A great read and one that I did not want to put down. There were lots of twists and turns and each time I thought that I had solved the murder a few pages further on ruled my ideas out.
Not the first book that I have read by Claire Allan and I will certainly be looking out for more.
Highly recommend.

This book gave me the shivers! Claire Allan also writes women’s chick lit, but her mysteries are really another kind of book altogether. She is extremely good at holding the reader’s attention and making you think about what you’re reading. I have now read all of her titles and I’m really looking forward to the next one already! 5*

Local Derry woman and journalist Ingrind wants to write a piece centred around the 25th anniversary of local girl Kelly Doherty's murder. Ingrind remembers the inciendent very well like her and many other local children at the time her childhood was forever impacted by her death. Declan and his twin Neil had been playing in their den upon walking home they had found Kelly's body. Declan's life was forever scared by the images of that day.

Ingrind is our lead protagonist and she seems to have ruffled some feathers by wanting to write this piece. The guy Jamese who had been committed of the girls murder, now claims his innocence. Ingrind finds herself believing him. But by pursuing the story she is putting her life in danger. I found her character to be a bit hard headed at first although I was proven wrong the more I got to know her. She seems to be more effected by Kelly's murder than we first realise. She is a career woman and seems to have very low moral standards, but I still liked her. She is a very strong female lead and even when she knows she should walk away she decides to not let fear rule her.
Majority of the chapters are from Ingrind's point of view and the rest are from Declan's. Declan happens to bump into Ingrind and the trauma is written all over him. I liked Declan to start but then he becomes a bit weird and pervy which was a shame because I didn't think his character called for that. Life has clearly beat him down and he had completely given up on himself. He holds secrets he has never told which clearly attribute to his poor state of affairs. There are still some unanswered questions I have surrounding Declan but nothing major enough it took away from his prose.

I loved the psychologically crime thriller elements about this book, it is all go from the begining and builds up nicely to it's conclusion. We honestly aren't given any hints surrounding who is out to get Ingrind and that's what left me on the edge of my seat. I flew through this book because I wanted to know how it all tied in together.
The book is written well and is told in third person. I enjoyed the back and forth between Ingrind and Declan and appreciated the fact this was Ingrind's story to be told and thats why we hear her story more frequently. Another element of the written which is done so well is the use of Irish slang, if you have never been to Ireland or spoken to an Irish person some sentences will make no sense, but reading just reminded me of having a good old chat with some of my Irish friends I love that it isn't just set in Derry but written in perfect English. It was honestly great and did not feel forced at any point.

In summary I loved this book another great job by Claire Allan I love the way she writes. Find yourself an Irish slang dictionary before you start 😂. The character developments are great and the story build it is executed exclusively well. An easy 5 stars 🌟


Thank you to Netgalley, Avon publishers and Claire Allan for the digital advanced copy in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

To me, this book was a mess. It was a chore to read and I almost gave up on it more times than I could count. I’ve like other Clare Allen books, but I was really disappointed by this one. Blech. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

A gripping fictional story detailing an investigation into the disappearance of a young girl 25 years previously. Well written with great attention to detail, Ask No Questions explores the stories left behind after such a tragic incident, how no-one is the same after an event like this. Impressive story telling, well worth a read

Ingrid Devlin’s life changed forever the day Kelly Doherty was murdered. Childhood innocence destroyed in a moment, Ingrid never forgot the case, and now, twenty-five years on, she’s a journalist tasked with writing a retrospective. Except, it soon becomes clear that somebody doesn’t want anyone raking over old dirt about the case. Especially not if they might suspect the man convicted of the crime might be innocent.

Claire Allan sets the scene brilliantly here: you can almost feel the atmosphere change on the Derry streets as the kids go from carefree innocence to terror in the space of a single night. There’s an interesting exploration about how a crime such as this has incredibly far-reaching effects, touching not only the victim and their family but many others too, all of whom deal with the trauma differently.

Ingrid’s not always the easiest person to like, particularly since she makes some poor choices in her personal life (having an affair with her married boss), but her tenacity in pursuing the story and her sympathy for the victim and family made her more relatable. It’s her kindness, and her tendency to trust people just because she’s known them a long time, which eventually gets her into trouble. Logically, if the convicted man didn’t do it - and from the beginning, Ingrid thinks he’s innocent - and someone doesn’t want her specifically looking into the case, then the suspect pool is narrowed to those she DID know from back then. This doesn’t seem to occur to her - or in fact the police - but it seemed really obvious to me, which was probably the one flaw I spotted in the book, that nobody even thought of it.

This is a great read with some intriguing twists and turns. Darkly atmospheric, with characters who feel genuine and authentic, I thoroughly enjoyed the read and I’d like to see what comes next for Ingrid. Five stars for a great crime thriller.

