Ink and Bone

Rarely have I seen a perfect merging of paranormal/psychic ability and crime thriller, but this is it. Creepy in some places, heartbreaking in others, I found it almost impossible to put down. I hope to see these characters many more times, as their continuing adventures promise to keep me on the edge of my seat, and I already care what happens to them. Jones Cooper's steady presence perfectly balances Finley's wild young energy.

advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.

I enjoyed Ink and Bone but was not WOWed like I have been with other Lisa Unger novels. When it comes to the main characters, I was all in. Finley was well constructed with a very human personality, flaws and all, which I always appreciate. Her "superpower" was nicely portrayed and never veered into ridiculous territory. I also liked Unger's picture of Merri Gleason as a grieving mother who won't give up on her child but who is not a superwoman. The contrasting sections with Merri's husband Wolf set them up as a nice contrasting pair and neither were portrayed as the one solely to blame.

While I loved Finley, Eloise, Penny, and Merri, I was underwhelmed by everyone else. I didn't quite understand the importance of Rainer, Finley's show more ex-boyfriend, and I was not super impressed with the sections featuring Jones, The Hollows private eye. I also never got enough of Finley's backstory to feel satisfied - Unger offers tidbits from the past in a way that left me feeling unsatisfied with the amount of information I had. I did learn that Ink and Bone is not the first of Unger's novels to be set in The Hollows, so perhaps some of those gaps would be filled had I read the others beforehand. show less

Finley Montgomery doesn’t want to be the person who sees the ones no one else sees. She doesn’t want to have prophetic dreams. She doesn’t want to embrace her “gift.” But she dreams the dreams, sees the unseen ones and, though reluctant to embrace the psychic gift, she rides her Harley-Davidson into The Hollows, sporting pink and black hair and tattoos where her grandmother Eloise sets about helping her to accept her gift.
Merri Gleason, a mother desperate to find her missing daughter, approaches private Investigator Jones Cooper and Jones enlists Eloise’s aid. However, the spirits speak to Finley and draw her into the investigation. But Abbey’s been missing for more than a year and, like other children who’ve disappeared show more in The Hollows, there’s no a trace of her and The Hollows is reluctant to reveal its secrets.

As much a story of Finley’s growing into herself and her psychic gift as a mystery, “Ink and Bones” is a well-written, fast-paced paranormal thriller grabs the reader at the beginning and doesn’t ever let go as it twists and turns its way though terror and continually ratchets up the suspense. Interaction between the moody, atmospheric Hollows and the multifaceted, well-developed characters adds dimension to the narrative. The complexity of the plot will keep the pages turning and readers will find themselves reluctant to set this one aside.

Highly recommended. show less

Someone suggested I read Ink and Bone, but it turned out there were two with that title and Lisa Unger’s cover art just drew me in, so I read it instead of the YA fantasy I had been recommended. I find spooky trees hard to resist. Be specific, people!

Ink and Bone is part of a mystery series centered on a small upstate village called The Hollows. This is a transitional novel that shifts the focus of the series from Eloise Montgomery, a reluctant psychic, to her granddaughter Finley who is just beginning her useful phase of being psychic, learning to control her power instead of allowing it to control her – or at least trying to control it.

Meanwhile, there is a young girl named Abbey who has been missing nearly a year. The book opens show more with her abduction. Abbey’s mother, Merri, desperately believes she is still alive, insistent she feels her life force. She hires Jones Cooper, the local private detective who works with Eloise to make one last attempt to find her.

But the spirits are not speaking to Eloise this time, they reach out of Finley, so she takes on the case with Cooper. Her way of working is very different from Eloise, so Cooper has some adjusting to do.

Ink and Bone takes risks that few mystery series do and not just in transitioning from Eloise to Finley. Readers have certain expectations and Unger refuses to cater to them. She also offers some real insight into life, insight that is perhaps harsh. Abbey’s father, Wolf, is a travel writer and writing has him searching always for the story arc. “But that was another truth of life that Wolf had only recently learned. Very often, there was no redemptive narrative. The consequences for some mistakes would not be undone.” I really loved how Unger dug deep for some real honesty in this book, but naming the philandering husband Wolf was a bit reductive.

