This is the first book in Krista Davis's new 'Pen and Ink' cozy mystery series.
*****
Twentysomething Florrie Fox is the manager of the 'Color Me Read' bookstore in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. This is the perfect job for Florrie, because she loves to read mysteries AND she creates her own line of adult coloring books.
Florrie is trying to find an apartment closer to work when her boss, peripatetic Professor John Maxwell, offers her the carriage house on his nearby estate.....rent-free.
Maxwell's only caveat is that Florrie has to move in immediately because his sister, Liddy Woodley, wants her good-for-nothing son Delbert to occupy the premises.
It seems that Delbert - who scams/steals from everyone he meets - has been thrown out by his roommates and needs a new place to live. Florrie gets her things into the carriage house in the nick of time, just before Liddle and Delbert come snooping around.
When Florrie comes across Delbert in the bookstore the next day, he nastily tells her that he's going to inherit his uncle's estate and her job will be toast. Professor Maxwell tells Florrie not to worry, that he'll take care of Delbert. A day or so later Delbert's dead body is found in an old bootlegger's hidey-hole in the bookstore, with an ornamental spear in his back.
The police are called, and Florrie is immediately taken with Sergeant Eric Jonquille, a hunky beat cop who has 'delphinium blue eyes and auburn curls.'
After a very minimal investigation (this only happens in cozies), Professor Maxwell is arrested by hard-headed Detective-Sergeant Guy Zielony - who won't consider any other suspects.
As Maxwell is being led away in handcuffs he tells Florrie to use her little gray cells and artistic skills to find the real killer. So - employing the detective smarts she's gleaned from mysteries and the clues she doodles in her sketchpad - Florrie investigates.
Before long strange things start to happen. Professor Maxwell's mansion is ransacked and his butler/houseman Mr. Dubois is seriously injured; someone tries to break into the carriage house; a woman is badly hurt by an electrical mishap; mysterious noises are heard; and so on. With all this going on, guards are brought in to protect Maxwell's estate, and Jonquille becomes Florrie's 'bodyguard.'
During Florrie's inquiries, she collects clues, speaks to people who knew Delbert (most of whom he's wronged), and cogitates about the peculiar things that have been happening. In the end, Florrie identifies the culprit - who I didn't guess.....and who doesn't quite ring true IMO.
Florrie is a short, amiable young woman who dresses nicely and likes to bake delicious pastries - like blueberry buns and strawberry tortes.
She has a kitty named Peaches and - for safety purposes - borrows her parents' dog Frodo - who everyone loves.
In short, Florrie is a charming girl who's considerate of the bookstore's employees; gets along well with Professor Maxwell's eccentric erudite friends; and always brings breakfast to Jim - a homeless man who sits on a bench near the bookstore every morning. Florrie's not too hip though, and - when she has to check out a nightclub for clues - Florrie's tall blonde sister Veronica has to advise her to wear ripped jeans, a short glittery shirt, and high heels.
In addition to the central mystery in the book (Who killed Delbert?), there are lots of other things going on. Professor Maxwell's ex-wife goes missing; a writer whose books were plagiarized by Delbert gives a talk at the bookstore; a family friend named Norman pursues Florrie romantically....and Florrie's white lie about 'another boyfriend' leads to amusing trouble; people accuse Florrie of sleeping with Professor Maxwell; Florrie has to deal with her kind but intrusive parents; Florrie's sister Veronica has a new boyfriend; and so on.
The book has a lot of secondary characters, which gets confusing, but they'll presumably make good fodder for future books in the series.
This is an entertaining cozy mystery that I'd recommend to fans of the genre. I listened to the audiobook version on Hoopla, but I understand the front and back covers are colorable....so that's an added treat. :)
*****
Twentysomething Florrie Fox is the manager of the 'Color Me Read' bookstore in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. This is the perfect job for Florrie, because she loves to read mysteries AND she creates her own line of adult coloring books.
