Elaine Williams Crockett

Do Not Ask is an excellent crime/thriller!

This book is addicting, my goodness. I love a good political, crime novel (it's evident if you look at my book shelf or my lists on Netflix...) so getting the chance to read this book made me so excited! I've been more focused on romances recently that I almost forgot this genre existed!

Do Not Ask is the second book in the Warren Alexander series, but you don't need to be caught up to understand a thing! This book was a smooth read without the background, since Elaine fills in any big holes that you need to know along the way. She also makes this book full of fast twists and turns that will keep you addicted and following every story line.

Every part of this book was fantastic - which is shocking! It's rare to find a book that I can't pick apart some major flaw (so kudos to Elaine!). I loved the speed of the story and I found it to be unique and thrilling. I didn't want to put this book down! Alongside all of that goodness, I also got heavily involved with trying to guess who did what. Since there was just enough back story to get the reader going, it makes it easy to follow along and play the detective game along with the plot.

The book is also realistic, which makes it an easy read. There's no aliens or crazy conspiracies - it's a fiction novel that makes it feel so real. There are some aspects of this book that seem a little odd, but it's not surprising that they exist by any means (some adult chasing after young, pretty girls might make you squeamish, but it happens).

So, the question is - where do I want to see Elaine go from here? I definitely think she's talented and needs to keep writing! This book was excellent, and I hope she continues writing to get better. My expectations are for her to write another novel, and I hope she's able to write it so it's not necessary to read all of the books before it - that should help gain some more readers. And hopefully, this book goes a little more mainstream. It's awesome! It's so good that it could be on a shelf next to Kathy Reichs in my local book story!

Five out of five stars.

I received a free copy of this book from the author (Elaine Williams Crockett) in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)

In Do Not Assume Elaine Williams Crockett creates a complex web spanning decades and involving people at every level of government. Yet even with the complexity of the web she leads the reader through the labyrinth with a very deft touch. As the title suggests, do not assume (or at least not too much) because deception relies upon appearances leading to false assumptions. The antagonists in this book use deception, and violence, often and carefully.

In addition to the mystery/thriller aspect I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of the fast-paced political world inside the Beltway with the quiet supportive community in rural Maine. The changes in locale, however, never slowed the pace of the story as it hurtled toward its conclusion. I would enjoy seeing this become a series, though I am not sure how to proceed. My preference might be to see Judge Alexander and Ruth (an FBI agent) periodically team up when there might be either personal motivation or overlap in their respective domains. Either way, I see a trip to Switzerland.

I would recommend this to readers of both crime and political thrillers. If you're familiar with DC this will also be a fun read (though I am from the MD side of town).… (plus d'informations)