Florrie Fox manages a Georgetown bookstore by day and designs and draws coloring books for adults by night. The bookstore holds a weekly coloring club started by Florrie’s sister. One of the members, the vivacious Dolly Cavanaugh, finds and a valuable coloring book from the 1700s at an estate sale. Dolly is so excited she can’t help but brag about it on social media. Later that evening, Florrie goes to Dolly’s apartment and finds her dead on the floor, clutching a piece of the book. While searching for clues about Dolly’s death, Florrie makes a shocking discovery that could change the direction of the entire investigation.

This is the second book in the Pen and Ink series, but the first I’ve read. I enjoy the author’s Domestic Diva series and was excited to try her new series. I liked the book, but Florrie didn’t have as much of an interesting, likable circle of friends as the “Diva” has. For every character I like in this book, there is one I dislike even more. On the positive side, I was surprised to read halfway through the book that Florrie and her boyfriend had only been dating for a month. Florrie and Eric’s easy manner and trust of each other makes them seem like a long-time couple. They are great together, and I really hope their relationship continues to progress.

The premise of the series is interesting and I learned a lot about the origins of adult coloring. I wish there had been more scenes with the coloring club enjoying their hobby. However, the mystery is interesting with more suspects being added to the list as Florrie learns more about her friend Dolly’s life. There is a little too much going on near the end of the book and it becomes hard to keep things straight. Fortunately everything is answered by the end and the resolution is satisfying. There are a few dessert recipes and a recipe for a cocktail at the end of the book. I read an electronic version of the book, but the cover can actually be colored on the print version of the book, which is a fun tie-in with the theme of the series.

~ Christine

When one of Florrie's book club members picks up a rare book for a steal at a yard sale, it seems like luck. But when Florrie finds her murdered the next day, there's definitely a mystery afoot. Davis does a great job with her cozy mysteries and this latest installment is a great read!

The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis is the second installment in Pen & Ink Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.

Even though I haven't read the first book in the series I could easily get into the story and the characters.
Fllorie Fox is a book store manager and creator of adult coloring books by night. She also has an coloring club that meets in her store. When one of the members shows up with a very valuable book but ends up dead not long after that, Florrie knows she must delve into members past to resolve the mystery but the mystery just keeps getting more and more complicated.

There are many twists and turns and more than a few likely candidates to keep readers guessing.
I found it a bit disconcerting that everyone was somehow connected with the victim but it all connects very well in the end.
Adult coloring theme was new to me and very interesting.
Well written and clever, light and easy read sure to provide many pleasurable hours.

The Pen & Ink series is such a great series and The Coloring Crook is suspenseful and interesting addition to the series. Florrie Fox, a coloring book artist, is manager of the Color Me Read bookstore in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC. She lives in a lovely carriage house on the estate of her boss and bookstore owner, Professor John Maxwell. Sergeant Eric Jonquille and Florrie became romantically involved in the first story and it comes in handy to have a policeman for a boyfriend when one comes across dead bodies from time to time. When Florrie and her sister, Veronica, who also works at the bookstore with Florrie, drop off a store patron's purse that she left at the shop they discover her body. Dolly had just discovered a rare coloring book at a yard/estate sale and was so excited that the book would bring her financial woes to an end, she posted it on Facebook. The whole group of coloring book club members at the bookstore knew about her find. But the coloring book is missing and maybe the killer took the book when he/she killed Dolly.
There is a large group of people who are interested in the book and could have gotten to Dolly. She turned her large home into several apartments so maybe one of them could have killed her. Edgar, a grad student, is not who he said he is. There are a couple of strange men who keep showing up around the area. Many of the people in the story have secrets. Can Florrie, Eric and the gang find the killer? This is a delightful mystery that is multi-layered with different issues going on that we don't see until the end. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary ARC from Kensington Publishing through NetGalley. All the thoughts and opinions stated are mine only.

