Title: Bear Witness to Murder

Author: Meg Macy

Chapters:

Pages: 292

Series: Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery book 2

Genre: Cozy mystery

Rating:3 stars

Bear Witness to Murder by Meg Macy is the second book in The Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear mystery series and while I didn't like it as much as the first book in the series it was still an enjoyable read. I mean what's not to love about a teddy bear workshop. While the first book was set in the summer this book is set in September with the village gearing up for Oktobear Fest instead of Oktoberfest. With the theme being focused on teddy bears. And not to be confused with the name Oktoberfest and Oktobear fest does indeed take place in September not October.

Sasha Silverman's goal is to run her family's bear shop and factory without any problems meaning no mysteries and especially no murders. But then she has to go and find a dead body. So much for staying away from mysteries and murder. To clear family and friends names she will have to work to solve the murder before the police do.

Bear Witness to Murder is indeed your typical cozy mystery and that's not a bad thingespecially if you do indeed love cozy mysteries. But for me it kind of fell into that second book rut, but that doesn't mean I won't pick up the next book. I think for me if I had read it in either September or October.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Bear Witness To Murder
Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery, Book #2
Meg Macy
5 Stars


Synopsis:

As autumn air settles into the quaint small town of Silver Hollow, there’s nothing more popular than Sasha’s teddy bears—and murder in cold blood . . .

Silver Bear Shop and Factory manager Sasha Silverman is cozying up to the fall season by hosting Silver Hollow’s Cranbeary Tea Party, the opening event of the village’s Oktobear Fest—a too-cute celebration themed around teddy bears. 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 her the Silver Bear Shop and her cousin’s small bookstore . . .

But when Sasha discovers Holly’s shop assistant dead with a knife plunged in her body, 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. Now, before a gruesome homicide case takes the fun out of both the Fest and her personal life, Sasha must identify the true culprit from a daunting suspect list—or risk becoming as lifeless as one of her stuffed bears . . .(Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. I like the fact that Sasha and her sister Maddie work together and they always look out for each other. In fact I like the fact that The Silver Bear Shop & Factory is family owned and operated. It makes for some stressful times and conflict but it also shows their family love, loyalty and pride. The family is quirky and at times crazy and they made me laugh a time or two. The secondary characters added a lot to the story and I was glad to get to spend time with everyone.

The writing style flows smoothly and it defined the characters clearly by their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and I felt like I was watching all of the action taking place at the Oktobear Fest. I was drawn into the story and taken away on a BEARY nice trip.

The mystery was well plotted and moved along at a great pace. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through and I liked all of the twists and turns thrown in.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I enjoyed book one and I am looking forward to book three.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

I want to live in Silver Hollow Michigan. I love small town settings. In this story you will want to head to Oktobear Fest. It is to truly delightful and fun. I like the characters and look forward to seeing what they are up to in the next book. Thanks for the arc netgalley. The opinions are mine

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.

Book 2 in this series gets 3.5 stars from me. As I mentioned in my review of the first story in the series, I did not mind the large amount of business detail in that book. There is much less of that (despite starting with the Cranbeary tea) in this book. Instead, the focus is more on the romantic relationships of the daughters. They were a bit strange, awkward and unfulfilling. I had issues with how the father inexplicably handled the business in the first book, this time it's the mother who seems strangely unreasonable about Sasha's romantic life. Her, irrational to me, response to Flynn is never explained like the father';s poor business decisions.

The mystery has one guessing though the high school rivalry issue isn't new and there's a bit of a surprise both in whodunnit and how the suspects are connected.

I'd give the mystery a like and the character development an OK. I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Meg Macy's second book in the Teddy Bear Mystery series is Bear Witness to Murder. It is autumn in Silver Hollow and time for Oktobear Festival. Sasha is the manager of the Silver Bear Shop and Factory and is busy with all of the bear related activities. Her sister is one of the artists creating a bear for the Bears on Parade. Unfortunately Sasha's high school rival Holly is back in town and causing problems for everyone. The mystery portion of this book was good. My first problem with this book was the weak actions of Maggie regarding her boyfriend. The second was Sasha's mother's behavior with Sasha's ex-husband. I found both of these characters annoying. I hope they turn into more normal characters for book three.

