Kristen Lepionka

Kristen Lepionka
Born	Columbus, Ohio, United States
Occupation	Novelist
Website
www.kristenlepionka.com

Kristen Lepionka is an American crime fiction writer known for her Roxane Weary private investigator series.

Career

She began a draft of The Last Place You Look in November 2014 and completed it in about six months. ^[1] She entered the manuscript in Pitch Wars, which gave her the opportunity to work with a mentor and eventually resulted in the book's publication. ^[2] The Last Place You Look was the first book starring private investigator Roxane Weary. The Roxane Weary books have been praised for their representation of bisexuality. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Since 2015, Lepionka has been the editor of Betty Fedora, feminist crime fiction journal. ^{[6] [2]} She co-hosts a podcast called "Unlikeable Female Characters". ^[7]

Personal life

Lepionka lives in Columbus, Ohio with her partner Joanna. Like her character, Roxane Weary, Lepionka is bisexual. ^{[7] [8]}

Books

• Roxane Weary books
  • The Last Place You Look (2017, St. Martin's/Minotaur) ^{[9] [10]}
  • What You Want to See (2018, St. Martin's/Minotaur) ^[11]
  • The Stories You Tell (2019, St. Martin's/Minotaur) ^{[12] [13]}
  • Once You Go This Far (2020, St. Martin's/Minotaur) ^{[14] [15]}

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Work	Result	Ref.
2018	Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel	The Last Place You Look	Won	[16]
	Anthony Award for Best First Novel		Finalist	[17]
	Macavity Award for Best First Mystery (Novel)		Finalist
	Bisexual Book Awards - Mystery		Nominated
2019	Shamus Award for Best P. I. Hardcover Novel	What You Want to See	Won

References

1. Brissette, Karen (2017-07-17). "A Certain Sly Intelligence". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
2. Feagler, Linda (June 2017). "Author Kristen Lepionka on the Lasting Appeal of the Detective Genre". Ohio Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
3. Copenhaver, John (2018-01-25). "Blacklight: Series Debut 'The Last Place You Look' Promises a Complex, No-Nonsense Bisexual Heroine". Lambda Literary Review. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
4. Laughlin, Anne (2020-07-31). "Bisexual Private Investigator Roxane Weary Returns in Once You Go This Far". Lambda Literary Review. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
5. Kristopher (2017-08-08). "The Last Place You Look – The BOLO Books Review". Bolo Books. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
6. Rader-Day, Lori (2017-07-27). "A Columbus, Ohio Murder Mystery". Chicago Review of Books. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
7. Emily, Lauren (2020-06-09). "Publishing Pride In A Pandemic: A Conversation With Queer Authors Leah Johnson & Kristen Lepionka". GO Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
8. Wilson, Doward (2017-09-23). "The Last Place You Look By Kristen Lepionka: Review/Giveaway/Interview". Kings River Life Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
9. Keller, Amber (2017-06-29). "Review: The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka". Criminal Element. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
10. Ellis, Danika (2020-10-11). "Shannon reviews The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka – The Lesbrary" . Retrieved 2024-09-11.
11. Antosz, Danielle (2018-05-04). "Review: What You Want to See by Kristen Lepionka". Criminal Element. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
12. Schreiner, Erin (2019-08-21). "REVIEW: "The Stories You Tell" by Kristen Lepionka". Drink. Read. Repeat. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
13. "REVIEW: The Stories You Tell". Kirkus Reviews. 2019-05-01. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
14. Copenhaver, John (2024-06-05). "13 Queer Thrillers and Mystery Novels You Should Be Reading". Electric Literature. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
15. Cogdill, Oline H. (2020-07-22). "Mystery review: P.I. faces the question, how well do you really know your parent". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
16. Norfolk, Pam (2021-01-19). "Once You Go This Far by Kristen Lepionka: Good, old-fashioned detective work with a delicious contemporary spin - book review". Lancashire Post. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
17. "The 2018 Anthony Award Winners". CrimeReads. 2018-09-10. Retrieved 2024-09-11.