Alex Pavesi’s Ink Ribbon Red is an original literary thriller, blending sharp
twists with a love of storytelling. In this exclusive interview, Pavesi reveals
how his influences – from Jorge Luis Borges to Shirley Jackson – shape
his work, the role mathematics plays in his patient approach to mystery
writing, and the surprising parallels between coding and crafting fiction.
From careful planning to organic twists, Pavesi offers insights into the
creative mind behind a tale where secrets become stories – and stories
turn deadly. With Ink Ribbon Red arriving this December, it’s time to
uncover the mystery.
Were there any particular authors or books that influenced Ink Ribbon Red?
All my books are indebted to Jorge Luis Borges, who changed my idea of how stories can work. But the biggest direct influence on this one was The Sundial by Shirley Jackson, which strikes the perfect balance between darkness and humour. I’ve read it three times, trying to unpick how it works.
How did your background in mathematics influence the way you approach writing mystery novels?
Studying mathematics teaches you the power of time. It might take ten days, or ten months, for the solution to a problem to come to you, so there’s no need to panic if you haven’t solved it within ten minutes. I tend to take a very patient approach to writing as a result of this. If I need a new idea or a way out of a difficult situation, I trust that it will come eventually.
“To some extent I think the fundamentals of problem solving
are the same everywhere.”
As both an ex-software engineer and an author, do you find any parallels between the two fields in terms of problem-solving or creativity?
In copyright terms, software is classed as written work (the work being the underlying code) so is subject to most of the same copyright laws as fiction. That may be where the similarity stops, though to some extent I think the fundamentals of problem solving are the same everywhere, regardless of the thing being worked on.
Can you share a bit about your writing process? Are you a meticulous planner, or do you let the story develop organically?
It’s half and half. I’d never start writing without a plan, but to paraphrase Mike Tyson: everyone has a plan until they have to turn it into words on the page.
Ink Ribbon Red hits shelves in December 2024.
The problem with telling tales is that you might get caught out by the twist: the most original literary thriller of 2024, from the author of the sensational Eight Detectives.
A group of friends gather in a country house for a birthday party. At their host’s request, they each write a short mystery. They draw names from a hat: in each story, one of the group is the killer, and another the victim. Of course, when given such a task, it’s only natural to use what you know. Secrets. Grudges. Illicit love. It’s just that once you put it in a story, the secret is out.
Oh, and just one more thing: this is a story that ends with a murder…
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