I’ve been meaning to read Jonathan Maberry’s Rot & Ruin series since it was published literally ten years ago, so when I saw Ink on NetGalley, you can bet I smashed that request button.

Unfortunately, this one did NOT do it for me.

Plot-wise, it’s kind of a hot mess: it felt like too much of this book was sex scenes, the villain masturbating to other people’s misfortune, and a lot of talk of people screaming. Pacing-wise, it was unbearably slow and tedious. Call me heartless, but I wasn’t moved—or affected in any meaningful way—by the characters’ tragic backstories, of which there are plentiful.

Ink follows a group of people living in the small town of Pine Deep—a place haunted by the legacy of a horrific event the locals call “the Trouble,” which killed 11 000 people several decades ago. Now, a different but equally dark force has come to prey on the townspeople: the Lord of the Flies, a grotesque figure who feeds off of people’s pain and trauma by stealing their tattoos, and the associated memories. Caught in his web are Patty Cakes, a Vietnamese-American tattoo artist mourning the brutal loss of her daughter; Monk Addison, a skip tracer and Patty’s friend, with a bloody history himself; Mike Sweeney, son of the police chief; Mike Crow, the police chief; Dianna Agbala, a Black psychic; Gayle Kosinski, a mom and school administrator who’s questioning her sexuality; and another three dozen characters that I’ve already forgotten.

◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️

There were WAY too many character POVs. I couldn’t keep them straight, and couldn’t muster up the energy to be interested in all of their spoOoooky subplots. The sense of “something’s wrong” and “something’s coming” is very explicitly drilled into you throughout the novel, and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop—but it never did. (Like, whatever happened to the creepy Mr. Pockets who was eating rat carcasses out of trash cans?? Maybe I missed something here?)

I wasn’t appalled or impressed by the villain or Pine Deep’s lore. In fact, when the book finally info-dumps all the deets about the mysterious ~Trouble~ of years past, I didn’t even flinch. Ink was supposed to be a standalone novel, but I really think that it’s better suited to people who’ve already read the Pine Deep trilogy, because it constantly felt like I was supposed to already feel some sort of investment in the characters when I really didn’t.

Finally, I think there were just some very poor choices in phrasing throughout the novel. There’s a diversity of identities represented by the characters: Patty’s a Vietnamese immigrant, Dianna is a fat Black lesbian, Gayle is bi/questioning, and there’s also a Mexican-American woman named Sandy. This was very cool, and I noted the book’s efforts to uplift its women characters.

HOWEVER, intention doesn’t equal impact, and I found some of the wording to be just in bad taste.
➟ Patty tells Dianna “You’re not bi, you’re pure”—which, though I know wasn’t her intention, is still biphobic as heck. There’s nothing impure or invalid about bisexuality, and we shouldn’t be implying otherwise.

➟ Unless it’s backed with historical or other context, I think we can retire the word “transvestite” from modern use

➟ At one point the book refers to the Leni Lenape people as “nearly extinct.” This word, extinct, never sits well with me. I cannot STAND it when people apply this to minority populations, and particularly Indigenous peoples. We aren’t discussing an animal species in a zoology textbook here. This is an entire peoples who, to this day, are resisting, surviving, and finding pockets of resilience in the face of colonial legacies.

➟ Finally, Dianna tells Gayle: “….black folks kind of hate it when people say ‘N-word.’ Either say ‘[the literal n-word]’ when talking about racist terms, or skip the subject.” Nope nope nope. White author speaking through Black character on behalf of ALL Black people? Thank you, next.

Bottom line: Ink bored me to tears but I’m probably still going to read Rot & Ruin. Zombies are much more my cup of tea than tattoos, anyway.

I just don't love the Pine Deep books as much as the Joe Ledger series. It's much slower. It's still quite good, just definitely a slow burn.

This is a story about the things that mark us.

I cry much enjoyed this tense, creeping little horror story about a bizarre town & it’s unique inhabitants.

