Once you go this far by Kristen Lepionka

Synopsis:

Junior-high school nurse Rebecca Newsome was an experienced hiker, until she plummeted to her death to the bottom of a ravine in a Columbus metro park. Her daughter, Maggie, doesn't believe it was an accident, and Rebecca's ex-husband is her prime suspect. But he's a well-connected ex-cop and Maggie is certain that's the reason no one will listen to her. Roxane quickly uncovers that the dead woman's ex is definitely a jerk, but is he a murderer?

As she pieces together the days before Rebecca died, Roxane finds a series of trips to Detroit and across the border into Windsor, Canada, major withdrawals from her checking account, and more contacts with a casino manager than a middle-aged school nurse from Toledo should reasonably have.

When the investigation leads to Leila Hassan, the cunning con artist who got away in What You Want to See, Roxane is determined not to make the same mistake twice by falling for Leila's lies--except she might actually be telling the truth this time. Roxane needs to figure out the connection between Leila, a secretive church group, a women's health organization, and Rebecca's fall in the woods...before a dangerous secret gets someone else killed.

My thoughts:
This is the fourth book in the series featuring PI Roxane Weary. Fans of Kristen Lepionka will be delighted with this newest instalment.
The mystery part was tightly-plotted and well-written. Rebecca Newsome had years of experience as a hiker. Not surprisingly, her 'accidental' fall shocks  and leaves many people perplexed. Rebecca's daughter suspects her mother's death might have been due to a foul play and would like Roxane to investigate Rebecca's ex-cop/ ex-husband. As soon as Rebecca starts investigating, she discovers plenty of other people might have got a motive to wish Rebecca dead. There are endless twists and turns, but the investigation part is solid and never ventures into implausible area.
The best part about the series is characters and here Kristen Lepionka never fails to deliver. Roxane herself is a fantastic protagonist - complex, flawed, and determined. If you are thinking of starting this series, it might be a good idea to start from the beginning to get a better idea of the characters' development and Roxane's private life.
As in all previous istalments so far, the pace is great and the book never feels boring or too twisty to get your head around, I can only hope Kristen Lepionka continues adding to this excellent series of mysteries.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Minotaur Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.