Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Coloring Crook
    The Coloring Crook
    The Coloring Crook
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Coloring Crook

    Written by Krista Davis

    Narrated by Rebecca Mitchell

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    Life is looking rosy for Florrie Fox, manager of the Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington D.C. She's working on an adult coloring book of gardens, her romance with Sergeant Eric Jonquille has entered a new chapter, and the bookstore's weekly coloring club is a source of friendship and entertainment. No member is more vibrant than Dolly Cavanaugh. Dolly likes to say she was blessed with beauty and cursed with lousy husbands, but at least she has a grown daughter and a stunning brownstone to show for it!

    When Dolly's love of garage sales results in her showing up at Color Me Read with a rare book in hand, Florrie is astounded. The Florist, the earliest known coloring book, was first published in 1760. An original copy would be worth a fortune-and someone else knows it. That same evening, Florrie finds Dolly dead on the floor of her apartment, a corner of a coloring book page clutched in her hand. As Florrie delves into Dolly's past and her personal effects, she discovers a skeleton in the closet-literally-and a whole lot of shady suspects. One of them is an expert in the fine art of murder, but can Florrie draw the right conclusion?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateNov 27, 2018
    ISBN9781541482623
    Author

    Krista Davis

    Krista Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries and the Paws & Claws Mysteries. Several of her books have been nominated for the Agatha Award. Krista lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with two cats and a brood of dogs. Her friends and family complain about being guinea pigs for her recipes, but she notices they keep coming back for more. Please visit her at www.kristadavis.com.

    More audiobooks from Krista Davis

    Related to The Coloring Crook

    Titles in the series (4)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Mystery For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Cricket League

      Sep 1, 2022

      First prize 10 and under Tang Li, age 9 Palmetto Bay, FL My name is Anisa. I was in Hawaii on vacation. I enjoyed sipping refreshing drinks, overlooking the turquoise ocean, and dancing with others, before I overheard that the priceless Fire Ring wa

      10 min read

    • Article

      The Man I Should Have Married

      Dec 29, 2019

      The Man I Should Have Married
      11 min read

    • Article

      All My Tomorrows

      May 10, 2022

      It was Misha’s first day minding the shop, and already she’d broken the fifth rule. Always lock the door immediately. When you had the most valuable merchandise in the universe, you had to take the utmost precautions. She hadn’t meant to disobey. It

      13 min read

    • Article

      Six Sonnets

      Jan 1, 2021

      Goldenrod, I could say, you know, everybody wants somethingfrom me, but, well, everybody wants something and nobody wantsnothing from me, goldenrod, towhead, beast. Goldenrod, you packthe meadows like gold-plated sardines. I have heart palpitationsbu

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Scarlet PEBBLE

      Feb 28, 2024

      The Scarlet PEBBLE
      9 min read

    • Article

      Only a Fragrance

      Sep 1, 2022

      Only a Fragrance
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Last Friend on Earth

      May 4, 2023

      It was as if Doreen Saunders had been waiting for me, passing the time until my arrival. She might as well have been sitting in a rocking chair, knitting needles clicking, jam tarts cooling on the side, the door wide open, waiting for the next visito

      6 min read

    • Article

      O Fortuna, Velut Luna

      Sep 15, 2018

      What is Miss Treece’s trouble, according to a popular notion? The man A has failed to show up. Arousing herself at the restaurant, she fixes her lipstick when her solo supper concludes and takes herself down the stairs situated behind the bar. There,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Literary Paper Dolls: Franny

      May 20, 2019

      Literary Paper Dolls: Franny
      5 min read

    • Article

      Appreciating Hate

      Sep 10, 2021

      Felix thought of his mind as though it were artwork – a painting. His skull was the frame, the canvas inside the frame was the grey matter, the applied paint was his education, and that insubstantial feeling evoked by the art piece was his consciousn

      7 min read

    • Article

      ‘Lady in the Lake’: Featured Fiction from Laura Lippman

      Jul 23, 2019

      An excerpt from Lippman's latest, a sophisticated crime novel that captures the 1960s zeitgeist while painting a striking portrait of female ambition. The post ‘Lady in the Lake’: Featured Fiction from Laura Lippman appeared first on The Millions.

