Bear a Wee Grudge (Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery, #5), by Meg Macy

Teddy bears in kilts?

Silver Hollow, Michigan, is a town gone mad for not just teddy bears but it's upcoming inaugural Highland Fling weekend. Sasha Silverman, who runs the, what else, teddy bear shop, is right in the midst of it. Hard not to be when her mother is mayor. Unfortunately, not only isn't Sasha feeling up to par but an ol' nemesis, Teddy Hartman, is back and doing his best to stir up trouble for not just her family but the town. Hartman and Sasha's father are reportedly long time business rivals and Hartman, at least, seems bound for revenge for some deals gone wrong for which he blames the Silverman family. Not only is his wife, Lucy, equally obnoxious but their little dog bites Sasha.... right after Sasha's sister has popped Silverman in the nose in anger at his innuendo and accusations. Soon after, as locals practice for the upcoming traditional games of a Highland Fling event, Hartman is found murdered.


Although I could see some initial interest being paid to Alex Silverman, Sasha's father, given his history with the victim, he seemed an unlikely suspect. Of all the characters in the book, he seemed one of the calmest, most self-controlled and unlikely to resort to violence types in town. Yet, with the police chief out of town, he is arrested. Naturally, Sasha sets out to prove his innocence. If that uncovers the real killer in the process, so much the better. The detective in charge of the case seems useless and too fixated on her father to even consider anyone else.

So, why was Hartman at the park in the first place? Did he die there or elsewhere? What was that shadow seen around his neck in the evidence photos? Was his wife a victim of abuse? How many people did the Hartman's dog bite anyway? Will Sasha's boyfriend manage to finish up his business' wood crafting projects on time? How good at axe throwing was Lucy? How good will boyfriend Jay and his brother Nathan be at tossing cambers? What is a camber anyway? Why do they throw them for fun? What will happen to Lucy's dog? Will Sasha ever learn to wait on her back-up before charging in to accuse someone? What is wrong with her? And, finally, what surprise does Jay have in store for Sasha, not to mention what surprise she has for him? You'll have to read the book to find the answers to all these are more, such as how to outfit a teddy bear in a kilt.

Speaking of teddy bears, I need to go find out where I can find one of those adorable teddy bears in kilts. I'll do that while you add this to your "to read" list.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for the ARC. Love the cover!