Murder Outside the Lines by Krista Davis is the 3rd A Pen & Ink Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Fans of the series will be happy to finally get this new installment (we have been waiting so long). There is a great cast of characters in this engaging series. I like the variety of quirky characters with the majority of them being book lovers. Florrie Fox will need to keep her wits about her if she is to solve the latest whodunit. The book starts with the arrival of a skull and then we have the psychic who believes she saw a foot sticking out of rolled up carpet. When Florrie and her beau, Sergeant Eric Jonquille arrive at the location, they find nary a thing. On her way back to the bookstore, Florrie overhears a disturbance inside a home. When she finally gets inside, she finds one of the store’s customers bleeding out on the floor. This is just the beginning. There are plenty of incidents to keep this book hopping. This was a fun whodunit to solve. It was complex with plenty of twists, surprises, whirls, and turns. The reveal was complete and answered all of my lingering questions. Murder Outside the Lines is well-written with developed characters. I love that Florrie is not only the manager of a bookstore but that she designs adult coloring books. There are several different elements happening in the beginning of the book. It had me feeling like I was in the middle of something. I just needed to be patient. It all comes together with a great reveal. There were a few too many conversations for my liking on whether ghosts were real. It began to feel repetitious. I like that the author gave us a list of characters at the beginning so readers can reacquaint themselves with the cast (it has been some time since the last book). I enjoyed the authors descriptions of the Georgetown neighborhood, Florrie’s cozy cottage, and the bookstore. The author was able to strike a balance between too much and not enough. I like the spooky Halloween atmosphere in the story with my favorite being the skull that did not stay in one place. There are tasty recipes at the end. I look forward to Florrie’s next adventure in A Colorful Scheme. Murder Outside the Lines is an eerie cozy mystery with a screaming skull, a prophetic psychic, a disappeared rug, ghost quarrels, tasty treats, and Halloween hijinks.

First book I’ve read in the series. I liked it. It’s got the same cozy feel that the author’s Domestic Diva series has. And it’s perfect for Halloween time!

I can't resist cozy mysteries set during the Halloween season and this book had everything I could have wanted. It's filled with fall atmosphere and crunching leaves and ghostly apparitions...and a couple of other fun things I can't tell you about without ruining the surprise. Adult coloring book author Florrie Fox sketches her way to the mystery's solution and there's one scene where she's drawing a rolled carpet with a foot sticking out of one end (because that's what the celebrity psychic insists she saw) and contemplating whether the foot was male or female, flexed or pointed... watching her think things through is what I love most about this series.

If you're looking for some Halloween-themed fun, definitely pick up this book. There's lots of twists and turns, strange noises, and a skull that likes to travel around. There's also murder and.....ghosts?? Whatever's going on, Florrie will get to the bottom of it.

This is book 3 in the series, but the first I've read. It works well as a stand-alone.

Many thanks to the publisher, Kensington, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation

Murder Outside the Lines is the 3rd Pen & Ink mystery, by Krista Davis.
Author Krista Davis also writes the Domestic Diva, and Paws & Claws Mystery series.

5*
I love this series! It’s always highly entertaining and well written, even though I’ve never colored the covers!

I won’t include a full list of characters as Ms. Davis has already done so in the book. A partial list of returning cast, Florrie & Veronica Fox, John Maxwell, Jacquie Liebhaber, Mr. DuBois, and Sgt. Eric Jonquille.

This third installment begins in October, right before Halloween. The excitement kicks in on just the third page! Professor Maxwell receives a surprise skull from an old friend. The surprises, scares, and murders, though are just getting started!

Ya’ll that skull seems to do its own thing, popping up here, there & everywhere! The psychic Hilda, claims to have seen a murder and Florrie rescues a friends’ father! Ya’ll that’s just a small snippet of the first five chapters!

This book is awesome and my new favorite of the series. If you want to know what all the hype is about and how Florrie and her friends get out of this and so much more you gotta get the book! It’s worth every penny, disappointment impossible with this read! 5*****



Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.

Murder Outside the Lines is the third book in the cozy Pen & Ink cozy mystery series. Florrie Fox is back to trying to find a killer under unusual circumstances. The physic/clairvoyant as seen a vision of a person rolled in a rug. Upon follow-up to her premonition, Florrie and others cannot find or substantiate this vision.
Also, Professor Maxwell receives a package for safe keeping from a friend. Things get a little strange once the package arrives.

I found it well written, lots of fun, and kept me turning the pages. If you get this book in paperback, you have the option to color in the cover. It is a standalone book and I found the list of characters in front a nice remainder of who the players were.

I would purchase this as a gift for my cozy reading friends.

I was given an Advanced Reader’s Copy by Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review.

For those who like seasonal reads, this is a great Halloween story. With lots of unexplained things happening to keep you guessing, the story moves quickly. Fantastic spooky read!

