I would recommend you do not start with book 4.

Roxane is perfectly flaws characters that readers will be able to fall in love with her. Readers will be there as she struggles though life, understanding and the fear she fells.

The story will take readers into a world that takes you hand as you work with Roxane as she struggles to under what happened to a woman she barely met.

The story has a wonderful flow and characters who come to life and bring readers into their world wanting more as the story comes to an end.

This reader will go back and read the first of the Roxeane Weary Series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Kristen Lepionka Once You Go This Far

I love the Roxane Weary mysteries, she's one of my all time favorite literary detectives. In Once You Go This Far, she briefly meets a woman at a hiking trail right before that woman falls to her death. Roxane is hired to investigate by the woman's daughter and becomes embroiled in the affairs of the dead woman's family, an evangelical church, and a woman running for Senate. Meanwhile Roxane is haunted by the way her previous big case ended, while trying to make her relationships with her boyfriend and family work, and of course her ex Catherine is lurking. While the mystery is really well done and satisfying in this book, I keep coming back for Roxane, who is such a great character. I would definitely recommend reading these in order - in this one, especially, she refers back to previous cases. If you've read the previous books you'll enjoy this one, and if you haven't read any, definitely pick them all up.

4.5 stars, rounded. This series is my favorite PI series out there, and while I probably say this about each one, I think this is the best one yet. Tense and fast paced, this layered mystery was excellent storytelling and showed new sides of some familiar characters. I found the connections and turns in this investigation interesting. Roxane is such a smart investigator, and I want more stories with her!

This is the second book in this series I have read. It was fast paced and action packed. I wish that a few of the strings that were left hanging had been sewn up but I guess I will just have to read the next one and see if this is always the way, The death at the beginning seems almost an after thought when it is all said and done. But the conspiracy behind it all keeps you reading.

Once You Go This Far surprised me—in a good way. Or I should say in a number of good ways. I've been reading mysteries since I pilfered my mom's copy of Nancy's Mysterious Letter when I was seven, but I've never come across a protagonist-detective who is bisexual. There are a sprinkling of mysteries that feature a gay sidekick or, on occasion, a gay couple that assists the main character in one way or another. But a bisexual P.I. who has relationships with women and men? No. And Roxane Weary's sexuality is only one of the interesting aspects of her character. She's flawed, complex, funny, smart and a bit of a badass. Plus she sucks at intimacy, which worked really well for me. Her voice seemed somehow familiar, even though this is the first Kristen Lepionka novel I've read.

I've also never read – at least not that I recall – a mystery series set in Ohio. They're probably out there, but if they are it's news to me. I wouldn't say the setting was the most appealing thing about the book, but Lepionka's depiction of the region was vivid and specific enough to make me want to read her other novels. As for the story, I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The plot was well executed and fast-paced, with plenty of twists and turns. The first chapter begins with a bang – or rather, a fall – that jump-starts the action. School nurse Rebecca Newsome is an experienced hiker and when she plunges to her death, her daughter Maggie hires Roxane to more or less prove that her stepfather was responsible. It doesn't take long for Roxane to realize that whoever killed Rebecca had much more of a motive than bitterness over a divorce settlement. As the mystery develops, Roxane comes across an array of odd characters, from an apparent ghost who orders subs to be delivered to Rebecca's old house to a religious zealot to a charismatic up-and-coming female politician. All the while she's dealing with another mini-mystery, one that hits much closer to home. Not to mention a few complications regarding Catherine, her ex, and Tom, her....not-ex.

My only critique of the novel is that the ending felt a little rushed. All major questions were resolved, but I found myself wondering about specifics here and there. Lepionka may explain some of these in future installments, but some related specifically to the mystery, or rather – to the fates of the characters in this mystery - and left me wondering. But overall, the novel was highly satisfying and I recommend it, even to readers new to the series. Despite the fact that this was the first Lepionka novel I've read, it was easy to follow and to get a sense of past relationships.

Much thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent. Just excellent. The tension builds up little by little until it snowballs out of control. You'll be trying to figure out this puzzle of a story and still not figure out who did. My favorite type of genre and this winner is a must read that needs top spot on your TBR stack. Happy reading!

