The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime.

Ever wonder why Momma and Poppa Bear slept in separate beds? Or the real reason Goldilocks was in the house that morning? Or why, if the three bowls of porridge were poured at the same time from the same pot, each of them was at a different temperature?
In Jasper Fforde's "The Fourth Bear" is not only crazy and perhaps a little insane it will bring you many chuckles and out loud laughter. It is the second book book in the nursery crime series although I think "The Fourth Bear" is worth reading alone and you certainly do not have had read "The Big Over Easy" to enjoy it.
Jack Spratt is the detective in charge of the Nursery Crime Division and the main character of our story, deals with all crimes that are related to PDRs -Persons of Dubious Reality(characters from nursery rhymes). Jack's popularity in the press plummets down after his division fails to prevent the wolf from swallowing Granny and Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack is soon in an enforced "rest" period -with his sanity called into question. But when the evil and sadistic psychotic murderer The Gingerbread Man escapes from the asylum Jack won't let his "rest" time stop him. He and his partner Mary Mary, along with the help of binary-speaking alien, Ashley, are determined to solve this case making Briggs (Jack's boss) look like an idiot by solving the case themselves. It's all to do with bears, the missing journalist named Goldilocks, and an unexpected secret that lies beneath the growing of gigantic cucumbers. Yes, cucumbers! One of my favorite parts of the story has to do with Jack's newly purchased car, which seems to repair itself and whose odometer is running backwards! Yes, backwards!
Loved this book, and you will too!