Mary Keliikoa

Don't Ask, Don't Follow by Mary Keliikoa is a highly recommended suspense novel set in Portland, Oregon, that seeks to solve a murder and find a missing person.

Beth Ralston, a paralegal at her father's law firm, has had enough mingling at the office party so she heads back upstairs to her office to rack up more billable hours. She finds Craig Bartell, her boss, has been murdered and she sees a woman who appears to be her sister Lindsay, fleeing the scene. Beth is unable to catch her sister and, while she waits for the police, she discovers Lindsay left her phone in Beth's bag. The phone had an unsent message on it: "Don’t ask. Don’t follow."

Lindsay is an investigative reporter, so sometimes it is hard to reach her, but she never drops completely out of touch. In an attempt to find Lindsay, Beth begins to look into the material that Lindsay was investigating and trying to expose. It involves large scale corruption, secrets, and betrayal that may involve even her own family.

Beth is a determined, fully realized character who has a strong bond with her older sister that serves her well as she tries to find Lindsay. Since Don't Ask, Don't Follow is told through Beth's first person point-of-view, trusting and believing in her findings is important.

The information Lindsay was chasing also involved Craig and makes her question not only the information Lindsay was collecting but also their parent's truthfulness. It is clear as events unfold that someone is follow Beth and means her harm. The detective is also fast on the same trail and keeps encountering Beth while he investigates.

The plot does seem to slow down in the middle after it initially takes off at a quick pace. There are also a few plot points that require a suspension of disbelief, especially toward the end. The journey to the final denouement is interesting, full of action, and will hold your complete attention. Thanks to Oceanview Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/05/dont-ask-dont-follow.html… (mehr)

Beth Ralston finds her life spiraling out of control when she discovers her boss murdered and her sister Lindsay, apparently, fleeing the scene. Beth is a paralegal working in her father's firm and her sister is an investigative journalist. When her sister disappears after the murder, leaving only her cell phone with a message saying "Don't ask. Don't follow," Beth is determined to ignore her sister's message and find her.

As Beth tries to track down her sister, she learns that her sister was investigating a possible black market baby selling scheme. Poor women were told that their babies died after they gave birth at a special clinic. A DNA report seems to indicate that Lindsay's genetics don't match their parents which makes Beth wonder just how long this baby stealing racket has been going on.

As she checks out the adoption agency and some of the women she could track down, she's sure that she's being followed. Her father, who is busy running for mayor, tells her to back off and let Lindsay get out of her own mess. He tells her to avoid the police detective who is investigating the murder claiming they had run-ins at a trial that prejudices him against her father.

Not sure who to trust, Beth finds herself discovering all sorts of things about her family and learning who she can really trust.

I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller.… (mehr)

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.

My thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss and Oceanview Publishing for this ARC… (mehr)