Play Audiobook Sample
The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(4.00) - 11,418 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
The inimitable Jasper Fforde gives readers another delightful mash-up of detective fiction and nursery rhyme, returning to those mean streets where no character is innocent. The Gingerbreadman—sadist, psychopath, cookie—is on the loose in Reading, but that’s not who Detective Jack Spratt and Sergeant Mary Mary are after. Instead, they’ve been demoted to searching for missing journalist “Goldy” Hatchett. The last witnesses to see her alive were the reclusive Three Bears, and right away Spratt senses something furry—uh, funny—about their story, starting with the porridge. The Fourth Bear is a delirious new romp from our most irrepressible fabulist.
Download and start listening now!
"Fforde has outdone himself in this book. The two plotlines seemed as if they did not connect, but somehow, the Gingerbreadman and the Three Bears and Goldilocks all fit into the same mystery that had me at the edge of my seat the entire time. If Fforde hasn't proven his brilliance to you in any other of his books, this one will do it. I highly recommend it!"
— Courtney (5 out of 5 stars)
The Fourth Bear Listener Reviews
-
" I think I've read this book 3x cos I keep forgetting I already had. I guess I can't wait for book 3 in the NCD series... "
— LoudVal, 2/10/2014 -
" Jasper Fforde. Catch him if you can! He's the...Man. "
— Almeta, 2/9/2014 -
" Read while waiting for a chance to get my mitts on the latest 2 Thursday Next novels. Silly and fun, but these don't quite have the depth of the TN books. "
— Siobhan, 2/2/2014 -
" Cute. A bit slow at the beginning. "
— Ora, 1/26/2014 -
" Excellent follow-up to The Big Over Easy. "
— Scott, 1/24/2014 -
" Jasper Fforde's humor and clever writing style always holds my attention. The Fourth Bear is another fun read with the focus of this Nursery Crime being the murder of Goldilocks. The made-up facts at the beginning of each chapter are a particular favorite! "
— Tammy, 1/13/2014 -
" Just a lot of fun to read! "
— Erocchio, 1/12/2014 -
" It takes me awhile to get into a Jasper Fforde book, but once I'm in, I'm in 'til the end- staying up all night to finish it if I must. The Fourth Bear doesn't disappoint with all the twists, turns, puns, rhymes, and odd connections only a creatively warped mind can invent! "
— Jerjonji, 12/20/2013 -
" Second in the "Nursery Crime" series - familiar nursery rhyme characters caught up in elaborate whodunnits. "
— Paul, 12/10/2013 -
" Enjoyable, clever, but not as funny as I had expected. Not heavy reading though. "
— Nina, 12/8/2013 -
" As always, Jasper Fforde is delightfully absurd. Just what the world needs. "
— Kathryn, 12/7/2013 -
" The best plot twists in the history of mystery! Usually I know the end before I get there, but not with Jasper Fforde and Detective Jack Sprat of the Nursery Crime Division. Familiar characters but with a new life of their own, snarky British humor, and unbelievable situations. Fforde fan forever. "
— Heather, 11/27/2013 -
" Since I am a fan of the cucumber I cannot decide if it is getting its due, finally, or getting major league dissed. Regardless, this is one seriously off center book. And I enjoyed it very much. Since this is what you read Jasper Fforde for, you might as well enjoy it. "
— Cynthiaj, 7/21/2013 -
" enjoyed this much better than "The Big Over Easy" "
— Carla, 4/13/2013 -
" The premise of these books - basically books and characters being alive - is interesting enough that I have read a few of his books. Although also somewhat absurd at times. This was the first one I read in his nursery crimes series. "
— Julaine, 2/1/2013 -
" This brings fairy tales into the current era. many layers of literary references. Very funny. "
— Jen, 9/11/2012 -
" i wonder where SpLotvia is (or however is it spelled) ;-) the elephant park with no elephants sound familiar? :-D "
— Kristaps, 6/23/2012 -
" Banished to the couch to finish reading in the middle of the night. My laughing woke up my wife! Wouldn't normally think great mystery and great fun went together, but it works here. "
— Lawrence, 6/20/2012 -
" Fforde's done it again. Another brilliant mesh of stories, including Goldilocks, Punch and Judy (as marriage counselors!) and Dorian Gray. Utterly delightful. "
— Glorious.Clio, 4/21/2012 -
" Oh, my. Where does he come up with this stuff? Please, sit down at the keyboard and write more, Mr. Fforde. "
— Jennifer, 4/20/2012 -
" Another hilarious read from Fforde. "
— Aleshia, 11/13/2011 -
" I LOVE this author! It's fast, witty, you really have to think, and it's a crime novel. But, it's all set in the Nursery Crime Division :) All of his books are good, but this is especially great because we all know nursery rhymes. Great read "
— Kendra, 4/30/2011 -
" I am now a confirmed Jasper FForde fan. I no own all his NCD crime books ! "
— Tonya, 4/27/2011 -
" More fun with the Nursery Crime set and Fforde's writing style in this series has me hooked. "
— Amy, 4/27/2011 -
" Clever and entertaining. Especially loved the word plays and references to other literature/nursery rhymes. "
— Karin, 4/17/2011 -
" I love Jasper Fforde. I can't get enough. :) "
— Bethany, 4/14/2011 -
" The style vaguely reminds me of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, but weirder. The quirky, strange plot with more twists and turns than a deformed cucumber is oddly appealing. "
— Erin, 4/12/2011 -
" Am now thinking I prefer the Thursday Next series by just a bit, but the Nursery Crime books are still fast-paced and wickedly enjoyable. I'll definitely read the rest of Jasper Fforde's oeuvre. "
— Sofia, 4/3/2011 -
" This was a very enjoyable read. I love Fforde's sense of whimsy and improbable that seems so plausible. The story was clever and the character development excellent. "
— Jane, 3/28/2011 -
" Cute. A bit slow at the beginning. "
— Ora, 3/16/2011 -
" It was funny, but I enjoyed the first book a lot more. I thought the case was more interesting. Still a good read though. "
— Hey_jude, 3/13/2011 -
" This is quite an amusing book. I'd say it's similar to Hitchhiker's Guild to the Galaxy as far as humor goes! A very good read! "
— Jonny, 3/4/2011 -
" It takes me awhile to get into a Jasper Fforde book, but once I'm in, I'm in 'til the end- staying up all night to finish it if I must. The Fourth Bear doesn't disappoint with all the twists, turns, puns, rhymes, and odd connections only a creatively warped mind can invent! "
— Jerjonji, 3/4/2011
About Jasper Fforde
Jasper Fforde traded a varied career in the film industry for staring vacantly out the window and arranging words on a page. He is the author of the Nursery Crime and Thursday Next series.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.