The plot is a bit all over the place and the characterizations are a bit of a hit or miss. Overall, I wished for more.

‘INK is the story of a few lonely, damaged people hunting for a memory thief. When all you have are memories, there is no greater horror than forgetting.’

How does one put into words the feelings I had and have during and after reading this book? It truly touched my heart and was so relatable on so many levels while at the same time making me cringe and despise the evil within. I prepared for the worst and hoped good would prevail.

But, this is a horror novel, and…no spoilers! ;)

Though INK can be read as a standalone, there is one aspect of the story I want to know more about, briefly touched on in the latter part of the book, has this reader eagerly wanting to read more books that preceded this one.

Having read a couple of Maberry’s books, I have yet to delve into the trilogy that too is set in the ‘most haunted town in America’, Pine Deep, and is composed of GHOST ROAD BLUES, DEAD, DEAD MAN’S SONG, and BAD MOON RISING.

My hope is that my curiosity quenched after reading the above trilogy, I can then begin my long-anticipated journey into the Joe Ledger Series.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for loaning me an eGalley of INK exchange for an honest review.

INK
Jonathan Maberry
St. Martin’s Griffin
ISBN-13: 978-1250765888
Trade Paperback
Thriller

Jonathan Maberry’s literary fingerprints are all over the place, and they are usually smeared in red. While he is primarily known for his work in the horror genre, it is difficult to know where to start when describing what he has written in other areas. Maberry has edited a series of anthologies devoted to the legendary television series The X-Files. He has written horror and dark fantasy novels for young adults. Maberry has written a number of series in different genres, including mystery and suspense. He is a well known comic book writer as well, having worked on titles such as Captain America, The Punisher, and my own favorite, Marvel Zombies Return. The foregoing description doesn’t even scratch the surface. Each and all of it has something to recommend it if you like your literature, dark, gritty, and violent.

That pretty much describes INK, Maberry’s newly published novel. INK returns to the fictitious eastern Pennsylvania town of Pine Deep which Maberry first visited a dozen or so years ago in the critically acclaimed Ghost Road Trilogy. Readers unfamiliar with that worthy work do not have to read it to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate INK. Maberry begins foreshadowing the proposition that Pine Deep is not a terrific place practically from the first sentence, which is where we meet a troubled bounty hunter named Monk Addison who is looking for a biker who has jumped bail. There is rain, there are blackbirds, there is graffiti. All of it would turn a lesser man away. As we come to learn in the pages of INK, Monk is something more than an ordinary man, though not in any supernatural sense. He is also following a woman named Patty Cakes, with whom he is joined in friendship, tragedy, and violence. Pat is a renowned tattoo artist who has moved from New York to Pine Deep in an effort to find an elusive peace, but it is obvious that peace is not to be had within the local environs of the small town. The trendy area of Pine Deep known as The Fringe hides a monster who walks unnoticed among the throngs, stealing memories from those who need them the most, particularly those for whom the memories of absent loved ones anchor their tenuous grip on reality. Monk, Patty, a psychic, and a confused school administrator find themselves forming an uneasy alliance with a pair of local law enforcement officers who really have no idea what they are dealing with but who nonetheless have the courage to face the danger, whatever it is, head-on. Their combined effort, however, may not be enough, particularly when their adversary seemingly has the ability to marshal a superior and seemingly supernatural force against them.

Maberry’s seemingly inexhaustible imagination utilizes a style --- short chapters, each of which presents an alternating point of view --- in INK that lends itself to rapid reading, particularly when his characters begin painting the walls with each other. I guarantee that anyone reading INK will be unable to walk past a tattoo parlor or, indeed, see someone who has sunk the ink without thinking of one or more passages from this frightening and memorable work. While it has been described repeatedly as a stand-alone work, the primary characters are so striking that literary retirement will not suit them. Maberry’s literary output, which never sacrifices quality at the altar of quantity, will, I predict, almost certainly find a way to bring Monk and the inhabitants of Pine Deep --- those who survive to the end of INK, that is --- back for another round. Or two. Recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2020, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

I love Jonathan Maberry's books and while this is different from his Joe Ledger books but it was just as engrossing. It's creepy and a mind trip that I couldn't put down until I finished it. Monk is an interesting hero and I love how Maberry creates these flawed characters that wrap themselves around your heart. I loved that there's even a brief mention of Joe Ledger dropped in there. The concept was amazing and I highly recommend it!