      5 min read

    • Article

      Penny

      Jul 2, 2020

      Penny
      6 min read

    • Article

      That Particular Sunday

      Jul 6, 2023

      That Particular Sunday
      26 min read

    • Article

      Robin Ince Is On The Road

      Feb 14, 2022

      Spare time on a sunny winter’s day is never wasted wandering around a graveyard. Though I am distant from many of Morrissey’s 21st century politics, I have not lost all his 20th century habits, although I hung around cemeteries before The Smiths had

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Family Plot

      May 7, 2020

      The Family Plot
      10 min read

    • Article

      The Show Boy

      Oct 9, 2019

      The Show Boy
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Duplex

      Jun 9, 2020

      I moved to Los Angeles to sing. When was this? August? June? I was twenty-nine, and those were shapeless months, when the days blended together and I refused to pull them apart. My landlord was unusually close to her adult son. His name was Jeffrey,

      21 min read

    • Article

      AN EXCERPT FROM The First Line of Dante’s ‘Inferno’

      Dec 1, 2020

      Early forties, tall, self-possessed. Hiking in the woods in search of her missing sister. A young park ranger, late twenties. Pretty. Slim. Strong. The play is formatted like prose; however, it is intended for performance. If actors simply perform th

      15 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Jul 12, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Governess

      Dec 27, 2020

      The Governess
      10 min read

    • Article

      The Governess

      Dec 30, 2020

      The Governess
      10 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Coloring Crook

    4/5

    40 ratings6 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I just loved this book, especially the ending!! I can’t wait to read #3?
    • 3/5
      Mystery wrapped in another mystery. This book in the series the first coloring book from the 1700's is discovered so the initial crime really ties in with the premise of the series.
    • 4/5
      Florrie Fox, manager of the Georgetown book store Color Me Read, is startled by one of her regular customers with a copy of a 1700s Adult Coloring Book titled The Florist. Florrie tells her customer, Dolly, that it appears to be an original and could be worth a great deal of money. Dolly got it at a yard sale so this would be a huge windfall for her. Dolly posts on Social media about her huge find and that's when trouble starts. Florrie is accosted by several people trying to purchase The Florist and Dolly is found dead that evening. When it's discovered that she was murdered, Florrie is even more concerned because of a break-in at the bookstore. Did the burgular think she had The Florist? Was it one of her customers that killed Dolly, or was it someone else?This mystery was cleverly woven around numerous characters that may have been behind any of the crimes or all of them.Loads of fun! I think I'll get my coloring books out!
    • 4/5
      This the second book in the Pen & Ink Mysteries and I think I enjoyed this one more than the first. Florrie Fox continues to manage The Georgetown bookstore by day and design adult coloring books by night. She has made friends with several members of the weekly coloring group, especially Dolly Cavanaugh. Dolly has struggled to make ends meet since her last husband was killed, so she enjoys bargain hunting at estate sales. When she finds a rare copy of "The Florist", an adult coloring book from the 1700's she is interested in finding out what it is worth. That doesn't happen, as she is found dead shortly after with a small piece of the book in her hand, the book itself, missing. Florrie, wondering what happened to her friend as well as worried about what will happen to her tenants, begins to investigate. As secrets begin to come to light, Florrie is left to wonder how well she really knew Dolly. Was The Florist the motive for Dolly's murder, or did a secret from her past catch up with her?

