A Colorful Scheme by Krista Davis is the fourth A Pen & Ink Mystery. Each book can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. Florrie Fox is back. I like Florrie as well as the rest of the cast in this entertaining series. This is a very much a character driven series. Florrie manages Color Me Read a Georgetown bookstore owned by Professor John Maxwell. She also designs adult coloring books. Jacquie and Professor Maxwell are getting married again. They invited five hundred people for a party and surprised them with the wedding. It is a lovely event with some interesting authors in attendance. The next morning, Florrie is awakened early by screams and squeals. Mr. DuBois, the butler, has found the body of Evan McDonald, Arthur Bedlingham’s assistant. The police find evidence of foul play. Professor Maxwell is worried that his bride will be a suspect and asks Florrie to don her sleuthing cap once again. Florrie will need to watch her back because it seems that someone is following her. I like Krista Davis’s upbeat writing style. It makes her stories a delight to read. We get to meet some interesting characters at the wedding. There are several known authors in attendance. I enjoyed meeting Jezebel Fish (what a name). I hope we have not seen the last of this spunky character. The mystery was entertaining. I enjoyed figuring out this whodunit. There are several good suspects and a red herring or two. I like how Florrie’s artistic skills are used to provide clues. While I was able to discern the who early on, but I did not know the why. I was eager to learn more which had me rapidly turning pages. There are some great revelations (I love twists) and plenty of action. As the story concluded, the various storylines all came together. There was a good wrap up where all questions are answered. I enjoyed the ending which has me eager for the next A Pen & Ink Mystery. A Colorful Scheme has drama, mystery, touching moments, romance, and humor. A Colorful Scheme is colorful cozy with a sprightly pig, an exasperating sister, an assassinated assistant, a frustrating sergeant, useful sketches, author antics, and a surprising secret. ( )

A Colorful Scheme is book four of four of the Pen & Ink series. You do not have to have read the first three to enjoy this one. This novel is well-written and enjoyable. The characters are interested and the storyline keeps you on your toes guessing. I LOVE how there is a list of characters in the front so you do not forget who is who. Highly recommend. ( )

bookseller, abduction, paparazzi, family-drama, family-dynamics, friendship, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, wedding-madness, cozy-mystery, Washington DC, investigation, murder, murder-investigation, famous-author, series****

A wedding/remarried masquerading as a "simple party" ends up by digging up the old abduction of their daughter some years ago and a dead man in the swimming pool. Florrie is in the middle of it all and winds up investigating even as she is one of the many suspects. Good character involvement, story development, plot twists, and red herrings. Another good read. 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 e-book copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )

Florrie Fox is caught up in the nuptials of her boss/landlord to his first wife, a romance author. When one of the bride's literary guests assistant is found dead, what could be the motive? The writer has fallen on hard times and now without an assistant will the reviews of current works keep failing the reviewer's expectations or is there another root cause related to the murder?

Colorful characters and beautiful setttings! ( )