Private investigator Roxane Weary is out for a stroll when another hiker, Rebecca Newsome, falls to her death on a nearby trail. Her daughter, Maggie, doesn't think it was an accident, and she hires Roxane to look into the the incident, believing strongly that Rebecca's ex-husband, Keir, a former cop, was responsible. Roxane learns quickly that Keir is a bit of a jerk, but did he kill his ex? Roxane soon finds herself driving between Detroit and Canada, following the path of Rebecca's last days. Soon she's embroiled in the Fellowship, a mega-church founded by Joel Creedle and talking to Constance Archer, a wealthy businesswoman who is now running for office. Roxane's running herself so ragged she can barely make time for herself, let alone Tom, her sometimes romantic interest. Not to mention, things are heating up in her case, and she may find herself in danger, yet again.

"Only bad things happened when it was cold out, as it was becoming now."

This is one of the best detective serious out there, hands down, and I wish that Kristen Lepionka and Roxane Weary were household names. I adore these books and this one may be my favorite yet, which is high praise, as I've loved every book since the first.

"That was the thing about mysteries--no one ever deviated from the routine until the moment they did."

Roxane is her own person--a witty, intelligent private investigator who, oh yeah, just happens to be bisexual (and not a side character or the villain of our tale). Book four finds her working on a perplexing case, but also dealing with some personal growth: having to confront emotions and relationships, dreaded words in Roxane's world. I loved the balance of the mystery and Roxane's personal life in this one.

"Not knowing was hard for me. It always was."

Reading these books is like falling back with familiar friends--Lepionka captures Roxane and her crew perfectly: her brothers and mom; her on again/off again boyfriend Tom and ex-girlfriend, Catherine; her work partners; and more. She expertly portrays Roxane's wonderful sarcasm and her inability to commit. Here, we see Roxane dealing with a bombshell about her father's past--poor Roxane: she can never quite escape the shadow of her father, a former cop.

But, of course, we also read for the mystery, and this is a great one--Lepionka takes us in the world of an Evangelical church while delving into Rebecca Newsome's past, her relationship with her daughter, Maggie, and the many secrets Roxane uncovers. She also throws in Rebecca's wonderful spunky elderly neighbor who keeps things lively. This was an excellent mystery that kept me guessing (and worrying for Roxane's safety)--it's timely, interesting, and suspenseful.

Highly recommend this book and the entire Roxane Weary series. 4.5 stars.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. When the publisher reached out to me about an ARC I liked the synopsis and loved the fact Lepionka co-hosts a podcast called "Unlikeable Female Characters", so said sure why not. *

I don't know if it's worth noting (but clearly, I'm noting it), the first thing I noticed on Goodreads is I am one of very few men who have read this book prior to release. I don't know if that means we're not the target audience or if it was just a coincidence, but I thought it was interesting.

I knew going in that this was the fourth book in the Roxane Weary series, but I didn't see this as an issue since every other series I've read has so much back fill that it gets tiring if you're a dedicated reader (and I usually complain about it). Unfortunately, I get why it's necessary now. This was definitely a book I could get behind, but there were so many references or dark hints to what happened in previous books I definitely had to stop a few times to try and figure out if it was something that I missed earlier in this book. I don't think that's a reflection on the author, but more so on the serialization of EVERYTHING complex.

"Not knowing was hard for me. It always was. This was part of why I'd bailed on my plan of becoming a psychologist—I was too nosy, too hungry for the why. You can't act on people's problems as a psychologist, just talk. And talking had its place, but so did doing." (Chapter 1)

I liked Roxane as a character, not as a person—so I guess that fits the unlikeable female characters that Lepionka is known for? There's definitely a lot going on with her and she's definitely emotionally stunted, and frankly she's kind of a dick, but I think that's why she works so well as an investigator. I mean, it's not much of a stretch to say that she's the same over written male PI character, but since she's a woman it just comes off harsher and unlikeable. There was some family drama, that I wasn't at all invested in, probably because I hadn't read the first three books.

I thoroughly liked that Roxane is some flavor of LGBT+ (bisexual maybe?), but have no idea how she identifies. It wasn't made explicitly clear in this novel, but she clearly has a female ex and is currently with a man, so there's some sort of flexibility in there somewhere.

