This was an interesting story about Beth, who is looking for her missing sister, Lindsay. There are a few murders, several revelations, and a couple twists which kept me interested in the book.

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse for the digital copy to review.

Mary Keliikoa is an auto read author for me, I love her fast paced thrillers that start fast and don’t let up until they are done. Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow is no different, and I flew through this in one sitting as I had to know how it would end. She does twists so well, and I loved how I could not figure this one out and had to give up and enjoy the ride until the wild and satisfying ending. Do not miss this one!

Huge thanks to @mary.keliikoa.author for giving us lucky book lovers over at @thrillerbookloversthepulse an ARC of this upcoming thriller!!

This was not like any thriller I’ve ever read before. Without giving any spoilers…I just wanna say I was not expecting the story to unfold the way it did. BUT…I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of it. It was a really great ending to a great book.

The plot twists & hidden family secret aspect will you have you saying “one more chapter” throughout this book. Beth’s determination made me want answers asap. I felt like I couldn’t put the book down.

This was my first legal thriller & I never thought I’d enjoy a book like that but I really liked this one.

I read the opening and unlike others who liked it I found it to be too much and so bizarre. I think that the main character was not consistent like she is a highly intelligent individual and does some of the dumbest things that you would not expect her to do it so for me it was a miss.

Beth Ralston, a paralegal in Portland, Oregon, returns to her office following an office party to find that her boss has been murdered. She thinks she sees her sister Lindsay fleeing the scene and then finds Lindsay has left her phone behind with an unsent text message to Beth displayed on the screen: “ Don't ask. Don't follow.” While retracing Lindsay's steps, Beth uncovers what her sister, an investigative reporter, was attempting to expose.

Well, of course Beth is going to start asking questions and trying to find her sister. She is determined to uncover the truth relating to complaints about a specific adoption agenciy in the Portland area. The story is interesting but I didn't find myself too engaged with the characters. There's a mystery, some family dysfunction and quite a few deaths. There are a couple of good twists but nothing jaw-dropping in my opinion but the writing was smooth and easy to follow.

I previously enjoyed two of this author's books in the Misty Pines series but not sure if I'd read another book featuring Beth Ralston, if there is one. There's really nothing wrong with the book, it just wasn't for me.

My thanks to Oceanview Publishing via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: June 4, 2024

I loved this book. I could not put it down. Lindsey is missing and Beth is determined to find her. Something shady is going on with her parents and the family law firm when her boss turns up dead. Can she figure out why her sister has gone MIA?!

Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow by Mary Keliikoa was an enjoyable read about two sisters. Beth is a paralegal in Oregon and her sister Lindsay is a reporter. When Lindsay goes missing, all that's left behind is a message instructing Beth, “Don’t ask, don’t follow.”

Does she listen? Of course not. Beth’s boss was found dead and a woman looking just like Lindsay was seen fleeing his office. Was it her, and why?

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.

Beth Ralston always covered for her sister Lindsay as they were growing up. Now she is a paralegal at her father’s law firm. She is a workaholic and avoids parties, but when there is a party at the firm it requires her attendance. Sneaking out early, she returns to her office to clear up some paperwork when she notices her sister leaving the office of her boss. She follows her, but loses her in the building. When she returns to the office, she discovers that her boss has been murdered. Lindsay left her phone behind with a message asking Beth not to follow her or ask questions. The sisters have always been close and if Lindsay is in trouble then Beth has no option but to help. Lindsay is an investigative reporter. Messages on her phone indicate that Beth’s boss had been helping her on her latest story. A search of her sister’s apartment reveals a DNA report that reveals that she was adopted. Her father asks her to leave the investigation alone. When she continues looking into adoptions and women’s health clinics she is fired by the law firm. Suspicious adoptions, a fire at one of the clinics, the death of a midwife and the discovery of a tracker on her car means that she is on the right track. Lindsay has disappeared and Beth needs to find her before she becomes the next victim.

Beth’s father is running a campaign to become the next mayor. His main concern seems to be how Beth’s actions could ruin his chances. Her mother refuses to discuss Beth’s concerns or answer any questions. Even though she is warned against interfering with the case by Detective Matson, she has access to information that she reluctantly shares. As they work together their search brings them closer. Mary Keliikoa has some surprising twists throughout her story, but she saves a truly stunning twist for the conclusion. It will keep you guessing to the very end. I would like to thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for providing this book.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book! Family secrets run deep and the characters are tested throughout! I thought the writing style could’ve used a little work, but other than that I found the story enjoyable. There were lots of twists, some I saw coming and others made my head spin. I would recommend to anyone who likes mysteries and psychological thrillers!

This book starts off quickly and immediately I'm hooked. I couldn't stop reading it and enjoyed every page. I loved the way the story unfolded and all the twists and turns. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Headline: Twists, turns, surprise developments galore!

