ots ▁and ▁includes ▁a ▁possible ▁came o ▁appearance ▁of ▁the ▁author ' s ▁hero ine ▁Th urs day ▁Next , ▁thus ▁ver ifying ▁this ▁claim . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁novel ▁F for de ▁wrote , ▁however , ▁he ▁failed ▁in ▁its ▁publication . ▁It ▁was ▁mass ively ▁re - written ▁following ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁Th urs day ▁Next ▁nov els . ▁A ▁follow - up , ▁entitled ▁The ▁Four th ▁Bear , ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁is ▁sat ir ical , ▁based ▁on ▁many ▁nur ser y ▁rh ym es , ▁f ables , ▁and ▁the ▁like . ▁The ▁main ▁character ▁Jack ▁Spr att ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁Jack ▁Spr at , ▁and ▁the ▁secondary ▁character ▁is ▁Mary ▁Mary , ▁both ▁from ▁nur ser y ▁rh ym es . ▁They ▁investigate ▁events ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Three ▁Little ▁P igs ▁and ▁Hum pty ▁Dum pty . ▁People ▁from ▁such ▁sources ▁are ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁as ▁P DR s , ▁" pers ons ▁of ▁dub ious ▁reality ". ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁begins ▁a ▁short ▁time ▁after ▁E aster , ▁and ▁no ▁one ▁can ▁remember ▁the ▁last ▁sun ny ▁day . ▁Mary ▁Mary , ▁a ▁detect ive ▁ser ge ant ▁from ▁Bas ing st oke , ▁is ▁being ▁transferred ▁to ▁Reading , ▁Ber k shire . ▁She ▁hopes ▁to ▁be ▁pa ired ▁up ▁with ▁Det ect ive ▁Chief ▁Ins pect or ▁Fried land ▁Ch ym es , ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the