Bear Witness to Murder

Meg Macy

May 2018 · A Teddy Bear Mystery Book 2 · Kensington Cozies

About this ebook

In this cozy mystery, there's no place more heartwarming than a small-town teddy bear shop—especially when a coldblooded killer is on the loose.

Autumn in Silver Hollow, Michigan, means crisp air, colorful leaves, and the annual teddy bear festival, Oktobear Fest.As the manager of Silver Bear Shop and Factory, Sasha Silverman will host the opening Cranbeary Tea Party. She barely has a moment to agonize over the return of her former high school rival, Holly Parker, whose new toy and bookstore in town could spell big trouble for the Silver Bear Shop—not to mention her cousin's adorable bookstore.

But when Sasha discovers the dead body of Holly's shop assistant, the unpleasant woman suddenly looks like a real backstabber. So does Sasha's ex-husband, rumored to have rekindled the fiery extramarital affair he once had with the victim. Sasha can't let a homicide investigation takes over Oktobear Fest—but catching the real killer will be far from child's play.

Ratings and reviews

Bear Witness to Murder by Meg Macy is the second book in A Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series. Sasha Silverman manages her family’s Silver Bear Shop & Factory. Silver Hollow is kicking off their Octobear Fest with the Cranbeary Tea Party hosted by the Silver Bear Shop at the new Queen Bess Tea Room. Sasha is surprised that Holly Parker (her old high school nemesis) is attending the event with her shop assistant and publicity guru, Gina Lawson. Holly has opened Through the Looking Glass which sells Alice in Wonderland themed items along with teddy bears and storybooks. For the Octobear Fest Bears on Parade event, Maddie is creating an adorable Polka Bear and is assisting her new boyfriend, Kip O’Sullivan with his Hippie Bear. Kip keeps trying to perfect his creation and he might not get it completed on time (Maddie has her hands full with this one). Sasha is out walking Rosie early the next morning and stumbles across an individual with a knife sticking out of their back in the alley behind Fresh Grounds. At first Sasha believes it is Holly because of the jacket. The victim is later identified as Gina Lawson. When Mayor Cal Bloom on the suspect list, Judith Silverman wants Sasha to clear his name. The suspect list is lengthy due to Gina’s attitude and it includes Sasha’s ex-husband, Flynn Hanson. Can Sasha identify the killer before she becomes the next victim? I thought Bear Witness to Murder was well-written and engaging. It has a steady pace and a conversational writing style which made the story easy to read. While this is the second tale in the series, it can be read alone. I like the Silverman family, though, I am puzzled by Sasha’s mother, Judith. I do not understand why she keeps trying to push Sasha and Flynn back together and it was never explained. Sasha is lucky to have escaped the cheating louse. She is fortunate to have a supportive father and sister. I enjoyed the humor provided by Eve and Ross. There are delightful descriptions of teddy bears (stuffed and resin) in Bear Witness to Murder along with teddy bear related facts. I thought it was clever to have Oktobear Fest (a great play on words). Silver Hollow would attract families with their theme. Silver Hollow is a charming small town with, for the most part, friendly residents and cute shops. Gossip spreads like wild fire in Silver Hollow which is helpful in gathering information on the suspects. The mystery was well-crafted, and I believe many readers will be surprised by the killer’s identity. There are several suspects, red herrings, and well-placed clues. While Sasha looks into the murder, she does not let it consume her like some amateur sleuths. There is some romance sprinkled through the story as Sasha gets to know Jay Kirby. I found Bear Witness to Murder more enjoyable than Bearly Departed (first book in the series). My rating for Bear Witness to Murder is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). Join in on the Oktobear Fest festivities in Bear Witness to Murder.

I thought Bear Witness To Murder was a good read. It took me a little while to get interested but once I did putting it down was hard. I wanted to see how it all turned out. There was lots I really enjoyed about the book. I enjoyed the story taking place around Halloween and the Oktobear Fest was a cute way to incorporate the theme. I loved the idea of the children hunting for bear in the woods. A play on Teddy Bears Picnic. I kind of felt like the author struggled a little in introducing people and some of plot. There were alot of descriptions like what people were wearing, where they were or going and what they were doing that seemed a little overboard. It just didn't seem to flow for me. Bear Witness To Murder is book 2 in the series and there were alot of references back to book 1. (which I have not had the pleasure to read). Book 2 is a stand alone and reads as one. The author does include the references to book 1 which kind of seemed like teasers to me to draw me into reading book 1. I was a little curious as to why Sasha's mom keep pushing her to forgive her cheating ex and try again. I won't give anything away but he's a real piece of work. So what is up with mom? The ending is left with a bit of a cliff hanger in the romance department because Sasha's new boyfriend leaves town for a few months. He's hoping to re-kindle their budding romance in the New Year. I am left wondering hmm. With all the sniffing around the scoundrel of an ex is doing. Hurry home Jay! The story/plot around the murder made the book a page turner. I kind of had an idea of who was involved just by the way a couple of the characters were acting but there was a twist at the end that threw everyone the townspeople and this reader off kilter. As I turned the last pages I thought two things. I need to go back and read book 1. And how long do I have to wait for book 3? Bear Witness To Murder was a good cozy read. I received a complimentary copy

About the author

Meg Macy writes the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear cozy mystery series and is also one-half of the writing team for the Agatha Award-nominated historical mysteries featuring Eliza Doolittle and Professor Henry Higgins. As Meg Mims she won a Best First Book Spur Award for a western historical mystery and also has written Christmas-themed romance novellas with rescue dogs and cats. Meg tackles her to-be-read pile between deadlines, and enjoys tearooms, flowers, and gardening. Visit her on Facebook.com/MegMacyTeddyBearCozies, Instagram.com/meg_macy_author, Twitter.com/megmims, or her website at www.megmacy.com.