Includes A Front and Back Cover for You to Color! By day, Florrie Fox manages Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington D.C. By night, she creates her own intricately detailed coloring books for adults, filling the pages with objects that catch her eye. There’s plenty of inspiration in her new apartment—a beautiful carriage house belonging to Professor John Maxwell, Florrie’s boss. He … Maxwell, Florrie’s boss. He offers the property to Florrie rent-free with one condition—she must move in immediately to prevent his covetous sister and nephew from trying to claim it.
When the professor’s nephew, Delbert, arrives, he proves just as sketchy as Florrie feared. But the following morning, Delbert has vanished. It’s not until she visits the third floor of the store that Florrie makes a tragic discovery—there’s a trap door in the landing, and a dead Delbert inside. The esteemed Professor Maxwell is an obvious suspect, but Florrie is certain this case isn’t so black and white. Doodling clues, she begins to consider other colorful characters on the scene, all with a motive for murder. With a killer drawing closer, Florrie will need to think outside the lines . . . before death makes his mark again.
“Clearly this book was written by a genius.” –-Buzzfeed
Digital edition contains a link to the downloadable color-it-yourself cover art!
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Krista’s books are always exciting and fun, and this one is no exception! I fell in love with the two main characters, Florrie and Professor Maxwell. I love Florrie’s shop. Plus, I love that I can color the cover. How novel! As a bonus, there are delicious recipes included. Enjoy.
This is getting 4 stars because I really liked the story and really liked the characters. What I was not a fan of was the narrator and I think [as I have before] that listening to poor narration affects how I feel about a book. So I tried to not factor that in while listening and I have decided that I really enjoyed this in spite of the narrator.
This is a new series by one of my favorite authors, Krista Davis. I have enjoyed her previous series very much and I am now looking forward to more installments of this new series. Florrie is a great character and I love the “supporting” cast and I adore that it is set in Georgetown [a fabulous place to visit and shop]. And I was still trying to figure out WHO the murderer could be when they were revealed. I, like Florrie, was surprised when that happened and then also realized as well that it was right in front of me all along.
Very good read and I look forward to the next one.
Five stars plus! This charming new addition to the cozy genre kept me guessing right up until its deliciously satisfying reveal. With tidbits of romance sprinkled throughout, Color Me Murder was a good old-fashioned mystery — populated with quirky characters (even the nasty ones!), with a lovable and caring protagonist leading the good fight. I can’t wait for Florrie’s next cozy adventure!
Florrie Fox manages the bookstore, Color Me Read, in Georgetown, Washington DC but she also creates coloring books for adults. When her boss, Professor John Maxwell, offers her the carriage house on his property rent free she jumps at the chance. The one thing her boss asks is that she move in right away because he really doesn’t want his nephew, Delbert, to move in. When Florrie finds Delbert’s body later, the police think they have their murderer in John Maxwell but Florrie knows better and sets out to find the real killer.
I’ve read other books by Krista Davis and loved them but this is a “new to me” series and I really enjoyed this first book. The book was well-written with a wonderful cast of characters. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and kept hooked, reading it in one sitting. The mystery will keep you guessing throughout. I’m really looking forward to the next book and highly recommend this one.
Color Me Murder by Krista Davis is as entertaining as the cover is cute. A three story book store is a great setting for the characters, Florrie Fox, her sister Veronica and her employer, Professor John Maxwell. Florrie is looking for an apartment and Professor Maxwell is willing to let her take over the carriage house on his estate. Florrie soon discovers a body in a hidden room—and the mystery is off and running. I enjoyed the audiobook version of this book so much. I am ready for book two now.
I totally enjoyed this story. Wonderful characters, lots of suspects and a great mystery. I was hooked until the end. Florrie is a very smart main character and I loved that she was aided by her friend Bob and Professor Maxwell’s older friends. Florrie took many steps to keep safe and I was glad to see a main character take precautions and not just jump into danger. A fun read with a setting you can picture in your mind. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
I was just drawn into a cute little cozy mystery by Krista Davis. I have to illustrate that her book, “Color Me Murder” had a creativity that really had me hanging onto every word. Krista set the canvas perfectly; painting a town in Washington, DC perfectly in my mind. I was anxious to get to the next chapter of this crafty who-dun-it.