This was a fast-paced crime thriller, where it’s hard to figure out who you can trust and who is protecting the guilty party.

Set in Northern Ireland, eight-year-old Kelly Doherty went trick-or-treating 25 years ago and never came home. Instead, her body was discovered three days later, face-down on the banks of the local reservoir, by twin brothers who were her classmates. A local man was accused and convicted of the crime, but he’s sworn to his innocence to this day. On the anniversary of the murder, Ingrid Devlin, a journalist and another schoolmate of Kelly, is writing a story for the local newspaper about the murder, but now she’s being hunted, and she doesn’t know what she might uncover next or who she can trust.

I liked how the author wrote several chapters from other characters’ perspectives, rather than just focusing on Ingrid’s. I thought it gave more depth to the book, and it allowed the reader a better glimpse into the lives of most of the suspects. I also liked how she took the time to develop the twin brothers’ relationship more and how much this crime (and being the ones to discover the body) really affected them for the rest of their lives.

This book was definitely more violent than what I normally read. I could have done without the torture scene, to be honest, so just fyi, there’s a pretty explicit description of torture buried in the book. But I did like the twists in this book, and it definitely held my interest throughout.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

I struggled with how to review this one. On the one hand the pacing of the story was decent. You have a reporter Ingrid who is tasked to do an anniversary report on an unsolved case from her childhood. A girl named Kelly went missing and later found.

Nobody wants to talk to her and relive the past. The two twins who found the body, one has become successful and the other is an alcoholic not able to move on from the past. As Ingrid finds that certain facts aren't all as they seem, she is caught in the killers crosshairs warning her to stop investigating.

I think the biggest thing I couldn't get around was that Ingrid was not only involved with her boss, but that he was married. I have an issue with that, and didn't really feel like it added any value to the story other than to blackmail him later with it.

Since it happens early on in the story, it just really bothered me, also who doesn't call the police when your tires are slashed?

Otherwise it was a decent mystery.

Claire Allan is one of those authors you can always rely on to deliver a solid psychological thriller and so while I often seem to struggle with this genre lately, I felt fairly confident I’d enjoy Ask No Questions.

On Halloween twenty-five years ago, eight year old Kelly Doherty goes missing while out trick or treating. Her body is found three days later by ten year old twin brothers Declan and Niall. Now, on the anniversary of Kelly’s murder, journalist Ingrid Devlin is investigating. Ingrid is a local herself and has memories of that night, although she isn’t entirely sure if they can be trusted. Was the man convicted of Kelly’s murder guilty? Who knows. But someone clearly doesn’t want Ingrid finding out the truth about what happened that night.

I do love a good cold case, which in a way this is. But Ask No Questions isn’t just about whodunnit. For a psychological thriller, it’s at times quite heartbreaking when witnessing the effect this decades old murder still has on Kelly’s family and other members of the community. It also really brings home how life for the children in the town changed after Kelly went missing and was subsequently found dead. That moment in childhood when you unfortunately learn that monsters are sadly very, very real and life will never be the same again. And what about poor Declan and Niall, who had the misfortune of finding Kelly’s body at such a young age?

This is one of those books that pulls you in right from the prologue and doesn’t let go. I didn’t particularly like Ingrid all the time but a lot of that was influenced by my own thoughts about journalists and how they hide behind the “news is news” excuse when a lot of it feels like sheer exploitation and preying on people’s vulnerabilities. However, Ingrid also shows immense determination in trying to get to the truth, especially when it becomes obvious someone is trying to stop her from doing that.

So what really happened to Kelly? I had a pretty good idea but I was missing the bigger picture as to the who and the why. That right there is a whole other devastating part of the story on its own. Ask No Questions is often as devastating as it is tense. It’s a combination Claire Allan does incredibly well. An addictive and gripping story about families and justice that I’m sure will appeal to fans of this author and the genre.

Another fantastic offering from Claire, it was yet another gripping read. Perfectly done. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it

Another brilliant read by Claire Allan and yes she outfoxed me again! Halfway through I was convinced I had it figured out but NO!
"The bogeyman we had always been told was just make-believe stalking our streets" but then one day he wasn't. He or she was a real person who had brutally killed an eight-year-old girl on the night of Halloween and left her body in the reservoir only to be discovered days later. An act that changed the lives of so many people.
It is now 25 years later and Ingrid, who was 10 when this happened, is now a reporter who wants to do an anniversary story about the killing and the man who was thrown in jail. He has been out for 8 years but is still claiming his innocence. Soon it becomes very clear that someone doesn't want her to snoop around and that they will not stop at anything to keep her silent.

