Bearly Departed begins an adorable new cozy mystery series by Meg Macy. It had strengths and weaknesses, but I enjoyed this story overall and think the series holds lots of promise.
Silver Hollow â a small town outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan â is a delightful setting that feels so real that I'd love to visit it. And nothing could be more engaging than the family-owned teddy bear gift shop and factory managed by Sasha Silverman. There's plenty of characters, family dynamics, and red herrings to hold interest. Sasha's Uncle Ross is one of my favorite characters, and the mention of his ex-wife coming to work in the shop at the end sounds like a fun theme for the next book.
There are a few things I wish had been different ⦠Maybe it was just me, but a lot of people were introduced in a short space of time â Sasha's family, factory workers, and village people. There wasn't much character depth and I had trouble keeping them straight (a cast list and description at the beginning would have been very helpful). Secondly, while the storyline was interesting, detail slowed the action down. More conversation and action would have been great. There wasn't much profanity, but even a little is a turn off for me. And most importantly of all, it was the teddy bear business that attracted me to this book and I wanted much more of it. In fact, one of my favorite parts was Sasha giving a group tour of the factory in the early pages. Between the shop, community-related events, and families buying the bears, a lot of interest could be created by developing this theme more.
I enjoyed Bearly Departed overall and would like to see how the series develops.
I was provided a free copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Silver Hollow â a small town outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan â is a delightful setting that feels so real that I'd love to visit it. And nothing could be more engaging than the family-owned teddy bear gift shop and factory managed by Sasha Silverman. There's plenty of characters, family dynamics, and red herrings to hold interest. Sasha's Uncle Ross is one of my favorite characters, and the mention of his ex-wife coming to work in the shop at the end sounds like a fun theme for the next book.
There are a few things I wish had been different ⦠Maybe it was just me, but a lot of people were introduced in a short space of time â Sasha's family, factory workers, and village people. There wasn't much character depth and I had trouble keeping them straight (a cast list and description at the beginning would have been very helpful). Secondly, while the storyline was interesting, detail slowed the action down. More conversation and action would have been great. There wasn't much profanity, but even a little is a turn off for me. And most importantly of all, it was the teddy bear business that attracted me to this book and I wanted much more of it. In fact, one of my favorite parts was Sasha giving a group tour of the factory in the early pages. Between the shop, community-related events, and families buying the bears, a lot of interest could be created by developing this theme more.
I enjoyed Bearly Departed overall and would like to see how the series develops.
I was provided a free copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Bearly Departed by Meg Macy is the first book in A Teddy Bear Mystery series. Sasha Silverman is the manager of The Silver Bear Shop and Factory in Silver Hollow, Michigan. The business was started by Sasha's grandfather, and she took over the running when her father retired. Will Taylor, their salesman and public relations expert, is trying to force changes on the business. He wants to export production overseas to China and oust Uncle Ross who oversees the factory. Will has just returned early from a trip and immediately called a meeting. Will states that he has Alex Silverman's approval to proceed with his plan's. Uncle Ross is angry and makes some threats against Will's life (you can see where there is leading). Later that evening, Sasha and her sister, Maddie are returning home and are almost hit by a car squealing out of their parking lot. They notice Will's car still in the lot and go inside the factory. Sasha finds Will dead next to the stuffing machine with his mouth full of the material. Detective Mason is assigned the case. He insists on closing the factory and store while he investigates. Uncle Ross quickly becomes the prime suspect in Will's death. Sasha knows Uncle Ross did not commit the crime. She quickly dons her investigator cap and starts looking for other suspects. Can Sasha find the real killer, clear Uncle Ross and get their shop reopened before it is too late?
I found Bearly Departed to be nicely written and I liked the premise of a teddy bear shop and factory. It was interesting to read about the different steps to building a bear and it was cute that the shop had a teddy bear hospital. Bearly Departed starts out at a good pace and then slows down considerably (especially since we get detailed descriptions of each person Sasha encounters along with their businesses). I thought there were several cozy mystery clichés in this novel. The cop is rude and impatient, the person who would be killed was foreseeable, and the killer's identity was unsurprising. Sasha babbles, stumbles, is forgetful, misplaces things, a gossip, impulsive and seems to take her dog with her everywhere. Since Sasha is the manager of a store, I was hoping for a competent, smart, and confident woman as the main character (it would have been a nice change). I give Bearly Departed 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery was slightly complicated, but the identity of the culprit was not. There is a side plot in the book that acts as a red herring. Personally, I felt that the author tried to stuff too much into this first book. There was just one incident after another. I thought that there were too many characters. Readers are introduced to the Silverman family, the workers in the factory, owners of the shops on their street, townspeople, etc. I quickly tired of reading about Rosie's (Sasha's dog) bathroom habits. The author added in Sasha's ex-husband who is (of course) a cheating louse who ends up returning to town. Was this really needed? Information about the case is repeated several times throughout the novel (like filler). I was also curious why when Sasha has a teddy bear picnic (a company event) that they do not use bears from their own shop. They had bears from other designers (Winnie-the-Pooh and Boyd's Bears for example) and generic bears present. Since people are paying to attend the event, it would be better advertising to have their own bears dressed up for the picnic (and then have them for sale). Bearly Departed was just okay for me. The premise is unique, but otherwise I was underwhelmed. If you prefer to read lighter cozy mysteries (that have more of the cozy element), than check out at Bearly Departed.