Bear Witness to Murder is the second installment in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series set in Silver Hollow, Michigan and featuring Sasha Silverman, manager of the Silver Bear Shop & Factory, the teddy bear shop owned and operated by her family. Fall is setting in and there are many activities planned in the small town of Silver Hollow included the annual Cranbeary Tea Party and the Oktobear Fest.

While helping out at the tea party alongside her sister Maddie, Sasha is none too happy to see that her high school nemesis, Holly Parker is in attendance. Holly has moved back into town and purchased the shop across the street from the Silver Bear and opened up a toy shop and bookstore. Sasha is convinced that Holly is still carrying her mean girl card and is trying to ruin not only her family bear shop but also the bookstore operated by Sasha's cousin. To make matters worse, Holly is accompanied to the tea party by her assistant Gina Lawson and Sasha's ex, Flynn Hanson who create quite a stir when they served the Mayor with lawsuit papers.

When Sasha and her dog, Rosie stumble upon a body in the alley she is quick to identify the victim as Holly based upon the signature pink jacket. But, further investigation reveals that the body belongs to Gina. Was the killer as confused as Sasha? Despite warnings from her family and boyfriend, Jay Kirby Sasha throws herself full tilt into finding a killer.

A fast paced plot coupled with delightful descriptions of the bear sculptures on display during Oktobear Fest, a warm and cozy small town atmosphere combined with a tight knit but quirky family dynamic makes it "beary" hard to put this book down. A twist at the end will leave readers wanting more from the Silvermans.

I received an advanced copy of Bear Witness to Murder from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

Sasha Silverman enjoys her job at the family business, the Silver Bear Shop & Factory. But she's a bit frazzled. Autumn is the start of their busy season...the Cranbeary Tea Party and the Oktobear Fest get the holiday season started. This year there's a bit more stress because an old high school rival has returned to town and opened a gift and book shop, directly competing with the Silver Bear Shop and the local bookstore. Holly Parker seems to want to cause as much drama as possible, at least where Sasha is concerned. Old high school rivalries never die? When Holly's shop assistant is found dead with a knife in her back, Sasha tries to resist doing any sleuthing. It only gets her into trouble. But as other incidents start happening around town, she realizes this is more than old high school problems or jealous business owners. Sasha wants to solve the case before anyone else is killed and Oktobear Fest is ruined.

I love this series. I'm not sure if it's the teddy bear theme (I have collected teddy bears since I was 6 years old), or the mix of humor and mystery...or maybe both? Bear Witness to Murder is the second book in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series. This book was just as enjoyable as the first book in the series. I like Sasha as a main character. She's getting her life back together following a divorce and works hard at the family business. She has a good relationship with her sister Maddie who also works for the teddy bear factory. However, I don't really care for her relationship with her parents. Her mother is always trying to push her into going back to her ex-husband, who was a womanizing jerk. Why would any mother do that? And her father never sticks up for her. Just seems like a weird family dynamic.

I liked the Oktobear Fest theme. The teddy bear theme didn't over power the mystery, but just added some flavor to the story. The mystery kept my attention and had some interesting twists and clues. There is a little bit of romance sprinkled in amongst the sleuthing and fall festival-ing...just enough to round out the characters. All in all, a "beary'' enjoyable cozy mystery! I'm definitely going to keep reading this series. :)

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Dollycas’s Thoughts

It is time for Oktobear Fest in Silver Hollow, Michigan. The event starts with a Cranbeary Tea Party. Silver Bear Shop has several bears in attendance and Sasha and her sister Maddie are waiting tables. Sasha is surprised to see her high school rival and owner of the new toy shop in town, Holly along with her assistant Gina at one of the tables and even more surprised to see her ex, Flynn arrive and he and Gina rush over to the mayor’s table. They make a huge scene. It wasn’t bad enough the new store was stealing business, now they had to try to ruin this wonderful event too.

