The Last Place You Look (Roxane Weary, #1) in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Aug 25, 2017 Martha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: all-sorts-o-crime-fiction

Man, this one was a punch in the gut. Lepionka does a remarkable job of making things visceral, particularly emotions. Because of this, much of the second half of the book was nearly overwhelming with its constant sense that things were on the verge of flying horribly off the rails combined with the ever-growing threat hanging over Roxane. I'm not sure I've encountered such intensity -- particularly the spiraling loss of control -- since I first read Sara Gran, which is about the highest praise ...more

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Oct 22, 2018 Chessa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery

GAAAAAAHHHHH I keep waiting for my adrenaline to chill because HOLY CROW that took a turn for the thriller in the end!

Roxane Weary is the disastrous, self-sabotage-y bisexual PI that you have always wanted to read about. Someone hires her to make a last-ditch effort into a cold case in order to save someone from death row - and the case just spirals outward. It kept me guessing, even though I was sure who the villain was on more than one occasion (wrong every time). Just, wow, what a fantastic p ...more

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Jul 11, 2017 Nadine in NY Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: suspense-thriller, r2017-in-2017, 100-best-of-21st-c, all-time-favorites, detective-mystery, mystery, broken, darkntwisty-badass-women

This is sooo good. I read it in one breathless, increasingly terrified gulp, never taking the time to jot down my feelings and reactions. I was glad I was reading it with three dogs in the house; no one dog particularly fearsome, but all three would give any attacker pause. (I was actually scared and jumpy when I had to set the book down to go let the dogs out - so thankful that one dog stayed in the house with me. This book GOT to me!) So I don't have much of a review, other than: "more like th This is sooo good. I read it in one breathless, increasingly terrified gulp, never taking the time to jot down my feelings and reactions. I was glad I was reading it with three dogs in the house; no one dog particularly fearsome, but all three would give any attacker pause. (I was actually scared and jumpy when I had to set the book down to go let the dogs out - so thankful that one dog stayed in the house with me. This book GOT to me!) So I don't have much of a review, other than: "more like this, please!!"

in lieu of an actual review, here is a passage from the book:

The last time I saw him was three weeks before he died. We had dinner once a month, my brothers, my parents, and me. I don't remember what we ate or what we talked about. Probably nothing of consequence, because despite the monthly get-togethers, we weren't really close. I only remember the last thing my father said to me, grabbing my arm as I walked past his chair on my way out.

"You turned out okay," he said as he gripped my arm. It didn't sound affectionate. It sounded like an accusation. Frank had been a cop for thirty-eight years. Everything he said sounded like an accusation. "More like me. I was afraid you were going to turn out like your mother."

Andrew and Matt, wisely, had already left. My mother was sitting on the couch. She didn't look up from her magazine. "Let go," I said.

"She's nice, that's what people would say about her, she's nice. But you," he said. He looked at me, his eyes bloodshot and whiskey-wild. He was still touching my arm. His other hand held a cut-crystal tumbler, empty except for an ice cube that barely had a chance to start melting. "You know, maybe you could stand to be a little nicer, actually. You're a girl. You have to be nice. But not too fucking nice. That's what you have to do. Be nice but not too fucking nice."

I jerked my arm away from him. "Good night, Mom," I said.

"Drive careful," my mother said, ignore the tension as usual.

I will read whatever Lepionka publishes. ...more

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Jul 03, 2018 Jessica Haider rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, lgbtq, bookriot_2018

I picked this up to meet the criteria for 2 book challenges that when mashed together we basically: read a mystery by an LGBTQ author or about an LGBTQ character.

The Last Place You Look is Kristen Lepionka's debut novel. In this literary crime novel, the central character is Roxane Weary, a private investigator who is approached by a woman who wants her to exonerate her brother for the murder of his girlfriend's parents. The story itself wasn't very predictable. (I hate when you read a mystery ...more

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Nov 02, 2018 Loretta rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, crime-and-mystery

Oooh oooh oooh. I have a new mystery series to love. With a female queer protagonist who's competent but messed up, with complicated relationships and a good heart but dang some self-destructive tendencies and bad choices. The story was well-told and pulled me right along. Definitely along for the ride here. ...more

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Apr 06, 2020 Susanne Clower rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, character-studies, fiction, mystery-series

About thirty pages in, I thought to myself - yes, this is going to be delicious! I loved the whole book. I didn't see a misstep or ridiculous plot device at any point, and the characters remained true to themselves. I'm so glad this is the first in a series as I can't wait for the next installment. ...more

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