A brilliantly written fast-paced read that I thoroughly enjoyed! Can't wait for her next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Journalist Ingrid Devlin is investigating the death of Kelly Doherty. Twenty-five years ago, eight-year-old Kelly went missing while she was trick or treating with friends. Her body was found just a few days later on the banks of the Creggan Reservoir by two of her young classmates. Someone doesn’t want Ingrid to know the truth. As she digs further, Ingrid starts to realise that the Doherty family are not as they seem.

I enjoyed Claire Allan's previous work and Ask No Questions is no exception. The story of this cold case was mysterious and thrilling. The only problem I can name is that I didn't really like any of the characters. This made it hard for me to relate to them. But, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy a crime thriller.

Twenty-five years ago, on Halloween night, eight-year-old Kelly Doherty went missing while out trick or treating with friends.

Her body was found three days later, floating face down, on the banks of the Creggan Reservoir by two of her young classmates.

It was a crime that rocked Derry to the core. Journalist Ingrid Devlin is investigating – but someone doesn’t want her to know the truth. As she digs further, Ingrid starts to realise that the Doherty family are not as they seem. But will she expose what really happened that night before it’s too late?

I love books with plots that include investigating some cold case. So, this book was perfect for me and I did enjoy reading it,

The writing and the narration were so good that I was engaged throughout. All the characters were all so mysterious that I had a hard time guessing who was the killer.

I think Ingrid’s investigation was spot on. She was definitely asking the right questions and following the right leads which did result in endangering her life. Though I did feel, it was foolish of her of not informing the police in spite of the repeated acts of vandalism.

There were surprises and twists throughout the plot. But I was more interested in reading how the lives of the different characters involved had changed after Kelly’s death. All of these events tied up to an exciting ending, which was quite dramatic but also tension-filled.

Thank You NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!

Not my favorite by this author but still very much worth a read.

This story led off with a bang and then backed off and laid its groundwork slowly. Maybe a bit too slowly, which I never experienced with this author. Great writing style as usual and characters (none of which were very likable).

The story is voiced by a few different narrators which added some great layers and depth. There was a handful of possible suspects to choose from. The final twist, disappointing to some reviewers, I thought worked well. It’s quite shocking and sad.

I will always look for and recommend this author. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and HarperCollins Publishers for a copy in exchange for a review.

I have read previous work by this author and enjoy her style of writing. This book tells the tale of 8-year-old, Kelly Doherty who went missing in 1994 whilst out trick-or-treating on Halloween night in her neighbourhood in Derry. After a few days her body was found in a reservoir by two young brothers. This devastated everybody and had a massive impact in later life of the Heaney brothers who discovered the body. The story moves forward to the 25th anniversary of the murder when a local journalist, Ingrid Devlin, is asked to report on it.

This was a good read and her descriptions brought it to life. Talk of ‘the bogeyman’ was quite chilling. Some of the book was fairly predictable but kept my interest.

It's been awhile since I've read a book that I really didn't like any of the characters, but this one is definitely joining those ranks. No book report from me, the cover gives a good description of the book. The main character keeps putting herself in danger by, 'poking the bear', and the men are all a bunch of thugs. None of them are likable or relatable and the relationships are all strange. None of them have real friends, friendships or normal conversations. As a book on hazards of of investigative reporting, its definitely a winner there. I realize a lot of work went into the book so i am not completely dismissing it, just was not "my cup of tea". I may need to try out a different book by this author as it is my understanding her works are exceptional in other books.
I was provided an advanced reader copy of this book and was under no obligation provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Dark and compelling cold case based around the disappearance and subsequent discovery of 10 year old Kelly's body, a death that changed the small Irish community for ever. A man was arrested but was he guilty? Well written crime thriller of the amateur sleuth variety.

As I sat here and finished this novel, I couldn't help but wonder to myself why I bothered. There were just so many problems with this one that it took me days to finish as I kept putting it down and reading something else and coming back to it. With a plot that moves at a snails pace, and characters that have nothing remotely likable about them (especially the main character), this is the first story of 2021 that I wish I had passed on.

Let me begin by telling you about the main character Ingrid. It isn't bad enough that she is sleeping with a married man (her boss nonetheless), but time in again in this novel she is threatened or has acts of vandalism committed against her things. And each time? She puts off telling the police. In fact, after the first instance, she not only doesn't tell the police, but she simply takes her car to her mechanic and has it fixed. The second instance? When it happens inside her home? She takes herself off to have sex, then spends the night in a hotel before deciding you know what? I do need to call the police and let them help.

The supporting cast of characters was no better, with the only one even being mildly interesting being the one who had been convicted of murder all those years ago (and honestly, the way he was described coupled with what the police considered evidence made the whole case against him ridiculous in my opinion as did the fact that he was released from prison after supposedly being given a life sentence).

