A digital copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions. The opinions are my own and freely given.

This story centers around Beth Ralston who discovers her boss has been murdered and her sister is missing. Whether she is hiding or has been abducted is the question. Beth, who is a paralegal in her father's law firm, follows her sister's steps to try to find her. Beth finds herself under the radar of the police and when bodies keep turning up, she seems to be around. Homelessness, drug and alcoholic addiction and adoption ends up being the root of everything. But can Beth find Lindsay before it's too late?

The girl's parents are so upper class. It seems to me they are so distanced from the girls that they don't seem to have the time to even acknowledge them, and some of the things they do, like brunch, feels like an obligation. With their dad running for mayor and their mom always having migraines and going to bed, I feel like they had a very strange relationship. If it wasn't for the nanny turned housekeeper, I don't think the girls would have had any parental guidance growing up.

Beth didn't seem to know who to trust throughout this whole story and I personally think she did just fine by herself. Detective Matson, although really investigating everything that Beth was able to tell him, was unavailable a lot, she had to call him several times.

Even though I didn't like the parents, this was a very fast-paced story, and I spent most of it wondering what Lindsay was investigating and whether she was hiding or if she was still alive.

Wowzers! An intense, clever tale, Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow took me into a seedy world that felt all too believable. From the delicious cat-and-mouse chase to the complex plot, this psychological thriller not only had my heart pounding, but also presented a crime fiction edge that pulled me in deep. And while I had my suspicions about what was to come, the twists and turns nevertheless shocked me to my core right up until the final revelation.

The characters were strong, vividly portrayed and well-developed. Especially Beth. With an impressive character arc, she was a definite home run. Coming a close second were the supporting characters, some of whom were villains and others merely suspicious. All told, it made it easy for me to give them each a wary side-eye until the timely reveal, which is an addition to any novel that I greatly admire.

The storyline itself started out with a bang. While it slowed down quite a bit in the middle, my attention never wavered for a minute. Pivoting more towards a character-driven plot, the dysfunctional family dynamic and poignant themes meant for a heart-wrenching read. As the page count dwindled, however, so too did the slow burn as the action increased, leading straight into a dynamite climax. Needless to say, there was no end to the thrills.

All in all, Mary Keliikoa has earned my affection. The first I’ve read by her, it certainly won’t be my last. After all, between a host of morally gray characters and dark, long-buried secrets, this chilling and disturbing tale had everything I wanted and more. Yet another book that deftly walked the line between family drama and thriller, it’s quite simply not one to be missed. Rating of 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Mary Keliikoa, Oceanview Publishing, NetGalley and Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

The novel "Don't Ask Don't Follow" begins with the gruesome discovery of a brutally murdered body. The first chapter is so gripping that it immediately caught my attention!

Beth and Lindsay are sisters who have pursued different careers. Beth is a paralegal at her father's law firm, while Lindsay is an investigative journalist always looking for her next big story.

Beth discovers her boss dead in his office and sees her sister fleeing the crime scene. This incident prompts her to embark on a dangerous journey to find her sister, which leads her to Lindsay's latest investigation. Beth uncovers shocking information along the way, and the suspense builds with every chapter. The book takes you on a thrilling journey as Beth tries to find her sister while unraveling the mystery behind her boss's death. It's a suspenseful and exhilarating read!

Thanks Oceanview Publishing and Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse, for providing a copy of this book through NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

#DontAskDontFollow #MaryKeliikoa #OceanviewPublishing #NetGalley #justfinished #ARC #honestreview #thriller #bookreviewer #thrillerbooklovers #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerobsessedbookishclub #ReadersOfTheLateArc #TalkWordyToMeTeam #lovetoread #bookworm #lovebooks #booknerd #readaholic #bookstagrammer #booktok #booktoker

"𝑪𝑯𝑶𝑶𝑺𝑬 𝑾𝑰𝑺𝑬𝑳𝒀. 𝑾𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎? 𝑶𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎? 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈?"

Special thanks to @thrillerbookloversthepulse @mary.keliikoa.author and @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

This was definitely a thriller to keep you guessing. It gave me part cat and mouse game / part conspiracy theory come to life vibes.

To be honest, this very thing probably happens every day, which is super sad, and maybe this book will shed a light on this "industry".

The last third of the book had some wicked twists around every page, characters dropping like flies and secrets being unraveled by the minute.

I'd definitely recommend this book to lovers of Karin Slaughter and Gregg Olsen!