Book Review: Don't Ask, Don't Follow by Mary Keliikoa
Published by Oceanview Publishing, June 4, 2024

★★★★☆ (4.25 Stars!)

Portland, Oregon

Thriller writer Mary Keliikoa introduces Beth Ralston, the workaholic daughter of wealthy powerhouse lawyers. A fiercely independent woman, all-business, no nonsense Pacific Northwesterner who "...preferred things black or white, fact or fiction...".

She works in the Portland, OR law offices owned by her father, not as a partner or lawyer, but as a staff paralegal, on purpose, to stick to her dogged determination to fund her own education towards a JD law degree, despite generous offers from her parents.

"Fun doesn't pay the bills..."
Beth, focused on her job and career goals, would never be one caught frolicking and partying. But on that fateful night, urged on by a coworker, her closest friend in the firm, she reluctantly attends a company holiday party in the firm's lobby and socializes with small talk, catered canapes and freely flowing alcohol.

Murder. And a disappearance.
It is in during this party that Beth's boss, Craig, an associate lawyer, is found murdered in his office - by Beth herself.

It is also during this time that Beth's elder sister, Lindsay, disappears.

Fired!
Then, inexplicably, instead of being supportive of one distraught daughter and being concerned about the disappearance of another, her own parents work behind the scenes to have Beth locked out of her office, fired from her job - banished from her own father's law firm.

A judge gets involved. A women's health clinic and midwives enter the picture. And even as the Portland PD investigates the death of Craig, someone else meets an untimely, unnatural demise. A killer is on the prowl.

And life as Beth knows it unravels before her very eyes...

-----

Twists, turns, and unexpected developments galore.

For some readers, however, the book may come across more under the Women's Fiction genre than a Mystery Thriller, the way the storyline is written.

In the novel's 350 pages, the protagonist incessantly reminisces on, yearns for and expresses distress for her missing sister, saturating the narrative with references to "Lindsay", the name of her sister repeatedly mentioned 595 times, and "sister" 164 times. "Craig", the name of her murdered boss is repeated 254 times. However, for the latter, there is for a reason - being a key piece in the puzzle!

To be quite clear, this may be partly due to the fact that I read a prepublication unedited ARC (advanced reading copy) with typos, misalignments, the table of contents missing, and chapters not entirely organized.

This was my first read of Ms. Keliikoa's books. I admit I probably wasn't the primary target audience for this particular novel, but, without hesitation, I've added her "Misty Pines" and "Kelly Pruett" mystery novels to my TBR list.

Review based on an advanced reading copy courtesy of Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley.

Beth Ralston, daughter of a lawyer, is a paralegal at her father’s law firm in Portland, Oregon. Despite, the long hours and hard work, she gets on well with Craig, the young associate lawyer she’s been assigned to and enjoys working with him. Heading back to her office after an office party, she sees someone who looks very much like her journalist sister Lindsay coming out of Craig’s office, but when Beth calls her name, she doesn’t stop. Later, calling in to Craig’s office, she finds him dead at his desk.

Despite Lindsay being a few years older than Beth, the sisters have always been close, although Lindsay would often disappear for days at a time, chasing a story without telling anyone where she is. She has always been passionate about saving the planet and fighting injustice, making a name for herself as an investigative journalist. Unable to find Lindsay after the party, Beth is convinced she was working on something with Craig and has gone into hiding to protect herself from danger. Despite receiving a message from Lindsay, ‘Don’t ask, don’t follow,’ Beth decides to follow the breadcrumbs left in the wake of Lindsay’s latest investigation. What she discovers is more shocking than she could have ever imagined.

This is a smart and complex thriller combining a dysfunctional family with deeply hidden secrets with a tale of corruption and greed. Starting off with a punch with a dramatic murder at work, it’s followed by a slower build-up of suspense as Beth follows her nose to uncover the shocking secrets and uncomfortable truths her sister has been investigating, then culminates with some unexpected twists in an explosive climax. Beth is a strong character driven by her fierce loyalty to her sister. She is determined to find out the truth, despite her disengaged mother, who never wants to face up to anything distasteful and her father who puts his campaign to be elected mayor ahead of his family. A range of secondary characters add colour and flavour to the plot as Beth visits the seedier side of town. Narrated from Beth’s point of view, this works well to quickly hook in the reader and deliver an absorbing mystery.

