Customer Reviews

The Crafty Teddy: A Bear Collector's Mystery

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When Brad Lyon wakes up in the middle of the night to hear someone downstairs, he's not happy. This ex-cop enjoys the peace and quiet of his new life in Virginia. Going downstairs to investigate, he finds that someone has stolen the Farnell Alpha bear from their collection.

Despite hard work from the police, no clues turn up. The police have pretty much given up on ever recovering the bear when Brad spots some Japanese gangsters in the area asking for directions to the local museum. Since even the locals don't visit the museum, Brad smells something funny. Stopping by an hour later, he discovers the museum director dead. But when his wife Ashleigh spots some counterfeit teddies on display, his curiosity is really aroused. What is happening in their little town?

This series has quickly shot to the top of my favorites list, and this is a perfect example as to why. The story combines elements of the police procedural genre with the cozy genre for a fun new mix. The story moves swiftly from one suspect and red herring to another, sprinkling in clues as it goes along. And I absolutely love the characters. Brad's humor always makes me laugh, and I love his relationship with Ashleigh. In the first two books, the first chapter was slow and dry, but here it is entertaining, giving us the introductions we need without stopping the story.

This is another delightful entry in a fun series. I can't wait to visit the Lyons again soon.

This the third book in the Teddy Bear Murder Mystery series and it's a fun read. Brad Lyon served as a San Francisco police offer for 25 years, until he was wounded and had to retire. Trying to put that life behind him, he and his wife Ashleigh moved back to her home town Remmlkemp Mill, Virginia. Ashliegh is a talented Teddy Bear creator, and Brad, encouraged by Ashliegh, has also begun to make his own hand crafted Teddy Bears. They also collect Teddies and have aquired some very valuable ones which are displayed in their home.

Brad and Ashlieh are asleep when he is awakened by an intruder in their home. Taking his gun with him, he goes downstairs, and finds a thief who suddenly fires a shot at him and makes off with a valuable antique Farnell Alpha Teddy. What upsets Brad and Ashliegh the most is that the Farnel was an anniversary gift to Ashleigh. The police are unsuccessful in tracking down the thief or the teddy bear. A couple of weeks later, Brad is taking a much needed manly break eating a BBQ lunch in town, while Ashliegh hosts the Teddy Bear club at their home, when he spots three Yakuza (Japanese gangsters) asking for directions to the Masssanutten Museum of History. Although he is retired from law enforcement, Brad's instincts make him follow the men to the museum. When he arrives, they are gone, but inside the museum, he discovers the dead body of the curator. The Sheriff knowing of Brad's detective expertise, asks him to help on the investigation. Brad, Ashliegh, and the Sheriff find that they have a long list of supects, the Japanese Yakuza, the curator's slovenly wife, his College professor mistress who believed he would never leave his wife, her foul tempered husband who knew of the affair, and finally the museum assistant.

THE CRAFTY TEDDY is a police procedural that is well ploted and is loaded with interesting characters. There are several red herrings thrown in and out of the mix because many people had both motive and opportunity to kill the victim. However, there are two reasons why I gave it 4 instead of 5 starts. First is Brad's annoying attempts all through the book at puns and humor that are highly inappropriate and which ring false in a professional police officer. Secondly, Ashliegh's and Brad's marriage of 27 years is just too good to be true. There is just too much cuteness and sexual inunendo and there is never any conflict or disgreement on any subject or topic between them. After 3 books this rings a little false. Other then those two minor quibbles, The Bear Collector's latest mystery is a worth while investment of your reading time.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable part of a new series that I can't wait to read more of. The only (piddling) part I thought just didn't fit was the word "macadamized;" the only other place I've ever seen (or heard) the word "macadam" was in a Janet Evanovich book, set in NJ. I've NEVER heard (or said) such a thing here in the Southland! That, however, was the only false note I saw in the whole book, which is a wonder in itself. The humor in the book was just right. Bring on more Bear Collector's Mysteries code 3, please!!!

