As a fan of Mary Keliikoa’s Misty Pines series, I was excited to read her latest, a standalone suspense novel titled Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow. She never disappoints and this is no exception.

The premise is simple. Paralegal Beth Ralston works for her father’s law firm. Returning to her office after attending the firm’s Christmas party, she sees her sister running from the building. Irritated that Lindsay has ditched yet another family obligation, Beth goes to check in with her boss before leaving. But she finds that Craig has been murdered and Lindsay has left her a cryptic message: Don’t ask! Don’t follow!

While the premise is simple, the execution is not. The author builds layer upon layer of suspense, doubt, and clues. Beth doesn’t know who to trust and neither does the reader. No one in Beth’s life is entirely who they seem to be, but just how far do the deceptions go?

Now that I’ve read and enjoyed something outside of the Misty Pines world, I can definitively say that Mary Keliikoa will be an auto-buy author for me. I rate this an enthusiastic 4 ½ stars and highly recommend Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow.

Two sisters, Lindsay and Beth
Lindsay works as an Iinvestigative reporter, while Beth works as a paralegal at her dad's firm

One evening during an office Christmas party, Beth found her boss, Craig, murdered soaked of blood in his office. Before that, Beth also saw Lindsay darted out from Craig's office. Beth found Lindsay’s phone in her purse with an unsent cryptic message, "Don't ask, don't follow". This line is often used when they were children, when Lindsay asked Beth to cover for her.

What Lindsay's involvement with Craig? What trouble she put her in now? While Beth work tirelessly to find Lindsay, she uncovers her dark family secrets which potentially destroy her family.

A bit of a slow burn yet the plot is great- so I can definitely recommend this if you love family thriller with mystery.

What a twisty adventure! I enjoyed the characters and Beth’s tenacity in trying to find her missing sister. I also really appreciated not being able to anticipate what would happen next! Those was a very entertaining read that should be added to your tbr!

Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow…

I have no words and that’s saying a lot being as though I have had the nickname “motor mouth” since I was a kid.

Oceanview Publishing, has released some (most) of my favorite thrillers and Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow, falls into the number one slot in this category .

Mary Keliikoa, you speak my love language and I will forever be a huge fan of yours.

I’ve read every thriller imaginable. The cheating husband, the evil children, the woman plagued with amnesia……..but nothing and I tell you nothing has ever been written like Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow, to date .

Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow is completely original to anything I have ever read and has left me transfixed on what this book just put me through. I might just have to read it again to make sure I did not miss anything .

I’m left with a massive book hangover and can not stop thinking about this book!!!

This is a book of the year and I can not wait to watch this one break the internet . Mary Keliikoa, is in the big leagues when it comes to skill and execution of the perfect book. What blows my mind is this was my first book by Keliikoa. After concluding Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow, I instantly went into stalker mode and found every book published by this author to date and purchased them all.

If you are looking for a book to blow your mind and satisfy your every bookish need, look no further, Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow, will quench your ever loving murderous need .

Check out this teaser :

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.”

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 is at an office party when she sees her sister Lindsey fleeing the scene of her boss’s murder. Beth gets a message from Lindsay, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow.” Now a suspect in the murder, Beth is desperate to find her sister. What was Lindsay doing with Beth’s boss? Did Lindsay kill him? Why did she run? Lindsay is an investigative reporter so was she working on a story? What was the story about? Was Beth’s boss helping her?

This started off great with several unanswered questions and a few mysteries to solve. I usually love first person narrative but with Beth there’s a lot of worry and anxiety as she rehashed her concerns over and over, without enough action tied to her thoughts. It seemed as if the reader was being told how they should feel instead of the emotion being invoked. Beth’s perspective is the only one we have.

The decisions and actions Beth did make were improbable based on her intelligence and experience as a paralegal and I had trouble suspending my disbelief. She also seemed to have quite an issue with her stomach because just about everything made her acid flare or her stomach clench. Poor thing is so stressed she suffers from indigestion. I was growing to like Beth with her tenacity and fierce loyalty but I just couldn’t make the emotional connection.

I solved the mysteries fairly quickly but was thinking there must be a great twist or surprise. That didn’t happen for me. There are a few reveals that many may not see coming but I got there right away. Perhaps I’ve read too many thrillers.

Thank you Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A decent murder - mystery novel. It was a little too long in spots but I enjoyed the twists (two actually surprised me even if it was foreshadowed and I should've guessed). Thr MC made a lot of terrible decisions and I felt even worse about the first death once I got to the end. The villains are horrible, not even an ounce of grey here. Enjoyable for a rainy Sunday.

