The Fourth Bear (Nursery Crime, #2)
By: Jasper Fforde
My Rating: Four out of five stars
Best for: 16 and up

Wait, I thought there were only three…

I’ve said in once, I’ll say it a hundred times: Jasper Fforde is a literary alchemist. He’s turned Thursday into a person, taught a lesson in humanity using human-sized rabbits, and created a color-blind world to help us see the world better. This time, in his Nursery Crime series, he takes everything we know and love about old fairy tales and turns them into something all new, laugh-out-loud funny, and packed full of fairy-tale Easter Eggs.

Literally.

In The Fourth Bear, Jasper Fforde builds on the world first introduced in The Big Over Easy. It’s an alternative modern reality where nursery rhymes are more than just childhood memories. In this world, they’re the basis for a thriving crime scene. Watch out for the Easter Bunny. Jack and Jill are doing time. The three little pigs just got off a charge of murdering the big bad wolf and are suing for damages. The Bears are fighter for the Right to Arm Bears. And don’t even think of messing with the Gingerbread Man.

Detective Inspector Jack Spratt, who, of course eats no fat AND kills giants (well, only one was a giant. The rest were just really tall and accidents), tries as hard as he can to not get involved with the Gingerbread Man killings. Jack caught him last time, and he wants nothing to do with those bad memories. But when his investigation into the death of Goldilocks repeatedly intersects with the murderous cookie (or is he cake?), Jack doesn’t have a choice.

Fforde’s signature wit and clever wordplay are on full display. He expertly weaves together references to classic literature, pop culture, and nursery rhymes, creating a world that is both familiar and utterly bizarre. The characters are quirky and endearing, and the plot is full of twists and turns.

While the mystery itself is enjoyable, it’s the author’s ability to blend humor, satire, and a touch of the absurd that truly sets this book apart. If you’re a fan of Jasper Fforde, you’re not going to want to miss this one!

A bit of language and some sexy-time jokes. This dad says best for 16 and up.

Happy reading!