"It's in the queer bill of rights that when your lover ditches you in the dead of winter, you get to drink her whiskey and not feel bad about it." (Chapter 17)

The story kept me mostly engaged in that I kept reading and I didn't struggle to read it, but as I neared the end of the book the tension I want from a mystery/thriller just wasn't there. I'm not quite sure if this was the author's pacing or the story itself. The pacing worked 80% of the time, but the other 20% of the time it was either lurching drastically forward making me think I missed something or felt like treading water (expanding energy to stay in one place).

The story, a religious group taking things too far, is one that's been done before (both better and worse), but I liked the way Lepionka went about telling it and introducing us slowly to the various offshoots and interconnected individuals. And I appreciated the Harry Potter shout out,

"'Fortunately, the dude has moved on to subtler forms of persuasion.' She opened a new link, this one an article entitled Harry Potter: Harmless Christian Novel or Doorway to the Occult?" (Chapter 4)

I have cousins that weren't able to read it (honestly, still not sure if they have), because their parents pretty much thought the latter. Thankfully, I didn't grow up in that closed minded of a family or even church community, but this shit's real.

There were no major surprises as the story wrapped up, which was disappointing because one of the big reveals really should've been like WTF?! I'm not sure if it was my unconsciously processing all the various clues and connecting the dots to early, but yeah it just sort of let me thinking "well duh, that's how they did it."

Recommendation: I think if you've read the first three books in this series you'll appreciate this a lot more. Lepionka's writing was approachable and engaging, but there seems to be so much back story and history with this character that without having read the first books in the series, you're left wanting and asking quite a few questions.

*I received a copy of Once You Go This Far via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.

I think maybe this is one of those times it would have been helpful to read previous books in this series (I didn't realize it was a series when I started reading). I found the story to be rather confusing - again, perhaps having knowledge of previous books would have helped. I didn't especially care for Roxanne and the narrative seemed to be slow moving. It's an ok book but I'm afraid I'm not crazy about it like other readers seem to be.

Kristen Lepionka returns with Once You Go This Far and once again gives Roxane Weary a complex case to tackle in this must-read crime fiction series. Lepionka crafted one of the most unique characters in the genre and once she entered the reader’s consciousness, Roxane Weary blossomed into a force to be reckoned with – both as a character on the written page to be championed and as a symbol of progress in a community too long dominated by the same old same old. This fourth stellar entry in the series does not disappoint.

Once You Go This Far opens with Roxane encountering Rebecca Newsome in the parking lot near a hiking and biking trail. A short while later, Rebecca is dead at the bottom of a ravine and Roxane finds herself investigating what everyone except the woman’s daughter thinks is a tragic accident. Nothing in Newsome’s life seems to be making sense and it quickly becomes clear that there is more to this story. Between the excessive travel, some financial discrepancies, and an asshole of an ex-husband, Rebecca Newsome’s life is proving far more suspicious than even Roxane expected. And when an old nemesis becomes entangled in the whole mess, Roxane must determine if she is telling the truth this time or just setting up another con job.

Kristen Lepionka has populated this series – and Roxane’s life – with a plethora of quirky characters. All the reader favorites make return appearances here and the plot is constructed in such a way that the denouement comes about because of all their participation, while still leaving Roxane Weary as the star of the show. Roxane’s family has always been an integral part of these books and her relationships with her parents and siblings have served as a way of gauging her change across these four books. Once You Go This Far is no exception, with still more surprises – and growth – in store for our heroine.

Kristen Lepionka’s writing style calls to mind the works of an icon of the female-led PI subgenre, Sara Paretsky. Both authors weave social issues and complex relationships into solidly-build mystery plots while never straying from their highly-readable writing style. This is a series that shows diverse does not mean unrelatable; we can all learn from walking in shoes that differ from our own. If you haven’t met Roxane Weary, I encourage you to start from the beginning (The Last Place You Look) – her personal journey is so important to the overall effect – and if you have already made her acquaintance, do not miss this latest addition to her saga.

I love Roxane Weary, and I never miss a chance to recommend this series to folks who want to read about the best bisexual hot mess PI in Ohio.

Roxane is still a mess, but not quite as disastrous as some of the previous books. Lepionka is great at keeping the plot perfectly paced (I do love a book with chapters on the shorter side!). I am decent at guessing the who of the whodunnit in a lot of mysteries, but I don’t think I’ve ever accurately called a Lepionka villain - I may suspect they’re involved, but she is a master of the red herring.