Don’t Ask Don’t Follow is what Beth’s sister would say to her when she was sneaking out of the house or doing something she’s not supposed to. When Beth receives this message from her sister at the same time her boss is found dead, she knows something is wrong. Beth starts finding out what her sister was working on and things get interesting very fast. The story is fast paced with excellent characters. The ending surprised me. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Don't Ask, Don't Follow has it all - mystery, an investigation, shady characters, relevant and super current issues, and a great plot.

As a paralegal at a law firm, I'm generally quick to pick up books focusing on my industry and I'm so glad I did in this case! While I had a bit of a hard time connecting with Beth because her law firm experience was so different from my own, I appreciated how it added to the story and wasn't the primary focus. I particularly loved when the story shifted gears to finding Lindsay and uncovering her latest research.

This book had so many great layers and it was important to pay attention. The Ralston sisters were smart and it was fun unraveling the mystery with Beth as she retraced Lindsay's steps into the adoption scheme. It was hard to know who I could trust and I was definitely duped a couple times! I was also completely surprised by some twists later on in the book which is always a major plus for me!

I really liked Beth's development as a character. At first, I didn't feel a strong connection to her, but as she separated herself from her father's law firm and I felt her confidence and independence growing, I felt a kindred spirit. I loved how fierce and loyal she was, and also that while she was a rule follower, she wasn't afraid to toe the line or push for the right thing.

Overall, this was a great read. It was really unique, the pace really picked up about halfway through and I didn't want to put it down, and it surprised me in all the best ways. I definitely recommend!

Thank you to Thriller Book Lover Promotions, Oceanview Publishing, and NetGalley for the copy.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩.

Beth's story started off strong! She is reluctantly mingling at an office party at the law firm where she works as a paralegal, even though she'd much rather be working. She has an odd encounter with her boss, then after making some small talk, she heads to his office. She is devastated to find him with his throat cut and is even more shocked when she sees a familiar figure running from the scene...her sister Lindsay, a journalist.

Beth is plunged into the world of investigative journalism when the only trace of her sister is the cell phone left behind in Beth's bag, with an unsent text that mirrors her childhood mantra as the older sister, "Don't ask, don't follow." She knows her sister had to have been working on a dangerous case when no trace of her is found. What Beth finds out will change her family as she knew it forever.

I rated this book 3.5 stars rounded down because it grabbed my attention right away. I did feel as though it lost some steam in the middle and was bogged down with too much repetitive detail. However, the plot was unique and the twists were strong, and I would definitely read more of this author's work. Thank you to NetGalley and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for the early copy. This book will publish June 4, 2024.

A quick read about a sister’s journey to find out who her sister really is. The plot moves at the right pace for a thriller, while there were some drawn out parts, I strongly recommend this novel.

The complexities of sisters, alike yet different, different yet alike. Lindsay Ralston is an investigative reporter. Beth is a paralegal at their father's law firm in Portland for associate Craig Bartell. Holiday office parties are not a favorite of either sister, but their parents are big on appearances. Beth saw Lindsay hurriedly leaving Craig's office just a few minutes before finding Craig murdered in that very room. Is that why Lindsay didn't respond when Beth called her name? Why did Lindsay leave her phone behind for Beth to find with an unsent text, "Don't ask. Don't follow." That's just the beginning of the questions when Lindsay is missing, and Beth's the one left behind to answer the unimaginable.

The 1st person narrative pulled me into the story but sometimes slowed the investigation's suspenseful pace. A father's political aspirations, a mother's preference to retreat at the slightest chance conversation might become uncomfortable, secrets, and relationship entanglements that always have longer shadows than the view of their appearances.

"Book Club Discussion Questions" are available at the end of the novel.

p.s. I loved the character of Murphy! I hope you do too!!

Thank you to Mary Keliikoa, Oceanview Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this novel.

Thank you @thrillerbookloverspromotions and @oceanviewpub for the #gifted copy of this book!

Sisters make the best friends. That’s why when Beth sees Lindsay at the office party leaving in a hurry she is confused. Shocked to find out Beth’s boss is found dead and she finds a note that says, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow” Instead of turning Lindsay in, Beth is determined to understand just what her sister was running from. As Beth digs, she realizes Lindsay was uncovering quite the sinister network of dark secrets.

