This was another great thriller from Clare Allen. She really is a great writer, expertly capable of weaving suspense throughout her work to keep us on tenterhooks right up until the climax of her tales. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I finished it in two days and had I been home alone I would have done so in just one. It was unputdownable!! And the fact that her novels are so relatable, set in cities I've visited, in this case Derry, make it all the easier to become swiftly invested in her novels. Here she wrote the horror of the body floating in the lake so eerily well, and the curiosity of the Doherty family's reluctance so cleverly also that I really couldn't bear to put this book down. What were they hiding, and why??? I loved this read and can't wait for her next installment!!

Claire Allan is a author where I don’t really read what the book is about, I just know it’s going to have me hooked from the very start.

Ingrid is a journalist that has a love for investigating and finding the truth, no matter what that is. She is currently investigating the death, 25 years ago, of an eight year old girl, in her home town. The man convicted of her murder has recently been released from prison and still claims he is innocent. Was the wrong person convicted of murder ? Is a murderer still roaming the streets ? Does Ingrid know the killer ?

As Ingrid starts to investigate someone tries to intimidate her but the more she digs the more she is convinced the killer is still out there. Will Ingrid find the truth before it’s too late ?

This is a great twisty psychological thriller with an ending I didn’t see coming. A book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

Ask No Questions is a well written, realistic psychological thriller set in Derry in 1994 and 2017. Its well-drawn characters are interesting, if not always likeable, and the twists keep you guessing to the end. This is the first Claire Allan book I’ve read but I can see why she’s become popular.

Journalist Ingrid Devlin is drawn back into the lives of people she grew up with and into the drama that took place 25 years ago, when 8-year-old Kelly Doherty disappeared on Halloween night and was found murdered a few days later.

This thriller is a plot-driven whodunnit, but it’s Allan’s characters that keep you hooked. Far too many thrillers have clichéd, one-dimensional characters that might as well just be named ‘Wily Cop’, ‘Damaged Girl’, ‘Evil Killer’, etc. because they are so damned obvious. By contrast, Allan keeps you guessing, not just about what the different characters have done, but about their essential …. character!

To start with, the protagonist Ingrid is a convincing, multidimensional character, trying her best to be a conscientious, intrepid journalist while at the same time she’s terrified, wondering if she should get the hell out of all this, fast. She’s at a loss to know who she can trust, she doesn’t always make the wisest decisions and she puts herself at risk. In fact, she’s a bit out of her depth and floundering. All of this makes it easy to empathize with her, even when you’re thinking, ‘No, stop, don’t DO that!’.

We see the other characters from Ingrid’s perspective, sharing her uncertainty and inability to figure them out. Is Ingrid’s boss Ryan just a common-or-garden cheating creep doing what he can to keep his paper afloat, or is there more to it? What’s up with the weird twin brothers Niall and Declan? Is one of them a bad guy, and if so, which one? Is Jamesy a naïve innocent or a psycho manipulator? And who’s side are the police actually on? Is everyone hiding behind a mask?

Ingrid receives several warnings to back off: everyone is suspect and no one’s motives are clear.

Ask No Questions is a fast paced, tense, tightly plotted novel and the ending, while totally believable, will no doubt surprise you.

I definitely recommend this and I’ll be putting more Claire Allen books on my reading list!

My thanks to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

The description of this book drew me in, I’m not usually one for a crime thriller but this seemed to stand out for me, and I, glad I gave it a read as I really enjoyed it. Ask no questions brings up a mound of emotions throughout and kept me gripped

This was a slow burner with a jaw dropping finish. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, it was hard to put down. It kept me guessing right until the end. I liked the different perspectives & the flashback chapters - it all added tot the creepiness of the story.

Eight years after his release from prison, a convicted child murderer claims he was innocent and a reporter working on an anniversary story about the case gets drawn in determined to find the truth. A really gripping thriller with twists that kept me hooked.

A fast paced, riveting thriller of a cold case set in Ireland. Though I didn’t like the main character, I liked the book for its narrative and suspense with everything coming to a fitting conclusion. The place descriptions and the dialogues gave me the feel of Ireland. 4.5 stars

You can’t go wrong with any of Claire Allan’s books. I’ve read everything she’s written, and each story keeps me glued to the pages!

Ask No Questions was a well-written page-turner, though dark and gritty, which I didn’t mind. The pacing is perfect, just enough hints to keep you invested, lots of suspense and a main character, Ingrid that I really cared about. She’s strong and ambitious but cares about the people she’s writing about. The case is sensitive, an innocent young girl died on Halloween and her death was unsolved. Ingrid is there to write a piece on the murder, but someone clearly doesn’t want her asking questions…

Synopsis:

Twenty-five years ago, on Halloween night, eight-year-old Kelly Doherty went missing while out trick or treating with friends.

Her body was found three days later, floating face down, on the banks of the Creggan Reservoir by two of her young classmates. It was a crime that rocked Derry to the core. Journalist Ingrid Devlin is investigating – but someone doesn’t want her to know the truth. As she digs further, Ingrid starts to realise that the Doherty family are not as they seem. But will she expose what really happened that night before it’s too late?

I highly recommend this book if you are into suspense/mysteries!

