Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Mournful Teddy (A Bear Collector's Mystery #1)
by
John J. Lamb
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 day is here-and Brad Lyon is helping his wife put the finishing touches on her best bears, just in time for the Shenandoah Valley Teddy Bear Extravaganza. The event will d
...morePaperback, 293 pages
Published
August 1st 2006
by Berkley Prime Crime
(first published 2006)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
430)
John Lamb writes a very well developed story line involving interesting and smart characters. This is not a traditional cozy in the sense that the main character, Brad, is a retired Inspector from the San Franisco Police Department. In fact, Mr. Lamb pokes a little fun at a cozy mystery his wife is reading that is solved by a woman with a talking dog. :o)
The world of the Teddy Bear Collector is introduced in a way that is easy to understand and Mr. Lamb doesn't beat you over the head with it. So...more
The world of the Teddy Bear Collector is introduced in a way that is easy to understand and Mr. Lamb doesn't beat you over the head with it. So...more
After a while of it being in my to be read pile for months I finally picked it up and found myself not able to put it down. So then I finished it in record time. So I met Brad Lyon, a retired homicide detective from the SFPD. He finds that the floating body of a man in the river that flows by his house. Immediately knows its foul play due to his years looking at dead bodies. The sheriff dismisses the whole thing then threatens him.
He then feels like he must investigate! So the investigation is...more
He then feels like he must investigate! So the investigation is...more
Steiff Black Teddy Bear, a Titanic commemorative keepsake, sold for $136,000/91,750 pounds in 2000 at Christie’s.
★★★★★ They say write what you know and that certainly holds true here for John J. Lamb. Loved this first in the Bear Collector’s Mystery series! Mr. Lamb, a retired San Francisco policeman, writes about a retired SF cop, Brad Lyon. (Lamb to Lyon? Cute.)
Instead of another dead groundhog, Brad’s Old English Sheepdog, Kitchener, finds a dead body down by the river. Knowing it is a homici...more
★★★★★ They say write what you know and that certainly holds true here for John J. Lamb. Loved this first in the Bear Collector’s Mystery series! Mr. Lamb, a retired San Francisco policeman, writes about a retired SF cop, Brad Lyon. (Lamb to Lyon? Cute.)
Instead of another dead groundhog, Brad’s Old English Sheepdog, Kitchener, finds a dead body down by the river. Knowing it is a homici...more
Book 1 in the Bear Collector's Mystery series. A charming series new to me. Of course--it IS populated by teddy bears, so what's not to love, right?
In this case, the title teddy is worth 170,000 or so dollars and is a very rare Steiff bear. One that was made to commemmorate the sinking of the Titanic (hence the name "The Mourning Bear"). Now he has been stolen and the last person known to have him is dead. Who killed the courier and why? Where is the teddy and does he have anything to do with t...more
In this case, the title teddy is worth 170,000 or so dollars and is a very rare Steiff bear. One that was made to commemmorate the sinking of the Titanic (hence the name "The Mourning Bear"). Now he has been stolen and the last person known to have him is dead. Who killed the courier and why? Where is the teddy and does he have anything to do with t...more
The sinking of the Titanic was one of the greatest disasters of the 20th century, and one of the many ways to commemorate this tragic event was the creation of a teddy bear, called the Steiff Mourning Bear which in this new mystery series is at the center of the mystery.
Whether or not one agrees with one of the main characters' thoughts on the history of the actual Mourning Bear at the end of the book, this is still a great start to a new series on the craft topic of collecting and creating ted...more
Whether or not one agrees with one of the main characters' thoughts on the history of the actual Mourning Bear at the end of the book, this is still a great start to a new series on the craft topic of collecting and creating ted...more
This little Virginia town at the foot of the Shenandoah Valley is a regular hot bed of illicit activity. Let's see, the sheriff couldn't be bothered to investigate a suspicious death, even though retired San Francisco cop, Brad Lyon flat out told him and showed him the proof. The local pastor is selling stolen merchandise at his monthly flea markets right across the street from the sheriff's office. If any of the cops question the sheriff's orders, they are immediately fired for insubordination....more
1 like · like · see review
view all 4 comments
This book is the first book in a new (to me) series. The protagonist, Brad Lyon, is a retired San Francisco homicide detective and his wife, who move to Virginia and make artistic teddy bears for a living.