Florrie is trying to find an apartment closer to work when her boss, peripatetic Professor John Maxwell, offers her the carriage house on his nearby estate.....rent-free.
Maxwell's only caveat is that Florrie has to move in immediately because his sister, Liddy Woodley, wants her good-for-nothing son Delbert to occupy the premises.
It seems that Delbert - who scams/steals from everyone he meets - has been thrown out by his roommates and needs a new place to live. Florrie gets her things into the carriage house in the nick of time, just before Liddle and Delbert come snooping around.
When Florrie comes across Delbert in the bookstore the next day, he nastily tells her that he's going to inherit his uncle's estate and her job will be toast. Professor Maxwell tells Florrie not to worry, that he'll take care of Delbert. A day or so later Delbert's dead body is found in an old bootlegger's hidey-hole in the bookstore, with an ornamental spear in his back.
The police are called, and Florrie is immediately taken with Sergeant Eric Jonquille, a hunky beat cop who has 'delphinium blue eyes and auburn curls.'
After a very minimal investigation (this only happens in cozies), Professor Maxwell is arrested by hard-headed Detective-Sergeant Guy Zielony - who won't consider any other suspects.
As Maxwell is being led away in handcuffs he tells Florrie to use her little gray cells and artistic skills to find the real killer. So - employing the detective smarts she's gleaned from mysteries and the clues she doodles in her sketchpad - Florrie investigates.
Before long strange things start to happen. Professor Maxwell's mansion is ransacked and his butler/houseman Mr. Dubois is seriously injured; someone tries to break into the carriage house; a woman is badly hurt by an electrical mishap; mysterious noises are heard; and so on. With all this going on, guards are brought in to protect Maxwell's estate, and Jonquille becomes Florrie's 'bodyguard.'
During Florrie's inquiries, she collects clues, speaks to people who knew Delbert (most of whom he's wronged), and cogitates about the peculiar things that have been happening. In the end, Florrie identifies the culprit - who I didn't guess.....and who doesn't quite ring true IMO.
Florrie is a short, amiable young woman who dresses nicely and likes to bake delicious pastries - like blueberry buns and strawberry tortes.
She has a kitty named Peaches and - for safety purposes - borrows her parents' dog Frodo - who everyone loves.
In short, Florrie is a charming girl who's considerate of the bookstore's employees; gets along well with Professor Maxwell's eccentric erudite friends; and always brings breakfast to Jim - a homeless man who sits on a bench near the bookstore every morning. Florrie's not too hip though, and - when she has to check out a nightclub for clues - Florrie's tall blonde sister Veronica has to advise her to wear ripped jeans, a short glittery shirt, and high heels.
In addition to the central mystery in the book (Who killed Delbert?), there are lots of other things going on. Professor Maxwell's ex-wife goes missing; a writer whose books were plagiarized by Delbert gives a talk at the bookstore; a family friend named Norman pursues Florrie romantically....and Florrie's white lie about 'another boyfriend' leads to amusing trouble; people accuse Florrie of sleeping with Professor Maxwell; Florrie has to deal with her kind but intrusive parents; Florrie's sister Veronica has a new boyfriend; and so on.
The book has a lot of secondary characters, which gets confusing, but they'll presumably make good fodder for future books in the series.
This is an entertaining cozy mystery that I'd recommend to fans of the genre. I listened to the audiobook version on Hoopla, but I understand the front and back covers are colorable....so that's an added treat. :)
This is an entertaining cozy mystery that I'd recommend to fans of the genre. I listened to the audiobook version on Hoopla, but I understand the front and back covers are colorable....so that's an added treat. :)
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
Rating: 3 stars
Sounds like a good cozy series . I have read some from her other series and enjoyed them so I know I will read this one as well. Nice review Barb .
ReplyDeleteThank you Carla. This is the first book I've read by Krista Davis. I'll have to try some others. :)
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