This started out promising, with a decided hook. However, after becoming befuddled with so much back and forth that was really nonsensical, I finally had to give up.

This one sounded a lot more intriguing than it actually was. I just couldn't connect or get invested like I wanted to.

As much as I hate to admit it, this one was a DNF for me. I love a good mystery to solve and a good story to unravel. The blurb for this book promised both. I loved the premise - the set up for something great. A group of friends writing horror stories together - almost Mary Shelly-esque. This one with a twist, though. The stories were about the party-goers offing each other. This premise should've been fantastic but the writing didn't live up to that. The writing was scattered - jumping forward and back without rhyme or reason and creating a spiral that led nowhere. I'm giving it 2 stars because I know some folks love that sort of writing but for me the back and forth was too much and not enough clarity was given to anything.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Ink Ribbon Red.

I didn't read the author's first book but the premise piqued my interest.

A bunch of one dimensional friends gather together at a snooty, wealthy friend's estate for his 30th birthday bash.

The birthday boy wants to play a game he's created called Motive Method Death. And that's when things get confusing.

Sadly, this didn't hit the mark for me for a number of reasons:

Poor character development. You don't really know anyone nor do you understand why any of these people are friends with each other.

Everyone has secrets, naturally; affairs, embezzling, murder, ho-hum,

Since the author wants to be slick and clever he chops up the timeline to confuse and throw the reader of our game.

This is so tired; messing with the timeline only works in movies (think Pulp Fiction) because visuals help in keeping track of what's happening and where and with who.

The narrative is interspersed with remnants of the game the friends are playing so you don't know what's real or not (which is the point).

The confusing timeline makes it hard to follow what is present and past, even though the chapters are marked.

You still need to flip back and remember what day/time it is.

No one is likable or sympathetic so readers don't have any skin in the game; I didn't care what happens to anyone.

The main reason I love mysteries is to get the chance to solve the mystery alongside the detective or main character but you can't do that here.

It's confusing to follow on purpose and frustrated me as a reader and mystery lover.

There are better ways to do this and the way the narrative is written in Ink Ribbon Red isn't one of them.

I have no idea what I just read.

According to the acknowledgments, the idea of this book is stories within a story, and readers' inability to differentiate between the two. I guess that's a fun idea in theory, but it was just way too confusing for me. I also find it a little unfair as a reader because how am I supposed to figure anything out? One of the fun parts of reading mysteries is trying to solve it, but there was no way to do that. I don't even know if there was a mystery to solve, to be honest.

Aside from the stories within a story, the timeline was weird. I had to really think about the dates every time I started a chapter and even then, I couldn't keep it straight.

In conclusion: if you like headaches, you might like this.

Ink Ribbon Read is a smart, inventive mystery that plays with structure and form in a way that fans of Alex Pavesi’s earlier work will likely appreciate. With its layered narrative and nods to the history of storytelling, the novel feels like a love letter to both literature and the art of the puzzle.

The premise is intriguing—a typewriter, a forgotten manuscript, and a mystery that unfolds across timelines. Pavesi leans into metafictional elements, which makes the reading experience feel both cerebral and immersive. The writing is crisp and deliberate, and the atmosphere has a quiet intensity that grows with each chapter.

That said, the novel's intricate structure may not appeal to all readers. At times, the shifting perspectives and intellectual tone can create emotional distance, making it harder to connect with the characters on a deeper level. But for readers who enjoy a slow-burn mystery with literary ambition and clever plotting, this will be a rewarding read.

What a fun read! I LOVE a good whodunit and if you do too, this book will not disappoint. So many twists and turns and you will find yourself thinking about these characters long after you finish the book. This was my first book to read by this author but definitely won't be the last!

Ah! What a story about a crazy idea for a game to have friends play. It took the 'one friend will die' trope to a new level. I was into it, but not convinced the entire time. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A wickedly plotted thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, "Ink Ribbon Red" delivers an unforgettable twist on the classic murder mystery genre. Combining the sharp intrigue of Knives Out with the dark tension of Saltburn, this novel is a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie and Alex Michaelides.

When Anatol invites five of his oldest friends to his family home in the picturesque Wiltshire countryside to celebrate his thirtieth birthday, what begins as a fun weekend getaway quickly spirals into a deadly game of secrets and deception. Anatol introduces a game of his invention: Motive Method Death. The rules are simple yet chilling—each guest must randomly choose two players, then craft a short story in which one murders the other. Points are awarded for making the murders seem as realistic as possible.

