This was a slow and steady burn for me, but still had me gripped from the first chapter! Well written, with interesting characters. I had a blast with this one, trying to figure out the mystery before the book was over.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I truly appreciate it!

I read The Last Place You Look and What You Want To See back to back and enjoyed both stories. Our main character Roxane is interesting and a little rough around the edges for me. She is broken, closed off and fills some of the emptiness she feels with alcohol. I am not a big fan of the hard-drinking snarky female character but Roxane is growing on me. She is softer and trying to stay sober her in What You Want To See.

Roxane has some interesting relationships here that bring something a little different to the story. I am glad to see the characters from The Last Place You Look here in this story. The mystery here didn't hold my attention however, I love the dynamics between Roxane and the characters in her personal life.

Great, multi-faceted characters. Very interesting plot. Suspenseful and engaging. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last.

Book two of the highly popular Roxane Weary series.
Roxane is a private investigator who despite her own hard-fought successes, still lives in the shadows of her father’s legacy.

Arthur is her latest client. He’s employed Roxane to follow his fiancée Marin. He’s got a gut feeling Marin is hiding something from him and intends to find out what it is...or even worse, who it is that’s occupying her time and mind!

Uh-Oh! Marin has just been discovered dead and Arthur now finds himself on the top of potential suspects list.

What started off as a very promising follow up, quickly splintered off in so many directions I couldn’t keep up. I had such a hard time keeping all the characters straight...there were just too many!

I love Roxane’s character and reading anything that involved her personal life. She alone saved this read for me.

If you’re a fan of the series or just of Roxanne Weary, I hope you enjoy!

A buddy read with Susanne!🌸

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Kristen Lepionka for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review

Minotaur Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of What You Want To See. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Private investigator Roxane Weary thought she was being handed a mundane case regarding a possible cheating spouse. When the check from her client bounced, Roxane immediately stopped following the woman in question. After the police show up at her door, however, will Roxane be able to stop herself from becoming involved in the investigation? Once it becomes increasingly apparent that something far more intricate and sinister is in play, will Roxane's obsession place herself and her family in danger?

I am a big fan of police procedural thrillers that involve a snapshot of a real investigative process and What You Want To See hits the marks on many fronts. I do wish that the author would focus more on Roxane's stellar set of skills and less on her personal life, as the mystery aspects were more interesting to me. The back and forth in Roxane's relationship status has become tiresome, and it has only been two novels. If the next book is more about the casework and less about Roxane's love life, I will be excited to read it. Readers who like police procedural thrillers will probably find What You Want To See to their liking.

3 Stars.

Roxane Weary has been hired to solve another case. This time it’s to follow a woman whose fiancé believes the love of his life, Marin Strasser, is cheating on him and he just has to know the truth. After a few days of finding nothing to corroborate her client’s claims - Rox discovers that his check bounces, so she quits the case and that’s when it happens: Marin Strasser is found dead and her client of course, is the main suspect. Then, Roxane feels compelled to prove his innocence, until he gets shot and wind up in the hospital.

Thereafter this case takes some crazy twists and turns that spin around and around, none of which you would expect and caused my eyes to roll, more than once. Frankly, in my opinion, Rox’s detective work throughout appeared to be sheer luck and nothing else.

In “What You Want to See,” Roxane’s personal life is highlighted. She is caught between Tom, a really great guy and Catherine, who is all wrong for her! Unfortunately, I felt as though the author, Kristen Lepionka, was trying to push the readers towards Catherine and though I should be all for it, I’m just not. Sorry guys, but Tom is just awesome, so pick him Rox!!

If you like books about female detectives, you might like this series.

I read this with Kaceey. Thank for keeping me company during this one! :)

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Kristen Lepionka for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 7.8.18.

No sophomore slump here! Roxanne Weary, introduced in the engrossing Last Place You Look, remains flawed and complex in this latest book.

