I hope everyone had a delightful weekend. His Risk by Shelley Shepard Gray will be out on March 6. It is the fourth book in The Amish of Hart County series. Krista Davis is the featured author today. She is the author of A Paws and Claws Mystery series (wonderful cozy mystery series set in Wagtail) and A Domestic Diva Mystery series.
Color Me Murder by Krista Davis
is the first book in the new A Pen & Ink Mystery series. Florrie Fox is the manager of Color Me Read
in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C.
At night she uses her artistic skills to create adult coloring
books. When Florrie arrives at work,
Professor John Maxwell (her boss) asks if she is still looking for an apartment. Florrie wishes to move closer to work to cut
down on her commute. Professor Maxwell
offers Florrie his carriage house (rent free) on the condition that she move in
that day. Liddy Woodley, Professor
Maxwell’s sister, wants her son, Delbert to live in the carriage house. The last thing Professor Maxwell wants is his
odious nephew living on the property. After
meeting Delbert, Florrie can understand Professor Maxwell’s feelings. That night someone tries to break into the
carriage house. The next morning Florrie
stumbles on the third-floor landing. The carpet was not lying flat. Upon investigation, she finds a trap door
which opens to reveal a hidden compartment.
Inside is Delbert with a spear sticking out of his back. Professor Maxwell is arrested for Delbert’s
murder, and he is relying on Florrie to solve the crime. There are many people who disliked Delbert due
to his various schemes. Florrie, with
the aid of her friends and her sketches, works to cover a killer and free
Professor Maxwell.
Color Me Murder was an
entertaining cozy mystery. The story
drew me in right away. I thought Color
Me Murder was well-written and had a steady pace (and good flow) which made it
easy to read. Krista Davis has an appealing writing style. Florrie Fox is a
delightful character. She works at the
bookstore and designs adult coloring books which I found unique. While working on solving the murder, she uses
sketches (instead of notes). Florrie
interprets what she is told into visual images which aid her in solving the
crime. Florrie is creative, intelligent,
loyal, likeable and she rolls with the punches. There are a couple of quirky
characters in the story. Mr. DuBois, the butler, is a hoot. Professors Rosca,
Goldblum and Bankhouse are friends of Professor Maxwell’s and are helpful in
gathering intel for Florrie. I do hope
we get to see more of Professor Maxwell in the next installment (he is a lively
gentleman). The author provided lovely
descriptions of Georgetown where the bookshop is located and Florrie’s new
residence. The mystery is
well-constructed and clever. Many
readers will be surprised by the culprit’s identity. All
the loose ends tie together and are wrapped up neatly at the end of the book. I appreciated that the focus of the book was on
the mystery. There is a touch of romance,
two adorable animals (a cat and a dog), a beautiful old home with some hidden
secrets, an unwanted admirer, humor, a gorgeous necklace and an unexpected ally
for Florrie in Color Me Murder. The
cover of Color Me Murder (for those that purchase a hard copy) can be colored
which ties into the story. There are
recipes at the end of the book. I finished Color Me Murder with a grin on my
face (no silly characters or inane antics in this story). My rating for Color Me Murder is 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it).
I am eager to read to the next A
Pen & Ink Mystery. Color Me Murder will be released on Tuesday, February 27.
Thank you for stopping by today. Tomorrow I will return with my thoughts on Lethal Licorice by Amanda Flower. May you have a day full of smiles. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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