The Clockwork Teddy

The fourth installment of the Bear Collectors' Mysteries,takes Brad and Asleigh Lyons back to San Francisco to attend a bear show as well as visit with old friends and family. The bear show starts off with a robbery which leads to a murder which reconnects Brad with friends from the SFPD where he previously worked. The motive for the murder is Patrick the talking/walking Polar Bear.

Since Brad is a retired homicide inspector and knows quite a lot about the Teddy industry he is called back to service to aid in the investigation surrounding corporate espionage, murder and kidnapping. The action as well as character development is strong throughout and unfortunately there are more than a few casualties. Exciting!

The Lyons are back in San Francisco for, among other things, a teddy bear show. A cashbox is stolen and the owner is threatened, leading Brad to a stolen robotic teddy bear and murder. Despite the show and the robot, this has very little of the teddy bear details that are this series's chief charm. Instead, it is heavy on the police procedural, as Brad teams up with his old SFPD buddies to solve the case. Not bad, but far from the best in this series.

In the fourth title of the Bear Collectors' Mysteries, Brad and Ashleigh Lyon return to California. The impetus for their visit is the annual teddy bear festival in Sonoma, but they also plan to work in a visit with family and friends.
Of course, nothing goes as simply as planned. On the first day of the festival, Brad witnesses a person dressed in a bear costume steal the cashbox from one of the other exhibitors.
While they are having dinner with Brad's former partner and his wife in San Francisco, his partner is called out, and invites Brad to tag along. What a surprise when Brad stumbles over a robotic teddy bear in the parking lot at the scene of the crime!
Despite the cuddly subject matter, much of the narrative leans towards the show more gritty. The relationship between the Lyons is charming; it's so refreshing to see the hero of an action novel so smitten with his wife! I really appreciate reading a combination of my two favourite mystery genres: cozies and police procedurals. show less

A stolen robotic teddy bear involves Brad Lyon when he visits his old home town San Francisco. Poor poor Patrick, such a sweet character and such a sad end. I wished they had gathered up his pieces and said something about repairing him.

The Lyons are back in San Francisco for, among other things, a teddy bear show. A cashbox is stolen and the owner is threatened, leading Brad to a stolen robotic teddy bear and murder. Despite the show and the robot, this has very little of the teddy bear details that are this series's chief charm. Instead, it is heavy on the police procedural, as Brad teams up with his old SFPD buddies to solve the case. Not bad, but far from the best in this series.