Early on, she's questioned by Columbus PD about a previous client, Arthur, whose wife was murdered. She had been tailing the wife on suspicion of cheating, but did not find any evidence to prove it. Her compassion for Arthur leads her into investigating despite being repeatedly warned-off by the cops.

Still reeling from the death of her father, the events of the first book and the latest betrayal of her ex-lover, Catherine, she drinks way too much, but is able to help a teenage girl who played an important role in the first book. While not mandatory, I would recommend reading it for full enjoyment of this book.

Roxanne is a fully realized character in her search for justice. And someone you will want to know.

HIGHLY recommended!

WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE: A Roxane Weary Novel (PI-Roxane Weary-Ohio-Contemp) - VG
Lepionka, Kristen – 2nd in series
Minotaur Books – May 2018
First Sentence: Urban renewal was in the air on Bryden Road.
Who is Marin Strasser? PI Roxane Weary job is to find the answer to that question. Her client, who hired her suspecting his wife, Marin, was having an affair, is charged with murder after Marin was seen arguing with a man that resulted in her being shot. Roxane doesn't believe her client is guilty. The more she digs into Marin's background, the more she finds Marin was not who she appeared to be.
What a great opening which establishes the author's very matter-of-fact voice and a strong sense of place. Her imagery is equally strong—"Surveillance work was nothing but an odd, shaded view into someone's life, like watching television with the sound off." Lepionka's wry humor is nicely done—"…my mother, Geneviere, was saying while she poked at something in the oven. I stood at the counter with a cutting board and a jumbo Vidalia in front of me, because she was an eternal optimist and still thought I'd learned how to chop an onion properly at some point in my life."
The nice thing about Roxane's family is its normalcy. Some members get on better than others. There are squabbles and insecurities, support and love. Her family even extends to her friend, and former lover, Tom, about whose new girlfriend Roxane is conflicted—"She was girlfriend material, but she wasn't a partner. …She wasn't bone-deep loyal. She wasn't ride-or-die. Or maybe I just didn't want to like her after all." Although Roxane is independent, smart, and capable, she is also vulnerable which makes her even more human. A question provides a revealing statement about her—"Do you like being a detective?" …It almost didn't matter if I liked it, because it was the only thing I could do. I needed to do it, whether I wanted to or not."—and the self-justification of one who drinks too much—"I liked whiskey. … I didn't have a problem with drinking, I told myself, but with everything else. I had an unhappiness problem."
What an interesting trail the plot leads us down. It has a strong sense of reality in that, although there is a mystery, it's also about relationships which have highs and lows, which work and don't work. Lepionka is very good at shifting gears in the level of intensity and it's very effective. The story builds on itself, layer-upon-layer, even though there is a questionable procedural detail of having the police cross jurisdictions without notifying the other department, but that's a very small point.
"What You Want to See" is very well done with complex characters, and dramatic climax followed by an unexpected twist.

I have loved detective stories and mysteries since I was a kid reading Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes, and Kristen Lepionka more than delivers both with her main protagonist Roxane Weary, private eye, and the complicated, intriguing cases she solves. When I read Lepionka's The Last Place You Look last summer and was first introduced to Roxane, I knew that I was going to love her, flaws and all...and she has many like most of us! What I didn't expect was that I would love What You Want To See even more than the first book since so many sophomore entries into any crime procedural can fall flat and lose their shiny appeal. Not this time! Oh no, I loved What You Want to See so much!!

In book two, Lepionka has crafted an extremely well-written detective novel that has an outstanding plot, and the case Roxane solves is suspenseful, intriguing, dangerous, and will keep you guessing right up till the end! If you read the first book, then you know that Roxane has a tendency to investigate cases even after she's been told to stay out of the way and let the police do their job. In this book, it is even after Tom, her former lover and her dad’s ex-partner, tells her to stay off the case and out of the way! But...she is Roxy and super inquisitive (nosey!) by nature, so she continues to dig into the case she was hired for by Arthur Ungless, especially after his fiancee, Marin turns up dead and he becomes the prime suspect for her murder!

