REVIEW: "Once You Go This Far" by Kristen Lepionka
When people ask me where I grew up, I always say Columbus, Ohio. Although, that’s not entirely true. It’s not that I’m lying, trying to syphon off some of the prestige associated with living in Ohio’s capital city. Instead, it’s that where I actually grew up was a decidedly lesser-known suburb north of Columbus called Westerville.
Unlike Columbus, there was nothing “urban” about Westerville. In this “home of the prohibition movement” suburb, we didn’t even have a downtown but, instead, an “uptown” — which is an inarguably bougier alternative.
Having grown up in Westerville, I am woefully sheltered and wholly inexperienced with anything city related. Even now, at 37, I marvel at people’s abilities to navigate a maze of one-way streets and easily commute via public transit.
Really, my only exposure to city life is through literature, like this novel by Kristen Lepionka, the fourth Columbus, Ohio-based PI mystery starring one of my favorite protagonists, Roxane Weary.
As this novel opens, Roxane is arriving at a Columbus-area park, ready to meet her brother. Given that he’s reliably unreliable, it’s not really a surprise that he stands her up. What is a surprise, though, is that, shortly after venturing down a walking path, she happens upon a dead woman
Given that she makes a living solving crimes, I don’t know if this qualifies as being in the wrong place at the wrong time or, instead, being in the right place at the right time.
Either way, happening upon this fresh crime scene inevitably leads to Roxane’s involvement in the hunt for this woman’s killer.
Following a weak scent-trail of clues, Roxane heads to Toledo, Ohio — where this woman, who was visiting her very pregnant daughter at the time of her death, lived. Upon arrival in Toledo, Roxane quickly discovers that there will be nothing quick about solving this crime.
Instead, it will require the type of dedication and tiresome, shoe-leather detective work that is her brand. Fortunately, Roxane is perpetually undaunted, as the deeper she digs for the truth the murkier everything becomes.
And it’s not just on the professional side of her life where things are almost suffocatingly complicated. Roxane’s personal life remains less a source of solace and more a source of stress. Not only is she doing a wonderful job of fucking up her relationship with her long-time friend, recently-turned lover, Tom, but also she’s dealing with newly discovered drama involving her deceased father, which threatens to rock her already precarious family structure.
I have long been a fan of this Lepionka series, and this book lived up to its predecessors.
Obviously, one reason for my affinity for this series is the fact that, unlike so many thrillers set in the more metropolis-y metropolitan cities, this series takes place in medium-level gritty Columbus, Ohio - the place I, perhaps should have been born as it is almost too ironic that the prohibition movement and I, a proud proponent of all-things-alcoholic, originated in the same sleepy town.
But the oh-I’ve-been-there references aside, this novel stands on its own merits.
The strongest asset of this novel, and the Roxane Weary series as a whole, is Roxane Weary herself. Lepionka’s long-suffering, queer private investigator with a moral compass that belies her I’m-fresh-out-of-fucks-to-give attitude has incredible depth. In each installment of this series, readers learn more about Weary. And, as they do, they develop an even more significant attachment to her and, by connection, investment in her success.
Another strength that sets this novel apart is the dialogue. Like Weary herself, the dialogue is rich and real and often laugh-inducing — even in situations where laughing would be almost inexcusably inappropriate. Lepionka’s pen guiding her, Roxane always says the thing I would have wanted to say in the moment, but really would have only come up with as I rehashed the argument, often aloud like a crazy person, while in the shower.
The only departure I noticed between this novel and the rest of this strong series was the plot. Due, perhaps, to the complexity of the underlying mystery, the plot did meander a bit more in this novel than in Lepionka’s other three. Though, I must admit, I didn't particularly mind the meander as most of it was through Toledo and its suburbs, the place I now call home.
All factors considered, Lepionka’s Roxane Weary is a protagonist who you would be hard-pressed not to root for in any situation. Once You Go This Far is yet another addition to a series that you will absolutely devour.
It earns 4 out of 5 cocktails.
Now that I’ve reflected on my hometown’s past, I’m curious about yours. Is your hometown famous for anything? Tell me about it in the comments, below.
My bookshelf is over-fucking-flowing right now… which will make it exceedingly hard to select my next read. Want to see what I pick? Subscribe to updates in the sidebar on the right and follow me on Goodreads.
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