It’s an exciting week for the friends and family of Color Me Read’s owner, John Maxwell. He is remarrying his wife Jacquie, a best-selling romance author, after a tragic loss that tore them apart years before. Florrie Fox, manager of Color Me Read and also a coloring book artist, is excited for the couple to start a new life together. When Jacquie is a no-show on the morning of her wedding, it was an imminent sign of things to come. Jacquie was found later that morning by Florrie, apparently mugged and left for dead. Thwarting that could-be disaster, all the focus turns to greeting guests and getting ready for the reception. As the guests begin to arrive, so does the drama. A lesser-known romance author, an author who can barely follow up with another bestseller, a meek author-wannabe, an ex-FBI agent, and a hopeful journalist are just a few of the characters who are thrown together at the Maxwell mansion. With that many dueling personalities and agendas, someone is bound to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And that time is the next morning when a body is found floating in the pool. Florrie, her sister, and the Maxwells, with the help of Florrie’s cop boyfriend, all come together to find the killer before they strike again.
A COLORFUL SCHEME is the type of book cozy mystery lovers’ dreams are made of. The setting in Washington D.C., the cozy bookstore, the Maxwell mansion, and Florrie’s cozy carriage house behind the mansion will make readers sigh with contentment. Some of the characters in this story will get you a little bit of everything. You get a little bit of snottiness, a lot of down-to-earth, and with the introduction of Jezebel Fish, a feisty, hilarious, older woman, some much-appreciated comedic relief. The mystery itself is well plotted with twists and motives I didn’t see coming. This installment had me turning the pages and unable to put it down.
A COLORFUL SCHEME is the fourth book in the Pen & Ink mystery series by Krista Davis and so far I think this one is my favorite. This can be read as a standalone, but I always think readers will get more out of a series if they start at the beginning to get the full backstory.
Coloring-book creator and Washington, DC, bookstore owner Florrie Fox is attending the wedding of her wealthy boss and a famous romance author, who are taking their vows—for the second time—on the grounds of the gorgeous Maxwell mansion. But it soon becomes clear that the soothing vibe of coloring books is very different from the stress and backstabbing in some corners of the literary world.
Arthur Bedlingham, for example, barely makes a living despite the many awards he’s won—and his chances for better sales haven’t been helped by the vicious review he just got from another guest at the party. Then there’s an ex–FBI agent whose popular thrillers are a magnet for female fans; a less-successful romance writer; and an ambitious waitress who’s intent on a career in journalism.
When Arthur’s assistant, an aspiring writer, is murdered during the festivities, Florrie realizes this is no color-by-numbers case, and she’ll have to sort out the complicated secrets among this creative crowd of suspects . .
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