Brad is very sassy (like me) and there were several times that I laughed out loud reading this book.
Very enjoyable, even if you are not into teddy bears or teddy bear collecting.
Brad is very sassy (like me) and there were several times that I laughed out loud reading this book.
Very enjoyable, even if you are not into teddy bears or teddy bear collecting.
Surprisingly good. A retired policeman finds a body next to his house and is determined to bring the murderer to justice. Only problem is that there's corruption everywhere. The joy of this book is the likeability of the 2 main characters, you really want them to win. The reader also learns a lot about teddy bears, the mournful teddy does indeed exist, I googled it.
A nice, fun read.
A nice, fun read.
Great characters, murder, suspense and teddy bear intrigue. This books is much more than you expect. I regret missing this author's event at my local independent bookstore (mysterious galaxy). I will be reading more from this author!
I found this to be a cut above the usual "cozy mystery." There is lots of police procedure in it and the one protagonist is a retired cop who really knows how to investigate
The first novel of a fun cozy mystery series set in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. The main character is retired on disability from the San Francisco Police Department and now helps his wife with her burgeoning business of designing teddy bears. He becomes involved in a murder investigation when he discovers the body on his property, but the town sheriff is obviously involved in a cover-up and the town seems to seethe with petty corruption. The mystery was well-plotted, and I really enjoyed...more
This mystery murder involving the Mournful Teddy was cute. I had read the others and wanted to see what Mr. Lamb dreamed up next in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Read this first book in the series after the third book in the series. It didn't really matter. I still enjoy this series. Will move on to book 4.
A straight up good detective/mystery story. Suitable for all who like murder mystery stories.
I am looking forward to the second book in the series.
I am looking forward to the second book in the series.
A really decent mystery told with a light humorous touch. I can really see this series of books being adapted for a cable television show.
If you like a good cozy mystery, teddy bears and bad cop humor Lamb's books are a good read
A light, cute, and entertaining mystery from one who likes stuffed animals. This is a series to read when you just want to read something light and enjoyable.
Cute story and pretty good mystery. Clean!
Started out strong, but fizzled quickly for me.
This book describes how a detective solve a mystery of a murder of a man found in a river. John J. Lamb's way of writing is truly captivating and it makes people not wanting to stop reading it. This book should be recommended to people who love mysteries that are not too violent.
A very gripping and entertaining mystery about a retired homicide detective and his teddy bear making wife who investigate a murder centered around the theft of a valuable antique teddy bear which was made to commemorate those who died in the sinking of the Titanic.
This was a nice change to the usual cozy plot. Although there were parts that came across as preachy, the humour more than made up for it. I will be hunting down the rest of the books in this series. Can't wait to read them!
A nice fluffy read. Who cannot like a detective who loves teddy bears? Being the author is a former detective, he can get a little bogged down in details. I enjoyed the relationship of the detective and his wife.
Teddy bears, the Titantic, and murder, what more could you ask for? An easy, enjoyable read. I recommend it. I can hardly wait to read more of this series.
I loved Brad and Ashleigh and how they interacted with the other characters in the book. I will continue with this series.
May 08, 2010
Susan
added it
excellent mystery, I really liked the detective, even though he was a man...lol!
May 23, 2013
Coco_Chanel Babe
marked it as tal-online
May 23, 2013
Mystery Reader
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
John Lamb is the author of "Bear Collector" mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime. Prior to becoming a writer, he had a distinguished career as a Southern California cop, serving as a CSI, a homicide investigator, hostage negotiator,and detective sergeant."
Series:
* A Bear Collector's Mystery
* Steve and Victoria MacKinnon Mystery
More about John J. Lamb...
Series:
* A Bear Collector's Mystery
* Steve and Victoria MacKinnon Mystery
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