Tattoos are more than just artwork, they are a piece of someone. They are a window to a special time, a significant event, or it is a memorial. Imagine what would happen if someone could not just steal away the tattoo but all the memories that go along with it, leaving you hollow and vacant.
Welcome back to Pine Deep. It was so good to catch up with Crow, Val, and Mike as well as to meet new friends of Patty Cakes, Monk, Gayle and Dianna. A lot has happened since The Trouble left the majority of Pine Deep dead, but the town is still a special place that seems to draw evil to it. This is a stand alone story but if you haven’t read the Ghost Road Blues trilogy than you should go do that now.
This story was an absolute blast. I had fun in this non stop adventure with a unique storyline and the best characters.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and of course Jonathan Maberry for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

There are no words that can adequately describe this book. It's only for those brave enough to enter Pine Deep once more. Prepare yourself for a wild ride.

"To have memories carved out of one’s mind and discarded forever was obscene."

I LOVED this book. It is the best horror book I've read - in maybe forever. I've read many of author Maberry's books but this is definitely way above the rest (and I enjoyed the rest).

One thing I did discover - the book takes place in Pine Deep, Pennsylvania and frequently mentioned prior happenings in the same town. After some research I found that Maberry wrote the Pine Deep trilogy (which I've since downloaded) and, if given the chance, I think the reading experience for INK would be even better reading the trilogy prior to reading INK.

This story triggered a deep visceral response in me. The concept scared the bejeezus out of me. A despicably vile man moves to Pine Deep and he is able to steal peoples tattoos AND the memories that go with them. This isn't a big thing when it's simply a decorative tattoo but many people get tattoos to commemorate important, pivotal moments in their lives, such as the deaths of family members or friends. And once the tattoos are gone, so are all memories of that person or event. One of the people in the story compares it to a rape, an invasion.

I really enjoyed the different characters in the book, which were described in great detail. The book was scary yet full of tragedy, too.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy horror.

I received this book from St. Martin's Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

I love all things Mayberry, anyone who knows me knows this as a fact. But it's when JM revisits characters and places together that I get the warm and fuzzies!

In Ink, we have a superbly creepy baddie who feeds off of people's tattoos and their memories. Each time this guy enters a scene I got a little spine tingle... this could be partially due to reading exclusively at night as well.

No spoilers allowed so I will just say that this was a fantastic read as always, and I loved the unique premise. Pine Deep regulars, newer characters and twists and turns. Do not miss this one!

*Received a free copy via netgalley from publisher in exchange for an honest review*

In the horror novel Ink, someone is stealing tattoos and the memories associated with them.

Content Warnings:














Transphobic language; biphobia; homophobia; child rape; racism

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.

Takes advantage of the current fascination with tattoos and takes an interesting twist on the memories that these tattoos hold.

Ink by Jonathan Maberry is a supernatural/horror novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press,  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Pine Deep is a small town in Pennsylvania, much smaller since The Trouble, when over half of it's population died, and a lot of others left on their own accord.  The remaining people just try to get on with their lives.   New people have been coming though.  There is a new community on the edge of town, called The Fringe,  where it is acceptable to be different, and they are doing okay.  There is, however, a new problem in Pine Deep.  People with tattoos are having them disappear, and along with the tattoos, they are losing their memories of the tattoo and all that it meant.  

Patty Cakes is a tattoo artist.  She has the face of her deceased daughter tattooed on the back of her hand.  She can't figure out why this tattoo is beginning to fade.  Patty's memories of her lost child are also fading.  She is losing her mind along with the loss of her most cherished tattoo.

Monk Addison, a friend of Patty's, is a former US Seal who wishes his memories of war would fade.  He is now a bounty hunter, and his skin is covered in tattoos, some with the faces of the dead who haunt him day and night.  When one of these faces disappears, he is terrified.

Diana Agbala reads tarot cards. The flower tattoo on her arm is disappearing, and she can't even remember why she had it done, but she knows she needs it.  Others are losing their tattoos as well, and for some of them,  losing their precious memories means they are losing their reason for living.  For some, memories are all they have.

Owen Minor has always been a little strange.  Even his mother disliked him.  He has flies tattooed on his body.  His flies are coming to life.  He isn't losing his tattoos, he is gaining memories, although not his own.  He is calling himself Lord of the Flies, and he is commanding his flies to action.

Mike Sweeney is the local policeman, and one of the first to realize there is a problem in Pine Deep.  Mike survived The Trouble, but now he may have to reveal what that did to him.  Together with his father, and a few others, they are going to confront whatever is happening to their town.....and stop it, or die trying.


My Opinions:   

Okay, this is a rather long book, and I found it slow moving.  Don't get me wrong, it was captivating, just slow.  There are a lot of characters to keep track of, as well as their backgrounds, and most of it is important.  I never really thought about skimming, so the book is good....just a little slow.