I found Bearly Departed to be nicely written and I liked the premise of a teddy bear shop and factory. It was interesting to read about the different steps to building a bear and it was cute that the shop had a teddy bear hospital. Bearly Departed starts out at a good pace and then slows down considerably (especially since we get detailed descriptions of each person Sasha encounters along with their businesses). I thought there were several cozy mystery clichés in this novel. The cop is rude and impatient, the person who would be killed was foreseeable, and the killer's identity was unsurprising. Sasha babbles, stumbles, is forgetful, misplaces things, a gossip, impulsive and seems to take her dog with her everywhere. Since Sasha is the manager of a store, I was hoping for a competent, smart, and confident woman as the main character (it would have been a nice change). I give Bearly Departed 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery was slightly complicated, but the identity of the culprit was not. There is a side plot in the book that acts as a red herring. Personally, I felt that the author tried to stuff too much into this first book. There was just one incident after another. I thought that there were too many characters. Readers are introduced to the Silverman family, the workers in the factory, owners of the shops on their street, townspeople, etc. I quickly tired of reading about Rosie's (Sasha's dog) bathroom habits. The author added in Sasha's ex-husband who is (of course) a cheating louse who ends up returning to town. Was this really needed? Information about the case is repeated several times throughout the novel (like filler). I was also curious why when Sasha has a teddy bear picnic (a company event) that they do not use bears from their own shop. They had bears from other designers (Winnie-the-Pooh and Boyd's Bears for example) and generic bears present. Since people are paying to attend the event, it would be better advertising to have their own bears dressed up for the picnic (and then have them for sale). Bearly Departed was just okay for me. The premise is unique, but otherwise I was underwhelmed. If you prefer to read lighter cozy mysteries (that have more of the cozy element), than check out at Bearly Departed.
Bearly Departed is the first in the A Teddy Bear Mystery series featuring Alexandra "Sasha" Silverman and her sister Madeline "Maddie", who run the family teddy bear factory and shop in Silver Hollow, Michigan. The Silver Bear Shop was started by the girl's father in their ancestral home and prides itself on their unique handmade teddy bears.
Sasha has taken over as manager of the shop now that her father, Alex has retired, Maddie is in charge of the bookkeeping and their father's brother Ross is in charge of the factory. With only a handful of employees the company is a local attraction, the only problem is sales rep Will Taylor.
Will returns from a trip to a toy fair and announces that Sasha's father has agreed to move production overseas and to lay off most of the staff. The girls and Uncle Ross are irate not wanting to believe Alex would abandon his company, and the staff are upset about losing their jobs and insurance. The staff meeting turns into a free for all with not only Uncle Ross but seamstress Lois threatening to kill Will. Of course it's really no surprise when later that night Sasha and Maddie stumble over Will's body, literally stuffed to the gills.
It's not long before Uncle Ross becomes the prime suspect and in an effort to clear her uncle and save the bear shop, Sasha sets out to find the killer. Despite warnings by Homicide Detective Mason to stay out of his investigation, she quickly learns that not all is idyllic in the tiny town, with adultery and drug use running rampant.
A fun, fast paced storyline with well developed, likeable characters and a fluffy dog named Rosie and a cat named Onyx. You'll "bearly" be able to wait for the second in the series, Bear Witness to Murder, to follow the adventures of Sasha, her family and the residents of Silver Hollow.
Sasha has taken over as manager of the shop now that her father, Alex has retired, Maddie is in charge of the bookkeeping and their father's brother Ross is in charge of the factory. With only a handful of employees the company is a local attraction, the only problem is sales rep Will Taylor.
Will returns from a trip to a toy fair and announces that Sasha's father has agreed to move production overseas and to lay off most of the staff. The girls and Uncle Ross are irate not wanting to believe Alex would abandon his company, and the staff are upset about losing their jobs and insurance. The staff meeting turns into a free for all with not only Uncle Ross but seamstress Lois threatening to kill Will. Of course it's really no surprise when later that night Sasha and Maddie stumble over Will's body, literally stuffed to the gills.
It's not long before Uncle Ross becomes the prime suspect and in an effort to clear her uncle and save the bear shop, Sasha sets out to find the killer. Despite warnings by Homicide Detective Mason to stay out of his investigation, she quickly learns that not all is idyllic in the tiny town, with adultery and drug use running rampant.
A fun, fast paced storyline with well developed, likeable characters and a fluffy dog named Rosie and a cat named Onyx. You'll "bearly" be able to wait for the second in the series, Bear Witness to Murder, to follow the adventures of Sasha, her family and the residents of Silver Hollow.