Florrie is the main character that manages a bookstore. She creates detailed therapeutic coloring books with whatever catches her eye; selling them in the bookstore. Unfortunately, a sketchy murder happens in the bookstore, starting some of the townspeople guessing who could have been the killer. Florrie does a little sleuthing for herself. Will she find clues to the murderer’s identity and will she stay safe?
This was such a delightful, cozy mystery. It’s the first book in Krista Davis’ “The Pen & Ink Mysteries” book series. I really enjoyed Krista’s fun writing style. I have to add that on the front and back cover you have the option of coloring in your own artsy style. If you’re looking for a quick, cute cozy read and maybe a little therapy coloring, grab this book for your next read!
~This book was given to me in a giveaway by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.~
Being a hardcore fan of the Diva series, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy the new ‘coloring’ series, but I should have had faith. Davis delivers a great mystery and fun characters.
Great characters. Believable scenerio.
A great new book from this author that I am very much hoping will become a full fledged series. Intelligent and unique characters bring the multi-layered plot more depth and interest. A large 3 story bookstore is the primary setting to add interest as well. The main character is the manager of the bookstore as well as the author of adult coloring books and her immediate cast of friends/cohorts are an interesting and creative bunch. I really look forward to more of these characters!
I absolutely love this series.
“Color Me Murder” earns 5/5 Boxes of Crayons…Creatively Fun!
With adult coloring books all the rage, it is fun to see Krista Davis’ new book “Color Me Murder” with the front and back cover ready for you to color. But what do you do when you have the eBook? You enjoy a marvelous story with rich characters. Florrie Fox creates adult coloring books, but by day she works in Prof. John Maxwell‘s Color Me Read bookstore. The professor does not want his nephew to take up residence in the cottage on his estate, so he asks for Florrie’s help having her move in immediately and pretend she’s been there for awhile. Delbert is not the nicest of young men indicating he’ll inherit everything soon enough. Can you guess? Yes, Florrie finds Delbert hidden in the bookstore…dead, and the professor is colored the prime suspect. From there Krista takes you on a delightfully creative adventure with all the things I love in my cozies: realistic twists and turns, several motives revealed with suspects that pop up to challenge my inner detective, a great setting to explore, a few giggles, and recipes, too…muffins, quick breads, and a torte! Everything I really enjoyed!
I loved this book and I do all Ms. Davis’ books.
Florrie is the manager of a bookstore that not only sells books but also coloring books that Florrie herself has designed. When her boss Professor Maxwell offers her his guest house which will solve two problems, she lives close to work and it keeps is nephew out. This seems like a good idea until she finds a dead body and her boss is accused of murder.
I love the characters, people that you meet everyday. The mystery was excellent, it kept me guessing until the end, I did not figure it out. There is plenty going on in the story that keeps you turning the page. I will definitely continue on with this series.
Krista Davis writes great cozy mysteries!!! This is a start of another great series. Love Florrie!! Her amateur sleuths are always likable – someone you would like to spend time with. Love the idea of Florrie as an artist creating coloring books for adults. I look forward to the next book in the series and highly recommend this book!!
COLOR ME MURDER by Krista Davis is the first book in the Pen & Ink Mysteries Series. From the way this series has started out, I can’t wait to read every book in the series.
The story revolves around Professor John Maxwell, adventurer and owner of the book store Color Me Read who is charged and jailed for the murder of his nephew, Delbert Woodley, and the manager for the book store Florrie Fox, who he not only trust with running the store but who he has placed his faith in to get him out of jail and clear his name. Some of the other colorful characters are Dr. Dubois who is Professor Maxwell’s butler and all ‘n’ all runner of the Maxwell estate, fellow Color Me Read employees, Bob and Helen, Norman Spratt who has a gosh awful crush on Florrie and makes a nuisance of himself, Jim the homeless man that Florrie befriends, Jacquie Liebhaber the Professor’s 2nd wife, Delbert’s two old roommates Lance, Scott and officers of the law Sergeant Eric Jonquille and Detective/Sergeant Guy Zielony and Florrie’s Mom, Dad and sister Veronica. Oh and let’s not forget Florrie’s cat, Peaches, and Florrie’s folks golden retriever, Frodo.