As well, the background of Pine Deep is fed to us slowly.  We know that a number of years have passed since The Trouble, but it is a long, long, long time before we get to know what that consisted of.  We are given hints, but....

The characters are wonderful, deep, and interesting, and I felt I really knew them by the end.  Unfortunately, the same could be said for the villain, who I didn't really want to know that well.  The town itself became a character, and had its own personality.   The plot was wild, and the suspense built (slowly at first), but when it burst, was great.  

I will never look at another fly in the same way again.

This is the first book I have read by this author, but it will not be the last.  I definitely recommend it.

I've just discovered a great new author! Jonathan Maberry's Ink was an enjoyable read with a clever premise. The thought that someone could steal a person's tattoo and their attached memory along with it. It was heartbreaking to see the impact this loss had on several of the characters. To not just lose that physical reminder in the tattoo itself, but also the precious memories. I imagine if something is important enough to you to memorialize it with a tattoo, it must be quite meaningful.

This story is set in the town of Pine Deep, which has apparently been the center of Maberry's books before. This is a standalone book, however, I believe it would be enriched by reading the earlier books. I'm a fan of this author's style and definitely want to read Maberry's backlog.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review this book and the opinions contained within are my own.

I first visited Pine Deep in 2010. That was a little later than many people. I had just finished a book called Rot and Ruin and was looking for something else by this author. First I found Patient Zero and then I found Ghost Road Blues. I found it in our tiny bookstore in Crestline, CA. An old used copy that was a little worn. I read that trilogy one after another in quick succession. I really loved Crow, Val, and Mike. The town of Pine Deep and it's Halloween festival. The monsters and the mayhem-what has become known as The Trouble. Crow's growth from running a haunted hayride to running the local law. Mike's secret (which may come out of nowhere to those new to Pine Deep) is an often under analyzed and utilized subplot. As the years passed, there were glimpses of them in other stories. Speaking of Glimpse...

One of the few stand-alone books I've read from Jonathan Maberry was Glimpse. In a long line of broken characters were added Monk Addison and Patty Cakes. Patty is a troubled but talented tattoo artist. Monk finds people who hurt others and he has the faces of those ghosts tattooed on himself as he hunts their killers. Much of their story is integral to what happens here in Ink.

One thing Maberry likes to do is bring his broken people together. After reading about them for years, getting to see them through new/old (new to them but not to us) eyes always offer a new perspective. I half expected Joe Ledger to show up at the end to help clean things up. He's off somewhere else now that I guess we will soon get to read. Digressing into other stories is the best part of reading his stories. All of that said, I don't think anyone would need to read any of the books I've mentioned to enjoy or follow this book.

There are a lot of characters here who are new. It seems like they are thrown at you every few pages. OK, at the beginning they are. Maberry uses short chapters that jump from character to character to keep the action moving and to interweave what is happening to different characters at the same time. Though I am a huge fan of all things Ledger, this book and the other Pine Deep books are more like an early Stephen King or Bentley Little book. There are always diverse characters and there are always strong women. The familiarity of Val and Patty was balanced by the newness of Gayle and Dianne. His big bads often are unrepentant in their vileness. Owen takes that to a whole 'nother level. He definitely seems straight out of a Bentley Little book.

The story moves smoothly through each character realizing that something is wrong. Unrelated people tell tales of loss. Not until everyone comes together in the last 1/4 of the book do they piece together what may be happening. And then the storm breaks.

At the end there is a playlist of songs but throughout I just kept thinking of the obvious, "Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial" Everyone who has a tattoo has a story for it. I grew up with a biker dad who had plenty of tattoos (ironically, he didn't remember getting all of them!) but I don't have a single one but my first would be in memory of him. The bond between the ink people choose to get and what is important to them is strong and emotional., as memories make us who we are today. What would happen if you lost that memory? Who would you be?

Another great one from @Jonathan Maberry. I felt privileged to read this ARC while I wait for my physical copy to arrive. Thank you to the author, @StMartinsPress, and @Netgalley. Read my review and others at
https://readeotw.wordpress.com/2020/11/16/ink-by-jonathan-maberry/

I received an e-Galley ARC of Ink, authored by Jonathan Maberry, from NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s Press; below follows my honest review, freely given. I am thankful for the opportunity.

I rated this novel 4.5 stars.

This is a standalone novel, but connected to the Maberry universe. First time readers can crack this open without fear of being lost from starting with this work, while regulars will not feel bogged down with filler chapters dedicated to catching everyone up. But as a reader returning to Pine Deep, let me just say, I was doing the happy dance all the way into town.

