Member Reviews

Thank you NetGalley and Oceanview Piblishing for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: June 4, 2024

Beth is at a Christmas party for her firm where she is a paralegal. Her sister, Lindsay, who is an investigative journalist and who was also her plus one was a no show. She has had enough mingling and goes to her office to find her boss, Craig, who, only moments ago said he needs to talk with her. She finds her boss murdered and sees someone who looks an awful lot like Lindsay fleeing the scene.

Was that Lindsay? Why was she there and what business does she have with Craig?

We get a first person POV of Beth trying to find out what her sister was to do with this murder as she traces Lindsay’s steps and uncovers a web of lies and deceit from those closest to her.

I really enjoy Keliikoa’s Misty Pine series so I was excited for the opportunity to get my hands on this book. Like her other books I’ve read, the writing is smooth and concise and her dialogue is realistic. I didn’t feel as connected to Beth as I would have liked but the mystery still sucked me in and had me not wanting to put the book down until I had answers to every question.

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Thank you to NetGalley, Oceanview Publishing and author Mary Kelikoa for allowing me to read Don't Ask, Don't Follow for an honest review..

I made a bad mistake when I borrowed this book. I borrowed it about a month ago and read the first couple of lines and didn't come back to it for a month while I read other books. BAD mistake. I LOVED this book.

Two sisters Lindsay and Beth are very close but very different. When Beth finds her boss murdered at a party and sees Lindsay fleeing from his office what does she think? Beth spends the rest of the book trying to find Lindsay to make sure she is safe and to find out what happened. Along the say she is "sharing" information with Detective Matson who is assigned to the case and is also trying to find Lindsay and the killer.

The book takes several twists and turns and is a real page turner.

Do yourself a huge favour and read this book if you get the opportunity.

Did I mention I loved it? Well i did.

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Thank you to @NetGalley for my free copy to read and review!

Awesome, edge-of-your-seat thriller about uncovering shocking family secrets and sweet justice. Could not put this book down! Fans of MIchelle Campbell's 'The Intern' will love this book!

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I liked this book. It was well-written and had some good suspense moments. Great plot twist ending. I will be reading more from this author.

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I was sucked into this story right away. There's a murder during an office party and a missing sister that takes us on an investigative journey. It wound up being a very good mystery and a great plot. I think it could have been a little shorter as it dragged in the middle and felt a little repetitive. I will definitely check out books from this author in the future. Check this out If you like books involving sisters and dark family secrets.

Thank you Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for an early copy. Don't Ask, Don't Follow comes out June 4, 2024!

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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.”

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I really enjoyed chasing down this mystery with the main character. It’s about a woman who sees her sister running away from a place where a body is found. Her sister won’t answer her calls and no one knows where she is. She sets out to find her.

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This book immediately graps your attention as there are intrigues everywhere: boss dead, sister on the run... It's up to journalist Lindsay to figure it all out. I read a lot of thrillers so unfortunately I solved the mysteries (in several ways, including the correct one) before the book was over. Am not a big fan of ""detective-type books" and this book too was mostly the lead (Lindsay) figuring out why someone would do something. The book is not badly written though, but its hard to find something truly fascinating and interesting when one read so many thrillers.

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This was certainly an exciting, gripping thriller that I couldn't wait to find out more.
I was immediately pulled into the story of Beth and the whirlwind mystery and drama that unfolded around her.
More and more questions opened up the more she tried to get answers.
My brain kept churning with the possible explanations and answers, but I didn't come close to many of them.
I don't want to include spoilers, but I thought it was really well done with how it brought up many concerns and the importance of perspective in whether people are "good" or "bad," who is right and who is wrong, as well as the many dangers of secrets.
I think the thing that I liked the most was that there wasn't a clear "villain" until the end and all the secrets were revealed and questions answered. Each person Beth encountered seemed on one hand to be sketchy and another to be a victim. That is impressive writing to keep pulling my strings with important "red herrings," though they all play a vital role, that distracts from the actual person 'whodunnit.'
The author did an exceptional job at storytelling.
The revealed relations added a tragically somber tone to the book, but I also appreciated that it wasn't saturated with a squeaky clean, "everything is sunshine and roses" ending.
I received an advanced copy of this and am so glad I did. This is my first time reading the author's work and will gladly read more.
Don't Ask, Don't Follow will also make it to my "Read Again" shelf. I will happily revisit this story just like rewatching a favorite movie.
I highly recommend this for any lover of good thrilling stories, intriguing plot lines, and a good family/political deception.

