Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this eARC.

In the realm of psychological thrillers, Jess Lourey's "The Taken Ones" is the first in the Steinbeck and Reed series, and it weaves a complex tapestry of mystery and suspense that spans decades.

The story begins in the summer of 1980, when a trio of girls venture into a Minnesota forest, only for one to emerge, her memory wiped clean and her friends nowhere to be found. Fast forward to 2022, and we meet cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck, who are thrust into a harrowing investigation after a woman is found buried alive, clutching a necklace linked to one of the missing girls from the past.

Lourey masterfully crafts a narrative that is as much about the characters' personal journeys as it is about the central mystery. Van Reed, with her troubled past and unorthodox methods, is a protagonist who commands attention, her depth and complexity adding layers to the unfolding drama. Harry Steinbeck, with his reliance on hard evidence, serves as the perfect counterbalance, grounding the story in a reality that is both stark and compelling.

The novel's pacing is relentless, with Lourey's prose driving the story forward at a breakneck speed that never sacrifices depth for thrills. The plot twists are cleverly executed, ensuring that readers are kept guessing until the very end. The backdrop of the Minnesota woods adds an atmospheric quality to the tale, its shadows harboring secrets that are as dark as they are intriguing.

"The Taken Ones" is a deep dive into the human psyche, exploring themes of memory, trauma, and the lengths we go to in order to uncover the truth. It's a story that stays with you, haunting in its intensity and brilliant in its execution.

In conclusion, Jess Lourey's "The Taken Ones" is a standout addition to the thriller genre, promising a series that is sure to captivate and enthrall. With its rich character development, intricate plot, and evocative setting, this novel is a must-read.

My first Jess Loury read and I am thoroughly impressed. I get the Bookstagram Craze! Loved her writing style, and can appreciate the fact the story didn't lag, and I was able to stay involved in the plot.

Reed and Steinbeck are an unusual pair and make for a powerful investigative team. This book takes us through a troubling mystery with several equally disturbing side and back stories to help deprive us of peaceful sleep for some time. There were some deeply touching moments of connection between characters which were incredibly sensitively and thoughtfully depicted by the author, aided by her knack for creating a context so clear you feel as though you are standing in the thick of it. Another amazing read from this talented author.

Jess Lourey is the champion of atmospheric and dark Minnesota mysteries at the moment, and this one was really well done. Tense, dramatic, and with great characters with interesting backstory. Can't wait for more.

Love Jess Lourey and her thrillers! This one was full of suspense, thrills, and will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Check it out if you love thrillers with a side of mixed media!

Three girls go into the woods and only one comes back, shaken up, and standing in a traumatized stance in a ladies yard. Forty-two years later Van, a cold case detective, and Harry, a forensic scientist, are called to the case of a woman buried alive found with a necklace that belonged to one of those taken ones. Through solid character building, a good atmospheric setting, and an intriguing plot, the author takes the reader on a all around good detective mystery thriller. It is worth the read and has me wanting to read the author's backlist. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy for a honest review.

Thank you Netgalley , Thomas Mercer Publications and author Jess Lourey for the ARC.

In 1980 Three girls who had plans to enjoy hot Minnesota summer by swimming in the creak end up with two of them missing and the one rendered mute with shock , unable to recall what happened and ends up being famously tagged as Taken Ones Case. In current timeline the cops stumble onto a crime scene where a woman is buried alive and a chain from the missing girl is found next to this deceased woman ! Detectives Van Reed & Harry Steinbeck are on the case and soon figure out the past & present are connected. Will they be able to figure it all out before it becomes too late ?

I love reading Jess Lourey’s books, this is the first detective based / procedural thriller I am reading from her. Chapter narrated from the key characters of the story including the killers it’s fast paced with tons of twists and reveals that keep the reader turning pages. There is lot of back story on the detectives especially on Van Reed that play integral role to the storyline.

If you’ve read this author’s work before you know she tends to develop her character and inject a lot of emotions into them including the victims which as a reader makes me feel invested in the outcome, she does it here too and I love that about her.

There is also a paranormal aspect to the plot which although I understood was there to kind of explain some twists and turns but personally I did not enjoy it much as I was expecting straightforward action / cop / sleuthing kind of story. Nevertheless it remains interesting.
The author even leaves a sort of cliffhanger at the very end of the book , indicating she could possibly be writing a sequel or book #2 with the lead characters.

Overall this is a 3.5/5 🌟 read for me.

