Krista Davis pens a haunting Halloween tale in this third instalment of her Pen & Ink Mystery series. Set in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Florrie Fox is the manager of Color Me Read bookstore and she has arranged for psychic author Hilda Rattenhorst to perform readings from Spooktacular Ghost Stories. When Hilda rocks up, she claims she's seen a carpet with a foot sticking out of it in a nearby doorway but a search by Florrie and her police boyfriend, Eric reveals nothing.

With a fantastic and smart protagonist, this was a great cozy with its adult colouring book theme. The mystery was terrific and I loved trying to work out whodunit whilst sipping my hot chocolate. If you enjoy a well-executed, spooky cozy, I'm sure you'll love it too!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

3.5* rounded to 4
I love this series and always found the novels entertaining and gripping
I was very happy to read this book and had high expectations but I don't think it's the best in this series.
What I liked:
- The creepy atmosphere and the characters
- The cast of characters

What I found a bit lacking
- The mystery: there's plenty of twists but the final part was a bit confusing
- Florrie who acts like she's middle age (even if this is part of the charm)

It's an enjoyable read but not my favorite.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I give up. I so want to like this series but it keeps failing me on factual levels as well as with the mystery. Florrie manages a bookstore in Georgetown that sells, among other things, adult coloring books, some of which she designs. She also solves murders. She lives in the carriage house of a mansion owned by the bookstore's owner- key this time because it's across the street from another mansion decorated for Halloween with, among other things, a custom built coffin. A skull arrives at the shop one morning and things start to go wonky- and then there's a murder. There are, once again, too many characters. The murder doesn't make a lot of sense. And Georgetown- this is not an accurate depiction of a terrific area. There's no flower shop within walking distance of the hospital (I assume Georgetown Hospital but perhaps she's hiking to GW), there's no lots of things. And the houses aren't as depicted here. There's a better book here. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Sorry but it's a pass from me.

I was super excited to see that there was a new edition to the Pen and Ink mystery series by Krista Davis. Murder Outside the Lines takes place in Autumn during Halloween. The story definitely had a spooky feel to it that I was not expecting!

After a psychic is invited to speak at Color Me Read, the local bookstore, she has a vision of a death.
She also fears that the killer is there at the book event! Florrie, our main character, is determined to find out who has been attacking and killing some of the residents of Georgetown, D.C. area.

The series brings back characters from the previous books and some new characters. And there are quite a few characters. Even with a list of characters at the beginning of the story, it was a bit confusing trying to keep up with who was who. There were several side stories going on that added to the main story.

One thing that I find interesting is that Florrie is described as being in her twenties. She tends to act and speak like someone who is in a mature age group. With that being said, at times I could connect with the character, then she would say something that sounded a bit off for someone her age.

The story had some twists that I didn't see coming, and others that I did. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for the electronic review copy.

I enjoy Krista Davis' The Diva series immensely so I jumped at the chance when offered to read this book. Unfortunately, I did not find it as likeable as the Diva series. There are too many characters with nefarious subplots that lead the reader down a rabbit hole attached to multiple other warrens. I just found it frustrating and confusing. I also thought the book went on for far too long piecing together subplot clues.

Florrie Fox runs Color Me Read, a bookstore in Georgetown. The store is owned by John Maxwell, a well to do professor dubbed a modern day Indiana Jones. When the professor is gifted a human skull named Harry from a friend, strange things start happening at the bookstore. In addition, the bookstore is hosting a woman who claims to be a medium and she foresees murder a foot, literally. When more bodies start piling up, Florrie is compelled to put the pieces together. That is the main plot, but like I said there are some subplots that just got a bit tedious after a while.

A good cozy should lead the reader through some twists, turns and red herrings before the grand "Ah ha!" moment. This one has twists, turns, loops, whorls, spins, pivots and jumps worthy of a good rollercoaster and not so much in a good way. There were too many "main" characters to keep track of and all their little goings on grated on my nerves. Perhaps because this departs from the usual cozy faire of a small town, as Georgetown is anything but, the author felt compelled to add more detail. I was disappointed in this offering from Ms. Davis.

Florrie Fox is happy managing Color Me Read. There have been some disconcerting incidents (read here: murder) in the store but that doesn't make her any more prepared to see that the latest package delivered to the store is a skull (apparently named Harry). It's sent to her boss, Professor John Maxwell, who is sort of like a modern day Indiana Jones, by oane of his compatriots, Ellis, who tends to take a lot of risks.
Harry is just the beginning of a number of mysterious circumstances. A local psychic is doing a reading but she comes in overexcited because she's seen a foot hanging out of a rug. But when Florrie goes to look, the rug (and the foot) are gone. Later, she has a vision of a murder being at her reading and a man tries to walk out with Harry. That man later ends up dead, wrapped in a rug.
There are a LOT of people and red herrings in this book. If you can read this in one sitting, it might be easier to keep track but I had problems with putting the book down and picking it up again, even having read the other stories in this series. I am very grateful that Florrie is sticking with one guy and not getting involved in the love triangles that are so overdone in most cozy series. Also appreciated? The fact that they have differing opinions on a subject and each is able to see the other's side. Maybe not understand it, but at least appreciate it.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out September 28th, 2021
Follows The Coloring Crook
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

