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Jess Lourey’s Followers (4,541)

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Kelly

4,526 books | 51 friends

Elaine

4,165 books | 88 friends

Betty

4,098 books | 465 friends

Leslie

844 books | 58 friends

Jaime

354 books | 68 friends

Jen Safrey

1,899 books | 361 friends

Jasmine | PagesandPawsWithJasmine

1,556 books | 116 friends

Tabatha Graves

698 books | 20 friends

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Jess Lourey

Goodreads Author

Born

in Tacoma, WA, The United States

Website

http://jessicalourey.com/

Genre

Mystery & Thrillers, Young Adult, Horror

Member Since

August 2016

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jesslourey

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My name is Jess Lourey, and I write about secrets.

The story of my first published novel is both devastating and transformative, something I speak about in my TEDx Talk (https://youtu.be/a5vSLh3oPXI). I've come a long way since then. I'm proud to call myself a bestselling, twice Edgar-nominated, and twice Goodreads Readers Choice Awards shortlisted author who has won the ITW Thriller, Minnesota Book, and Anthony Awards. I write crime fiction, young adult, nonfiction, children's books, and book club fiction.

I've reached over a million readers since 2020. I'm also a former writing and sociology professor who still loves to teach transformative creative writing workshops built around my Rewrite Your Life method.

I live in Minneapolis with a rot ...more

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Combine Editions
Jess Lourey’s books

Average rating: 3.95 · 368,836 ratings · 25,100 reviews · 47 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Quarry Girls 4.01 avg rating — 129,100 ratings — published 2022 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Unspeakable Things 3.78 avg rating — 91,400 ratings — published 2020 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Taken Ones (Steinbeck and Reed, #1) 4.20 avg rating — 32,511 ratings — published 2023 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bloodline 3.88 avg rating — 33,194 ratings — published 2021 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Reaping (Steinbeck and Reed, #2) 4.08 avg rating — 14,056 ratings — published 2024 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Litani 3.96 avg rating — 9,912 ratings — published 2021 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	May Day (Murder by Month Romcom Mystery, #1) by Jess Lourey (Goodreads Author) 3.54 avg rating — 8,790 ratings — published 2006 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Laughing Dead (Steinbeck and Reed, #3) 4.38 avg rating — 6,968 ratings — published 2025	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Catch Her in a Lie (Steinbeck and Reed, #0.5) 3.70 avg rating — 6,827 ratings — published 2022 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	June Bug (Murder by Month, #2) by Jess Lourey (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 4,061 ratings — published 2007	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Jess Lourey…

46 posts
Jess Lourey's Blog

Beyond Our Wildest Dreams

Kristi Belcamino and I organized last Saturday's Authors for Minnesota Day with two goals: celebrate Minnesota's incredible independent bookstores and raise funds to protect our most vulnerable neighbors.

The response blew us away.

Twenty-six bookstores across the state saw record turnout, with readers hopping between locations, discovering new favorites, and meeting nearly 60 generous authors who

Series by Jess Lourey

Murder by Month Mystery (13 books)
by

Jess Lourey (Goodreads Author)

3.89 avg rating — 38,860 ratings

A Salem's Cipher Mystery (2 books)
by

Jess Lourey (Goodreads Author)

4.03 avg rating — 4,575 ratings

The Catalain Book of Secrets (1 book)
by

Jess Lourey (Goodreads Author),

Tony Van Den Einde (Illustrator)

3.90 avg rating — 773 ratings

The Toadhouse Trilogy (1 book)
by

Jess Lourey (Goodreads Author)

3.83 avg rating — 90 ratings

Kellye Garrett’s crime fiction novels have been featured on The Today Show, won numerous awards, and named to Time magazine’s 100 Best...

Jess is Currently Reading

Jess Lourey is currently reading

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

by Grady Hendrix (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Sep 25, 2025 03:46PM

Jess Lourey is currently reading

The Guilty Dead (Monkeewrench, #9)

by P.J. Tracy (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 25, 2022 06:42PM

Jess Lourey is currently reading

The Apprentice (Rizzoli & Isles, #2)

by Tess Gerritsen (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 22, 2022 09:47AM

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Jess’s Recent Updates

Jess Lourey wrote a new blog post Beyond Our Wildest Dreams Kristi Belcamino and I organized last Saturday's Authors for Minnesota Day with two goals: celebrate Minnesota's incredible independent bookstores and Read more of this blog post »
Mar 03, 2026 05:54AM · 2 likes · like
Jess Lourey answered Craig's question: This question contains spoilers… (view spoiler) Thank you! I love Van and Harry and have an idea for a book four, but I need to finish some other projects first. 😊
Jan 24, 2026 05:42AM · 3 likes · like
Jess Lourey is currently reading Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Horror	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 25, 2025 03:46PM · 11 likes · like
Jess Lourey has read The Laughing Dead (Steinbeck and Reed, #3) by Jess Lourey (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 04, 2025 05:56PM · 28 likes · like
Jess Lourey rated a book it was amazing The Last One (Vallendor, #1) by Rachel Howzell Hall (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 03, 2024 10:12AM · 18 likes · like
Jess Lourey rated a book it was amazing The Last One (Vallendor, #1) by Rachel Howzell Hall (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 27, 2024 02:03PM · 18 likes · like
Jess Lourey made a comment on Make Gloup " Right?? 😊 "
Apr 04, 2024 08:39PM · see blog post

More of Jess's books…

Quotes by Jess Lourey (?)

“And once I opened up all that real estate where before I’d been holding anger and regret, I found a lot of things were simpler than I’d made them.”
― Jess Lourey, January Thaw

12 likes

“You’ll recognize those men, the ones inclined to their dark side, because they’ll expect you to carry their load. They’ll smother your anger with their pain, they’ll make you doubt yourself, and they’ll tell you they love you the whole time. Some do it big, like Ed, but most do it in quiet steps, like your father.”
― Jess Lourey, The Quarry Girls

11 likes

“The law might not recognize it, but fifteen’s a girl and sixteen a woman, and you get no map from one land to the next. They air-drop you in, booting a bag of Kissing Potion lip gloss and off-the-shoulder blouses after you. As you’re plummeting, trying to release your parachute and grab for that bag at the same time, they holler out you’re pretty, like they’re giving you some sort of gift, some vital key, but really, it’s meant to distract you from yanking your cord. Girls who land broken are easy prey.”
― Jess Lourey, The Quarry Girls

8 likes

See all Jess Lourey's quotes »

Polls

Vote for our May/June Deadly Author of the Month!

Kendra Elliot

6 votes, 18.8%

Elizabeth Goddard

4 votes, 12.5%

Ann Cleeves

3 votes, 9.4%

Mary Jane Clark

2 votes, 6.3%

Sharon Sala

2 votes, 6.3%

Kerry Greenwood

2 votes, 6.3%

Jess Lourey

2 votes, 6.3%

Rita Herron

2 votes, 6.3%

Susan Stoker

1 vote, 3.1%

Freya Barker

1 vote, 3.1%

Iris Johansen

1 vote, 3.1%

John Hart

1 vote, 3.1%

J.D. Barker

1 vote, 3.1%

Linda Fairstein

1 vote, 3.1%

Mike Omer

1 vote, 3.1%

Kay Hooper

1 vote, 3.1%

Melinda Leigh

1 vote, 3.1%

Karen Robards

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Anna Snoekstra

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April Wilson

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Jamie Lee Scott

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Joy Fielding

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Anne Frasier

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Diana Xarissa

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Jon Land

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Nancy Bush

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Jefferson Bass

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Reily Garrett

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32 total votes

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