If you love Roxane Weary like I do, this is a solid installment in the series! Always looking forward to the next installment. ❤️

I realized once I started reading this one that it was a part of a series. I DNF'd until I could read the previous titles in the series and will come back and edit my review when I do.

I really enjoyed this mystery with its interesting twists and turns leading to the murderer. The main character, Roxane, is a complex and interesting character. The mystery was well written and I didn’t figure it out at all until it was spelled out for me in the end.


I wish that some of the characters from the earlier books in the series were given a little introduction in this book. Just a sentence or two to clue in the reader who hasn’t read the other books. Tom, who appears at the crime scene with Roxane, just appears with no mention of who he is. I figured out he was her boyfriend, but an introduction would have helped. Same with Catherine, Roxane’s, former girlfriend, it would have been nice to have a sentence or two about who they were without having to infer it.

I enjoyed this mystery so much, I plan to go back and read the other books in the series. Roxane is a well written, complex character that I think all readers would enjoy.4/5

ONCE YOU GO THIS FAR by Kristen Lepionka is the fourth book in the Roxane Weary private investigator mystery series and the first book by this author that I have read. When Rebecca Newsome, an experienced hiker ends up falling, her daughter Maggie hires Roxanne Weary to investigate.

Roxanne makes an excellent protagonist. She has plenty of strengths but also a number of flaws that makes her more rounded as an individual. While this book worked as a standalone novel, I believe reading the series in order would provide more depth and background. The secondary characters enhanced the story. The story line was interesting with plenty of twists and turns. The prose was well-written, engaging and very readable. The plot was done well and the crime solving made sense and did not require the suspension of belief. However, one aspect at the end required a bit of a leap to get on the same page as Roxanne. I enjoyed piecing together all of the clues along with Roxanne.

Overall, this book was engaging, well-paced, complex and held my attention. If you enjoy this type of complex mystery, then this series may be for you. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Kristen Lepionka for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Honestly, I can't see myself ever tiring of this series or these characters. Each time I pick up a book starring Roxane Weary, it feels a bit like coming home and giving an old friend a hug, which is kinda weird when you think about all the murder and crime that happens here. The best thing about these books is the fact that they aren't flashy or outlandish; there's simply excellent storytelling and well plotted crime solving going on, alongside character growth that is both personal and professional. As I see that the next book coming from the author is not a part of this series, I'm not sure what that means for the future of Roxane and her family/friends, but based on the final chapter I have to hold out hope that we'll see more from them in the future. These books definitely need to be read in order, but I highly recommend each one, and if you're interested in starting from the beginning you'll want to get your hands on The Last Place You Look.

The Last Place You Look is still my favorite but this was so good! As a character Roxane Weary has been such a joy to follow, she continues to be a bit of a mess but seems to be trying to be more put together in this 4th book. In that vain she is out for a hike when an older women falls to their death. While this seems like an accident the daughter of the deceased is not fully convinced and hires Roxanne to do a little digging. What is uncovered is so much more. I love how Lepionka can grow a story, the jumps are not far fetched and make the story more complex. It all leads to a page turning mystery that is hard to put down.

When PI Roxanne Weary learns that a woman she met earlier in a Columbus metro park has fallen down a ravine and died, she thinks its unbelievable. Then the woman’s daughter says it’s suspicious and hires Roxanne to find the truth.

This fourth book in the series takes you all over Ohio and uncovers some shady characters. We also get more insight on not Roxanne’s private life and her problems with relationships.

Like many stereotypical hard-bitten PIs, Roxane Weary has issues with relationships and alcohol. Unlike many of her fictional counterparts, she is trying to come to terms with these. Sucked into a new case after stumbling on a body, Roxane keeps uncovering things that she wished she hadn't in both her own life and in the case. Roxane is an engaging character, and you can't help but strap in for the ride.

This was a quick light read, good for these stressful times. I like the main character, she is strong, not a victim and with her own issues to work on. so an interesting, enjoyable read, but won't stick with me. I do wonder about the extra heroic actions and involving her friends and family in them, just doesn't seem realistic, so took exception with that

I love this series and was delighted to be reunited with Roxanne Weary! She’s a strong female detective (which I love) who has started to show her vulnerable side. The character development throughout this series has been exceptional. Her newest case was puzzling. I loved the fast paced action, the surprising twists, and the way it all came together. This was another excellent addition to the series and I look forward to more! My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.