The Last Place You Look: A Mystery (Roxane Weary Mysteries, #1) (Roxane Weary, #1)

by Kristen Lepionka

Sarah Cook, a beautiful blonde teenager disappeared fifteen years ago, the same night her parents were brutally murdered in their suburban Ohio home. Her boyfriend Brad Stockton - black and from the wrong side of the tracks - was convicted of the murders and sits on death row, though he always maintained his innocence. With his execution only weeks away, his devoted sister, insisting she has spotted Sarah at a local gas station, hires PI Roxane Weary to look again at the case.

Reeling from the recent death of her cop father, Roxane finds herself drawn to the story of Sarah's vanishing act, especially when she thinks she's linked Sarah's disappearance to one of her father's unsolved murder cases involving another teen girl. Despite her self-destructive tendencies, Roxane starts to hope that maybe she can save Brad's life and her own.

With echoes of Sue Grafton, Dennis Lehane and the hit podcast Serial, The Last Place You Look is the gripping debut of both a bold new voice and character.

• ISBN10: 1250181305
• ISBN13: 9781250181305
• Publish Date: 1 May 2018 (first published 13 June 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Minotaur Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

This was fantastic. I loved the mystery, I loved the suspense, I loved the characters. A new favourite crime tackling heroine for sure.

Roxane is totally badass. And a total hot mess. She has no idea if she's coming or going and I was digging it. I felt really sorry for her. She's struggling with her dad's death - they had a messy relationship and she's not sure how to resolve her grief for both what was and what could have been. She's sleeping with her dad's ex partner except he's now moving on to new people. And her old love, Catherine (who frankly is a manipulative bitch and reminds me of the character from Chicago Fire that screws with Leslie Shay), is back on the scene having sort of left her husband? It's all messing with her head something shocking.

Between that she's finding she's having a little bit of a drinking problem and her bank account has pretty much been emptied from months of not working. It sounds like a mess and it is until her brother recommends his friend come see her about a detective gig. Danielle's brother was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and her parents and his execution date has finally been set. But Danielle is convinced she just saw his girlfriend Sarah at a gas station - alive and well. She hires Roxanne to look into it. And that's when things get interesting.

I loved the fast pace of the mystery and Roxanne was brave and tenacious. The more crimes Roxanne uncovered the faster I flew through the pages. It was fantastic. It was well plotted and I had no idea who the criminal was. The resolution was awesome. I can't wait to read more Roxanne. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

[layawaydragon]

Content Warning: Alcoholism, Sexism, Racism, Sadist Sexual Violence, Rape, Kidnapping, Murder, Corrupt Cops, Small Town Bullshit, Rich Privilege, Old White Wangsta,

>>Love love LOVE how she's unabashadley bisexual and gets to just BE.
>>Already placed my hold on the sequel
>>Literally a gripping thrill ride. You can check my notes to see how many different ways it went and lead me on but SPOILERS and names are spelled wrong b/c AUDIO.
>>I think the cover with the white woman and black man faces is misleading. Sure, it starts with investigating the black guy on death row proclaiming innocence, but him and his fam are hardly the focus of the book. It's mostly the white woman investigating a bunch of white dudes. I'd prefer a cover with her face surrounded by different characters she investigates. And why does every cover have her hair all in her face? That was not a thing in the book.
>>I love her dysfunctional fam. I grew up with an alcoholic father and his friends, and his friend's kids and damn, did it fuck us all up in different ways. I appreciate real messy portrayals like this one.
>>Her romantic relationships with men and women are just as messy as her family, which totally fits and messy in different ways, which fits like a glove. I love it.
>>Love the lower husky voice of the narrator. Perfection!

Notes from Listening:
>>She sounds like an old school noir detective.
>>"Even if you're a hag" *eyeroll*
>>Chinese restaurant with the best whiskey
>>"I didn't roofie it">>"That's NOT funny">>dude laughs
>>Kid too tall to hang himself.
>>the innocent ones are the least helpful.
>>One of those cases, nothing makes sense.
>>"kinds of men and women I brought home"
>>Sarah's sister???
>>Dad's strict & controlling, docked allowance for "shoot", didn't allow her to put up boy pictures
>>Huh creepy dude.
>>Dog toys? Her husband?
>>Awwwww Josh Allen dinner invite is cute!! lol
>>"easy to forget the most anyone could ever be is a character in a dream she had about herself"
>>What's with Kenny?
>>Zallengar....
>>He knows her!
>>Sarah?
>>Serial killer targeting girls, wound up killing fam?
>>What's sherif's problem with Sarah Cook?
>>oooooo Dad of Coleen works for Next Level
>>Kenny is 34!?!?
>>Joshua & Shelby are great!!
>>Wait, who's Veronica's step dad?
>>Kenny's dad?
>>Ooooh Marissa
>>Clue in on Kenny's "errand"!!!
>>Oh shit Veronica!!!
>>The dad.
>>Eyebrow piercing like cuz's fiance....
>>Holy shit! Kenny in the bar!
>>"situation under control"
>>Kenny's been driving by?
>>Asshole Darrow.
>>Scary AF these cops.
>>Fucking creeps.
>>"different rules" for the rich asshole Brayfields.
>>DAmn that stuck in the cell time....
>>"Is there a woman on duty?" I want to talk to someone reasonable. LOL
>>Fucking Lassar!!! Sue his balls off!!
>>Ooooooh shit. Tom was at Pam's!
>>Oh god Tom. You just killed it. Over. Done. Never going to call you again.
>>Why didn't he go to the station? Chicken shit asshat.
>>Useless shit Kenny.
>>But his dad wouldn't develop his dumping ground...
>>Cops. Unknown number didn't call while in lockup.
>>Her fam, lol.
>>Andrew lol
>>Awww librarian love!!!!!! 3
>>Shelby looks down at Darrow. *RED FLAG ALARM BELLS DING DING* SOMETHING WRONG.
>>SHOcK the link between the girls.
>>That convo with Shelby in the car. Dear gods. Great work, but triggering and fucked up as hell the patriarchal world we live in.
>>"the world is a series of patterns on its own. The coincidence is only in the discovery of them. "
>>Swapping cars. Smart.
>>FUCKING ASSFUCKINGHOLE.
>>Gods, it's a fucking horror movie in there.
>>You can SO tell it's written by a woman with the treatment of victims
>>Holy shit.
>>CRYING OMFG!!!!
>>SONOFABITCH
>>BODY!! THERESA?!? sHIT shit
>>Fucking prosecutor.
>>fuck DArrow die *angry scriblessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss*
>>Talking?
>>Fuck him. KILL HIM.
>>Fucking hell all of them.
>>Why is a stupid question.
>>Good question about the sheriff!!
>>Brad....? Okay.
>>Don't let the fucker off the hook! Good girl!!
>>Fuck Lasseter.
>>lol Joshua.
>>AWWWWWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
>>Damn Sarah
>>Crying.
>>Lol Peaty.
>>C? Oh, Katherine
>>"How could you forget about the test pavements?" LOL
>>Good for you!!!
>>Damn kiddo.
>>"I didn't even want to know at this point."