Bear witness to murder

"Cute and cuddly on the outside, murder and mayhem on the inside . . . Totally adorable." -Duffy Brown on Bearly Departed As autumn air settles into the quaint small town of Silver Hollow, there's nothing more popular than Sasha's teddy bears-and murder in cold blood . . . Silver Bear Shop and Factory manager Sasha Silverman is cozying up to the fall season by hosting Silver Hollow's Cranbeary Tea Party, the opening event of the village's Oktobear Fest-a too-cute celebration themed around teddy bears. She barely has a moment to agonize over the return of her former high school rival, Holly Parker, whose new toy and bookstore in town could spell big trouble for the Silver Bear Shop and her cousin's small bookstore . . . But when Sasha discovers Holly's shop assistant dead with a knife plunged in her body, the unpleasant woman suddenly looks like a real backstabber. So does Sasha's ex-husband, rumored to have rekindled the fiery extramarital affair he once had with the victim. Now, before a gruesome homicide case takes the fun out of both the Fest and her personal life, Sasha must identify the true culprit from a daunting suspect list-or risk becoming as lifeless as one of her stuffed bears . . . Praise for BEARLY DEPARTED "You'll fall in love with this delightful debut mystery." -Victoria Thompson, bestselling author of Murder in Morningside Heights "The first in a new series features a complex plot awash in red herrings, a perky heroine . . . and everything you ever wanted to know about teddy bears."-Kirkus Reviews "The appealing, impulsive amateur sleuth, dedicated to the family business, will appeal to fans of character-driven cozies." -Library Journal "Entertaining . . . inhabited by quirky, fully developed characters and good dogs and cats." -Publishers Weekly