One note: this was very different from other works I’ve read by the author. That’s not a bad thing, but if you’re expecting fast moving action/horror... this Is not it. Instead it’s a mounting sense of dread & compelling character development, even with individuals who have minimal story time.

Thank you so much Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC!

This is the first time I have read this author. I received a free copy from Netgalley. I am leaving my honest review.

The writing is captivating with wonderful imagery. I found myself highlighting sentences, something I rarely do.

Perhaps I am overly squeamish but I only made it about one third of the way through. Some passages were bloody and difficult to read.

I plan on trying other works by this author as I think he's a fabulous writer

Ink is billed as a standalone supernatural thriller but is closely related to Jonathan Maberry's Pine Deep Trilogy. I love the artistry with which Maberry writes. I can sink right into his stories and lose myself. The odd nature of Pine Deep, Pennsylvania itself is darkly enchanting, as are the colorful characters he creates. I just can't say enough about this book. "Lord of the Flies" is forever changed for me. This is without a doubt the oddest and most original "vampire" novel I've ever read. The only negative thing I could say is, parts of it are slow. However the character development is amazing. Other than that, I enjoyed every ominous, weird second of it (5 star ending). Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my Advance Reader's Copy of Ink by Jonathan Maberry which releases Nov 17, 2020. Playlist for this book includes Patty's Playlist at the end of the book and "I Will Take You Home" by the Grateful Dead. Also beautiful cover art. @jonathanmaberry #inknovel #ink #netgalley @stmartinspress #thrillerbooks #supernaturalthriller #bookstagram #books #readersofinstagram #bookreview #saturdayvibes @bacardiusa #pinedeeptrilogy #horrorbooks #tattooideas #bestseller #somethingwickedcomesthisway #thefly #flyman
I have shared my review on my personal Facebook wall as well as the Books of Horror group (8000 virtual members), Page Turners Reading Group (14,000 virtual members) Twitter, Instagram (@AprilsBookishLife) and Goodreads.

Another spooky visit to Pine Deep, Pennsylvania. This book features a blend of old and new characters. I’m a big fan of Jonathan Maberry’s books and I like the way the various series intertwine. This was a good story. The characters didn’t have to save the world, just themselves and each other, which can be hard enough.

Ink by Jonathan Maberry, a good premise. I wanted to enjoy this book because the premise definitely pulled me in, but it simply failed for me, though I do think others will enjoy it. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book.

<i>Ink</i> follows various characters in Pine Deep as they investigate missing memories. People’s memories for major events, whether happy or sad, seem to be disappearing. Monk Addison is a private investigator who returns to Pine Deep to find and apprehend a bail skipper. He also visits his friend, Patty Cakes. Patty is a tattoo artist with a traumatic past. Mike Sweeney and Malcolm Crow try to investigate the crime before their town is ripped apart by violence again.

The characters were my favorite part of the novel as it was amazing to revisit Malcom, Mike and Val from the Pine Deep Trilogies. I loved learning about them decades after that horrible event to witness how their lives have changed. Mike was amazing as he has grown and tried to make peace with his power, although he is still ashamed of it.

The world building was great as I loved Pine Deep. It still had the creepy and small-town vibe to it however, it has also grown and tried to diversify. It was interesting to read about the clashing sides, old versus new and original residents versus newtimers. I really enjoyed reading about Pine Deep and how it changed over the decades since The Trouble.

The villain was intense and terrifying. He wasn’t your typical killer or murderer; he was so much worse. I must admit that he gave me the creeps and I don’t even have tattoos. The idea of someone being able to take away so much of your person identity without you noticing was scary.

If I was forced to find one fault with the novel it would be the pacing. It wasn’t as great as the rest of the novel, so it was good instead of amazing.

This novel was fantastic and one of my favorites of 2020. I love Maberry’s work and I am looking forward to the next installment of the Rogue Team International. I would recommend this novel to all horror fans as it is epic.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin publishing.