The ultimate surprise was Sasha and her dog discovering Gina’s body outside a local eatery early the next morning. At first, she thought it was Holly, because of the clothing. Was the killer confused too? Who was the real target? Gina? or Holly? And is Flynn involved? or heaven forbid the mayor? Sasha finds herself in a beary dangerous place as she tries to catch the killer and save the festival.

There is so much to love in this story. I really loved the idea about the Bears on Parade. You see in Madison, Wisconsin, and Dane County this summer they have a Bucky’s on Parade art event with 85 Bucky Badger statues transformed by 64 artists. People are having so much fun hunting them all down. In this story there are about a dozen bears, Maddie is transforming one and so is her boyfriend Kip. Sasha is also helping to transform another bear. The bear statues have sponsors and both parades will auction off the statues at the end of their events. I hope to see a few before summer is over.

All the characters I enjoyed in the first book are back. I have to say I am not a fan of Sasha’s mother though. She bugged me a bit in the first story, but I think by now she needs to realize Flynn and Sasha are through, finished, kaput! The man cheated on her and his suggestion of marriage in name only to Sasha almost made me lose my mind. For some reason her mom likes Flynn, I can’t imagine how any mom would want her daughter with a man like him. I just hope in the next story she really sees the light and supports her daughter and the man she wants to be with.

Oh, the author has given us a clever mystery. The victim has a past – meaning plenty of suspects, with different motives for wanting her gone. I was “beary” confused at first but soon I had an inkling as to who the culprit could be but then I read further and thought I was totally wrong. Those pages were really flying and so much was happening, there was no way I was going to put this book down until I reached the end. By the way, I was wrong and surprised by the ending. I loved it!

Both books in this series have been excellent reads. I do recommend reading them in order to get to know the characters and the setting.

Bring on Book #3, Ms. Macy! I can hardly wait!

Bear Witness to Murder was a delightful sequel to Bearly Departed with an intriguing mystery and some great character development.

Between preparing for the town's Oktobear Fest and managing the Silver Bear Shop, Sasha Silverman has time for little else. So when her old high school rival Holly Parker returns to town opening a new toy and bookstore, Sasha must find a way to confront the woman determined to put her and her family out of business. After Sasha finds Holly's assistant murdered with a knife to the back, Sasha is left wondering just how far Holly will go to get what she wants.

The death of Holly's assistant Gina was interesting and you're immediately left to wonder if the killer was really after Holly or if Holly herself may have been the culprit. When several people close to Sasha are considered as possible suspects, she can't help but begin to investigate on her own. I liked seeing Sasha's skills as an investigator improve from the first book and I enjoyed watching her work the case. It was also nice to see that while Sasha wanted to solve the case, she didn't let it overtake her life and instead worked on it when she had time. I did figure out who the killer was before the reveal, but I still enjoyed the motive given. The ending did surprise me as the author definitely went an unexpected route in my opinion but it worked well for the story.

The issue I had with the first book was that I had a hard time connecting with the characters which thankfully was not an issue in this book. I enjoyed learning more about Sasha's family and I found myself liking them more this time around. I liked the inclusion of a romance for Sasha and felt the chosen guy was perfect for her despite initially thinking there would be a romance between her and a different character. Ultimately my only issue regarding the characters was Sasha's mother constantly trying to convince her to get back together with her cheating ex-husband which I found to be completely unnecessary.

Overall I enjoyed Bear Witness to Murder more than the first book and I'm excited to see where the author takes the series in future books. I definitely recommend this series for fans of cozies with charming settings.