This one was a bit meh for me. I'm not sure if it will make more sense after I read the sequel but I didn't love it and I'm usually a fan of Lourey. I can pinpoint what exactly I didn't like, but it felt scattered and between genres and just didn't land. I plan to read the sequel, so I'll update this review if anything changes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Jess Lourey for ARC.

The Taken Ones was...fine. While I didn't dislike the story or the writing by any means, it just ticked the "fine" box for me. The story was paced very well and the villain was creepy as hell. However, of the two Lourey books I've read it's solidly in second place.

The Taken Ones is a typical police procedural, with an added bit of mystery with the FMC's psychic visions. The other Lourey book I read, The Quarry Girls, was so grounded in realism that the psychic nature of Van's visions took me out of the story whenever they happened. I consistently had a "Huh, that was definitely a choice," thought each time.

Knowing that this is a part of a series made the cliffhanger at the end expected, though still irritating.

This book had some of my fave things in it: a crazy murder and disappearance and a culty backstory. I love our FMC, Van and her very unique ability. She was such a badass and didn’t take anybody’s crap. I loved her relationship with her team and with Harry, the quirky forensic scientist. You could tell she was respected and just a damn good cop. Harry was so cute and interesting. He just seemed like an all around good guy. The murder in this book was wild and I was constantly guessing the murderer wrong. The disappearance and cold case is also crazy to hear about and how it intertwined with the current case is 🤯 🤯 This book had me racing to the end to see what the heck was going on. And the freaking epilogue….i cannot wait for book 2

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

I loved the descriptive setting & characters, along with the intriguing mystery! I’m excited that this is the first in the series, and can’t wait to see where the detectives go next. This is as a great thriller!

This book was just “meh” for me. I felt like I was reading it because I had to finish it instead of reading it because I wanted to finish it. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was.

I loved the first book I read by Jess Lourey so I couldn’t wait to read her newest release! I really enjoy the way this book is about a Cold Case and has several other factors going on at the same time to keep you wondering if they’ll ever come together for a final ending or if all these strange stories and past events are just coincidence as they happen to people so close together. I really loved the FMC in this book, she was a powerful MC and stood her ground. I enjoyed learning about her past and how that made her who she was today, and aided in helping her solve this very old cold case. There’s also a little mind blowing story about dreams and visions that really threw me for a loop, but it was kind of cool to see how it played out in the end. This story is action packed and I can’t wait to read more by Jess Lourey, highly recommend if you’re a lover of Mystery and True Crime because her books feel like you’re reading on an actual cold case!

This book was completely a Jess Lourey book filled with suspense and thrill! I enjoyed every part of the book and it kept me guessing for more. I really enjoyed all the suspense in the book and loved that you never knew what was coming.

I read this so fast and it solidified Jess Lourey as a solid thriller author for me. She needs more hype! You know those thrillers that cause you to be annoyed you have to be a responsible adult and do things like put a book down to sleep so you can function and take care of your kids the next day? This is one of those. I just kept wanting to turn the page and turn the page, etc etc. because I was HOOKED until the very last page. That being said, it didn't feel exceptionally unique in it's plot which is why it is a 4 start and not a 5 for me. Regardless it was plenty captivating enough and I'm assuming this is going to be part of a series and absolutely plan on reading the next.

Huge fan of Jess Lourey, she creates a world that I feel is real.

Maybe it’s because this is a part of a series, but I didn’t feel as connected to this story as I usually am to Jess Lourey’s books. The characters were great and the story kept me interested and invested, however I was in a hurry to finish it. It felt like it went back and forth and a lot was happening but it was almost predictable.

I’d still recommend this read because Jess creates storylines and characters that you feel you’d be watching or reading about in the newspaper. I love her style.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A true crime mystery that reads like a popcorn thriller. Was I here for it? Absolutely.

It’s creepy, mysterious, heart wrenching (check trigger warnings), and strong female leads. I was trying to put the puzzle together but ultimately didn’t figure it all out! A quick read. Past and present.

Good writing, good storyline - kept my interest and kept me guessing. Loved the ending! I have never heard of this author until this one, and once I did, I realized my friends had recommended and loved her writing. Will definitely be checking out more.

This book was really good. I enjoyed reading this book. It is a typical series start up through. There is a lot of back story and a lot of details. I enjoyed reading about them, but I don't enjoy the romance in the background. I felt like it distracted me from the story. This was a well written book, but just didn't fit me personally.