As I mentioned above, the majority of this book seems to plod along. Told from multiple viewpoints (which somehow manage to make certain secondary characters even more unlikable) there never seems to be any real tension or moments that grip the reader and leave them wanting more. We just seem to be getting the same information over and over again until about 70% of the way in when things FINALLY get interesting. Only to end in the most predictable way imaginable.

Overall, while I may give this author a second chance down the road, it won't be right away.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

My thanks to Avon Books U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Ask No Questions’ by Claire Allan in exchange for an honest review. This is her fifth thriller.

Early on in the novel we return to November, 1994 and the shocking discovery of the body of eight-year-old Kelly Doherty, who went missing while out trick or treating with friends. She was found by her classmates, twins Declan and Niall Heaney, floating face down on the banks of the Creggan Reservoir. It was a crime that shocked Derry to the core.

With the anniversary approaching journalist Ingrid Devlin is looking into the murder. To make things more complicated the man convicted of Kelly’s death, who was released from prison after serving his sentence, is claiming that he was innocent.

As the title suggests people are not keen on Ingrid asking questions about Kelly’s death. Small acts of intimidation build up to more serious threats as Ingrid probes deeper.

The chapters are divided between Ingrid’s first person account and Declan’s third person narrative. Aside from the events in 2019 there were flashbacks to 1994 building up a picture of the community and the events leading up to Kelly’s murder.

Allan increased the tension slowly and I certainly had no idea how things would turn out. Claire Allan was herself a journalist for eighteen years and this background brings authenticity to the environment in which Ingrid functions, including the inevitable office politics.

Overall, I found this a solid journalistic thriller with plenty of surprises.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

EXCERPT: I was ten years old when I found out that monsters are real and they walk among us. I can pinpoint the exact day that everything changed, when the world I'd found to be fun and innocent and good turned into something dark and frightening.

Looking back, I pity my mother having to find the words to tell my brothers and me what had happened. I pitied all the mothers and fathers who were forced to have that same conversation with their children at the dinner table that evening.

There'd be no playing out in the street any more. There'd be no nipping in and out of neighbours' houses, or knocking on doors looking for a glass of water when we were parched from playing Tig or Red Rover, or riding our bicycles all over the estate in and out of the dark alleyways.

We were never to go out on our own. Nor walk back from school on our own. Even though it would still be light then. We were absolutely not allowed to take the shortcut through the overgrown fields at the back of the school, either.

And we were never, ever, ever to go into anyone's house on our own. No matter how well we knew them. No matter how many times we'd been there before.

Because Kelly Doherty had been found and she was dead.

ABOUT 'ASK NO QUESTIONS': Twenty-five years ago, on Halloween night, eight-year-old Kelly Doherty went missing while out trick or treating with friends.

Her body was found three days later, floating face down, on the banks of the Creggan Reservoir by two of her young classmates.

It was a crime that rocked Derry to the core. Journalist Ingrid Devlin is investigating – but someone doesn’t want her to know the truth. As she digs further, Ingrid starts to realise that the Doherty family are not as they seem. But will she expose what really happened that night before it’s too late?

MY THOUGHTS: This is the second excellent book that I have read by this author, the first being Her Name Was Rose.

Ask No Questions is very aptly titled. I have never known anyone who was murdered, but I would imagine that if I had, it would never leave me. I would always, like Ingrid, be wondering if there was something I could have done to prevent it. And like Ingrid, if I had the chance to make sure that person was not forgotten, I would take it. However, I doubt that I would be as single-minded or as hard-nosed about it as Ingrid, especially once the threats started. But Ingrid is a person who doesn't mind rocking the boat to see what the waves will dislodge.

Claire Allen had me hooked from the beginning. She has skillfully built up an air of mystery and menace, and doubt as to the guilt of Jamesy Harte, who was convicted of Kelly Doherty's murder. Told over the periods of 1994 and 2019 by Ingrid, the journalist writing the twenty-five year anniversary piece on Kelly's murder, and Declan, one of the Heaney twins who discovered Kelly's body, the storyline is dark and gritty, the twists plausible and unpredictable, the characters engaging and realistic, if not always likeable.

I often found myself holding my breath - in anticipation, in dread - as I suspected almost everyone of killing Kelly.

Ask No Questions is an engaging and emotional read that occasionally unnerved me. And while I may have had a solid suspicion as to the identity of the killer, I had no idea of the how and why. That was a climactic revelation that had me shedding a few tears, and not for the first time during this read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.3

#AskNoQuestions #NetGalley

'We all get lonely. Even those of us in big houses with partners and children.'

THE AUTHOR: Claire Allan is a Northern Irish author who lives in Derry~Londonderry with her husband, two children, two cats and a very spoiled puppy.

She worked as a staff reporter for the Derry Journal for 17 years, covering a wide array of stories from court sessions, to the Saville Inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday, health and education and human interest features.


DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Ask No Questions by Claire Allen for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...