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Ask Not!
Noted author, screenwriter and film director Tom Avitabile maintains “Conspiracy thrives in the fertilizer of bad journalism and bad policing.” His latest novel, ASK NOT! illustrates how conspiracy theories can take on a life of their own and become life-threatening to those who dig too deep. Avitabile offers up a fresh, provocative look back at the terrible events of November 22,1963 and weaves a tale both plausible and mysterious.
In a Hitchcockian way, Avitabile presents the “MacGuffin”, a faded photo—the so-called “Polaroid #7”—which holds out a possibility of long overdue accountability for murderers and vindication for pilot Hank Larson’s brother, slain for his possession of the yellowed image. Hank’s attempts to clear his brother’s name place him squarely in a new set of crosshairs, targeted by killers desperate to conceal the truth about an evil deed that changed the world.
In a Hitchcockian way, Avitabile presents the “MacGuffin”, a faded photo—the so-called “Polaroid #7”—which holds out a possibility of long overdue accountability for murderers and vindication for pilot Hank Larson’s brother, slain for his possession of the yellowed image. Hank’s attempts to clear his brother’s name place him squarely in a new set of crosshairs, targeted by killers desperate to conceal the truth about an evil deed that changed the world.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2023
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7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 19, 2023
My interest in the assassination of John F. Kennedy might make me biased, but I think most people would agree that there is not a better situation suited for a thriller. I’ve read one other novel/thriller that involves this moment in history, however, it ended up being a relatively small portion of the book. I was excited when Ask Not! set the stage with it in the first pages.
Hank never thought much about John F. Kennedy’s assassination. He had no reason to believe anything but the official story: Three bullets shot by Lee Harvey Oswald. A random act. Suddenly he’s thrust into the world of polaroids and conspiracies. What’s more, is that his own life may be at risk thanks to his brother Benjamin.
There are several different theories that the book explores. While some are outlandish, some appear plausible. As Hank does his own investigation, he encounters a number of different people who have their takes, including a couple of witnesses. He doesn’t know what to make of these claims, much less what to believe. He wonders if believing in a conspiracy is easier than believing that a single human can change the course of history in a single act of randomness.
Along with talk of the JFK assassination is Hank's own story and that of his brother's. Hank's drive to clear Benjamin's name from a homicide accusation is the driving force. Christine (Chris) is also a nice addition to the story and compliments Hank's character.
Fast-paced and gripping, this book flows wonderfully with fantastic dialogue and lots of action. I devoured the book in two sittings and then regretted not pacing myself more because it was over all too quickly. Having read several other books on different facts and conspiracies from this event, it was fun to see some of them presented here (and in the form of a novel). I was particularly impressed to see a section that discusses Dorothy Kilgallen. I don’t understand why other authors on the subject tend to overlook her place in the theories. I was glad Tom Avitabile didn’t hold back!
I appreciated the character list at the beginning of the book to help me keep track of all of the names and roles. Also included is a polaroid, again, setting the stage right off the bat. It's evident that a lot of thought, research, and care went into this book. This is a perfect read for crime/thriller fans, but also readers looking for a hint of nonfiction in their novels.
Hank never thought much about John F. Kennedy’s assassination. He had no reason to believe anything but the official story: Three bullets shot by Lee Harvey Oswald. A random act. Suddenly he’s thrust into the world of polaroids and conspiracies. What’s more, is that his own life may be at risk thanks to his brother Benjamin.
There are several different theories that the book explores. While some are outlandish, some appear plausible. As Hank does his own investigation, he encounters a number of different people who have their takes, including a couple of witnesses. He doesn’t know what to make of these claims, much less what to believe. He wonders if believing in a conspiracy is easier than believing that a single human can change the course of history in a single act of randomness.
Along with talk of the JFK assassination is Hank's own story and that of his brother's. Hank's drive to clear Benjamin's name from a homicide accusation is the driving force. Christine (Chris) is also a nice addition to the story and compliments Hank's character.
Fast-paced and gripping, this book flows wonderfully with fantastic dialogue and lots of action. I devoured the book in two sittings and then regretted not pacing myself more because it was over all too quickly. Having read several other books on different facts and conspiracies from this event, it was fun to see some of them presented here (and in the form of a novel). I was particularly impressed to see a section that discusses Dorothy Kilgallen. I don’t understand why other authors on the subject tend to overlook her place in the theories. I was glad Tom Avitabile didn’t hold back!
I appreciated the character list at the beginning of the book to help me keep track of all of the names and roles. Also included is a polaroid, again, setting the stage right off the bat. It's evident that a lot of thought, research, and care went into this book. This is a perfect read for crime/thriller fans, but also readers looking for a hint of nonfiction in their novels.
December 30, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for this book.
This read more like a screenplay than a novel! No surprise there.
The characterization was flat and devoid of any human nature or emotional depth. The dialog was extremely curt and flat offering no insight into the characters, their decisions, thought processes, etc. It seemed to me that the author just wrote out the bare-bone dialog and descriptions hoping his readers would fill in the emotional aspects or breathe life into his characters (like actors would do with a screenplay). It would truly be a feat if it worked! I’m sorry to say it didn’t.
The plot line moved along pretty fast due to short chapters and a short page count. The cliffhangers were placed in the most unreasonable and weird places along the story line cutting the scenes unduly short and without any sense.
I was looking forward to a thriller and a good mystery - the Kennedy assassination, c’mon! Unfortunately, it was not thrilling or, least of all, mysterious.
(I read the digital version on NetGalley app and the punctuation marks were all over the place! Quotation marks beginning and ending in random places where the dialog was still ongoing, etc. This definitely needs fixing).
This read more like a screenplay than a novel! No surprise there.
The characterization was flat and devoid of any human nature or emotional depth. The dialog was extremely curt and flat offering no insight into the characters, their decisions, thought processes, etc. It seemed to me that the author just wrote out the bare-bone dialog and descriptions hoping his readers would fill in the emotional aspects or breathe life into his characters (like actors would do with a screenplay). It would truly be a feat if it worked! I’m sorry to say it didn’t.
The plot line moved along pretty fast due to short chapters and a short page count. The cliffhangers were placed in the most unreasonable and weird places along the story line cutting the scenes unduly short and without any sense.
I was looking forward to a thriller and a good mystery - the Kennedy assassination, c’mon! Unfortunately, it was not thrilling or, least of all, mysterious.
(I read the digital version on NetGalley app and the punctuation marks were all over the place! Quotation marks beginning and ending in random places where the dialog was still ongoing, etc. This definitely needs fixing).
January 15, 2024
An intriguing and action-packed novel regarding the assassination of JFK. The reader makes good use of various conspiracy theories to further enhance the storyline. A quick read, that I found was hard to put down till I finished it!
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews