Rating: 3 stars

Ten years ago, artisan Melanippe Saka left the Amazon tribe to give her now-14-year-old daughter, Harmony, a normal life. Considering where she came from, living in a converted school and owning an all-women tattoo shop, while sharing space with her warrior mother and 500-year-old priestess grandmother, is considered normal.

Since losing her newborn son to the beliefs of the tribe, Mel has denounced the Amazon way and attempts to live as a human; despite her magical powers that seem to grow stronger with each day. However, when two dead Amazon teens are dumped on her doorstep in the early hours of the morning, a few weeks apart, Mel realizes her secret is no longer safe.

Torn between going to the police and risk exposing the existence of her people or re-establishing contact with the tribe, where she would become their main suspect, Mel decides to dump the bodies in areas where they would be found and reported. However, Mel’s troubles are just beginning –mainly in the form of men. Peter, the mysterious sexy tattoo artist that Mel can’t seem to resist, may be harboring a few of his own secrets. Then there’s Det. Reynolds who is investigating the murders. The teens both had tattoos, which resemble Mel’s artistic style and the detective made it clear that he's not leaving until he gets the answers he's looking for.

Once the Amazons get wind of the killings and Mel’s apparent involvement, they converge on her like an angry mob, moving into her home to train for war. Now Mel has to face the demons of her past, prove her innocence to the tribe and Det. Reynolds, find the real killer; all while keeping Harmony in the dark about her own lineage -- despite the strange events unfolding right before her eyes. As if that's not enough, Peter decides there's not time like the present to drop his own bomb regarding his true identity and the existence others like him.

Amazon Ink is a quick and entertaining read. The background on Amazons’ beliefs and traditions was pretty interesting and a nice break from the usual fare of supernatural beings. Although I’m not a fan of para-romance (translation: I’d rather pull my fingernails off than read it), Devoti managed to make it quite painless and even interesting – I'd consider saying I enjoyed it, but my editor might make me read more of them.
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Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket (May 26, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-1439154274