Ever since they were young, Beth’s older sister Lindsay would say to her “Don’t ask, don’t follow”. But when Beth’s boss turns up dead at an office party and Beth is sure she saw Lindsay fleeing the scene, she’s sure Lindsay is innocent, but Lindsay’s gone missing leaving behind the same cryptic message as always. Beth is all grown up now and this time she’s not playing Lindsay’s game, this time she’s going to save her from herself, but is it already too late? A clever cat and mouse tail that will keep the pages flipping long into the night. Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow, by Mary Keliikoa Beth is a paralegal at her dad‘s law firm and is attending a party where her sister should’ve been her plus one but once again doesn’t show up. When Beth goes to take a break from all the socializing that she’s trying her best not to do she goes into her boss Craig‘s office and finds him murdered. The only problem with this is she also saw A brief glance of her sister quickly leaving the building. When she finds her sisters cell phone with a message that says don’t ask, don’t follow, Beth is at first irritated but once she starts investigating her private investigator sisters life she finds more questions than answers and more strangers than friends. Craig is just the first of many violent acts in soon Beth and Lindsey‘s dad will be targeted can Beth figure out what’s going on before she loses her whole family and can she trust the one person that wants to help her? When I first started reading this book I really felt like this was going to be a subpar thriller but as I continue to read it seem to just get better and better and wind it up being a book I thoroughly enjoyed. I can honestly say I would definitely read another book by this author again because this one was well plotted with mini twist interns that made for a great read. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow by Mary Keliikoa is smart mystery novel enhanced by a well-crafted plot, relatable characters, and believable family drama.
Epigraph: “Of two sisters, one is always the watcher, the other the dancer.” Louise Gluck, poet.
Thus the tone of the novel is set, in which two sisters, while very different, share a deep love for and loyalty to each other. Beth Ralston is a paralegal at her father’s law firm. When feisty older sister Lindsay Ralston, an investigative reporter, goes missing, Beth knows in her core that her sister is in trouble and she must find Lindsay.
No spoilers here—the plot is a fascinating look at the complicated subjects of use of home DNA tests, parenthood, sisterhood, and adoptions. The prose is intelligent and readable, with good pace, and had enough twists to keep me riveted to the finale.
This author is new to me, and this is the first book I have read by this talented writer. I plan to track down more of her psychological suspense novels!

Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley. This is my honest review.

The novel starts with good action including a murder early on. The murder is in a high power legal firm but the legal aspect is not the major thrust of the novel. That murder sets the stage for uncovering truth layer by layer.

Beth is a capable amateur sleuth. She is tenacious because her missing sister, Lindsay, is the focus of her investigation. Lindsay is an investigative reporter and Beth tries to figure out what story she was working on, hoping that will help her understand where Lindsay might be now. There is suspense from time to time as someone is trying to stop Beth. I was a bit surprised the police let her get away with her actions.

This novel deals with some serious issues regarding birth, adoption, and DNA tests. Also part of the plot is the influence of powerful people and discord in family relationships. There are secrets in Beth's family that come to light, much to the dismay of her father who is running for mayor of Portland. There was a good twist at the end and a hint of romance along the way.

I have read several of Keliikoa's novel and really like her writing style. Other than beginning a chapter with a dream not identified as such, a pet peeve of mine, I liked this novel and recommend it.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Another compelling and taut mystery by Mary Keliikoa, the fourth of hers that I have read. Of those, all feature a strong and intelligent female who persists in unraveling and following threads until justice can be served. Beth Ralston's glimpses her sister, an investigative reporter, running out of her boss's office. After discovering he was murdered, she finds a message telling her Don't ask and don't follow. But Beth needs to protect her sister and to find out what her sister was working on. Cannot recommend her books too highly to any mystery lovers. Her reputation is one the rise. Rounding up from 4.5⭐

Not everyone and everything is as expected. Most people have secrets that keep from those they love and closest to them. Through reading this book you will discover more about each characters and the skeletons in their closet. You are kept guessing what is going to happen next and how it will all end. An entertaining story.

🔦Beth works as a paralegal. Her sister Lindsay is an investigative reporter and is often away on assignment. When Beth spies someone who looks very similar to Lindsay running away from the scene of her boss's murder, she is unsure what to think.

🔦From a young age, Lindsay has always told Beth, "Don't Ask, Don't Follow, but this time Beth takes the investigation into her own hands. Can she figure out what is going on before it all unravels?

🔦This was a very unique and intriguing thriller. I really enjoyed the legal intricacies woven throughout the story. While the book started off with a bang, I do feel it did lose its momentum a bit towards the middle, but then it picked up again towards the end with that cracker ending. I really felt for Beth as she pushed herself to uncover the truth.

🔦With lots of twists, this fast-paced novel kept me turning those pages at rapid speed. I would definitely consider this a win 🏆

Although she would rather be anywhere else, Beth makes the rounds at the company office party. When she returns to her office, she finds the body of her murdered boss and she sees a woman running from the scene. Beth swears the woman running from the scene was her sister Lindsay. While waiting for the police, Beth receives a text from her sister that reads:Don’t ask. Don’t follow. Suddenly, Beth is being looked at as a suspect, her sister is nowhere to be found and Beth is desperately trying to put the pieces together. This was a really good story with a heavy dose of suspense! I thank Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.