Book Review: Color Me Murder by Krista Davis (Pen & Ink #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Complex mystery; fun new characters

Cons: Climax could have been better

The Bottom Line:

Florrie moves to a

Murderous situation

Starts new series well

Color Me Hooked on this New Series

I wasn’t super surprised when I heard about Krista Davis’s new Pen and Ink mystery series.  With how popular adult coloring books have become, it was only a matter of time before someone wrote a cozy series around them.  I was very intrigued about Color Me Murder, so I was anxious to read it.  Now that I’ve read it, I am anxious to read the next in the series.

Florrie Fox has always enjoyed drawing, so designing her own adult coloring books has become a profitable hobby.  During the day, she manages Color Me Read, a popular bookstore in Georgetown, which also sells her books.  Her only complaint with her life is her drive into work from her apartment in one of the DC suburbs.

One Saturday, her boss, Professor John Maxwell, asks if she wants to move into the carriage house on his property just a few blocks away.  Florrie is delighted, and it helps Professor Maxwell, too.  His sister has decided that the carriage house is the perfect place for her son, Delbert, to live.  The catch is Professor Maxwell doesn’t want his nephew living there at all.

Delbert proves to be a disagreeable person, and Florrie is wondering if she should have moved or not.  Before she figures that out, she finds Delbert’s dead body while opening the bookstore.  The police immediately figure that Professor Maxwell is the killer, but Florrie knows the man couldn’t have done it.  Can she figure out a way to prove it?

This mystery hooked me pretty much from the start.  I loved Florrie and her family and friends.  Well, most of them, although those I didn’t love right away grew on me by the end.  They definitely felt like real people by the end of this book, and I’m already anxious to see them again.

Not only did I love the characters, but the plot was wonderful.  There was always some twist or surprise to keep me turning the pages.  There were some really puzzling elements in this book, and I couldn’t wait to see how it all came together.  I might have even told a nurse I didn’t want her to call me yet so I could read more.  I did feel the climax was a bit exposition heavy, but it was a minor complaint.  I certainly did feel that everything was wrapped up satisfactorily.

Florrie loves to bake.  In fact, she bakes every morning.  It explains the recipes at the end of the book, which initially were a surprise to me.  Considering how my mouth was watering reading about the Strawberry and Cream Torte and the Blackberry Breakfast Muffins, the recipes are wonderful to have.

But coloring is the hook for this series, right?  That’s why the front and back cover are designed to be colored.  Obviously, this only holds true for the physical book, but that’s a fun touch.

Krista Davis has introduced a great new series with Color Me Murder.  I can hardly wait to see how the future books in the series add to the wonderful picture of this book.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.