At first, it seems harmless enough. But as each friend uses what they know about each other—hidden affairs, grudges, and long-buried secrets—the game reveals far more than anyone expected. With every new "fictional" death, someone’s past is laid bare, and soon, the boundaries between game and reality begin to blur. Old resentments and private matters come to light, and with each story told, new motives emerge.

As the weekend progresses, the tension grows. What started as a game becomes increasingly dangerous, as the friends begin to realize that their darkest secrets might just have fatal consequences. Can they all survive the weekend, or will the truth turn out to be deadlier than fiction?

Ink Ribbon Red is a masterclass in suspense and intrigue, with razor-sharp dialogue and a plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. Every twist feels earned, and the rich character development makes each revelation hit hard. If you’re looking for a thriller that’s both thrilling and thought-provoking, this book is an absolute must-read. Prepare for a thrilling ride that questions the very nature of truth, revenge, and human nature itself.

This book was wicked fun in the most devious way. Imagine a group of old friends, an isolated country house, a twisted party game, and a whole lot of secrets bubbling under the surface—yep, I was sold from the jump.

Reading Ink Ribbon Red felt like watching Knives Out with a darker, more psychological edge. The game they play—writing murder stories about each other—sounds fun in theory, but the way it unravels? Deliciously sinister. I was constantly wondering who was bluffing, who was breaking down, and who might actually snap.

It’s one of those books that makes you suspicious of everyone, and I love when a thriller keeps me second-guessing right up until the last few pages. Sharp, stylish, and full of biting tension, this is for fans of Agatha Christie with a modern, edgy twist.

Perfect if you’re into murder games, layered friendships, and that slow-building dread that makes you say “just one more chapter” until it’s 2AM.

Ink Ribbon Red is one of those books that grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. Alex Pavesi spins a dark, twisty mystery that’s both smart and unpredictable, with characters that feel real and compelling. The plot is full of twists you won’t see coming, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, another surprise hits.

What really stands out is the psychological depth. It’s not just about solving the mystery—it’s about understanding what drives these characters and how the story unfolds in unexpected ways. The writing is sharp and keeps the pace moving, making it hard to put down.

If you’re a fan of gripping mysteries that keep you guessing and leave you thinking long after you’ve finished, Ink Ribbon Red is definitely one to check out.

Ink Ribbon Red—the color of fictional blood. Except, this time, the blood spilled will be very real.

After the recent passing of his father, Anatol invites his closest friends to his late father’s estate for one last birthday weekend to mark his thirtieth year. What begins as a hopeful reunion filled with camaraderie quickly curdles into a weekend of tension, suspicion, and eventually—death.

Beneath the surface, old resentments and quiet doubts simmer. Then Anatol introduces a game: Motive, Method, Death—a dark exercise where each guest must invent a gruesome, plausible story of another’s demise. The rules are simple: make it believable, make it brutal.

As the stories grow more convincing, trust begins to unravel. Alibis crack. And soon, the line between fiction and reality blurs. Are these deaths just tales... or are some of them actually happening?

Told in alternating timelines and perspectives, this novel offers a fresh take on the classic locked-room mystery. While the premise was gripping and the structure intriguing, it didn’t hold me quite as tightly as other entries in the genre. Still, an ambitious and creative concept.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

DNF at 10%. Well, I was hoping for a fun and quirky mystery, but this wasn’t it. I’m sure if you can get through to the end it’s pretty clever, but what stopped me moving forward were the pages and pages of endless pointless dialogue. For example somebody calling a friend and saying I just have a minute….followed by 2-3 pages of the two characters squabbling about how early it is, before finally mentioning the reason for the phone call. This book revolves around four friends, and all of their dialogue is pointless squabbling with each other. I didn’t find it funny or endearing. I found it very annoying actually.

To be fair, I think this is one of those books written by one of those people that is so smart that they talk on a different plane than the rest of us. I think this might be a case of a book that I’m not smart enough to read, but who knows.