Wow, this is quite the complex heartbreaking story about a family mystery with very extensive underground operation. Packed with greed and poor decisions it ends up leading to the worst possible outcomes for the most unsuspecting people. 😭 This book felt more than just a thriller to me because of the complicated background and nature of the main plot of the story. I am a huge sucker for stories about sisters and this one was very satisfying as we know sisterly bonds can be tiiight. 👯 So happy to have found a new author that I would gladly read more by!

Beth Ralston is at work party when she discovered her boss dead in his office. She believes that was her sister leaving his office? Lindsey is an investigative reporter but how would that lead to her boss. Now, Lindsey has disappeared. She has always protected her sister.

She starts to investigate what Lindsey was last looking into. This leads her to uncover her families own secrets. She finds a DNA test for her sister that she was adopted. What else doesn't she know?

Wealthy family, secrets, lies, cover ups, murder all make this one enjoyable read. Once Beth starts digging she needs to uncover the truth and find her sister. This is like one big ball of yarn once you start pulling the string everything unravels.

I loved “Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow”. I was captivated from the very start. It was well written and kept the pace of the story throughout the book. I was mind blown at the final twist, I did not see that one coming at all. Character development was great, so many great characters, even the villains of the story.
I will be recommending this one to family and friends and cannot wait to see more books from this author!

This book had decent character development and made you really wonder about trusting things in life. The description made me very interested in reading this book and I am excited that I chose to do so! I recommend this book to anyone wanting a family type thriller

Quite a page-turner and def one for those interesting in office-set thrillers. New author to me and it was pretty good. A bit tense!

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, I have since lost my initial interest in the story. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!

The book is twisted and the revelations at the end were so heartbreaking. It’s a tangled family mystery. I loved the characters. Some characters were not that good but they were mysterious. After reading the book I felt that it is hard to trust things even if the truth is in front of you. And some truths are capable of destroying the family. It’s a perfect suspense Thriller with a tangled family mystery. I love the Author’s books. The Author never disappoints.

Beth is a paralegal in Portland, Oregon while Lindsay is an investigative reporter. Beth has always covered up for her sister Lindsay. Lindsay is the one who always found a way to sneak out. While despite everything Beth has tried to protect her. Their sisterly bond was good but after the office incident/ Murder, Beth tries to get to the bottom of the mystery. Her boss has been murdered and Beth saw glimpse of her sister but she isn’t sure If Lindsay has to do anything with it or it was Lindsay only. After finding her phone in her bag with an unsent text message to Beth displayed the screen: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow”. It’s like a missing piece of the puzzle, she is trying to find what is her sister up to or If she is hiding behind something. As she is getting close to the truth, the truth has brought other people lives at stake. The truth might bring back Lindsay but it is certain to destroy the family. She gets tangled in a web of conspiracy, secrets, truth, betrayal and unable to decide whom should she trust?

Many Thanks to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for giving me opportunity to read this book.

I had the great pleasure of reading this book early and blurbing it! Here is what I wrote:

A pulse-pounding read about truth, justice, and the unexpected secrets families keep. With the tension ramping up with every page, Kellikoa weaves a twisty, clever tale that will thrill you to the very end.

Beth Ralston is a paralegal working for her father’s legal firm in Portland. On the night of the office Christmas party, Beth takes a short break from working to toast her colleagues and when she returns to her boss’s office she finds him murdered. She manages to catch sight of a woman running down the dark corridor and out of the building, and with a shock she realizes it is her sister Lindsay who was supposed to show up at the party. Beth discovers that Lindsay has dropped her cellphone into her purse, with an unsent text message to her that reads “Don’t ask. Don’t follow.” This launches Beth on a mission to trace her sister’s whereabouts and discover who murdered her boss, while struggling to understand the distant and vague attitude of her parents during this crisis and evade a mysterious and threatening figure who has been following her.

This debut novel from Mary Keliikoa is well-written, with a solid plot; a very respectable effort for a first thriller novel. I also appreciate the way the author sets up the scene of the murder – basically murdered in plain sight at a busy office Christmas party. Where there could be improvement is in the character development. Without providing more humanizing details, they are reduced to stereotypes. We have two sisters, one is the responsible, hard-working one and the other is a wild child, a patronizing father figure obsessed with his political ambition, the illegal immigrant nanny/housekeeper, and the alcoholic, delusional socialite mother. Because they weren’t real to me, I couldn’t really feel for the characters. However, the writing is good, the storyline well thought out and there is a little twist in there. A solid start. Thanks to Ocean View Publishing for the electronic copy.