The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis is the 2nd book in the Pen & Ink Mystery series, and I loved it. Ms. Davis is one of my favorite authors, so I was really excited to read this book. Florrie works at Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington D.C. And she also draws and sells adult color books, she is presently working on a book with gardens. Florrie lives in her boss's, Professor Maxwell, guest house rent free, and is settling nicely. When Florrie's friend, Dorthy buys a valuable book at an estate sale, and word gets out, she is murdered. There are a lot of twists and turns, laughs, and of course murder. I strongly recommend this book for all cozy mystery lovers, I can not wait for Florrie's next adventure. 

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Who could resist a delightful cozy mystery with a cover you can color. I can't, and I was so looking forward to getting back to the Color Me Read shop and Florrie Fox. The mystery in this book was so nicely twisted with the romance of Florrie and her law man. I highly recommend this book to all mystery and coloring book lovers.

Florrie Fox and the Color Me Read characters are dealing with another murder. This time, it's one of their own. Coloring club member Dolly Cavanaugh loves to attend garage sales and she has an eye for a bargain. At the latest sale, she snaps up a rare book infuriating the previous owner, the man who was directing the estate sale, and any number of people who read about her find when she posted it on various social media platforms.

When Dolly turns up dead, it appears to be a heart attack. But Florrie knows better. And she's going to make sure that her friend gets justice.

I wish we could have seen more of Dolly's life and even had more development of some of the other suspects. It felt like we glance off of all of them.



Three stars
This book came out November 27
ARC provided by NetGalley; Opinions are my own

This is the second book in the pen and ink series. Florrie is the manager of Color Me Read. Her friend Dolly picks up a rare coloring book at an estate sale. Once Florrie told Dolly how valuable the book was, Dolly hid it. Soon after she is murdered .

I really liked the mystery . There were many twists and turns. Each of the side characters were fun and fit in perfectly with the story. I can't wait for the next book . I received this book from net galley in exchange for a honest review .

I enjoy every series written by Krista Davis and eagerly inhaled this, the second in the Pen and Ink series. No wonder I'm a bit sleep deprived, I always want to read just one more chapter. Florrie has become one of my favorite characters. She manages a lovely bookstore, lives in the carriage house owned by her boss and has an adorable cat. All of the makings of a classic cozy.
Florrie meets several friends at a yard sale, one of the friends, Dolly, is very good at finding the buried treasures at this kind of sale. She finds a very cheaply priced treasure of carved coral and tells one of her group to buy it and then save it to sell later for a pretty penny. No surprise, then, that Dolly would acquire a very valuable book on flowers from the 1700's. The man running the sale has, according to Dolly, a reputation of missing the mark when pricing items he sells for estates and that is why she enjoys spending time at them. There is always lots of treasure to be found. unfortunately, it seems the Dolly's latest find may have become the motive for her murder. The estate agent wants the book back.
Florrie has the perfect excuse to start investigating when Dolly's daughter asks her to look at her mothers books to see what is valuable. As Florrie was very fond of Dolly, she wants very much to catch her killer. With a romantic relationship to a policeman on the case, she is on her way, tracking down clues. Plus, it's not just the murder and the missing book that has her attention, there are other threads that run through the story that I enjoyed - a lost Van Gogh sunflower picture that was stolen from her boss's family and never seen again.
This can be read as a stand alone but I would suggest reading them in order so you get the full enjoyment out of the series. I'm just sad that I read it so fast and n ow I have to wait until the next book comes out

This is the second in the Pen & Ink Mystery series by Krista Davis who a favorite cozy author of mine. I enjoyed the first in series and highly recommend this series. This is a delightful read. Each book in the series can be read as a stand alone.
This is a wonderful series with charm, a great sleuth and fun charcters. I love the setting of Washington D.C which is new to the cozy world and fun to read about. As a second in series this is the perfect addition to the series with a well crafted plot that kept this avid reader guessing !