After Florrie finds Delbert dead under an old trap door on the landing of the third floor, things start to look bad for Professor Maxwell and he’s arrested. However, Florrie and everyone that knows the professor, knows without a doubt that he couldn’t have possible been the murderer. It seems that there is more than one person that disliked Delbert and would be happy to see him dead. It’s an adventure trying to get through the suspects list, finding clues to whodunit and staying safe along the way.
Florrie works at the book store, but her passion is drawing. She has even had some of her intricately detailed coloring books for adults published and they sell them at the store. It’s through her doodling the things on her mind or that she has seen that she tries to figure things out. Along with some snooping on the part of some of the regular patrons of the book store, Jim the homeless man, fellow employees and help from past wife of the professor, friends, family and even a certain policeman that she’s gotten kind of attracted to, Flossie is hot on the trail to getting the Professor sprung from a crime he didn’t commit.
The characters in the book are believable. Some you love, some you can relate to and some are like the one person that grates your nerves but put them all together and you have an absolutely wonderful cast for this book.
COLOR ME MURDER is a very well written book that will have your quickly turning the pages. It’s interesting, engaging, and out and out fun to read. It will have you guessing to the very end on whodunit and even then you’re totally surprised.
I highly recommend COLOR ME MURDER to anyone that loves a wonderfully written mystery book that will leave you knowing the answers but have you wanting to move right in onto the Maxwell estate with your new bunch of friends. With this being the first book, my only question is how long do we have to wait for book #2?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
What a unique cover idea. Adult coloring books are huge right now. I gave away quite a few to my family for Christmas with sets of colored pencils. This book brings two favorite things together, a fantastic cozy mystery and color-it-yourself cover art.
When you venture beyond the cover you do find a fantastic mystery. We meet Florrie Fox, manager of the Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington D.C. The cool thing, she doesn’t just sell adult coloring books in the store, she has also published several herself. Florrie is quite a doodler and the pictures she creates are truly art. Professor John Maxwell owns the store. He is a traveler, his adventures take him all around the world. His office is full of treasures from his travels. He lives on a huge estate with a butler, Mr. DuBois, who runs the household and keep his friend Maxwell on track. There is a guest house on the estate and Professor Maxwell offers the place to Florrie. She is unhappy in her small apartment and Maxwell would rather have her for a tenant than his unsavory nephew Delbert.
Delbert shows up at the bookstore and Florrie dislikes him instantly. She understands why his uncle doesn’t want him around. When she arrives that next day a wrinkle in the carpet catches her attention, she discovers the carpeting in covering a trap door, but when she lifts it she is shocked to find a very dead Delbert. There is no way to color this picture any other way but tragic and gruesome.
I want to shout about this book from the rooftops!
Krista Davis is a great writer, but she has topped herself with this series debut!
The characters are so smart, engaging, witty, charming, interesting and fun. I love them already and want to know them better. Heck, I want to move into Professor Maxwell’s guest house so I can be a part of their lives every day.
I have only visited Washington D.C. once, but with the author’s descriptions of the area and the bookstore, I could transport myself so easily. All the little details were wonderful. I would love to get lost in all the Color Me Read bookstore has to offer.
The plot was rich and flowed at the perfect pace. I found myself so immersed in the story that I realized I didn’t highlight any parts or make any little notes like I do with most books to help me solve the mystery and write my reviews. I sat down and started reading and didn’t put it down until I reached the final word. Well written and well plotted this book has everything I look for in a story and more.
A charming and compelling read with an ending that surprised me. A perfect escape, no this one was a trip to Paradise. It deserves more than 5 stars!
Color Me Murder is the first book in the A Pen And Ink Mystery series.
