Title: Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow
Author: Mary Keliikoa
Publication: June 4, 2024
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Pages: 368
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SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
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.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
I have never read a book by Mary Keliikoa, but after reading Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow I have added all of her books to my TBR for 2025. This book brought intrigue, suspense, and mystery on every page.
The story follows Beth as she discovers her murdered boss in her family business offices, and suddenly her behaviors are suspicious. In fairness, she is acting suspiciously and not sharing everything she knows for fear of implicating her sister, who she thinks might be involved. This story started off with such a bang. The first chapter was full of gasp-worthy moments that instantly hooked me in to the story. I was so invested by the end of the first three chapters that I flew threw this book faster than normal.
I quite enjoyed Beth as the main character and I liked how Keliikoa built up the other characters slowly so you got to know their personalities a bit more with each interaction and how Beth had known them or been around them growing up. I also really enjoyed the detective in this novel and was hopeful for more interaction as the story went on. I really hoped he wasn’t a bad character, but I won’t spoil whether he is or isn’t.
There was never a moment when this story slowed down. There was constantly something happening or another question being raised that made you want to keep reading. Keliikoa kept me interested the entire time and there was never a moment when I got bored or the story lagged. Her ability to keep you interested puts her at the top of the suspense-writing game.
Mary Keliikoa is a must-read author with Don’t Ask, Don’t Follow and kept me flipping pages faster than I could read. Every chapter had some other revelation that pushed the story onward and I cannot wait to pick up another novel by her. Keliikoa is giving the top suspense writers a run for their money with writing like this!