You might not be the best man but you will do anything to save your best friend. Monk can’t wait to see Patty again he has missed her but when he finally gets to her, he can’t believe what she has done. Monk knows that something is seriously wrong in this town and he will do anything to keep Patty sane. So when more cases of tattoos disappearing from the victims they know something is very wrong. But can they find out who is doing this? Will they be able save Patty from losing all her memories of her dead daughter Tuyet? Monk knows that they can’t stop until they find the person responsible for stealing their memories but will they find him in time? A good read pretty strange at times. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Jonathan Maberry for providing me with an ARC of the title Ink!

I have never read any other books in the Pine Deep world, but this didn't hurt my understanding of this novel at all. I really think I will be going back to read some earlier work from this author, though!

The story line and world building were done beautifully here, as well as the changes in point of view. I was intrigued throughout, and really enjoyed this novel.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Review Copy

INK is a stand alone novel set in the Pine Deep universe. Jonathan Maberry gives the reader just enough information to understand that horror-ible things happened in Pine Deep, but not too much to ruin the the books should you choose to read them' and hopefully you will. Pine Deep is one heck of a town.

In INK, we meet characters old and new. It's a story the likes of which hasn't been written about previously. Maberry takes a very modern approach to many subjects and I found myself very disappointed when the book ran out of pages. There are also some truly cringeworthy descriptions.

I loved this and put it on my list of favorites. If you like horror, pick up a copy of INK.

It's official: I think I will read anything that Jonathan Maberry chooses to write. While I've read a ton of his stuff, I did not read the previous Pine Deep series, so the setting and the characters were new to me.

The bad guy and premise was way out there. So be prepared. But there were a few things that stood out that I loved. First, I so appreciated Maberry's female characters in this book. Much more so that in previous novels of his I've read, he took a lot of care with these characters and they were extremely well written and multi-faceted. Something I don't find very often with multiple female characters authored by men. Second, as a person with quite a few tattoos, but not totally part of the tattoo community, I thought it was really interesting how he dove into and portrayed that world. From what I know (some, but not a ton) it was very realistic. I like that he shed a lot of light on some of the reasons why and some of the thought that goes into getting a tattoo. For many of us, it's not just about picking something out of a book and getting it inked. It goes a lot deeper than that, and I thought he described it well.

Overall, solid novel. Not my new favorite Maberry - I think I still prefer the Joe Ledger and Benny Imura universes - but he is truly a rare talent that I'd recommend to just about anyone.

I had a hard time with the writing style of this book and the character POV shifts that were often sudden or unannounced. However, the overall plot and storyline were interesting enough to keep me reading.

Different but horror filled tale about memory loss and the fading of skin ink. If this is your reading like give it a try. "A copy of this book was provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

The book goes through different points of view. It takes place in a haunted town called Pine deep apparently very infamous. The characters all have dark tragic paths from the past that either haunt them or makes them stronger.
It also brings up the idea of how we judge people right away based on looks. ( large theme here ) there’s chaos revolving around tattoos/ intricate characters with secret lives and a lot of chaos. The personal stories of the characters are total emotional heartstrings to read and tear jerkers. Also mind games at a whim of a character. Lacks world building and character depth.
I was given this arc by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!*

Jonathan Maberry, where have you been my whole life?
This is the type of horror/thriller that was right up my alley. I had no idea about the Pine Deep Trilogy and although this book was good as a standalone, I will go back to the beginning. I do not read a lot in the horror or paranormal genre simply because I haven't found the right authors. Finally, I have!

I loved this book for these factors:
-Small town trope.
-Unique, diverse, and thoroughly fleshed-out characters.
-A town that was a character all in itself.
-Great references to music and culture.
-Atmospheric.
-Amazing writing!

The major players in this book are:
Patty Cakes- a Vietnamese Tattoo Artist-with a haunted and tragic past(and excellent taste in music)-based in Pine Deep.
"Monk" Addison- a bounty hunter with many demons of his own.
Pine Deep- a small town plagued by a past tragedy called 'The Trouble'.

