Berkley Prime Crime, 2007.

Retired San Francisco cop Brad Lyon is settling into a quieter life with his wife Ashleigh in Virginia’s mountain country, where they collect and create teddy bears. But even here, stuff happens.

The peace of the Shenandoah Valley is shattered when an intruder breaks into the Lyon home and makes off with their antique Farnell Alpha teddy bear—one of the most celebrated stuffed animals in history, and also Brad’s gift to Ash on their twentieth wedding anniversary.

Afterward, life seems to be getting back to normal—until a trio of Japanese gangsters inexplicably shows up in town, and then the local museum director is found dead. Even though it all seems a bit fur-fetched, Brad knows he’s got a 187 on his hands—that’s California penal code for murder.

I think I chose this cozy mystery because of teddy bears. I've made some myself. The mystery was easy to read, interesting and entertaining, so not a bad book at all.

I'll send the book to em64.

Thank you for the book and the lovely card, myrtillus! The book arrived just in time for the Easter holiday.

It was indeed a cozy mystery. The beginning was a bit slow but the going got better along the way. There were a couple of things that made me wonder though. Why use different codes used by the law enforcement in a civilian setting, like talking to your wife? Especially as you needed to explain every time what it meant. I did wonder if it really is that easy to involve civilians in a police operation in the US. Even if one of them is a retired cop who seemed to steal the scene from the real coppers.

Kirja jatkaa matkaansa seuraavalle lukijalle, joka nappasi sen Arvoitusarkusta.

Thanks for the Arvoitusarkku book, em64! Any mystery with teddy bears must be a cozy one :D I haven't heard about this series before.