Just for fun: The Fourth Bear

In both the Thursday Next series and Nursery Crimes, Jasper Fforde creates a complex, alternate version of the UK in which there are literary detectives. The brilliance of Fforde's creativity lies in the ability to reference and connect obscure tales, poems and characters. The Thursday Next books are a lengthier series with many complex subplots, but the Nursery Crime books are pure joy. The most recent addition, The Fourth Bear finds Jack Spratt and his cohorts investigating a missing woman named Goldilocks and a chasing the psychopathic serial killer - The Gingerbreadman. I loved the first Nursery Crime, The Big Over Easy until the final moments when Fforde drew together all the references and nuances of his plot into a convoluted scheme to gain world power, which was somehow connected to the genetic re-engineering of Humpty-Dumpty. (spoiler alert: Humpty neither fell off the wall or fell victim to a malicious push - he hatched) Unfortunately, overly complicated conclusions seem to be part of Fforde's formula for the Nursery Crimes. Throughout The Fourth Bear I was delighted by the clever references and connections, impressed by the quick pace and remained interested in the politics of the police force's lack of respect for the Nursery Crime Division. And then there were 50 pages left and things started to unravel. Again, Fforde locked up the story with a world domination plot underlying all the prior twists and turns. In a way it seems like Fforde puts all these great ideas - a fourth bear! the gingerbreadman as the serial killer! goldilocks as a hard hitting investigative journalist uncovering the secret to cuclear energy! bears addicted to porridge! - and then can't figure out how to cleanly tie it all together. However, the demise of The Gingerbreadman is sure to thrill any reader and eek out a few chuckles, as is Jack's next door neighbor's - Punch and Judy. While the ending leaves something to be desire, Fforde's Nursery Crimes are a fun read with loads of silly literary references to keep everyone smiling.

- KER