Our protagonist is Florrie Fox the manager of the Color Me Read bookstore in Washington D.C.. She lives in the carriage house on her boss, Professor John Maxwell’s property and has a sweet tabby cat named Peaches who goes with her to the bookstore and is part of the bookstore charm. He is beloved by customers to the store. The carriage house is charming,. her boss is her friend and she is enjoying her life. The bookstore has a weekly coloring club group of fun ladies called the "Hues, Brews and Clues". The ladies have become friends and all are very creative. Florrie also creates adult coloring books.
Dolly , a member of the bookstore's weekly coloring club, is at a estate sale when she comes across a rare coloring book, that was published in 1760. Percy the estate manager realizes he priced it wrong and they want it back. Florrie soon finds Dolly dead with a page from one of the coloring book pages in her hand. Everyone adored and loved Dolly, who is survived by her only daughter, Maisie. The daughter ask Florrie to conduct research going through Dolly’s book collection to determine if any were valuable. While sorting the books Florrie discovers a skeleton hidden in a walled-in bookcase. Florrie wants to find out who killed her friend and find out the identity of the skeleton. She suspects that both murders have underlying reasons and her instincts soon prove right.
Soon she is on the trail of two murders and several suspects . As the clues grow Florrie finds yet more mystery to delve into and is determined to find the truth. She works with her police Sargent boyfriend in a cordial working relationship as the two are also dating and getting more serious.
This is a fantastic mystery and I loved the addition sleuth and well crafted clues. I was unable to guess the true suspects which is the sign of a great sleuth for this avid reader. I loved the bookstore , the charming charcters and the smart savvy protagonist who proves to be as talented as a detective as she is as a artist. .This is a hit series and I look forward to many more by the author. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.

I liked the first book in this series and I loved this one.
Florrie has grown, she's stronger and more independent than in the first instalment.
It was lovely to meet again the cast of characters and read the evolution of the characters.
The mystery was strong, no plot hole, and kept you guessing till the end.
I was hooked since the first pages and couldn't put it down reading it as fast as I could.
I look forward to the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC

The Coloring Crook is the second book in Krista Davis’ Pen & Ink Mysteries series. The storyline is well plotted and fast-paced, the delightful characters are well developed, the twists and turns, and red herrings, kept me turning the pages. Ms. Davis’ writing style is very descriptive and makes the reader feel as if they are experiencing everything first hand. There are plenty of suspects, multiple mysteries, and reveal was surprising.

Florrie Fox is the manager of the Color Me Read bookstore in Washington, DC and enjoys creating adult coloring books. She lives in the carriage house on her boss, Professor John Maxwell’s, estate, has an adorable tabby cat named Peaches who often accompanies her to the bookstore, and is dating Sergeant Eric Jonquille. While attending an estate sale, Dolly Cavanaugh, a member of the bookstore's weekly coloring club, Hues, Brews, and Clues, comes across a rare coloring book, The Florist, the earliest known coloring book, was published circa 1760. Percy McAllister, the estate sale manager, priced the book incorrectly and Lucianne Dumont says it was sold by mistake and wants it back. Florrie and her sister, Veronica, find Dolly dead on the floor of her home, with what Florrie suspects is a corner of one of the coloring book pages clutched in her hand. The authorities originally believe Dolly suffered a heart attack, but it’s soon determined that she was poisoned. Everyone loved Dolly, who had been married four times, is survived by her estranged daughter, Maisie. At Maisie’s request, Florrie is going through Dolly’s book collection to determine if any were valuable and help her decide what to do with them. While sorting the books in the attic, Florrie discovers a skeleton hidden behind a walled-in bookcase. Florrie is drawn into multiple mysteries and wants to find out who killed her friend, stole the book, and, if possible, the identity of the skeleton was, as well solve a couple of other mysteries.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Stand alone – absolutely. This is the second in the series.

What I liked:

List of characters and relation to the story and each other is at the beginning.
The cast of characters – their diversity.

It truly was a cozy- a murder without the emphasis on blood guts and mayhem. Just Florrie a trying to find out if Dolly was murdered and what happened to the book, The Florist.

The main characters are evolving. This one is set in Washington, D. C., the Georgetown area.
Florrie Fox works in a book store by day and is an adult coloring book artist and sleuth at other times.

