Book Review: Bear Witness to Murder by Meg Macy (Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mysteries #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong main cast and mystery

Cons: Major time line issue

The Bottom Line:

Murder at a fest

Bears and plenty of suspects

Couldn’t put it down

Oktobearfest is Off to a Murderous Start

What is cozier than a teddy bear?  These stuffed animals just scream cute and cuddly, but just like real bears, there can be a slightly darker side to them.  (I say slightly because this is a cozy mystery we are talking about.)  Meg Macy has found that balance with Bear Witness to Murder, the second in this series.

October has settle on Silver Hollow, and like many places around the country, they are ready to celebrate that great holiday of the month – Oktoberfest.  However, since Sasha Silverman and her family’s teddy bear factor is in this small town, they have rebranded it Oktobearfest and included teddy bear themed events so all ages can enjoy together.

The first of these is a tea party featuring kids, their teddy bears, and even a few adults.  Sasha is helping with it, and doing her best to avoid unpleasantries, like her high school nemesis Holly Parker.  Holly’s returned to town and opened up a combined children’s bookstore and teddy bear shop, aiming at Sasha and her cousin.  However, it is Holly’s assistant Gina who really makes a scene when she serves the town’s mayor legal papers over work she did on his reelection campaign but he is refusing to pay for.

The next morning, Sasha finds a dead body behind a local restaurant.  After the murder she got involved in last month, she swears she is going to not get involved in this one.  But try as she might, Sasha finds herself pulled into the case.  Will she learn the truth?

If this sounds to you like there is plenty of drama in this mystery, you’d be correct.  On top of this, there are a couple of strong sub-plots.  In fact, at times, the sub-plots seemed to overwhelm the main mystery, but these do keep the pages turning.  In fact, I got so caught up in the story that I finished it in just a couple of days.  I kept switching who I thought the killer was and what the motive was, but it all made perfect sense once we reached the climax.  Like the first, there is some gravity to the events of the story as well.

I do have an issue with the timeline, however.  I know, I know, I’m a stickler for this, but there is a mistake here that really did bug me.

The characters in the book are good.  I will admit to having a bit of a hard time keeping some of the minor characters straight, but maybe that goes back to how quickly I read the book.  I had no trouble with the main characters, however, which includes Sasha and her family as well as the suspects.  They were all strong and helped pull me into this world.

Timeline issue aside, there is much to adore about Bear Witness to Murder.  Get a copy of this book and sit back and enjoy your return visit with Sasha.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Second Note: I spared you the bear puns I put in my review of the first book, which took more strength than you can imagine.  You’re welcome.  ;)