What a cute idea for a cozy mystery! I would love it even more if the paperback had inserts to color too! I'm tempting to pick the book up just to color the cover.

This was exactly what I expect from cozy mysteries. Fun, light, with a bit of drama, but not too much drama. I didn't figure out the mystery! I thought I had it all figured out and then Krista Davis pulled the rug out. But it all made sense.

My only take away was that there were a lot of characters. I am sure that this will pepper this new series but it was difficult to get everyone straight. As I continue the series the characters will probably make more sense.

My favorite parts were when she was doodling. I enjoy that her doodles made sense to her investigation and even to the people that she allowed look at her doodles. All in all, delightful.

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

When Professor Maxwell, owner of the bookstore Color Me Read, offers Florrie Fox a timely place to live, within walking distance of the bookstore, she jumps on it. There is one caveat, she has to move in immediately so he can prove to his unsavory nephew and sister that someone is really living in the carriage house behind his mansion. This is the first in a new series and is off to a good start. I liked getting to know Florrie, Sergeant Jonquille, the various customers and workers at the bookstore. Florrie's family is also close by, providing a golden for companionship when needed. I thought there was a good bit of information about the history of older homes in Georgetown and the twists that kept coming (along with multiple sightings of varied people) kept me guessing until the very end. I will look for the next one in the series.

I don't know what I was expecting but, I colouring-book murder-mystery novel does really work if you don't actually have the book in front of you. An interesting gimmick/marketing ploy, but not one that really works in practice outside of an afternoon of amusement, or in any way, makes up for the obvious issues with the plot.

I have loved every Krista Davis book that I have read and this book was no exception. The first book in a new series, I immediately fell in love with Flossie and Professor Maxwell. I loved the bookstore setting and Flossie's new residence in the Professor's Carriage House. There were a lot of characters in this book, but it was not hard to keep track of who they were once you were reading the story. The "locked room" mystery kept me guessing with many twists in the story and I liked how Flossie drew pictures when she was trying to figure things out. This is a unique character trait that I have not seen in other mysteries that I have read. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was given this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the Domestic Diva series by Krista Davis, so I was excited to receive an ARC to read of her new series about Florrie, a manager at a bookstore who draws coloring books for adults. It did not disappoint! The writing was up to her usual standards, the characters were interesting, and the mystery was very good. I didn't guess who it was because there were just too many who had reasons to kill the murder victim, a decidedly unlikable character.

There are a few recipes included, and a little romance thrown in. I thought that having the book color able was a very neat and original idea for a cozy mystery. I can't wait to read more in 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!

This was a fun book. I enjoyed the mystery and It was too easy to solve. I am looking forward to the next in the series. It was a quick, light read.

Florrie Fox has been trying to find a new place to live which would be closer to her work so when the owner of the book store that she manages offers her his carriage house right down the street, she's thrilled but she has to move in right away. It seems that her employer has an obnoxious nephew that also wants the space and to thwart him, Florrie has to make it look like she's lived there a while.

After her hasty move, the following day Florrie finds the nephew's body in a hidden cavity in the old staircase at the bookstore. Of course, her employer is the prime suspect for the murder, setting Florrie off to prove his innocence by finding the real murderer.

The story is set in Georgetown of Washington, D.C. (close to where I live) and so the story had me wishing that there really was this bookstore and that these characters were just around the corner. I guess I'll just have to visit in the books when they are written, Loved it all!

What a creative idea for a series! The Pen & Ink mysteries come with covers you can color! But it isn't all about the fun on the outside of the book. COLOR ME MURDER was a clever mystery that had me guessing the whole way through! I'm eagerly awaiting the new installment of this colorful series!

Another delightful cozy mystery filled with suspense and plenty of twists and turns along the way. An amazing book to get lost in.

I've enjoyed Davis' other series, so I was happy to read her new one. This series was a lot of fun, featuring a bookstore manager who creates intricate coloring images by night, who has to solve a murder before her boss takes the fall. Davis does an excellent job developing unique casts of characters, and this series has some great ones.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept you guessing throughout the story while dangling clues to make you think you knew "who done it". I'd love to see more by Ms Davis, especially with Florrie and company.

This is the first book in a news cozy mystery series by Krista Davis. I enjoy her other series, so I thought I would give this one a try. The additional piece of fun with this book, is that you can colour the cover.

