The Fourth Bear is the second book in Fforde’s “Nursery Crimes” series, which tells the story of the officers who work in the Nursery Crimes Division based out of Reading, England. In this book, Jack Spratt and his partner Mary Mary have to deal with a series of unconnected explosions, the disappearance of reporter Henrietta “Goldilocks” Hatchett, escaped murderer The Gingerbreadman, and to find the identity of the mysterious fourth bear. Oh, and how three bowls of porridge can be at different temperatures if they were all poured at the same time. If you think it sounds silly, you’re right. It’s fantastically silly, full of puns, satire, and wackiness. And it’s really fun.

I was worried about this book because the first book in this series, The Big Over Easy, didn’t grab me like I was hoping it would, but this book is superior in every way. It seems more well-thought-out, with multiple plots weaving together in a much more satisfying, less confusing way. And the fairy-tale references are still satisfying, but this time the characters address their fictitious nature and actually discuss things. The Jack Spratt series of books is actually a series of books inside Fforde’s “Thursday Next” series, but they’re perfectly enjoyable on their own. I’d say read The Big Over Easy first, for an introduction to the characters, but The Fourth Bear is the real hook of this series.