Someone in Pine deep is stealing memories from the people of Pine Deep especially those living on the fringes with desperation and tragedy embedded in their histories.
This book was not a mystery. What made it different is that we get to know this memory thief right of the bat and what makes him tick.
The storylines of all the different characters were kept well-organized with brevity but rich with great detail and they all merge towards the last three-quarters of the book to make a superb climax.

I am adding Maberry to my TBR list and I will be following him faithfully!

Sidenote: Maberry added a 'Playlist' at the end of the book, which contains a vast selection of songs by some of my favorite musicians. It sets a tone for the book. Maberry, knows his music, and I find that authors with great musical taste and knowledge make better writers. Pure awesome.

My thanks, as always to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley and especially my man Jonathan Maberry!
I've been waiting for a new Pine Deep book forever! So, I can only state that if course I'm biased! Pine Deep is one very messed up location! Luckily, Maberry has one screwy vocation! I was taking a gander at my physical bookshelves, and I realized that I've never read a Maberry book that I didn't love. I do stay away from his YA books though!
I loved these characters. It's something this author does well. I want more!
This story made me tense at times. Like butt clenching tense! I can handle nearly all insects. Even spiders. They have a fierce beauty. But, one of my least favorite things ever is a fly. Fruit, house, horse and especially blow flies! This story had them. In ink. Just wait! Skeeved me out! I have hard core poison sprays in my house, just waiting for a fly! Swatters? 😝 Yuck!
This tale is essentially about losing memories. But, with Maberry, it's never that simple.

Unique premise and well-drawn characters, with plenty of "left turns" along the way to keep the reader intrigued. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to all readers searching for top-rate writing. Perfect summer read!

*I received this book as an ARC from the author/publisher in return for my honest review.*

INK by Jonathan Maberry is a standalone supernatural suspense / horror novel. It is set in and around Pine Deep, Pennsylvania. This is the second book that I have read by this author, and it is a very type of book. The other book was Rage, an action thriller and the first book in the Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International series. However, a few things stand out equally well in both: They are well-written with characters that have depth and there is an interesting plot where the story line pulls the reader in and never looks back.

Monk Addison is a private investigator whose skin is covered with the tattooed faces of murder victims. He is moving to Pine Deep to be close to his friend tattoo-artist Patty Cakes. When tattoos start to fade on multiple people, their memories associated with those tattoos also start to fade. Who or what is causing this? Will they ever get their memories back?

The characters are compelling, fascinating, and felt three-dimensional. There was enough at stake to keep me engaged throughout the story. The world-building was excellent and gave a clear sense of place. Themes include friendships, paranormal phenomena, loyalty, loss, memories and much more.

Overall, this was a creepy, dark and excellent read. I would recommend it to those that enjoy extraordinary supernatural suspense and horror novels. There are some intense scenes. I look forward to reading more books by this excellent author.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Jonathan Maberry for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

I wish to thank netgalley and the

publisher for a review copy.

I have been a Jonathan Maberry fan since

on a whim I picked up a copy of Ghost

Road Blues and immediately fell in love

with both pine deep and his writing style.

Ink beautifully expands pine deep with

new characters to get to know. Now in my

opinion, Maberry creates detailed

empathetic characters almost despite his

style. The main people in this story are

economically introduced. In other words

they all have enough backstory to be

interesting, without the author's devoting

dozens of pages to them.

Between the time readers were last

introduced to the town of pine deep and

now maberry has been a bestselling

author at least a dozen times over. My

fandom grew especially reading his Joe

ledger series. Then in June I was o&ered a

copy to review and I could not turn that

down.

Maberry's most charming writing traits

permeate this book. YET this visit to the

town with the trouble reads as a more

mature, and overall enjoyable trip.

He uses tattoos to masterful, metaphoric

e&ect, and grounds an ethereal premise

such as a memory thief into a very

enticing adventure.