ASK ME NO QUESTIONS (DS Kate Munro #1) by Louisa de Lange | Blog Tour Review #AskMeNoQuestions

Published by Orion
Ebook and Paperback (3 October 2019)
368 pages
Source: Review copy provided by publisher

ABOUT THE BOOK

TWINS HAVE A SPECIAL BOND SOMEONE WILL KILL TO BREAK . . .

As children, Gabi and Thea were like most identical twin sisters: inseparable.

Now adults, Gabi is in a coma following a vicious attack and Thea claims that, until last week, the twins hadn’t spoken in fifteen years. But what caused such a significant separation? And what brought them back together so suddenly?

Digging into the case, DS Kate Munro is convinced the crime was personal. Now she must separate the truth from the lies and find the dangerous assailant – before any more blood is spilled . . .

Welcome to the Ask Me No Questions blog tour – I’m delighted to be one of the bloggers starting off the tour with a review – my thanks to Alainna of Orion for the place on the tour and to the publisher and Netgalley for the ecopy. I read Louisa’s debut last year ‘The Dream Wife‘ which I really enjoyed and was so excited to see a new book, and a crime procedural too, one of my favourite genres. So what did I think….

MY THOUGHTS

Ask Me No Questions is the first in a new series featuring DS Kate Munro. Set in Southampton it begins in 2004 with the reported shooting of Madeleine and Robert Patterson by their neighbour Harrison Becker. Identical twins Gabriella and Thea Patterson were 18 years old. The story then jumps to 2019 where trauma seems to follow them as Gabriella has been attacked and lies in a coma. The twins have led very separate lives since the events of fifteen years earlier and have barely spoken. DS Kate Munro must decide whether this was a random attack or whether Gabi was targeted and if the attack was linked to events of the past.

Gabi and Thea are identical in their facial features but couldn’t be more different in personality. Gabi is popular and outgoing whilst Thea, a photographer, is more introverted. You would think that having suffered such a tragic past, that they would be more supportive of each other but in fact it appears the opposite is more the case. Put them in a room together and they start bickering. The one constant in their lives is Harry Becker, the son of their parents’ killer. They were childhood friends and became a gang of 3 standing up against the school bullies.

Secrets and deception are aplenty here and I didn’t envy Kate Munro in trying to unravel the threads. Her job was made harder by certain people being unwilling to cooperate, with others being deliberately untruthful and she had the problem of too many suspects but not enough evidence.

Ask Me No Questions is the first in a new series to feature DS Kate Munro. I have to admit it took me a while to gel with her. Initially I found her too cold and sterile – I wanted something of her personality to come through that I could engage with but her tenacious character won me over. She made some rather unwise decisions at times which I think made her seem a little more real, she definitely had her flaws and demons. As for the plot, this was rather clever and I enjoyed the feeling of unease and of never being entirely sure of a character’s involvement. Although I had worked out part of the reveal quite early on, there were still plenty of surprises in store.

This is a very promising start to a new series and one I very much enjoyed. There are a lot of characters with the main ones like Gabi, Thea, Harry and Kate being suitably fleshed out with other more minor ones being well drawn for their roles. The plot kept my interest all the way through with Kate’s determination to get to the truth leading to a gripping and satisfying twisty story. I’m hoping that Kate’s character, together with that of her colleagues DC’s Briggs and Yates will be further developed in future books as this series has a lot of potential and it’s one I shall be following with interest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Louisa de Lange studied Psychology at the University of Southampton and has lived in and around the city ever since. She works as a freelance copywriter and editor, and when she’s not writing, she can be found pounding the streets in running shoes or swimming in muddy lakes.