Actually, I’m not going to say much more about the plot except that this book begins almost immediately after book one ends (and I highly recommend you read them in order, so you know exactly what is going on with several characters!), and that it is riveting! The main reason that I’m not going to write much more about the plot is that the synopsis of the book is so detailed and pretty much tells what the book is about! And I really want you to read these books (both)!! You’ll fall in love with Roxane as much as I am if you do...promise!

And that really brings me to what I love most about this series and especially this book: in this second book, the characterization is just superb and if you know me from reading my other reviews, characters, their development, and their overall characterizations are my weakness in any novel. If I can’t connect with the characters in an emotional way, then I’m not going to enjoy the plot as much as I normally would no matter how marvelous it might be! Roxane is one of the most interesting female characters that I’ve encountered in a long time because she is so raw, sarcastic, honest, complex, smart, vulnerable, so real, and I could just go on!

In case you aren’t familiar with the books, Roxane is bisexual, and I love how that brings much-needed diversity to this genre but doesn’t define Roxane nor does the novel revolve around her sexuality. She is really a fantastic, strong female lead character that I wholeheartedly love!

Besides the character of Roxane, Lepionka really developed the secondary characters as well, and I was glad to see this since you never know in a book series who will reappear! Roxane's relationship with teenage Shelby from book one was a relationship that I loved since it showed a completely different side of her as she stepped into the role of “aunt” to the younger girl. There was more in book two of Roxane’s relationship with Cat, and this completely knocked me off my feet since after book one, I was not Cat's biggest fan. It also had less of a romantic relationship with Tom, yet the love triangle remains and although love triangle tropes can be overdone and trite, it isn’t in this case because Lepionka knows what she is doing...I'm amazed at what a fantastic writer she is! I anxiously look forward to where Roxane’s love life heads in book three.

Okay, so I'm done gushing about Roxane and Lepionka's amazing plot, characterizations, oh and the story has impeccable pacing too! I loved this book...I know I said that already, but I can't find anything but good things to say about Lepionka's newest novel! You'll love the clever, suspenseful mystery and the characters are fantastic. I can't wait for book three, and I highly recommend you What You Want to See!! 4.5 Stars

**Thank you, NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Kristen Lepionka for an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

When your debut novel is as universally enjoyed and critically acclaimed as Kristen Lepionka’s The Last Place You Look was, the pressure for the follow-up can be over-whelming. None of that fear makes it to the pages of What You Want To See. This second novel in the Roxane Weary series has all the hallmarks that made the debut so popular, but also pushes things forward at just the right speed and in just the right way.

What You Want To See finds Roxane Weary taking on a new case for a client named Arthur Ungless. At first his fiancé is simply missing, but by page two, Roxane has discovered that Marin Strasser is dead. As happens in these PI novels, the unexplained death is the least strange thing about Marin’s history. Roxane would love to just move on to the next case, but her loyalty and the need for a paycheck won’t allow that.

Roxane’s investigation takes her from one lead to the next until eventually she bumps against another active police inquiry. Needless to say, Roxane needs the support of her on-again off-again ex-lover Tom to help smooth things over with the other police officials. Roxane’s attitude, skills, and recklessness have made her persona non grata around most professionals, but she is hardly one to let such small things get in the way of success. Her constant personal struggle with a drinking habit, on the other hand, might be more of a challenge.

The case uncovers a multitude of criminal activities: everything from real estate fraud to counterfeit documents. All of this fits together in convoluted ways that only Roxane Weary can determine. But at what cost?

