Don’t Ask allows you to escape into the glittery, glam world of sex, drugs and rock n roll during the 70s as you explore the bad choices of youth and the long-term consequences those choices have. Filled with music quotes, you are reminded of a different time and enjoying resurfacing memories of your own while almost hearing the music that caused them.

This was my first Paul Carroll book. The book starts off a little confusing, introducing a lot of characters, each with a different story, at a different time, leaving you unsure about how they are all connected. Eventually, everything comes together and reveals a brilliantly thought-out story. There is no clear indication of timeline, which can cause a little bit of confusion while you are reading. If you keep reading the timeline does become clearer and by the time you reach the halfway mark, you find yourself in tune with the author.

When Elsa is given a free DNA ancestry test she is not convinced she will use it. However, curiosity gets the better of her and she submits her sample. When the results arrive, and her boss Ron, explains it to her, Elsa is determined to contact the close match the test produced.

All too quickly, this leads to two families being turned upside down. Memories long buried resurface and hidden secrets are brought to light. The devastating consequences are unimaginable.   

Don’t Ask was a quick read. I devoured it in two nights. While being a little confusing at the start, I found myself understanding the author’s time jumps easier as I kept reading. Falling deeper and deeper into the story with every page realising that there is a lot more to the story than sex drugs and rock n roll. This book, while starting a little carefree, had some serious undertones that leave you thinking at the end. 

The characters were exactly what I would expect of a 70s rock band – not that I have ever met any. You dislike Andy very quickly. He is self-absorbed from the beginning. You can picture all the scandalous headlines that would have followed him around. Chaz is the oddball from the beginning. A rocker who doesn’t want to party – something is not right. When you think you are getting to know him, even like him, the author throws a curveball you did not see coming – but just maybe, everything is not what it appears.

The author did a marvellous job with his characters, you are sure to find someone in this book that reminds you of a celebrity or someone in your own family. There is even a mom with dementia. (If you follow my blog and have read my April reviews, you will understand why I make that comment.)

Don’t Ask draws you back to the 70s, while slowly revealing secrets, which would have been best left in the past. Making it an entertaining read that truly allows you to escape as you read it.

This “whodunnit” novel, filled with musical quotes will bring back your own memories associated with each song as you turn the pages. Don’t Ask will appeal to music lovers as well as any reader keen on a mystery to be solved.