Lots of twists and turns and sub-plots.
Added bonus: recipes to try at end of book

What I did not like: the ending seemed rushed.

Looking forward to another installment.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by Kensington and NetGalley. These are my unsolicited opinions.

The Coloring Crook is the second book in the Pen and Ink Mysteries series.

Florrie Fox is still enjoying the home that her boss, Professor John Maxwell is renting her at a very affordable price and managing his bookstore, Color Me Read.

Florrie has recently started a coloring group called Hues, Brews, and Clues. One morning, Dolly Cavanaugh, a member of the group, comes into Color Me Read all excited. She had just come from an estate sale where she had purchased a coloring book that appeared to be very old. Florrie examined the book and was sure that it was the first known coloring book called The Florist published in the 1700’s, and could be priceless. Later, as Florrie is closing Color Me Read, she notices that Dolly had left her purse and decides to drop it off at Dolly’s home. When she arrives, instead of finding a very happy Dolly, she finds a very dead Dolly and clutched in her fingertips is a small piece of paper that Florrie feels was torn from The Florist. A day or two later Dolly’s estranged daughter, Maisie, arrives and wants to get her mother’s estate settled as soon as possible. Florrie offers to come back and help Maisie clear out her mother’s effects and to hopefully find some clues as to who the killer might be. What she doesn’t expect to find is another dead body. She was clearing some bookshelves in the attic when she finds the skeletal remains of a human behind the bookcase. Florrie with help of her police detective, Eric Jonquille, and some of her friends from the bookstore set off to find the killer of Dolly and find out, if possible, who the skeleton was.

This is a great follow-up to the first book in the series, Color Me Murder. The book is well-plotted written and has an interesting cast of characters. Delicious recipes are also included with the book.

I will be watching for the next book in this interesting series.

Florrie Fox manages a Georgetown bookstore by day and designs and draws coloring books for adults by night. The bookstore holds a weekly coloring club started by Florrie’s sister. One of the members, the vivacious Dolly Cavanaugh, finds and a valuable coloring book from the 1700s at an estate sale. Dolly is so excited she can’t help but brag about it on social media. Later that evening, Florrie goes to Dolly’s apartment and finds her dead on the floor, clutching a piece of the book. While searching for clues about Dolly’s death, Florrie makes a shocking discovery that could change the direction of the entire investigation.

This is the second book in the “Pen and Ink” series, but the first I’ve read. I enjoy the author’s “Domestic Diva” series and was excited to try her new series. I liked the book, but Florrie didn’t have as much of an interesting, likable circle of friends as the “Diva” has. For every character I like in this book, there is one I dislike even more. On the positive side, I was surprised to read halfway through the book that Florrie and her boyfriend had only been dating for a month. Florrie and Eric’s easy manner and trust of each other makes them seem like a long-time couple. They are great together, and I really hope their relationship continues to progress.

The premise of the series is interesting and I learned a lot about the origins of adult coloring. I wish there had been more scenes with the coloring club enjoying their hobby. However, the mystery is interesting with more suspects being added to the list as Florrie learns more about her friend Dolly’s life. There is a little too much going on near the end of the book and it becomes hard to keep things straight. Fortunately everything is answered by the end and the resolution is satisfying. There are a few dessert recipes and a recipe for a cocktail at the end of the book. I read an electronic version of the book, but the cover can actually be colored on the print version of the book, which is a fun tie-in with the theme of the series. I would give this book 3.5 stars.

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Kensington Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Too many characters. Florrie manages a bookstore in Georgetown, which is a terrific area of DC which is not well used at all in this second installment in a series-but you can read it as a standalone. I'm still wondering where that bakery is and I'd like to know what restaurant overlooks the Georgetown flea market. MPD is similarly not well served. I appreciate that Eric is the love interest but....In any event, the mystery involving a valuable book of 60 drawings which leads to murder is, I think, overly complicated by some details and not enough of others. I'm all for recipes at the end of cozies and these look good but Florrie's baking is only mentioned in passing so the addition seemed forced. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Sorry but this is a pass for me.