This is a great start to a new series by Krista Davis. A well-plotted and told story with a developed and interesting cast of characters.
At 9:30 on a Saturday morning, Florrie Fox gets a frantic phone call from her boss Professor John Maxwell owner of Colored Me Read bookstore, asking her if she has found a different place to live yet. Florrie answers in the negative and Maxwell offer her the carriage house with the understanding that she can be done moving in by 6:00 PM. Maxwell’s sister, Liddy, wants the carriage house for her son, Delbert to have. Delbert is the ultimate “spoiled child” and has a history of being a con man and Maxwell wants nothing to do with him.
After getting moved in Florrie heads to Color Me Read to work until the store closes. Showing a gentleman upstairs for a book on Churchill she starts to head for downstairs but hears noise from the third floor. When she goes to investigate, she finds someone sitting at Maxwell’s desk. She informs him that this a private office. The person replies that when he owns the business, she will be toast. Florrie had just met the worthless Delbert. When she tells Maxwell of the encounter, he says he will have it handled by Monday.
On Sunday, as Florrie was heading to the rare book room to check on a couple books that a customer called about, she trips on the carpet of the landing going to the third floor. She didn’t remember the carpeting being like that yesterday and upon close examination, she finds that there is a trapdoor in the landing. Wondering if Professor Maxwell knows about this she proceeds to open the trapdoor and is shocked to find the lifeless body of Delbert, stabbed by a spear. Once the police learn of Maxwell’s comment about taking care of the problem, he is arrested for the murder of his nephew.
So, with the help of Bob Turpin, an employee at Color Me Read, Florrie sets out to find who really murdered Delbert and clear Maxwell. Also helping Florrie are several of Maxwell’s professor friends and Jim, a homeless man, who is always sitting on a bench in front of Color Me Read.
I particularly enjoyed a most interesting cast of characters, the professors are all interesting and prove to be a great help to Florrie. I also liked the character of Jim. A man of few words, for the most part, but for being a shabby homeless fellow he is pretty much ignored which allows him to see a lot without being caught looking. I’m looking forward to seeing where the author will take this character.
Delicious sounding recipes are also included.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
I love that I have a fantastic new cozy series and new characters to love! The protagonist, Florrie Fox, manages the Color Me Read bookstore, sketches in her free time, and has her own adult coloring book line! How awesome is that! She moves into a gorgeous carriage house owned by her nice, wealthy employer, Professor John Maxwell, and becomes friends with his butler, Mr. DuBois, who has a flair for the dramatic! I chuckled at a lot of his scenes.
The story provides a compelling mystery which is all solved neatly at the end. I enjoyed all the secrets that come to light during the book. There’s humor, and a cute cat and dog to love. The book is a page-turner, and thrilling to lose yourself in, and I highly recommend this Debut to Cozy Mystery fans! The author includes delicious sounding recipes at the end.
Color Me Murder by Krista Davis is, I hope, the first in a long running new cozy series. I enjoyed reading every page of this book.
Florrie Fox is the manager of the Color Me Read bookstore and a coloring book artist. I found her to be likable, efficient in her management of the bookstore and a little naive about life. Ms. Davis’ descriptive writing made me feel like I was in the bookstore or in her carriage house on Professor Maxwell’s estate with Florrie. The secondary characters were quirky and fun to meet or diabolical and sad. The characters are developing nicely and I hope to know them better as the series progresses (hopefully). The plot was quickly paced and the twists kept me guessing until the reveal. Simply, I was happy reading this book from start to finish and felt like I had found a new “home” to spend time in.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
Florrie is a talented coloring book artist. She works as a manager at a bookstore in DC with her mentor. When she’s offered his carriage house to move into, she jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, her mentor’s nephew had also planned on moving into the carriage house. When that same nephew is found dead in the bookstore, Florrie’s mentor is suspected of murder. Florrie must find out what really happened.
I had a fun time reading this book. I adored Florrie and her friends. I found the idea so unique and fun. I love the fact that the covers are color-able! I was kept guessing throughout the whole book and I loved that. I cannot wait to read the next book!