For me there is quite a juxtaposition with cozy teddy bears and this not-quite-so cozy mystery. I read the first book in the series, but still had a hard time sorting the many characters. Along with the many delightful characters there are some gritty ones with harsh and graphic consequences. I enjoyed the Michigan locale and small town life, as well as the budding romance between Sasha and Jay. I look forward to more continuing to spend time with them in future books.

Okay I may be biased because I have a huge love for all things teddy bear but this is just the cutest cozy mystery series. Sasha stumbles across the dead body of a shop assistant and since friends are suspects she starts investigating. Following the clues mixed in with the teddy bear details makes for one fascinating mystery that I really got into. The killer was nice surprise as well. The characters are all well developed pulling you into the story until you feel like you have known them forever. If you enjoy cozy mysteries or just teddy bears then you really have to read this book/series. I am in love so I give it 5/5 stars

Bear Witness to Murder

by Meg Macy

Bear Witness to Murder is set in little Silver Hollow where Sasha Silverman, owner of Silver Bear Shop and Factory, is one of a number of local entrepreneurs trying to survive through foot traffic, bulk sales, and special events like the village’s Oktobear Fest. This is a town where gossip reigns and the locals are family or longtime friends. Generally this is a quiet and peaceful place to live—until Sasha’s childhood nemesis Holly returns bringing her nasty attitude, a shop in direct competition to two others, and an assistant who is suing the mayor during his re-election campaign.

Meg Macy has a chatty style to her writing and sets the background well so that we are surprised along with Sasha when she discovers a dead body. The mystery centers on this event, but swirling around it are family and romantic entanglements as well as Holly’s backstabbing efforts against the Silverman family. Other characters that play a major role are Sasha’s sister Maddie, and the girls’ boyfriends Kip and Jay. All three are artists and contribute their efforts to the festival.

I like this book. As a teddy bear enthusiast, I found the theme charming. I also appreciate the main characters, who are fairly well developed. There are, however, a lot of minor characters, and I found myself referring back to review their relationship to the main characters. The ending is surprising, startling even, but does not provide satisfying closure for Sasha and Maddie.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #2 in the Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery Series, but it is good as a standalone.

Publication: May 29, 2018—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:
It seemed to fit with my memories of Holly’s personality. Sweet to your face, but ready to change in an instant or stab you in the back.

He had a true gift, seeing an animal or object hidden within wood, and then bringing it into clear focus with such talent and skill.

Bear Witness to Murder by Meg Macy is the second book in the delightfully Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series. This series is so fun to read and I highly recommend the first book in the series for your reading enjoyment. This book can be read as a stand alone and any reader can easily enjoy it.

Sasha Silverman and her family own a shop called The Silver Bear Shop and Factory. They make Teddy Bears and their shop is very popular and doing very well. The descriptions of the bears, their creation and the business is done to perfection and I love reading about the process. Anyone who loved bears growing up or collects bears will fall in love with this wonderful book.
They are preparing for fall events in their small town when Sasha stumbles upon a dead body in a parking lot. Sasha believes the victim is her old high school nemesis but instead they find her assistant . As the list of potential suspects grow and the investigation to those around Sasha bring suspicion on them, ,Sasha begins her own inquiry as she has once proven to be a able sleuth and is willing to provide her service as a investigator.

This series has everything that makes it the perfect cozy mystery. A beautiful small town , great characters and a well crafted sleuth that kept me reading until the last page. . The added fun of a Teddy Bear business is so fun to read about for all of us that love bears. I give this mystery 5 stars and I highly recommend this wonderful series. The beauty of reading this series is it will bring back all your childhood bears and remind you all that is good in the world. I adore it. I look forward to the next in series and hope the publisher will continue this wonderful series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher through Net Galley for my honest opinion.

This series is just oozing charm. I love teddy bears so I was immediately attracted to this series. I loved the first book and this one is a great follow up.