It’s almost Halloween and strange things are happening in Georgetown where Florrie Fox manages the Color Me Read bookstore. For starters, Florrie witnesses an assault, a psychic author doing a reading of her new book claims there is a murderer in the shop, and then rumors go around that a ghost attacked someone in the store. When Florrie discovers a murder victim, she gets involved in the investigation as well as some potentially supernatural events.

This is the third book in the Pen and Ink series and the third I’ve read. I think each book stands on its own fairly well. Krista Davis’s Domestic Diva series is one of my favorites, but I haven’t warmed to Florrie and her friends in the same way. Florrie is likable, but with the exception of her boyfriend, Eric, her friends aren’t compelling to me. I love the premise that Florrie designs coloring books for adults and although a coloring book provides an important clue in the murder, i was disappointed they didn’t play as big of a part as in the prior book. I felt that was one of things that made the series so unique. Florrie also enjoys sketching people she has encountered each day which is not only interesting to read about, but also gives Florrie something to refer back to in order to investigate the case.

Sometimes the descriptions in the book and the plot got confusing to me. There are also so many conversations among the characters on whether or not ghosts are real that the debate starts to overshadow the actual investigation. I was happy that the latter parts of the book got a lot better. Just when it seems the case has been solved, a couple of twists occur before the very end that really surprised me. Some aspects of the story such as a screaming human skull that keeps changing locations in Florrie’s shop, possible ghost sightings, and an eerie nighttime cemetery walk make this an entertaining, spooky read for Halloween. I don’t love everything about the book but the mysterious things going on in Georgetown, Florrie’s sense of humor, and the surprising ending help make this an entertaining cozy mystery overall.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

I enjoyed this book in the series. It was a great Halloween mystery, Lots of spooky things happening and a good murder mystery as well. I had an inkling of who did it, but not the why or the how.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The perfect Halloween read! Ghosts, skulls, a missing child and murders going bump in the night to provide the perfect backdrop to our intelligent and creative sleuth to unravel the latest series of events in order to calm the chaos that is wrecking havoc on her friends' lives before one of them is the next body to turn up! An old mystery gets interwoven with the current events to make this story the perfect Halloween read! I love that our main character is not only pretty, smart, accomplished and creative, but also caring and with a strong sense of right and wrong. Toss in a cast of unique and varied friends as well as coworkers and you will also find yourself falling in love with this series! Do you love adult coloring books? Then you definitely want to buy this book or rather the entire series as each cover is an adult coloring page that allows you to create the cover that best appeals to you! I can't wait to read what happens next to my favorite creative bookstore group!

I still enjoy the premise of this series, but this isn't my favorite of the author's work. This is running into the trap that cozies sometimes do- a younger main character who sometimes talks and acts like a middle-aged woman versus acting her age. That being said, I love the way Florrie's drawing helps her make connections within the case, and this one is a perfectly fall themed story with a touch of the paranormal and lots of Halloween references

Halloween is meant to be a scary time but at the start of this book, we are greeted with a Human skull and scrying mirror that might just be a bit too scary for the characters who live and work at the Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The skull, nicknamed Harry, keeps showing up in unusual places (how did he get there?) Hilda a "psychic" keeps foretelling the discovery of bodies, and Florrie, manager of the bookstore, keeps getting caught in the middle.

This was really fun - with all the "paranormal" antics, hints that don't seem to be hints, and characters that jump in where angels fear to tread! Just loved it!

This was an interesting Halloween mystery filled with murderous characters and a twisty plot. I love the protagonist. She's intelligent, and works with the police. Of course, her boyfriend is a cop. The mystery was full of red herrings that fooled me until the very end. The setting was so well-described that I could envision myself in the book store looking for adult coloring books. I can't wait until the next mystery in this series. I received an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was my introduction to both the series and Krista Davis. The cover illustration caught my eye. It is really nice that the concept of the main character creating coloring books is so well reflected in the book cover. The story takes place around Halloween (my favorite holiday), and I was not disappointed. Ms. Davis really uses Halloween in the development of the events of the story, which is great. For some readers, there might be a lot going on, but for me, it was a positive element. There is never a boring moment, and how everything adds up in the end is pure bliss for cozy mystery fans. I truly enjoy when the author addresses to the readers' intelligence, and it is definitely the case with Murder Outside the Lines. To make things even better, there are no spoilers for previous books and most of the main characters are endearing.

