Sasha Silverman manages the Silver Bear Shop and Factory, the family business. But Sasha also manages to get drawn into murders that happen in town. This time a former rival teddy bear maker is found murdered in the woods with an axe in his back. Not only was Sasha's father, Alex, not a fan of the victim because of his business practices but he is a champion ax thrower and was seen practicing for the Highland Fling games in the area where the body was found.

Sasha is determined to found out who really axed the victim before her father is flung into jail.

As an arctophile (teddy bear lover) this not just a regular cozy mystery for me but an opportunity to cuddle up with my teddy bear and read. The people who work at the Bear Shop come across as loving their jobs. How can you not enjoy a teddy bear story! ( )

Bear a Wee Grudge by Meg Macy is the 5th A Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, but I recommend reading this cute series in order. Sasha Silverman manages the family’s teddy bear shop in Silver Hollow, Michigan. She is looking forward to the upcoming Highland Fling weekend. It is a first for their cozy village. The only bone of contention is the obnoxious Teddy Hartman who is determined to make life difficult for the Silverman’s. The family is checking out the festival grounds where people are practicing for the highland competitions. When Sasha’s father, Alex and Gil are hunting for a missing weapon, they find Teddy dead with an axe in his back. Detective Phil Hunter arrests Alex before forensics is even collected. Sasha must work quickly if she is to prove her father’s innocence. I thought Bear a Wee Grudge was well-written with developed characters. The pacing is a little slower in this story, but the mystery kept me interested. I like the setting of Silver Hollow. It is a charming small town with quaint shops and friendly residents. I love all their festivals and activities. I enjoy the teddy bear theme and camaraderie at the factory. The whodunit was a fun one to solve. There are a number of suspects to consider and clues along the way to help solve the crime. Sasha actively investigated the murder, and she asks good questions. There is humor in the story along with plenty of warm moments with family, friends, and Sasha spending time with her kind beau. Bear a Wee Grudge is a craicing good time with Highland Fling fun, tartan teddy bears, an axed antagonist, an indolent detective, a frustrated family, cruel chatter, a mean Morkie, and a sleuthing Sasha. ( )

Sasha Silverman works at her family's Silver Bear Shop. but while the building is being renovated, she's concentrating more on setting up a vendor booth for their bears at the first Silver Hollow Highland Fling. But something doesn't sit right with one of the town's inhabitants. Teddy Hartman, an ex-rival bear shop owner of Sasha's father, isn't happy with them. He blames them for his business failing, and for the fact that a house he planned to turn into a B&B was sold out from under him to a Scottish family who turned it into a shop of their own. Now he's moved to town and opened a pet shop, but at a booth for the Teddy Trot, he vocalizes his complaints. Things turn nasty when he accuses the town mayor, who happens to be Sasha's mother, of corruption. Then he turns his attentions to Sasha, becoming nasty, which causes Sasha's sister to attack him, and Teddy's wife Lucy's dog to bite Sasha.

After the police arrive, things calm down temporarily. But at the park where they're holding the fling, Teddy and his wife are practicing ax throwing, while Sasha's boyfriend Jay is practicing Caber tossing (Scottish logs as thick as telephone poles) and his brother Nathan accidentally misses, with the log falling toward Teddy, who insists he was attacked intentionally. But the insults don't end there, and even though Sasha is trying to ignore Teddy, she later receives an ominous call from her father to meet him at the park.

It seems her father Alex is a champion ax-thrower, which Sasha never knew. But he, along with his friend Gil, found Teddy's body -- with an ax in his back, and a detective they've dealt with before immediately arrests her father without proof he did the crime. Now it's going to take all Sasha's wits to clear her father, while keeping herself out of the way of the true killer...

This is the fifth book in the series and I have to say that it is my favorite by far. We get to learn a little bit more about Sasha's father's background, and how well-respected he is by everyone. It makes him more human in the series. We also learn that poor Sasha is having a hard time of it behind the scenes, as well, and she's struggling just to keep up with her busy life.

Meanwhile, she's trying to find out who really killed Teddy, but the detective isn't listening to anything she says, since he's made up his mind and that's that. Fortunately, Sasha not only has help from her friends, she also has an unlikely ally in another person she wouldn't have expected to help her at all. It makes for an intriguing mystery that also brings us into the world of the Scots, which is actually a treat.

I don't want to say any more about this book so as not to give anything away, but I will say that while I enjoyed it heartily, I did have a hint about whom the killer might actually be, and there are clues throughout the book. However, none of this tempered my real pleasure at reading this book, as the characters are fun to spend time with; they are lively and believable, and the descriptions of everything around them brings you to the Highland Fling in Silver Hollow.

The resolution of the murder had me grinning at the end, as part of it was quite funny, and also gives us something to look forward to in the next book. Kick off your shoes, pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, and join Sasha and her family and friends as they solve a murder and enjoy a festival. Highly recommended. ( )