Comes out on January 21, 2021

May contain spoilers: Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC in return for a honest review. This was my first book by the author Claire Allan. It was a quick read and I really enjoyed the suspense.
The book follows the story of the death of an 8 year old girl named Kelly on then night of Halloween. Twin brothers Declan and Nail find her in a lake. Declan has never really gotten over this trauma while Nail seems to have succeeded without difficulty. The main character is Ingrid who is a journalist covering the 25th anniversary of the "murder". She also happened to be a classmate of Kelly and the twins. Strange incidents keep happening to Ingrid which seem to be trying to tell her to stop investigating the incident. A man who lived in the neighborhood and always appeared strange was the one convicted and sent to prison for the murder. Ingrid has doubts if he really was the culprit. The ending was truly unexpected when we find out who was really involved. I would recommend this book and plan to read others by this author.

One of the best books I’ve read this year by far. It’s no surprise that the author graduated with a Masters in Newspaper Journalism and has had a successful carrier as a journalist in Derry. This book could not have been so well written if they hadn’t “ earned the t-shirt.
Going back to her home town to do a 25th anniversary article on the murder of an 8 year old girl Ingrid Devlin remembers the night well, she was 10 at the time.
She remembers the devastation it had on the family, and how the lives of the neighbours children changed overnight
She remembers the “simple” young lad arrested and imprisoned for the murder, a man he was released 8 years ago and is protesting his innocence
When she accepts his invitation to meet, so he can tell his side of the story, she has no idea the can of worms she’s opening.
A stunning story written brilliantly

A dark modern thriller.
At times the storyline seemed almost too realistic. It was well thought out and set perfectly within both the times and the backdrop.
A deliciously twisty tale, where nothing was quite as it first appeared. Plenty of mystery and intrigue, fast paced and easy to read.
The characters are well crafted and perfectly suited to the plot.
A very modern mystery, with plenty of grit.
A highly enjoyable read

I do love Claire Allan’s books, so I was very excited to get started on this one!!

Ingrid Devlin a journalist returns home to do an anniversary special on the murder of Kelly Doherty, who was murdered 35 years ago when she was 8, whilst she was out trick or treating with friends.

The man who was convicted of her murder has now been released from prison and is declaring his innocence. As Ingrid starts to investigate, she also believes his innocence. But someone out there does not want her digging into the investigation and will stop at nothing to keep the past well and truly buried.

I loved this book, it’s twists keeping me well and truly hooked. I was kept guessing until the end, every time I thought I knew who the murderer was there was another twist!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Tense crime drama with tenacious Irish journalist Ingrid Devlin looking back on the murder of one of her childhood friends as she prepares an article to commemorate the 25th anniversary of her death. As she starts to wonder whether the convicted killer really was framed as he maintains the tension is racked up as it becomes clear some people will stop at nothing to prevent the truth from coming out. Really enjoyed this although I had to double check the doors were locked before I went to bed.

I’ve read and enjoyed other books by the author and was really looking forward to Ask No Questions. The blub made it sound like something right up my street. I also liked the fact the book is set in Derry; I’ve never visited Ireland but there’s something really appealing about it. I’ve enjoyed other books set there. Ask No Questions ticks all of the boxes of a good thriller; fast pace, twists, turns, misdirection and a great atmosphere. As Ingrid revisits the terrible crime for an anniversary piece, she discovers that old wounds are far from healed and locals are riled up again as the man convicted of the murder has been released from prison and claiming he was set up. Someone wants the story to die and is the truth worth the possible costs? This is a great thriller.

When a local newspaper reporter decides to write an anniversary piece to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of a local child she doesn’t realise the events she is about to set in motion.

This is a book that will have you in the edge of your seat from start to finish. A great read.

This was an excellent story, it was written very well and had short fast paced chapters that you just couldn’t stop at....you had to read the next chapter and then the next.

I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. The characters were likeable (apart from one to two). I also thought I had it all worked out but how wrong was I?
The ending maybe not what I was expecting but it was a very good one!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Claire Allan book and it certainly won't be my last.

This is the story of a journalist returning to her hometown of Derry, Ireland on the 25th anniversary of the murder of her young classmate. The person that was accused and sent to jail is now out, however, there are many questions about his guilt. Did the right person go to jail for this horrible crime? Can Ingrid get to the bottom of this story before it is too late?

This is an edge of your seat type of thriller and I sure enjoyed it!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in January 2021.

Brilliant book and story. This kept me enthralled from the moment I started it, had no idea of how it was going to end. Absolute must read!

4.5 I liked the first two thirds of this book quite a bit. the main character was strong, gutsy, determined, flawed and hot on a trail of a story that she lived through as a child. the last part of the book fell off a bit for me, was a bit flat, but still worth reading. I have read other of her books and have enjoyed them

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ingrid is a journalist and on the 25th anniversary of the death of a local girl whom she went to school with, she decides to write a piece about the girl. This stirs up trouble with the twin boys, now men, that found the body and the man that was convicted of the murder.

I thank the publisher for sending me a widget for the book but unfortunately this book was just ok for me. On the positive side, it was a quick read but ultimately I had trouble connecting with the characters and when the reveal of the girl's killer came, it was not the interesting because somehow I just wasn't engaged enough to get excited about the mystery being solved. Still, I have enjoyed other novels from this author more and will read more from her.