The relationship between Wolf and Merri is an important part of the story. Most parents who lose a child divorce, their marriage unable to withstand the pain. Wolf and Merri were already having trouble when Abbey disappeared, but they are, so far, sticking it out for the sake of Abbey’s brother, Jackson. For Merri marriage was like this, “Daily, she forgave his flaws, just as she knew he forgave hers. Maybe that alone was the foundation of a good marriage, an endless willingness to forgive and to love in spite of ourselves, an ability to ride the highs and endure the lows, the decision to always go home.” There is truth there, that marriage is about enduring and forgiving and deciding to stick it out.

The story is atmospheric and the sense of place is powerful. You can feel the menace in the landscape at times. The plot was intricate and sadly, altogether too realistic (other than the psychic stuff). And yes, while I am not one to believe in the supernatural, I did not mind that the detective is a psychic, just as I enjoy stories about hauntings, vampires and dragons.

I enjoyed Ink and Bone very much. It succeeded in the most important thing, getting me to request more of her books at the library. I am eager to read them. And yes, I probably will also read the other Ink and Bone, the one I was recommended in the first place. It sounds fun.

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2016/07/01/ink-and-bone-by-lisa-unge show less

The Hollows is a place with many whispered secrets and Finely Montgomery is one of very few people that can hear them. Twenty-one years old, covered in tattoos and accompanied by three ghostly sisters, Finley just wants to silence the ongoing racket in her head. She can’t make sense of the little boy who sits silently playing with his toy trains or why the ghost of a woman named Faith is always giving her looks of disapproval. Upon waking one day, Finley is met with a brand new ghostly sound that she can’t begin to understand. As much as she tries to ignore the new and probing noise, she just can’t escape it. Could it be linked to a missing person’s case from almost a year ago?
Lisa Unger created a phenomenal masterpiece in Ink show more and Bone. There is so much mystery hidden in the layers of the story that I never quite grasped ahold of it all until the very last page. Unger gives us a haunting town history, characters that we can love to hate and just enough love and passion and fear to keep us turning pages. The paranormal twist on this particular story never felt unrealistic or too farfetched.
There were several moments throughout this story that were absolutely bone chilling. I found myself jumping at a knock on my door and again when my cat sidled up to me. I found myself holding my breath, begging for answers that never quite came soon enough. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of Ink and Bone, even when it evoked anger, sadness and fear inside me. I recommend this to everyone, if you think you can handle it!
I received a digital copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review via NetGalley show less

I love Lisa Unger. Her writing style is striking, evocative, and so beautiful. Unfortunately, I had a lot of trouble with this book. And it’s one of those instances where the phrase, “It’s not you, it’s me,” totally applies. The plot with the missing 10-year old girl triggered me so much that I resisted picking up the book every time I put it down. Having a little girl myself, I find I’m unable to read about these kinds of topics. There’s enough scary reality bombarding me from every direction as I go through my day (sometimes way too much!) and I find I shy away from it in fiction. I will continue reading Unger’s books, but I hope the next one will be less triggering for me.

I was lucky enough to get the ARC directly from Lisa Unger, the author. On one hand, I was really thrilled but, then, I thought what if I don't like it? Well, that didn't happen, I read this book straight through and loved it! There's a lot going on here in The Hollows. Finley Montgomery has always seen people that no one else can see and they are starting to get out of control. She decides to move to The Hollows to live with her grandmother, Eloise Montgomery, a psychic who has been working with Jones Cooper, a detective. She needs her grandmother's help in getting a handle on her own gift.

Merri Gleason is a mother who has been looking for her daughter who disappeared ten months ago. Her family has fallen apart after the loss of her show more daughter and she has nothing else to lose, so she goes to Jones Cooper for help. It's Finley, though, who's getting messages from a young girl and she, more so than her grandmother, starts working on this case. As they get into the investigation, they find out that Merri's daughter, Abbey is not the only young girl to go missing from The Hollows. There are so many layers to this story that it is difficult to put down and I didn't until I finished it. It went on sale this week, don't miss it! show less