Fen Dexter has led a very adventure-filled life and, at 58 years old, is continuing to live the life that she loves with her dog in a California seaside cottage. She enjoys a very close relationship with her two nieces and is actually waiting for one of them to visit her on the night of a horrible storm. As the wind whips around her cottage and the rain pelts down, her power goes out and there's a knock at her door. Certain that it's her niece, Vivi, she races to open the door only to find a strange man standing there. He has a bloody head and is holding a large knife.

He tells her that he crashed his vehicle into the tree at the top of her driveway. Against her better judgment, Fen allows the man to come in and she sets about tending to his injury. They share a bottle of wine and the dinner that she had fixed to have with Vivi. She never dreams that this moment is about to bring about monumental changes in her life.

Fen isn't the only one who is experiencing life altering events. That same night, Dr. Vivian is on duty in her capacity as emergency room doctor. A young woman is brought in more dead than alive. She is the latest victim of a particularly brutal serial killer and the only one who has survived thus far. The detective in charge of the case finds Vivi quite appealing and wants to know her better.

The victim is the cause of Vivi missing dinner with her aunt so she simply goes home at the end of a very long day. Just as she's getting comfortable at home, who shows up at the door but her irresponsible and flighty younger sister, JC, who is broke and in trouble again.

Thus sets the stage for a very entertaining and gripping story in PLEASE DON'T TELL. Elizabeth Adler takes her readers on a journey of a murder investigation as well as self-discovery for these three women. The story opens with one of the creepiest, deliciously scary scenes of any book I've ever read. I absolutely loved it!

Ms. Adler writes her characters in such a way that I was saying "I knew someone just like that!" Fen is so cool that I would totally love to hang out with her. Vivi is rather intense and driven just as any good doctor should be. I cannot say how much I disliked the character of JC. Spoiled, self-centered and rather selfish, she is someone who really just needs a good spanking!

PLEASE DON'T TELL is very absorbing, even though I did figure out the identity of the killer well before the end of the book. It didn't matter, though, because there were so many other things going on to keep me engrossed. PLEASE DON'T TELL could easily be turned into a movie and I would pay to see it. Of course, now I must start collecting more of Elizabeth Adler's books. I never knew what I was missing!