Florrie Fox works at a bookshop, Color Me Read, in Georgetown. Professor John Maxwell owns the shop. When his daughter was kidnapped years ago, his marriage fell apart and he became an adventurer, traveling to exotic places. His family is also very wealthy and well known in Georgetown. When his sister wants his nephew Delbert to move into his carriage house, he panics and begs Florrie to move in, free of charge, so he can say that it is already occupied. Needless to say, he does not care much for his spoiled nephew. For Florrie, this is a windfall, she will be only two blocks from work and have no rent. It is also a beautiful place with lovely gardens. Shortly after Florrie is moved in, Delbert shows up making fantastic statements insinuating that he is going to inherit everything and Florrie will be out on her ear. When Florrie is worried that Delbert is trying to break in to the carriage house, she tells Professor Maxwell. He tells her he will take care of Delbert and when he is found dead in the book store the next day, the Professor is arrested for the murder. Florrie is sure that the Professor is innocent, so she begins to investigate in order to get him out of jail. There are a lot of twists, revealing situations, people who did not like Delbert and a pretty big suspect pool.

I really enjoyed this book!! Florrie is an artist and publishes adult coloring books which are sold at the shop. When she's thinking and gathering clues she draws in her sketchbook, which becomes useful to the police. As the main protagonist, she is intelligent, strong and loyal. Add in some interesting and quirky side characters, a bit of romance with the police detective, a relatively close knit family and a bookshop and yo have a good start to a new series. The plot moved quickly and I enjoyed the story and getting to know this group of characters. I am looking forward to the next one in the Pen and Ink Mystery Series.

This was a fun, quirky book. It took me a while to get through the book, but I liked the idea of the protagonist creating colouring books for a living.

Florrie Fox manages the Color Me Read bookshop. She has wanted to move closer to the bookshop, but hasn't been able to find anything she liked, or could afford. When her boss, Professor John Maxwell, offers his carriage house to her, she can't resist. Unfortunately, Maxwell's nephew Delbert had his eye on the carriage house. Delbert is not a likable guy, so when he goes missing nobody is too upset, but then Florrie discovers Delbert's body in a trap door area in the bookshop. Maxwell is the obvious suspect, but Florrie doesn't believe her boss to be capable of murder.

The first book in the Pen & Ink series. A cozy mystery with a likable cast of characters. I love the setting of the bookshop and carriage house in historic Georgetown, Washinton, D.C.

The story is told from Florrie's point of view as she looks into Delbert's demise. The mystery was light, as is normal in cozy mysteries. The police latch on to their main suspect, Maxwell, and Florrie goes around talking to people to find the real killer.

I read this book based on the cover. True story. Fortunately, I also really enjoyed it. A cozy mystery with humor and a little romance. I look forward to reading more of this series.

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!

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.

COLOR ME MURDER, the first book in the brand new Pen & Ink Mystery series by Krista Davis was everything I had hoped and so much more! The reader is introduced to Florrie Fox, a delightfully creative protagonist. She has a kind and loyal heart and I loved the relationship she has with her family, especially her sister. It’s refreshing to see close-knit families portrayed on the page. Ms. Davis includes a cast of characters at the beginning of the book so that you can reference if needed. I felt that the author was judicious in bringing new characters to the page, so I never got confused about who was who. But it was nice to know the list was there if I needed it. The story quickly pulled me in and allowed me to get a good sense of who the main characters are, especially Florrie, while the murder mystery provided page-turning suspense. I found Florrie’s method for collecting and organizing clues by sketching what she had seen or heard to be very unique and added to the enjoyment of the story.

The mystery was well plotted and kept me guessing as Florrie uncovered suspects, including her own sister… which puts her loyalty to the test. There are so many creative twists and turns in the book and I love how the author expertly weaves together humor with mystery, adds adorable animals and admirable humans, hidden secret passageways with a missing author, and then ties it all up with an exciting conclusion! And if a delightful tale isn’t enough, Ms. Davis provides several delectable recipes at the back of the book and if you purchase the print copy, you will have your very own cover to color with your own creative style.

Assumed this would be a paperback/hardcover ARC instead of a Kindle book. Can't very well review the whole thing if there's nothing to color.....

I haven't read it yet, so I can't say what the rating would be. Had assumed I'd get a physical book. If/when I do try it, will rate the story part of it, but its still not the book as a whole.