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This book is well written, has excellent characters and an OK plot, but it's too slow for my liking.

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A break neck speed had me flipping through the pages as I wanted to know the outcome. It's incredible how quickly I became invested.

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Wow! A great thriller that I couldn't put down! Excellent story with decent writing. Definitely check it out.

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The story was pretty interesting, the writing wasn't as good as the story, not terrible but overly long in parts and flat in others. A paralegal, who grew up in a rich family and works for the family firm, looking for her missing sister and trying to figure out the connection to her boss who was murdered. Social issues were explored some, but could have used more depth 3.5

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How far would you go to find your sister? Beth is determined to locate her sister after she slips away from a murder and puts her phone into Beth's purse. The message is Don't Ask, Don't Follow. But of course she follows. What an amazing story. Who can she trust to help her? My heart was in my throat for much of the book. I thought for sure she would be killed. So many great twists and turns. Loved it!

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This mystery brings us in the world of Beth Ralston, a paralegal in Portland, Oregon; she is one that prefers working rather than partying with office colleagues anytime. But she is forced to assist and after making an appearance Beth returns to her office to find that her boss who had left the party moments before murdered...waiting for the police she noticed her sister Lindsay phone’s was left behind with a text message displayed...Don’t ask. Don’t follow....What was Lindsay, an investigative journalist doing in her boss office. What happened here? Beth is set to find out the answers.

In a few words, my thoughts:

Murder, dark family secrets, and the bond of sisterhood

When it is well done the first person narrative brings you in the characters’ mind and slowly you will be following them through their heartaches and joys. This mystery starts out with a bang but slows down a bit as it went along, although it did not deter me from enjoying the story at its maximum. We have a few twists and turns keep the suspense going and push the drama forward and with its many great layers to follow, it is imperative to stay with it. I particularly loved how Beth retraced Lindsay’s steps into the adoption scheme. Trying to guess the outcome is almost impossible and what a surprise the author spring on us at the end. I made so many hypothesizes of course all of them wrong.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow”, has a unique theme with legal intricacies woven throughout and provides us with an engaging “who-done- it” plot played out by strong characters.

This is a pulse-pounding read I enjoy quite a bit.

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This was such a good thriller! I was immediately hooked from the beginning, and kept in suspense the whole time. I love when I feel unable to put a book down, or I keep thinking about it throughout my day and this book did just that for me. I found it to be very entertaining. 4 stars from me!

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Ooh, this is good.

Beth is a paralegal at her father’s lawfirm and would rather be working than socializing. But, when she leaves the company party to work, she stops to see her boss. Craig. And he’s dead! And OMG who is that running down the hallway? It looks like Lindsay, her sister. Beth chases Lindsay but loses her in the parking garage.

The police are called, and Beth is questioned. Beth finds Lindsay’s cell phone in her bag with the unsent text message: Don’t ask. Don’t follow.

The beginning was a little slow, but then about half way it picks up and won’t let go. I loved this! I can’t wait to read other titles from this author.

Thank you to Net Galley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

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Let's talk covers!!! This is one of the reasons i requested this book!

Any book that is a cat and mouse theme i will read! The suspense and all the little clues that you read and follow during the story is awesome while you try to figure out what is going on. Once i thought i had it figured out nope i had to guess again. It was a slower start when you first read the book but omg to ride it turns into is amazing.

ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR!!!! It is worth it.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

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What a game of cat and mouse this turned into. Leaving bread crumbs for you to follow. And when you think you have it figured out…guess again! This one was a little slower to start but when it picked up, what a ride it turned out to be. Add this to your TBR pile!

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In Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow we meet Beth, who works at her fathers law firm. There is a murder and Beth’s sister is seen leaving the scene and becomes a prime suspect. The only problem is that no one knows where she is!

Told in the first person, Beth goes on a hunt to find her sister and figure out what it was that she was working on that may have got her into trouble. This was a fast paced read, moved quickly, never felt slow. Some of Beth’s decisions are unlikely, the story line is a little over the top and was mostly predictable early on however, the fast pace and writing style made up for that.

I had never read anything by Mary Kelikoa before, but I am going to try another one of her novels as I did enjoy the pacing of this one!

Thank-you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

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