The Crafty Teddy

Title: The Crafty Teddy

Author: John J. Lamb

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Copyright Date: 2007

Print Date: November 2007

ISBN: 9780425218853

Pages: 288 + Teddy Bear Artisan Profile

Series: 3rd of the Bear Collector's Mysteries

Book Description (from back cover):

Retired San Francisco cop Brad Lyon is settling into a quieter life with his wife, Ashleigh, in Virginia's mountain country, where they collect and create teddy bears. But even here, stuff happens...

The peace of the Shenandoah Valley is shattered when an intruder breaks into the Lyon home and makes off with their antique Farnell Alpha teddy bear — one of the most celebrated stuffed animals in history, and also Brad's gift to Ash on their twentieth wedding anniversary.

Afterward, life seems to be getting back to normal — until a trio of Japanese gangsters inexplicably shows up in town, and then the local museum director is found dead. Even though it all seems a bit fur-fetched, Brad knows he's got a 187 on his hands — that's California penal code for murder...

Comments:

I'm definitely liking this series more as it goes on. It's making me wonder about what it'd be like to try making a bear myself. And then I remember that I'd have to sew... =)

I was pleased to see the story of how the Teddy Bear came about/got its name, since the story matched what I read in Bear-ology: Fascinating Bear Facts, Tales & Trivia.

I originally posted here that I wanted to see Brad and Ashleigh's kids in a future book... then I glanced at the blurb on the back cover of book 4 and, what do you know? The daughter's in it.

Anyway, I have book 4 and should get to it semi-soon. I've yet to get ahold of book 5, but don't think it will be too long a wait (or maybe that's wishful thinking...com'on paperbackswap).