Many reader favorites from the first novel return here to varying degrees: Shelby and her father, Roxane’s brother Andrew, and of course, both Tom and Catherine. Roxane’s romantic shenanigans have become no less complicated and that goes a long way towards making this series feel so fresh and vital. By the end, a bit of a choice has been made – but only to an extent – and readers will certainly get the sense that Roxane may not yet be ready to abandon her wild ways – nor should she be. Seeing a woman so in control of her fluid sexuality is rare and will resonate as empowering for those that are able to avoid judgment.

Along with the truly unique Roxane Weary, it is also the writing that helps Kristen Lepionka rise above the masses in PI literature. Lepionka brings her characters and the setting of Ohio to life with vivid descriptions and precise word-choice. Her writing is straight-forward yet never boring. She expertly navigates chapter length in a way that keeps the investigation moving ever forward while also allowing for brief pauses to foster deeper character development – all in a naturalistic and authentic way.

Roxane Weary – and her creator Kristen Lepionka – will be part of the crime fiction family for years to come. This is an award-worthy series that has legs. Readers are encouraged to make Roxane’s acquaintance now as there is simply no telling what the future holds for the one-of-a-kind heroine.

Second in the Roxane Weary series, the first of which I have not had the pleasure of reading, I was curious at to how 'lost' I might feel in the current plot....how much pulling from the past. The book stands solidly on its own, explaining just enough of the previous plot-line to make sense of the history behind relationships without giving too much away. Roxane, a private detective, is struggling with a drinking habit, sorting out recent past relationships with Charlotte and Tom, a complicated family, and her police officer father's recent murder. And this doesn't even come close to what she has to face when she is hired by Arthur Ungless, small print shop owner, to determine if his fiance, Marin Strasser, is cheating on him. Pretty routine in her line of work, until Arthur's retainer check bounces, his fiance is murdered and the real mysteries begin. What follows requires the patience of a saint and the tenacity of a bulldog as Arthur, the strongest suspect in Marin's death, continues to deny involvement and Marin's shady past is revealed. Connections to a mafia-like family, elaborately planned estate takeovers, forgery and murder piles up around Roxane who continues to wade through to the truth. A very pleasant surprise is the ease with which Roxane's sexuality is included and accepted by other characters....just where we should be in the 21st century!

Roxane Weary, be still my heart! This is even better than the first book, laugh out loud funny & a fabulous mystery.

Thanks to Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Normally when I find out I'm starting part way into a series I get a little bummed. You never know if it's a series where all the books are connected or it they're different crimes to be solved with the same detective/private eye. Roxane Weary is a Private Investigator and she is everything you want in a strong female lead!

I'll try to be a little more brief in my description of the book - the synopsis definitely gives away a lot more than it should for a thriller/crime fiction novel! Marin Strasser's fiancee thinks she is having an affair, so he hires PI Roxane Weary to find the evidence he needs. A couple days later, Marin is found dead in an apparent mugging gone bad. The police begin to focus their attention on the fiancee when things don't add up.

As Roxy continues to look into Marin's past, she discovers all kinds of secrets that she's been keeping hidden away. Along the way, she uncovers conspiracies, scams, and other suspicious events. She quickly finds herself ensnared in this web and Roxy must decide what to do with the stakes rising.

Roxy is everything you want in a female lead - she's flawed and troubled, but she works hard and does all that she can to get the job done. One thing I wasn't aware of from book one is that Roxy is actually bisexual. So a love triangle that continued over from LAST PLACE YOU LOOK was there and elaborated on by diving into the characters more. This is an element you don't typically see of a main character in the thriller genre, so this was a refreshing change of pace.

Overall, if you're looking for a fast pace crime fiction read, then you'll definitely want to pick up the Roxane Weary series! I can't wait to see where Lepionka takes us next in the Roxy saga.

I give this 4.5/5 stars - rounded up for rating

4. 5 stars!

tw: sexism, mentions of child abuse, slurs against those with mental illness, alcoholism, mentioned drug use

I missed my favorite bisexual private investigator, Roxane, even though it's only been a couple of weeks, if that. But how could I not miss Roxane with all her smarty assery and wisdom? Not to mention, it's so amazing that a female MC is bisexual especially in crime thrillers. I mean, how often do you see that? Not very often, that's how often!

