Review – Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear

In book two of Sharon Dunn’s Bargain Hunters series, we find all the loveable bargain hunters from book one as they arrive in Calamity, Nevada to attend the Invention Expo and the world’s largest garage sale. Ginger, Kindra, Suzanne, and Arleta begin their stay at the Wind-Up Hotel where trouble starts even before they check in. They are plagued by lost luggage, non-existent air conditioning, loss of Ginger’s husband Earl’s booth at the Invention Expo, and a runaway feline. If this isn’t enough to ruin their day, they must also share the hotel with the Squirrel Lover’s Convention, which has limited the hotel rooms available for the shopping quartet.

This is just the beginning of a zany ride that our Bargain Hunters travel on through the book. Kindra meets and falls for Xabier, aka the six foot teddy bear. But does this relationship come to an abrupt end before it can really blossom, when the teddy bear meets his fate at the hand of a mysterious killer? Arleta comes to life for the reader in this book as she begins to question the meaning of life without God, but does she find Him? Ginger once again strives to improve her relationship with Earl, but does she succeed or will her relationship need further honing in the next book?

Not only do we have all these character struggles in Death of A Six Foot Teddy Bear, but Dunn also brings us a more complex mystery with many twists and turns, and an unpredictable outcome. Though not a mystery that races to a break neck conclusion, after all we have to take our time to enjoy the madcap characters along the way, the reader will be thoroughly satisfied with the ending.

Sharon Dunn has a great humorous writing style and you can always, I mean always, count on her to deliver a quirky, fun, and laughable read. She doesn’t disappoint in this second book. In fact, due to the very creative setting of the story, at the Wind-Up Hotel decorated in retro-children’s toys, where squirrel lovers are plentiful, I enjoyed this book more than the first. As a writer, I admire Dunn’s well-played humor and her creative descriptions along with her eccentric characters. Even the detectives in this story come alive with Dunn’s unique depiction of the pair.

I have always recommended Sharon Dunn as an author not to miss and I’ll stand by that recommendation. If you love a good cozy style mystery, Death of A Six Foot Teddy Bear will not disappoint.