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Ink Ribbon Red
Alex Pavesi
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Henry Holt and Co.
320 Pages
Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Anatol is turning thirty and decides to have a party at the family estate in the country. Only his oldest friends are invited. While playing a game (motive, method, death) that involves writing a story about a murder mystery, the “friends” start to turn on each other. During the readings of the stories, secrets come out, and that’s when the anger starts. I liked the unique premise of the book, with stories within the story, but I must admit it didn’t quite work for me because it was hard to distinguish fact from fiction.
The story had little emotion, and the same can be said for the characters. They seemed very cold to me, and are supposed to be old friends. They were very superficial and lacked depth and development. They just didn’t seem authentic to me. Some of their reasoning and motivations were implausible, and I couldn’t wrap my head around them or care about them. Their dialogue was unnatural and not like how real people talk at all. The writing is okay, but it lacked the emotional punch needed for this type of plot that is based on trickery. All this ruined the psychological tension the book should have had. The ending felt rushed and unsatisfying; it lacked emotional impact and surprise.
And while I loved the idea of the book, the things I mentioned earlier outweigh the good. If you’re looking for a well-crafted literary thriller, you won’t find it here. I found it terribly frustrating and underwhelming. This is the type of book where you’re either going to love it or hate it, and I am of the love-to-hate-it side.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
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