I really am starting to love crime thriller books and it's because of Roxane (and Tracy Crosswhite from the Tracy Crosswhite series). She is far from perfect, sure, but I don't expect my heroines to be perfect. She has a bit of drinking problem, never listens when she should and can be angry and rude for no reason. But that is why I love her. She knows who she is and doesn't change for anybody. She works on the changes for herself.

The plot was far more interesting then the first book. Although the synopsis gives away a huge amount so it's just best to go in blind. Just don't bother with it all because the book has so many twists and turns. My head was spinning and I loved every minute of it.

I also liked that this book had more of Roxane's personal life but it, in no way, took away from the main story. Cat was a major figure in this book. If you recall, she was the ex in the first book. I didn't like Cat in the first book. I thought she was horrible for Roxane and I thought she was selfish. However, she had a bit of a redemption arc and you all know I am here for character arcs. By the end, I found myself rooting for them. Something I definitely didn't see coming.

I had to deduct half a star because Roxane can get a little wordy and repeat a lot of what she says while trying to figure out the mystery. It's not super bothersome but my eyes did glaz over huge paragraphs once or twice. Her way of solving a mystery was going over every detail over and over to see if she missed something. That is fine, don't get me wrong, but it's a bit difficult to read and my eyes were begging for paragraph breaks.

Overall, this book was fantastic! I early await 2019 when I can get my hands on the third book. I think this is a series that everyone needs to stop sleeping on. It may be a thriller but it has a lot more to offer than just that. I really highly recommend this series.

Troubled investigator Roxane Weary is hired by Arthur to track his fiance Marin , whom he believes is cheating on him . Marin is found dead ! Lots of secrets ! This book was brilliantly written with fabulous rich characters !! A great read ! Thanks to St. Martin's Press , Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review ! #Netgalley #St.Martin'sPress #WhatYouWantToSee

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


Roxane is back, she had been tailing Marin to see if she was being unfaithful until the client's check bounced. Now however, Tom and another Detective have shown up at her door and are asking her questions about Marin. It seems that someone shot her, and they think it was Arthur her client.


Roxane heads back to Arthur's to see what he has to say, but he seems more confused than ever. Although he did find out that Marin was stealing money from him. Roxane begins to dig deeper into Marin and soon the rabbit hole is out of control.


Will Roxane be able to find and stop the killer before her family pays the price? Will she unravel all the strands fast enough?


Usually I would say quite a bit more about the story but this had so many strands that I didn't want to reveal one of them and give things away. This was another brilliant Roxane story. What I love most about this was it so realistic to a degree. All the tangled webs of people not being exactly who we think they are.


It allows to realize that we don't always know the people we think we know, and that we don't always know what they are capable of. I read this in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. I also love that you don't necessarily need to read the first one, although I highly recommend you start there to read and understand this one. I can't wait to see what Roxane does next!!!

Roxane Weary is hired by Arthur Ungless, owner of a print shop, to track his fiance, Marin, whom he believes is cheating on him. But her case devolves quickly, between a bounced check and Tom (Roxane's dad's former partner) and a rude cop named Sanko showing up on Roxane's doorstep with the news that Marin is dead. Not only that, they make it pretty clear that they want Roxane to stay out of it. But this is "pathologically nosy" Roxane we are talking about. Stay out of it she cannot. So Roxane continues to work Arthur's case--as the husband, he's the main suspect after all. Roxane is determined he's innocent: a perspective not shared by Tom and Sanko. As she digs deeper into Marin's life, she discovers that she led quite the double life, and Roxane finds herself lost in a world of antiques dealing, wealthy families, and a lot of danger.