Murder Outside the Lines by Krista Davis is the third in her Pen and Ink series. We return to Georgetown, and the bookstore with Florrie, as the Halloween season is approaching. Spooky things are happening, a murder, a psychic, screaming skull and possibly a ghost. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the novel, the characters, the small town comradery and the mystery with its twists and turns. The recipes are always a fun bonus! A great read.
Many thanks to the publisher #Kensington and to #NetGalley for giving me an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
#MurderOutsideTheLines #NetGalley

Murder Outside The Lines is a delightfully convoluted mystery that will have readers confused and longing for more. This one is a definite head-scratcher but in a good way. The readers’ inner sleuth will rear its head as they try to keep the evidence in order, the suspects and the killer insight, the red herrings contained, and the book store from being haunted. There is plenty of action and more than a touch of Halloween mischief in this third installment in the “A Pen & Ink Mystery” series. There is intrigue, mystery, a hint of the paranormal, and even a ghost or two. This book has exactly what every cozy reader is looking for during the spooky season.

It’s almost Halloween, and Florrie arranges for a local psychic to do a reading at the bookstore, only things don’t go according to plan. There’s a mysterious delivery, a psychic vision, a disappearing body in a rolled-up rug, and a murderer underfoot. This story is a ride readers will adore. Florrie is one of those characters readers either love or hate, it’s easy to do both, and the suspects in this book agree. Most of the characters from this series are likable and relatable, but some are just odd enough to keep the audience guessing every time.

The victim isn’t in the least sympathetic, the suspects are varied, and some are even scary; at times, there are more suspects than Halloween ghosts in a graveyard. The bookstore plays a pivotal part in the story, and many of the clues and suspects can be found within its walls. The evidence is peppered throughout the story, but many readers will have no idea who the killer is until the very end. Things come together as Florrie and friends question everyone and find answers that lead to more questions. In the end, they come to the correct conclusion, but not without a bit of danger and intrigue. Murder Outside The Lines is a wonderful cozy for the holiday season and throughout the year.

Happy Halloween! Now you see it, now you don't - in this case a foot sticking out of a rolled up carpet that goes missing. Add a touch of the supernatural to a well written mystery as well as a great cast of recurring characters and this third book in the series earns a five star rating.
Florrie Fox has put together a Halloween bookstore event with psychic author Hilda Rattenhorst which includes a reading. What those plans didn't include was Hilda claiming to have seen a body rolled up in a carpet - the one that is soon missing -and then the declaration that she senses the killer is amongst them. Fact? or fiction? What happened to the body and might it be connected to the now missing friend of Florrie's employer, Prof. John Maxwell? In short order Florrie and her boyfriend police Sgt. Eric Jonquile are on the track of a killer and how it all connects to an odd item John Maxwell's friend entrusted to him. Is Hilda the real deal? Who is the killer? How involved will Florrie become despite Eric's attempts to keep her out of the way? By the end, all will be revealed and the reader will have enjoyed a very entertaining read. My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

“Murder Outside the Lines ” is the 3rd instalment in the Pen & Ink Mystery series by Krista Davis. A fun Halloween cozy mystery.

I really enjoyed this book and must read the earlier books and get caught up. Even though I haven't read the previous two books I was able to follow along, so this can be read as a stand alone book.

I really like Florrie, she is relatable, interesting and I love the relationship she has with her boss professor Maxwell. But I really loved Mr. DuBois! I liked visiting Georgetown during Halloween it had the perfect amount of spooky atmosphere.

The mystery itself was interesting, full of twists, red herrings which completely drew me into the story and I didn’t want to put the book down.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy mystery loving friends.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the 3rd Pen & Ink Mystery. There has been a bit of a wait between books 2 & 3. I was excited to read Murder Outside the Lines.
Florrie Fox is the manager of a bookstore in Georgetown in Washington D. C. It is interesting that the author manages to make Georgetown feel like a small town for purposes of her cozy mystery.
Florrie is excited for Halloween in her neighborhood. The bookstore is hosting a psychic/medium who has written a book. Things get a bit out of hand when the psychic sees a foot sticking out of a rolled up rug.
There were many twists and turns to this mystery. We had dead bodies, poison, coffins, a ghost hunt, a cemetery and several unexplained happenings.
I enjoyed the twist and turns and didn’t really suspect the villain.
I like Florrie and the other main characters of the series. This isomer of those cozies that has the female lead dating a member of the police force. Eric Jonquille is quite the boyfriend and he is open to the thoughts and theories Florrie has via her sketchbook.
I am happy to recommend Murder Outside the Lines as a fun fall read and intriguing mystery.

Of the three Krista Davis series, this is my least favorite. While I enjoy reading the series, I've never connected to the characters in this series like I have the ones in the Diva series or the Wagtail series. There are some of the characters in those two series I'd love to be friends with in real life. In fact I would move to Wagtail in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. While I didn't connect with the characters like I felt I should, I did enjoy the story.

