Book Review ~ Have Yourself a Beary Little Murder by Meg Macy @megmims @KensingtonBooks (Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery, Book #3)

Book Details:

Print Length: 260 pages
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: September 24, 2019
ASIN: B07MRC5KZG
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3avH8D5

About the Book:

This holiday season, teddy bear shop manager Sasha Silverman must solve the slaying of Santa Bear . . .

Sasha and her sister Maddie are thrilled that the Silver Bear Shop and Factory has won the Teddy Bear Keepsake Contest, which means they get to produce a holiday specialty toy, a wizard bear named "Beary Potter." Promising to be just as magical is Silver Hollow's annual tree-lighting ceremony and village parade. Only one hitch: the parade's mascot, Santa Bear--played by Mayor Cal Bloom--is missing.

After a frantic search among the floats, Bloom is found dead. When the outfit is removed, it's clear the mayor's been electrocuted. Who zapped hizzoner and then stuffed him into his Santa Bear suit? While the police investigate the grisly crime, Sasha attempts to track down the murderer herself, with some help from the Guilty Pleasures Gossip Club. Can they wrap up this case in time for Christmas--or will Sasha meet her own shocking end?

My Review:

The Silver Hollow Annual Tree Lighting and Festival of Lights Parade is coming up soon in the small Michigan town. Residents of Silver Hollow are rushing to make sure all of the events, floats, and people are in place. As the rush for the annual holiday festivities comes calling, the Silver Bear Shop and Factory is even busier this year. As the winners of the Teddy Bear Keepsake Contest, Sasha, Maggie and the entire group of family and employees is in a rush to complete the orders for their winning "Beary Potter" bear. Plus, they have to plan the annual holiday party and their Uncle and Aunt are also getting remarried the same day as the party. On top of all of the festivities, as the town is preparing for the tree lighting and parade, Sasha's mom along with Sasha's ex-husband and his girlfriend, find Cal Bloom in his parade mascot costume dead right before the parade is due to begin. 

Cal looks like he's been electrocuted and if he was, why didn't anyone see him get hurt? Plus, he's found on a bench a distance away from the activity. How did he stumble all the way to the bench in a town full of activity and no one see him? Sasha knows there's more to the story about the death of Cal, this year's parade Santa Bear. Sasha had no plans to "investigate" until her mother, good friends with Cal's wife, asks Sasha to help. It seems Cal's wife is a suspect and her mother doesn't believe it's possible for Cal's wife to commit such a heinous act.

As Sasha puts her sleuthing cap on and begins her search, it appears that more than just his wife has means, motive and opportunity. Family secrets are divulged that no one, including Sasha's mom, were aware of, making Cal's wife and his daughter numbers 1 and 2 on her list. However, family members aren't the only ones moving up the list as Sasha beings digging deeper into Cal's life. 

A clever who-done-it, Have Yourself a Beary Little Murder kept me entertained and engaged in the story. Meg Macy delivered a well-written story with a unique setting in a fictional small town in southeast Michigan. As a lifelong Michigander I enjoy a good story, in any genre, that is based in my state. The author mentions Starbucks in Mount Pleasant and I might just happen to be very familiar with that particular city in Michigan. I always love it when I recognize locations in a book because I've been there, lived there, or worked in the town/city.

I enjoyed the personalities of each character introduced to us in the book. The book was descriptive well developed, allowing me to visualize the elements of the story, characters, and locations. The characters and situations were believable and the pacing of the story was steady. I enjoyed Have Yourself a Beary Little Murder, found the mystery interesting, the characters likable, and the story's pacing to be on target. I love the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series by Meg Macy and I look forward to book 4 in the Teddy Bear Mystery series.

I was provided a copy of this book to review.

My Rating: