosius Heidegger, the owl philosopher, seems too stuffy to be a serious suspect.

“‘Hmpf.’ Lenore ruffled her feathers. She wasnot the most cheerful of birds. ‘So what’s she like, then? This new mink?’

‘She’s very classy,’ Vera said. ‘But nice as well. Shesounds like she’s had an interesting life. Born into a family of aristocrats and has all sorts of stories about meeting royalty and such.’

Lenore gave a skeptical-sounding squawk. ‘Oh, indeed? And she gave it all up for Shady Hollow?’

‘There’s nothing wrong with Shady Hollow,’ Vera said defensively.

‘Course there is! No place is perfect, and we have bones out in the orchard, don’t we?’” (p. 62)

Cold Clay (cover by James T. Egan) is a second witty “cozy” murder mystery by “Juneau Black” (Jocelyn Koehler and Sharon Nagel). With animals. The characters are mostly funny animals (although Lenore Lee, a raven, does fly looking for clues from the air), but if this doesn’t bother you, it’s an enjoyable light read.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon
• Publisher’s site