PUB DATE:
June 4, 2024

QOTD ❓️⁉️❓️Are you or anyone you know adopted?
Did someone tell you, or did you find out yourself?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillerbooklovers #thrillerlover #booklover #bookcommunity #bookbuzz #upcomingrelease #upcomingthriller #dontaskdontfollow #netgalley #marrykeliikoa #thrillerbookloverfeature
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I loved this book!! I too am like Beth and would NOT have followed my sister's advise to Don't Ask, Don't Follow. Loved all the twists, and the legal aspect. Great book.

Beth, a paralegal at a law firm, is at a party hosted at the firm when she has a rather odd encounter with her boss. When she hits her socialising limit, she heads back to her office where she finds her boss dead. She's sure she sees her older sister running from the building but doesn't know what this means. Beth starts looking into the murder of her boss, and the disappearance of her sister but pretty soon finds herself chasing a story that puts her own life on the line.
This one started really strong but I felt like it fizzled out a little somewhere in the middle. It became very repetitive at points. It ended on a fairly strong note too though so I'll forgive the author for losing steam in the process. This was a plot line I'd not come across before and there were plenty of twists that kept me hooked. Overall, not a bad read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was my first book by Mary Keliikoa and I enjoyed it more then I thought going into it. I’m going to be looking into her other books now and giving them a try thanks to this one.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow follows Beth Ralston a paralegal who’s sister has gone missing and involved in more then she knows. Lindsay is an investigative reporter who’s bent on finding out the truth in everything she’s looking into, she’s also Beth’s sister. When there is a party at Beth’s works office and her boss is found murdered with only a quick glacé at her sister and her phone with a message.

I feel like this book started off pretty quickly with everything going on and Beth following in her sister footsteps to try to uncover what has happened to her sister. She quickly gets way to involved and is making herself a target as well as others, but she just won’t quit till she get’s to the bottom of it.

For me I found Beth to be a bit annoying at times and bothered me, but I also get why she was the way she was. The secrets she finds out about her family and others is wild to see and I enjoyed finding out along with Beth. But I would recommend this book and have others give it a try and see what they think.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Oceanview Publishing and Author Mary Keliikoa for allowing me to read and review this ARC. This book will be published June 4, 2024.

A twisted tale of intrigue and family drama with many moving parts that come together seamlessly. The story opens with a bang at an office party when the main character Beth finds her boss dead in his office as her sister Lindsay flees the scene. The suspense continues to build throughout the story as Beth desperately searches for her sister and the truth about who murdered her boss. I loved Beth's character and her tenacity to keep pushing for answers despite all the roadblocks put up by everyone she knows. This is one to add to your list if you're a fan of thrillers.

This might be one of the best character-driven psych thrillers I have read lately, and as a bonus – this one was very well written! For me, it was less the action and the thrill, but more of peeling back layers upon layers of the characters, to uncover what exactly was going on there. And then, throw in a hefty dose of lies and secrets. And then, who is the cat? Who is the mouse? Filled with deep and developed characters, this was an excellent read.

Thank you to Thriller Book Lover Promotions, Oceaview Pubishing and Mary Keliikoa for the ARC!

Paralegal Beth Ralston would rather be working than mingling at the office party - especially when her sister, Lindsay, doesn’t show up. After showing face and schmoozing the proper higher up’s (including her father), she returns to her office to work only to find her boss, Craig, has been murder. As she attempts to understand what’s happening, she sees a woman fleeing down the hall. The woman looks a lot like Lindsay - but her sister can’t possibly have anything to do with Craig’s murder, could she? When Beth notices her sister left her phone behind with a text on the screen - Don’t ask, don’t follow. When she’s unable to get a hold of Lindsay for days, and falling under suspicion herself, Beth begins looking into things herself.

This was a great character-driven mystery! I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery along with Beth and getting to know Lindsay in what Beth uncovered. Beth had a complicated relationship with her family, and I admired her destination to do things herself and never giving up on her sister. I wasn’t sure what direction the story was going to go, and several twists surprised me. Mary Keliikoa did a beautiful job exploring the relationship between sisters and shining a light on several social issues as well.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow” releases June 4, 2024! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Full of twists, this book ups the ante in suspense. I was hooked from the beginning. I felt like I was right alongside Beth for the ride. There were characters to love, and some to love to hate. Either way you want to know more.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.”

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.

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.

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.