This was definitely my favorite of the series so far. I love autumn cozy mysteries and this one delivered all the coziness. It was a fun read that had me guessing all the way till the end. If you are looking for a light spooky read this one is perfect. Florrie and all of the side characters are fantastic. The author does an amazing job getting you hooked into the story. Be prepared to get hooked.

Florrie works in a sort of family owned book store, everyone is treated as family, and they sometimes do things together outside of work. Her boyfriend is Eric, the hunky policeman. And life seems normal and fine. Until Halloween nears.

Hilda claims to "hear" the thoughts of a killer, in front of a crowd gathered in the bookstore. Then comes pandemonium!

A pastry delivery boy is missing, then dead. The skull of Harry (the unknown) keeps moving around the bookstore, mysterious men are lurking in the dark of night, and ghosts are seen by many!

Will you lose track of the clues? Heck no! They're repeated often! Could you become confused about who is whom? Possibly, maybe you should do some sketches as references (as Florrie does)! Can they catch the killer and save the butler? (Yes! Joke, the butler isn't in any danger, and no butlers are harmed in this book!) But there are more dramatic questions! I don't want to spoil the surprises.

This book really does have suspense and some tense moments. Despite my joking, and the fairly convoluted plot, there are reasons for most things, so don't despair. Just keep reading. It's a bit of pre-Halloween fun to get you in the mood for creating something, or for curling up with a blanket and a warm drink of cocoa (marshmallows etc., optional).

But hold onto your hats, folks, this one moves at a pretty fast pace!

4/5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for another free preview from Krista Davis!

#MurderOutsidetheLines #NetGalley

Murder Outside the Lines by Krista Davis - I was so happy to receive this advanced copy of this novel and wanted to savor it.  So I re-read Ms. Davis' first two in this series before delving into Murder Outside the Lines. It was well worth the wait.  There were quite a few characters to keep track of and nothing was as it seemed. It kept you guessing right along with the main character. I would have liked more interactions with the main characters in the series.  I look forward to the next book in this series. Thank you Net Galley and Kensington Books.

Washington-DC, bookseller, law-enforcement, attempted-murder, amateur-sleuth, murder, murder-investigation, situational-humor, verbal-humor, family-dynamics, friendship, framed, cozy mystery*****

Good mystery and good sleuthing! Set in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC where the unusual bookstore is the central hub of activity and meeting place for the characters (who truly are). The story is fast paced, convoluted, full of illusions and misdirection. Halloween should be fun, and it is until the murders begin! Fascinating characters and creative sleuthing make this a great story right to the end! The publisher's blurb is a pretty good hook, so no recap on that, and spoilers are just wrong.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Murder Outside the Lines by Krista Davis is the third 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 physical copies a drawing to be colored in by the reader. Each book in this series does have it’s own mystery to be solved so books may be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. There of course is character building carried over from book to book though for those who follow the series from the beginning.

In the first book readers were introduced to Florrie Fox who by day manages the Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington D.C.. After work Florrie draws adult coloring books creating images from things she sees that inspire her. Florrie lives in the carriage house that is owned by her boss Professor Maxwell and has settled into her new life while even started a new romance. With Halloween quickly approaching the town is getting ready for the holiday with spooky decorations and activities galore. However, for Florrie she could have done without the actual dead body she stumbled upon under a fake coffin in a yard.

I have been following the Pen & Ink Mysteries series from the beginning and was excited to dive into book three after a long wait between installments. As always I will again mention I love what the author created with an adult coloring artist as the protagonist and the covers being blank to color. It did take a minute to familiarize myself with the cast of characters again but once I did I completely enjoyed this quirky bunch yet again. This one had a slight paranormal feel with all the Halloween hijinx which I also enjoyed and will happily return to this series yet again in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

It's almost Halloween in Georgetown and Florrie Fox, manager of the charming Color Me Read bookstore, is surrounded by mystery, ghosts and murder. When a psychic visits the bookstore to read from her new book, she has more than predictions for her audience. Now, Florrie must use her sleuthing skills to stop a very determined murderer.

Mysteries set in Georgetown are among my favorites and this one is so much fun! I'm a fan of Krista Davis's Domestic Diva series and, in both books, she weaves a "keep you reading mystery" with lush descriptions of Georgetown that make you feel as if you were there. Florrie is a thoughtful sleuth who doesn't rush into danger. Her boyfriend, Police Sgt. Eric Jonquille makes the perfect partner. There were twists and turns and red herrings galore in the book, which I loved!

If you're looking for a perfect Halloween or Autumn mystery, be sure to put this book on your list!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Another cute, fun read by Krista Davis! I love her Domestic Diva cozy mystery series, and decided to give this a try. It is the third in a series, yet I had no difficulty getting into the town and characters. If anything, it made me add the first two books to my reading list.
A quick and lively read, with characters I quickly grew to enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader copy!