Thank you ThrillerBookLoversThePulse & Oceanview Publishing #partner, for the advanced e-copy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Published: June 4, 2024
Summary:
Murder, dark family secrets, and the unwavering bond of sisterhood— regardless of the cost
Beth Ralston, a paralegal in Portland, Oregon, would rather be racking up billable hours than mingling at an office party— especially when her sister Lindsay, aka her plus one, is a no-show.
After making her obligatory rounds, Beth returns to her office to find that her boss, who she’d talked with moments before, has been murdered. She sees a woman fleeing the scene. Wait— was that Lindsay? Unable to catch up to her in time, Beth waits for the police to arrive and notices that Lindsay has left her phone behind with an unsent text message to Beth displayed on the screen: “ Don’t ask. Don’t follow.”
Lindsay is unreachable for days, and when Beth starts to come under suspicion for the crime, she decides that waiting is impossible. While retracing Lindsay’s steps, determined to bring her home, Beth uncovers what her sister, an investigative reporter bent on changing the world, was trying to expose— corruption, secrets, and betrayal on an unimaginable level. Revealing the truth might bring back the one person she’s desperate to find— but it could also destroy the only life and family Beth’s ever known.
Perfect for fans of Gregg Olsen and Karin Slaughter
My thoughts:
Somehow this is the first book I’ve read by Mary Keliikoa but it certainly will not be the last. I’m not sure how I haven’t heard of her before now, but I won’t be making that mistake again…I’ve already added her other books to my tbr as I wait to see what she writes next.
This book grabbed me from the get-go with quite an explosive beginning and kept me engaged and guessing all the way through! It is a complex, layered tale that is full of secrets, and a cat and mouse game unlike any other and I was so not prepared for where it ultimately headed, the twists coming hard and fast at times, keeping me on my toes all the way up to the very end.
I love a good sister story and while this one is told all through the one sister’s point of view, I found that bond of sisterhood to be such a deep motivating factor on Beth’s part. The character development of both sisters, all told through Beth’s eyes, was done so well that I really felt I knew both of them, as well as the other characters. This makes it quite easy to become more emotionally invested in the story, which I found myself doing, feeling as desperate as Beth was to know what happened to Lindsay.
If you enjoy a suspenseful, addictive read, that is equal parts thriller and family drama, this one is for you!
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