Ink Ribbon Red

 

By Alex Pavesi

Review

Six friends get together for a weekend birthday celebration. They play a game where their names are put into two jars and each person must select one name from each jar. Each friend then has to write a story based upon one of the chosen names murdering the other. When all the stories have been read to the group, a winner will be decided. However, it's not quite so straightforward because people tend to write about what they know — including secrets best left hidden.

When I began reading Ink Ribbon Red I was a little unsure if I was going to enjoy it, but the more I read the more intrigued I became. The plot is very clever but you do need to follow the timelines carefully otherwise it becomes confusing. The reader is told that the friends' stories are included in the narrative, merging fact with fiction, which I thought was brilliantly done. I've now bought the author's previous book, Eight Detectives, based solely on my enjoyment of Ink Ribbon Red. 

My thanks to the author and publisher for kindly sending a proof copy for review.     

★★★★☆

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication Year: 2024
• Author: Alex Pavesi
• Genre: Literary Fiction, Thriller

Synopsis

Six friends gather at a country house for a birthday weekend. They decide to play a game.

All six names go in a hat. Choose two, and imagine one murdering the other. Write it down. Type it up. Read it out.

Points are given for making the murders sound convincing.

Of course, when given such a task, it’s only natural to use what you know. Secrets. Grudges. Affairs.

But once you’ve put it in a story, that secret is out.

So with each fictional murder, someone gets a motive for a real one.

Which leads to the most important question:

When a real murder comes, will you be able to spot it in time?