The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis is the second book in the cozy Pen & Ink Mysteries series. This series has the unique set up of the protagonist being an artist who draws adult coloring books so to celebrate that the publisher has made the cover of hard copies a drawing to be colored in by the reader.

Each book in this series does have it’s own contained mystery to be solved so books may be read out of order if choosing. There of course is character building carried over story to story though so reading in order is always the best option. In the first book readers were introduced to Florrie Fox who by day manages the Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington D.C. and in her off time draws for adult coloring books.

Florrie has settled into her new life and has even started a new romance. The bookstore has been booming and Florrie has made plenty of friends with the bookstore’s coloring club. One of the club’s members shows up with a rare find that would be worth a fortune but when she’s found dead the next day Florrie suspects foul play and will do anything to find out what happened to her friend.

The Pen & Ink Mysteries have returned readers to the unique and wonderful characters and setting from the first book of the series. As much as I loved the creativity of the cover of the books the stories inside have also been fun to read too. There’s again plenty of suspects to keep a reader guessing through the mystery to go along with the fun setting and characters so I’ll be sure to be back to this series in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Dolly Cavanaugh has a history of bad luck but that changes when she finds a valuable eighteenth century coloring book at a yard sale. Her luck is short lived because later in the day she is discovered sprawled out dead on the floor of her Georgetown home holding a corner of the coloring book. Now friend and bookstore manager Florrie Fox finds herself searching for answers but instead finding more questions.

Once again author Krista Davis shows us she is an expert at setting a scene.. Her excellent attention to detail makes a story come to life. The book is easy to read but you'll want to take your time so you can absorb all the elements of the story.

Thanks to Kensington books and NetGalley for an ARC of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is such a fun series! This is book #2, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone or as an introduction to the series. Main character Florrie is an artist, a coloring book creator, and works in a book store in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. She also has a knack for getting involved in suspicious deaths and is honing her sleuthing skills to help solve them. In The Coloring Crook, an extremely rare, very old coloring book is discovered and quickly vanishes, at the same time one of Florrie's friends is unexpectedly found dead. Florrie's compelled to find out what happened to hear friend, the rare book, and some missing, valuable art once owned by her boss' family. This story has several layers of mystery and some really strong suspects and motives, which kept me reading late into the night. It's well-written and the conclusion is very satisfying and complete. I love the characters in this book, including Florrie, her boss Professor Maxwell, his butler Mr. Dubois, and Florrie's boyfriend, police sergeant Eric. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a great mystery (or two or three)!

I received an advance copy of this book. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

This was a very good read and a good second book in this new series by Krista Davis.

I really enjoyed the first one of this series and was very excited to get this one as well from NetGalley to read. The characters are a lot of fun and this mystery was very good and also very sad in many aspects. I did guess who the killer was, but only because they were truly very suspicious. There are plenty of red herrings which makes it fun and a second mystery that was a little harder to uncover. And even though the killer is revealed, there truly was no happy ending in this one; well, there is a little happy ending, but not like other cozies that I have read. I cannot go into details as I don't believe in spoilers, but there was a definite undercurrent of sadness throughout this whole book.

I really like Florrie a lot. She is a unique main character - she is happy to be mostly single [she and Eric have only been dating a month and I think she still is unsure about why he is even with her], she is independent and she loves her life. She is a talented artist and a good manager, and even though her younger sister doesn't think so at times, she IS a good sister. It is her independence that I really enjoy and that fact that she doesn't need to rely on a man or her new boyfriend to get things done. It is becoming rare in the cozy world to have a main character like that and so I adore Krista Davis for giving us a great character like Florrie.

I only have one complaint about this book - the reveal was...odd? It didn't even really feel like a reveal and I have to wonder if something was left out because this was an ARC? It was very uneven and choppy and when I got done I was still unsure if I had really read the reveal or not. I knew I had gotten the right person pegged, but it still was very uneven and choppy and I was a bit confused at the end. And after sleeping on it, I am still a bit confused. <shrug> At least the killer was caught; I guess that is all that matters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.