      Florrie is a great main character. She loves her job, her home and her friends. Going to an estate sale with Dolly and her friends is a fun way to spend the day and learn all about the bargain hunters who attend as well as those who curate the sales. As more characters are added to the mix, the plot of this story picks up and there are twists that I did not expect. Could a daughter kill her own mother, even if they were estranged? Who is the mysterious man claiming to be looking for his father? Why is someone following Florrie? There were so many red herrings that I changed my mind about the killer so often I was getting dizzy. When it all came together at the end, I felt satisfied, but thought the ending was a bit too fast and furious. I would have liked a few more details. This was a fun mystery and I do recommend it to cozy mystery lovers, especially fans of Krista Davis. Of course, if you love adult coloring books, you will want to purchase a physical copy of this book so you can color the cover and don't forget to check out the recipes at the end. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book to read upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
    • 4/5
      The adventures continue with Florrie Fox and the crew at a bookstore called Color Me Read. A weekly coloring group introduces some new faces to the characters from the first book. Dolly Cavanaugh in particular has had quite the storied life, with four husbands, an estranged daughter and a love of finding a deal at local estate sales. When she uncovers a rare botanical coloring book from the 1700's called The Florist, she is a bit too open about the find and sadly, pays with her life. I like Davis' use of color--Florrie spends a lot of time sketching ideas for the coloring books she creates and the descriptions are very lifelike. I also like how her sketching helps bring the case into focus. The characters work well together, and her sister Veronica still plays the ditz role as far as men are concerned. Bookstore owner Professor Maxwell has an interesting back story, and I hope that is explored in another story.
    • 4/5
      The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis is the second A Pen & Ink Mystery. Florrie Fox is the manager of Color Me Read, a bookstore in Georgetown, Washington D.C. She also creates adult coloring books in her spare time. Dolly Cavanaugh is introducing Florrie to estate sales and how you can sometimes find a diamond in the rough especially at sale run by Percy McAllister. Florrie leaves Dolly browsing while she hurries off to work. At the Hues, Brews and Clues Coloring Club later that day, Dolly shows Florrie the wonderful find she uncovered. Dolly discovered a rare copy of The Florist, the earliest known coloring book which was published in 1760. As far as Florrie can tell, it is an original. Dolly left her purse at the store and requested that Florrie drop it off on her way home. Florrie finds Dolly dead in her apartment clutching a piece of The Florist in her hand and sees someone fleeing out the back. Dolly posted the news of her find on social media and people are anxious to obtain the rare book which has now disappeared. When Dolly’s daughter asks Florrie to evaluate her book collection, and Florrie stumbles upon a skeleton hidden behind a bookcase in the attic. Zsazsa Rosca becomes the prime suspect in Dolly’s murder, and Florrie knows someone is setting her up. Florrie studies the case and digs into Dolly’s past hoping to uncover some clues. Can Florrie prove Zsazsa’s innocence? Who is the skeleton in the closet?The Coloring Crook can be read alone if you have not had time to pick up Color Me Murder. There is a colorful cast of characters in this series that aid Florrie in solving the crimes and in running the bookstore. I like that Florrie creates adult coloring books and that sketching helps her think through the crimes. The various mysteries in The coloring Crook are woven together into one entertaining cozy mystery. While the older murder has a complete resolution at the end, I felt the Dolly’s whodunit was not explained completely. I thought it unrealistic that Dolly’s daughter would be able to dispose of her belonging before the crime had been solved (the will had not been read nor probated). The Coloring Crook is well-written with steady pacing and developed characters. There are a number of characters and it can be hard to keep them all straight. The coloring club for adults is a clever addition and the benefits of coloring is explained (helps stress). There are many delightful cozy moments in The Coloring Crook. Florrie’s romance with Eric is progressing nicely and they have something humorous in common. I am giving The Coloring Crook 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). There are recipes at the end for some of the delectable delights whipped up in the book. Krista Davis has infused The Coloring Crook with engaging characters, a charming bookstore, a cute cat, mouthwatering food, coloring, friendship, murder, books, romance and mayhem. I look forward to returning to Color Me Read and Georgetown in the next A Pen & Ink Mystery.