These teddy bear mysteries are good stories. The problem I have with them is (as Judy Brown Eyes mentioned) the two main characters: Brad and Ashleigh. I understand that gallows humor has its place in the police world, but the author is trying to squeeze every possible pun into this book and it just feels inappropriate and tedious. Add to that Brad's hot and steamy feels-like-the-first-time-get-a-room relationship with his wife of 27 years and it's just too much. I enjoyed the first two books in spite of these annoyances, but I actually had to put this one down several times and convince myself to finish. Ashleigh wanting to hop into bed with Brad the same day she sees her first grisly murder? Come on! One minute Brad doesn't want her to have to see the dead body and the next they are cheerfully (yes, cheerfully) driving over to the probably very dangerous murder suspect's house. The "that would never happen!" moments are frequent in this book. Nevertheless, I love teddy bears and the stories are good, so I'm sure I'll keep reading the series.

There are two relatively new genres in the overall group of "cozy" mysteries. One I call a "career mystery." This one is what I call a "hobby mystery," and it is a wonderful example of the genre because it doesn't matter that I would never collect or manufacture Teddy bears. The mystery is good.

The author writes in the first person as a former homicide policeman. The detective and his wife have a good marriage and nice friends. I like this in a mystery. Despite the "niceness" of the protagonists, they are tough, and the mystery is engaging.

Good, easy read. I didn't realize there was such a Teddy Bear collectors world. The mystery had its turns and quirks which keep you guessing. The first few chapters were alittle dry, but after you really got into the case it was good. I read the next book.

This is fast becoming one of my favorite "cozy" mystery series.

Brad Lyon was a long time San Francisco homicide detective when he was forced to retire after a severe injury from a gunshot wound. He and his wife Ashleigh move to the small town in Virginia where she grew up, and they start a business designing teddy bears and other stuffed animals.

The Lyons, despite raising two children and being married for so many years, are crazy in love, and are perhaps the most charming couple I have run into in quite some time in a mystery series.

In this book, the third in the series following The Mournful Teddy (Berkley Prime Crime Mysteries) and The False-Hearted Teddy: A Bear Collector's Mystery (Bear Collector's Mysteries), Brad is woken up by someone breaking into his country home. A shot is fired, and a very valuable teddy bear from their collection is stolen.

But does this theft have anything at all to do with the gangsters who visit the local museum, the murdered director there, and the counterfeit teddy bears and quilts in the museum's collection?

What has been going on in the museum? And how did someone know which teddy of their hundreds to steal from the Lyons' home?

While the local police force tries hard to fidn the answers to the mysteries, Brad, with his greater experience in solving violent crimes, steps in to help out.

After a quarter of a century as a San Francisco police officers with fourteen of those years as an inspector in the Robbery-Homicide Division, a bullet shattered Brad Lyon's kneecap forcing him to retire. He moved across country to live in Remmlkemp Mill, Virginia with the love of his life, his wife Ashleigh. They collect and create teddy bears.

All of Brad's cop instincts are on red alert when he awakens to a sound he never heard before. Taking his gun with him, he goes down the stairs, but the intruder fires a shot at him before fleeing with a valuable antique Farnell Alpha Teddy. Upsetting him more than the shot is the teddy was a present to Ashleigh; the Farnell was never found. A couple of weeks later, Brad notices three Yakuza (Japanese gangsters) asking for directions to the Masssanutten Museum of History. Although retired from law enforcement, Brad follows them to the museum only to find the curator dead, a victim of a homicide. The Sheriff knows of Brad's detective background and asks him to help on the investigation that is loaded with suspects: the Yakuza, the churlish wife he cheated on, his mistress who believed he would never leave his spouse, her husband who knows he was being cuckolde, and seemingly much of the rest of Virginia.

THE CRAFTY TEDDY is a riveting police procedural that is rich in plot and characterizations (especially the horde with motives), but delightfully lacking in explicit evidence to hone in on one person. Many people had a motive and opportunity to kill the victim; thus the investigation is intense as Brad interviews a variety of suspects. The Bear Collector's latest tale showcases a fascinating hero, who is macho cop (retired) and cuddly teddy creator.

Harriet Klausner

John Lamb hit it out of the park again. My book arrived within a week of my order and the condition was exactly as stated. It is now making the rounds of at least three more mystery lovers. Thank you.

I love teddy bears, and mysteries, and this combines the best. I look forward to reading more of them. I feel I know them already.