I usually feel pity, sympathy, or some indescribable emotion that serves as conflict towards my final judgment of the antagonist in any given story; not this time. I despised Minor the whole novel, and Maberry wrote him in such a way that I felt unclean reading the sections primarily on him or from his view. There is a clear divide between the good and the bad here, the good shining with an almost unbelievable purity. I waffled quite a bit on if the characters being so easily defined should be viewed as a weakness in the storytelling; but then I thought about how the story made me feel, and I needed one where the good guys were just… good. Not to say they had easy lives, because you will find that Maberry will run his creations through the emotional, and physical, torment wringer, and then do it again and again. 2020 has not been the easiest year for anyone, and for me, reading has been the one hobby I can still do easily, most of the time. So yes, this may have halos on the heroes and horns on the villains, but I was swept up in a novel where I felt better after reading it, does that make sense? I got sniffly at the very end, I was on a journey with people I wanted to see make it, to succeed, to all live to the end, because they were good people fighting the good fight.

I did remove a half star because I felt there were two dropped strings in this woven tale. Not big ones, not enough to change the story I’m sure, but enough that I noticed and it bugged me. One was an interaction between two characters that was started, cut away from, but then never finished. The other was more of someone’s life being presented in one way, but them not living like it for most of the book without consequence. It’s done a lot in television shows as well, so it’s not uncommon. But it irks.

I think this is a great read for anyone looking to revisit Pine Deep, see what new terrors await, see who is up for the fight, but also anyone that likes dark fiction with extra kick.

I'm giving this book a forward-leaning 3.5 stars because I struggled to get through the beginning but it has stuck with me, made me think, and the last 20% of it had me glued to the pages and devouring it.
This book is dark. It is so, so dark. I spent the first 60 to 70 percent of it dreading what new darkness it could unleash upon this poor reader. It's not even the supernatural aspect of it (which I actually found brilliant and utterly original), it's just that humanity can be so depressing. Maberry dug deep into tragedy and created a twisting tale that highlights the worst of humanity while showing that there's always hope to be found.
I'm honestly not even 100% sure about it, but it's definitely sticking with me and I do think it's incredibly well-written.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early read.

First I have to say I was thrilled to pieces when I found out that the setting for Ink is Pine Deep. Although this is a stand alone book and you need not have read the Pine Deep Trilogy to enjoy it you are missing out on some of the best horror fiction of all time if you have skipped it. You'll also wonder what the "trouble" is they keep referring to that Pine Deep has suffered through in the past, and that Val and Crow have managed to survive.

I don't believe the description of this book does it justice. It calls Monk Addison a private investigator. Oh No. Nope. What a boring and inaccurate description for such a complex character. A psychic vampire has come to Pine Deep. It does not need the memories of others to survive, but it revels in them. Especially in the deepest darkest most painful or life altering experiences they have had. It also gets some sort of twisted sexual thrill out of the suffering of others. Stealing their memories allows it to experience them as if they were his own, and he also has the ability to exert mind control over others, getting them to do his bidding.

All fans of the trilogy need to read this book, and if this is your first visit to Pine Deep I would recommend that you read the earlier books.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. I just lost myself within this amazing story. I most definitely will read more by this author.

This is a dark and unusual supernatural horror thriller. Deep Pine and its residents are being bedeviled by Owen Minor, the Lord of the Flies, the villain who is stealing their memories via blowflies he sends into their commenorative tattoos. Monk Addison, a skip tracer whose body is covered with tattoos of murder victims, is concerned when he finds his friend Patty Cakes, the town tattoo artist, in an altered state, with the ink depicting her daughter fading. This sets off a hunt for what's happening, as Monk discovers others with similar problems. This is told from multiple points of view and reflects what each character loses as they lose their memories. What does Minor gain from taking them beyond a sick sense of power? How does Monk stop him, given that his own tattoos are starting to go? No spoilers from me. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is not my usual genre and at times it went places I wasn't prepared to go but it's an intriguing read.

I’m pretty sure I’ve never read this author before, and I don’t know why. I started reading this, and I could tell almost immediately that this was a slow build-up. I am not a huge fan of those types of books more because I must be in the mood to read them. However, this book was skillfully done in its execution. Add to that the wonderful characters and spooky atmosphere, this was an engrossing read from start to finish. I do wish that the book had a little less page count, but the author did make every page mean something. A little bit horror, a little bit mystery, and a lot of great writing equals a book that’s hard to stop reading. I’ll be looking at reading more of his books. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Imagine that your tattoos mysteriously started fading. Now imagine that all of the memories surrounding the tattoo, started fading right along with it. That's "The Trouble" you'll find in Pine Deep. Now I don't know about everyone else, but my tattoos have meanings behind them and losing those memories would be devastating.

I enjoyed the pacing of this book. Not slow but not a race to the finish either. It's a morbidly great read!