I did get a kick out of how one of the mysteries in the book was solved. It made me think of something Grant Wilson said in the original Ghost Hunters. "Being plumbers, we’ve explained away lots of alleged hauntings by recognizing the sounds we see every day while working for Roto-Rooter." I won't tell you why this makes me think of this quote because spoilers, darling.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You know you are in for a rocky road when the author needs to list a cast of characters, and you, as the read having to remember 23 people and animals and how they are related. Once you get past that, you discover the plot is surprisingly twisty for a cozy mystery.

I can’t say that Florrie is one of my favorite Krista Davis individuals since I tend to be drawn to the quirky Mr. DuBois type, but after three books, she is beginning to grow on me. Maybe it was the Halloween atmosphere or the Georgetown backdrop, but either way, I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed this book.

Murder Outside the Lines is a harrowing, atmospheric cozy mystery perfect for curling up with on All Hallows Eve!

If you’re looking for an atmospherically spooky read for your October TBR, this book is absolutely perfect. Davis describes Georgetown in dizzying oranges and blacks, and I truly felt like I was walking alongside Florrie throughout the whole read. This is definitely a slowburn cozy mystery; The first half of the book was spent setting up the story and getting to know the characters, while the second half was filled with mayhem and intrigue. I will say that I felt a little meh about the first half of the book, but the second half definitely made up for it in my eyes. However, I think the slowburn worked well for the story and once the murderer was revealed, there was a great sense of finality. This is the 3rd book in the Pen & Ink series, but you can drop in with this as your first exposure to the series. Davis does a great job of resetting her characters so that you don’t feel confused or unsure about who is who. Overall, a great read for Halloween!

This was an outstanding and fun cozy mystery, with a spooky theme that made me smile. It’s the 3rd book in the Pen & Ink Mystery series.
The main character, Florrie Fox, manages Color Me Read, a bookstore in Georgetown. It’s owned by Professor Maxwell, an Indiana Jones type who roams the world looking for artifacts. When a skull is delivered to the shop, and a psychic sees a foot in a rug during a reading, all sorts of weird and spooky things start happening. Unfortunately, a body actually is found, wrapped in a rug, and Florrie gets involved against the wishes of her police detective boyfriend.
I loved the plot and didn’t identify the murderer until the end! The descriptions of Georgetown are spot on and made me want to visit again. I loved this book, and had a great time reading it. 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Murder Outside the Lines is the 3rd book in the Pen & Ink series by Krista Davis.

It is nearing Halloween and Florrie Fox has a psychic coming to talk at the bookstore. The same day, a mysterious package is delivered. Things get crazy after that.

There are a number of crimes in this book and the challenge was to figure out whether they were related. Every time it seemed like Florrie knew what was going on, there was another twist. I like the characters and it was a great mystery.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is a solid mystery with colorful characters and an intriguing mystery. Recipes at end are a nice bonus. Even though this is part of a series, enough back story is given to compensate those who have not read previous entries.
Wish we didn’t have to wait a year for #4 in this series. Thanks to #NetGalley and #MurderOutsideTheLines
for the advanced digital copy.

Ironically, I probably would have liked this one better if I hadn't raced to read the first two in the series once I realized it was a third book... But since I did, I must confess that I far preferred the first two to this one.

The characters in the series are fun and quirky, and I love the Georgetown bookstore setting - especially having lived in DC for a decade myself years ago. But in this third book, things felt a little far-fetched, even for cozy mystery disbelief suspension - and for a Halloween- themed tale. Overall it felt overly dramatic and tidily tied together much more so than events did in the first two books.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a fun series and I will definitely pick up the fourth book once I see it. It's a fun cozy series and the stories are unusual and easy reads. But if you enjoyed this one, definitely make a point of checking out the first two, as the origins of the burgeoning relationships between the major characters made for very entertaining reads...

This third book of the Pen & Ink series is finally here and not a disappointment. It is Halloween time and Color Me Read Bookstore in Georgetown in Washington, DC is getting into the spirit with a guest speaker, Hilda Rattenhorst, a medium and author. But the scary times really start when people are attacked and the bodies start showing up, seeming to fulfill some of Hilda's predictions. Store manager and coloring book artist, Florrie Fox, is in the thick of things trying to solve the crimes, even though her boyfriend, Sergeant Eric Jonquille, tries to get her to stay out of it. The victims are all known to Florrie and the store staff and friends so the killer must be someone close to them. There are a lot of people in this small close neighborhood so everyone knows those involved. This is a story with action and suspense, twists and turns to unravel and secrets to expose. It was fun to read and return to the series with the quirky group of friends and acquaintances in a great setting and a little bit of a complicated mystery to solve. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
i received a complimentary copy to read in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.