A Clever and Addictive Mystery Thriller

Alex Pavesi’s Ink Ribbon Red is a brilliantly crafted mystery that blurs the line between fiction and reality. The premise friends writing fictional murders that reveal real secrets is both original and unsettling, keeping the tension high from start to finish. As the game unfolds, hidden grudges and past betrayals surface, making every character a potential suspect and every turn of the page more gripping than the last. With sharp writing and a perfectly paced unraveling of twists, this novel is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and intricate whodunits.

I only made it about 1/5 of the way through this book, and found nothing to connect to in the characters, setting, or plot. Kudos to whoever wrote the description: they made it sound amazing, but the book did not follow through on those promises as far as I read. I couldn't wait anything longer for a plot to actually begin.

Ink Ribbon Red by Alex Pavesi is a thriller about five friends who are celebrating a birthday at Anatol’s family home. He decides he wants them to play a game he concocted called Motive Method Death. This consists of each person writing a story about killing one of their friends. I found the stories morbid but also disjointed for the flow of the main story. I didn’t know when I was reading the real story versus the game stories. There was a lot of back and forth through the timeline that made it harder to stay with the story. The characters were flat, it was hard to determine their motives or how they were supposed to be friends. I will decline sharing my review on social media due to not recommending the book for my followers. Thank you Henry Holt & Company and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Who needs enemies with friend like this? It offers an intriguing premise—a deadly game that blurs the line between fiction and reality—but unfortunately, the execution doesn’t fully live up to the potential. The concept of a group of friends playing a game where they write stories about murdering each other is clever and ripe for suspense, but the characters and narrative fail to deliver the level of depth and tension needed to make it truly compelling.

While the setting—Anatol’s grand family home in the Wiltshire countryside—is atmospheric and provides the perfect backdrop for a mystery, the characters, particularly Anatol and Maya, come across as either irritating or underdeveloped. They’re supposed to be complex, but instead feel either annoyingly eccentric or vaguely drawn. The result is that it’s hard to connect with them or care about their fates.

The game itself creates some suspense, as secrets and grudges bubble to the surface, but the stakes feel weak, and the drama drags rather than captivates. The whodunnit aspect is reminiscent of Knives Out or Saltburn, but the plot lacks the sharp wit and rich character dynamics.

4⭐ | Ink Ribbon Red

This book had me hooked from the beginning with its eerie, immersive atmosphere and intricate storytelling. The blend of mystery and psychological tension kept me engaged, and I loved the way the narrative unraveled like an old, forgotten story being rediscovered. The protagonist was compelling, and the twists were well-executed, keeping me guessing until the end.

I did feel like some parts dragged a little, but overall, the unique premise and haunting tone made up for it. If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries with a touch of the unsettling, this one is worth picking up!

An interesting book but it’s completely non-linear timeline wise and it’s hard to follow. To me it gets clunky and disjointed, and it was hard to keep going through all the time jumps. The story was well written but the jumps made me dizzy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC. This will be out July 2025!

Ink Ribbon Red is a very strange, unnerving, and non linear book that has the reader questioning what is real and what is not. This is a murder mystery containing multiple murders and the reader slowly discovers which one(s) actually happened and which are just stories.

The main action of the book happens over the course of the 30th birthday weekend of Anatol who hosts his friends regularly at his estate in the countryside of England. He's invited his regular crew of friends: Maya, Dean, Phoebe, Janika, and Marcin, each of whom have complicated and somewhat antagonistic relationships with each other. This birthday weekend comes shortly after the death of Anatol's father Gus who was apparently hated by Anatol's friends and was also suffering from dementia.

Anatol and his friends have the interesting hobby of writing stories about murdering each other and this is how they spend the weekend at Anatol's request. This is where the blurring between what is real and what is fake comes into play as the reader knows in advance that at least one death will occur however it's a slow burn as the reader figures out what actually happened and what is fantasy.

Some of the stories and back and forth between various perspectives went on for a little too long. There is also a plot point involving black mail which wasn't as interesting as it could have been mainly because the characters are very self absorbed and communicate poorly so this aspect of the story didn't seem to move very fast. It was also tedious at times to read them interacting with each other.

Overall however this was a very interesting way to frame the story and it was like putting pieces of a puzzle together as I read the fantasy version of the murders and then the actual version of what happened in the characters' reality. I enjoy books that contain a story within a story so this was a good way of doing that.

Many thanks to Henry Holt & Company and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.