I loved this book. I love the first person aspect. The Roxane Weary series is straight-up great mystery writing. No unreliable narrator, no chapters that alternate POV or time periods, no gimmicks--just an excellent protagonist and a strong plot. It makes you long for mysteries of old (think Kinsey Millhone). The ways I love Roxane cannot truly be enumerated--she's a female lead in a mystery series, for one. She's smart, witty, and sarcastic. She's bisexual, but this characteristic is just who she is, not her main defining element or the entire defining point of the novel. As a bisexual female, I cannot stress how amazing this is in literature. To have bisexual representation (and have that representation be intelligent, funny, and not portrayed as evil and deviant), well, it's wonderful. She has relationships of all kinds and works on figuring out herself, just like any other person. Gasp! Imagine that. I couldn't love Roxane more (or Kristen Lepionka for creating this character). Also, Roxane calls waffles "golden beauty" and well, what more do you need in your PI? She's the Leslie Knope of private investigators.

I was worried that the second Roxane Weary novel wouldn't stand up to the first, but I was anxious for no reason. The second book is just as wonderful and intricately crafted as the first, and we get to see Roxane both struggling and growing professionally and personally. The case is a great one--it had me frantically reading and totally shocked me at the end, which I love. So rarely can a detective novel keep me guessing to the anymore. Marin Strasser is quite the character, and her web of lies pulls in a whole host of supporting characters.

We also see Roxane navigating new territory with Tom, her former lover (and, as mentioned, her dad's ex-partner), and get appearances again from the appealing Weary brothers and Roxane's mom. Roxane is still working on her relationships--not just romantic ones, but life ones, and you'll be touched as she figures out trying to be a "surrogate aunt" to Shelby, who appeared in book one. Watching her let her guard down at times is enjoyable.

The case is still mainly the star, though, and it won't disappoint. It's complicated and intriguing and everything comes together in ways that will make you gasp and keep you riveted. I was definitely shocked several times while reading. Not to mention I love it when an author can write a character that I truly hate--you know they've done a good job when you can feel that anger viscerally through the pages!

Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this book. Maybe that it's over, and I have to wait now for a (hopeful!!) book three? I love Roxane. I feel kinship toward her for sure, this sarcastic, bisexual PI whose still navigating the world around her. The mystery in this book won't disappoint, nor will the characters. If you haven't read the first Roxane Weary novel, I do recommend reading it first (mostly because it's also so good - my review here ), but this will stand on its own. Highly recommend - 4.5+ stars.

I read this without reading the book that comes before it, but was still able to follow the story. I do recommend that you read the first book before this one to have some background information going into it. I went back and read that one and have to say the writing was top notch for both books. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

The second book featuring self-destructive and rough around the edges PI Roxane Weary solidifies her place as one of my current favorite private detectives. Despite her exterior attitude of carelessness and disinterest, she once again dives deeper and further into danger to make her case in What You Want to See. There are a lot of characters and complications in this story in both Roxane's personal and professional life (which once again become very closely tied together). As a person who reads a really large quantity of mysteries and thrillers, I think one of the things that keeps me reading is that I can continue to be surprised by what the writers in this genre are able to say about the depravity and darkness that exists within people, and the impossibility of always being able to know how low someone might be brought. This was fast paced, though it allowed space for Roxane as a character and her relationships to develop. I definitely want more from this series.

What You Want To See is the second Roxane Weary mystery by Kristen Lepionka. I read the first book in the series and really enjoyed it. What You Want to See is also an excellent read. You don't need to have read the first book to enjoy the second.

What You Want to See features many of the same characters from The Last Place You Look. I like continuity. Her family..her mom and her brothers are back, as is best friend Tom as well as some others from the earlier book.

Marin Strasser, the victim in What You Want To See, was a fascinating woman. It is interesting to see Roxane unravel Marin's complicated entanglements on her way to the truth.

I really enjoyed this well written mystery. I am looking forward to the next book in the series already. Highly recommend What You Want to See.