The small town of Small Hollow, Michigan is once again rocked by a murder. This time Sasha Silverman, manager of the Silver Bear Shop and Factor, discovers her arch rival’s assistant dead. The victim also happens to be Sasha’s ex-husband’s former lover. Sasha and her sister are tops on the suspect list, but there are many others on that same list. The mayor of the town is even sitting prominently on that list. Sasha is determined to find the real killer.

This is another fast-paced mystery by Meg Macy complete with loveable characters. I didn’t see that ending coming at all. It was explosive to say the least. I will definitely be re-visiting the Silverman’s and Silver Hollow. These characters quickly become friends you want to know. I’ll be back! I’m looking forward to it.

BEAR WITNESS TO MURDER by Meg Macy
The Second Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery

With the town gearing up for Oktobearfest and the Parade of Bears Sasha Silverman and her family have a lot on their plate. They certainly don't need the drama Sasha's high school nemesis brings. But Holly seems to make it her mission to strike out against Sasha by returning to town and opening a store in direct competition with Sasha and her cousin as well as spreading rumors, and generally being nasty. When Holly's assistant is murdered Holly's vindictiveness seems to increase. Sasha also finds herself in the midst of relationship issues between her sister and her new boyfriend, starting a relationship of her own, and her mother's unbelievable attempts to get her back with her cheating ex! Confident that Detective Mason will solve the murder, Sasha nonetheless feels Holly is the catalyst for most of the town's problems and if she has to do some sleuthing of her own to prove it-so be it.

The Second Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery is an enjoyable read. More family creates more drama as Sasha's parents have moved in and appear to be moving back to town. Sparks are flying in multiple directions as Sasha's mom seems determined to get Sasha back with her cheating ex, her divorced aunt and uncle continue to bicker, her sister is continually fighting and making up with her new boyfriend, and Sasha herself is contemplating life as Jay's girlfriend. Plus the sparks that the new nasty villain, Holly, creates are even more dangerous.

Meg Macy creates a delightful world with a close knit family and plenty of adorable stuffed animals. I enjoy the details she provides about the bears and, in this entry, the Bears on Parade. My town has horses and I know several towns with other animals on parade. It was nice to see an artist view of a bit of the process.

BEAR WITNESS TO MURDER is an engaging mystery with enough danger and malice to counteract the shamelessly adorable setting!

I would be thrilled to recommend this book to all mystery fans, I say buy it now and read it in the fall! But I did enjoy cooling off with the setting during these hot summer months. Meg Macy has a tale of sweetness and suspense in this series. Readers will fall in love with the teddy bears (Seriously we all had a stuffed animal we loved) and will stay for the characters and their charming town. A five star hit and I can’t wait for the next!

Bear Witness to Murder by Meg Macy is the 2nd book in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series, and another fun book. I enjoyed the first book in the series, Bearly Departed, and this one is equally as good. Sasha Silverman is the manager of her families Silver Bear Shop and Factory, and her sister, Maddie, also helps out at the factory and is an artist. Sasha's childhood nemesis Holly Parker returns to town and is determine to ruin Sasha, and her families business. When a murder takes place the mystery begins. I really loved this book, and can't wait to continue Sasha's adventures in the next book. Not only is this book fun, it has a great mystery also. There are twists and turns around every corner. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. If you love fun cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Very enjoyable and entertaining cozy mystery. It has one of those fictional small towns that one wishes were real. Beary much fun place to visit. Clever murder mystery. I look forward to reading the next one in this delightful series.

I really liked the cover. Since it was a story about teddy bears I expected it to be cute but this one was way too cutesy for me. The murder did not take place until a few chapters in which does not bode well for a mystery. There were also far too many characters to keep track of. I found myself disinterested in the mystery by the time the investigation started. The author also went overboard with the descriptions of each little bear and the outfits people were wearing. I found myself skipping over pages in an effort to quickly finish this story. My only positive note is that I didn't not easily guess the murderer.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.