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.

I’m officially a Jess Lourey fan. I loved her last book I read, and loved this one as well. She knows how to write a compelling psychological thriller that’s for sure

I really enjoyed this book, and am excited it’s a series! I love Jess Lourey’s writing! The somewhat psychic abilities were interesting to the story, and the same for both main characters backstory’s. I can’t wait to learn more about them, and hopefully new cases in upcoming books!

Where has this author been for my life?! This was gooooood! I loved this book and I am glad its a new series because I love these characters. This was well written, gripping, twisty and more!

This book was very good. I read it very quickly since I wanted to know who did it. The story starts off with a murder of a woman being buried alive. They realize that it’s connected to a cold case of two girls being taken 30-40 years ago. People were stunned that these girls could still be alive. The story grows through the perspective of the main cold case detective Van and her younger self Evangeline. Highly recommend this book.

This book was AMAZING! This is the first time I have read this author and I will certainly be looking for more asap. The Taken Ones was such a wild ride from page one and held my attention all the way through. I think it is a great book for people to read around Halloween as it gives off so many spooky vibes. Thank you for my arc copy.

1980 - Three young girls enter the woods, only one comes out.

Summer 2022 - Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a case of a women found dead after being buried alive. She is wearing a necklace matching from one of the missing children.

Could this women be related to the taken ones case from 1980?

I absolutely loved this book! Expect an unputdownable, shocking police procedural, psychological thriller. I cannot wait for the sequel. The author did a wonderful job building tension while going between past and present timelines. I loved the characters Van and Harry working together and the added spooky superstition of the Bendy Man.

This is my first book by Jess Lourey but will definable not be my last. I’m on a mission to read her backlist now.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and @netgalley for an advanced reading copy.

Bendy Man will forever live in my nightmares! Oh my gosh this book was incredible and I loved it, if your looking for a a book that’s perfect for spooky season this is it!
It’s the summer of 1980 in Leech Lake Minnesota and it’s incredibly hot, three young girls Rue and her younger sister Lily and also Amber a new friend to Rue, go into the woods to swim in the creek. When something terrible happens. Rue comes out with with no memory what happened and Lily and Amber have disappeared. Rue is discover walking barefoot with her feet burned from the pavement in complete shock and refuses to talk. The missing girls are called the Taken Ones.
Fast forward and it’s now 2022, the police are called to a horrific crime scene a homicide, where a woman was discovered to have been buried alive. The woman is found to be holding a necklace, and to their surprise the necklace is connected to the Taken Ones case. Cold Case detective Evangeline but she’s called “Van” is called and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned to the case. Van has her own past that she’s dealing with and sometimes she is shown visions, she’s determined to uncover what happened that day in the woods and how this woman is connected to the missing girls, the more she investigates she keeps hearing about the urban legend Bendy Man how is he connected, is he even real? We follow Van and Harry as they investigate along with the killers POV. I truly couldn’t put this book down!

I’m a big fan of Jess Lourey’s work, and eagerly await each of her new releases! This was a great read, even though it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I loved following the cold case, and enjoying getting to know Van and Harry as characters. Hoping there’s another book coming after that ending!

Detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck form an alliance as they delve into a criminal investigation that unveils a gruesome revelation: a woman buried alive 42 years ago. This book left an indelible impact, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The narrative transports us to the summer of 1980, set in the scorching heat of Leech Lake, Minnesota. Three young girls, Rue and her younger sister Lily, are joined by their new friend, Amber, as they venture into the woods for a refreshing creek swim. However, a horrifying incident occurs, and Rue emerges from the woods with a memory gap, unable to recall the events that transpired. Lily and Amber have vanished, earning the collective name "the Taken Ones." Rue, traumatized and unwilling to communicate, is discovered walking barefoot with scorched feet from the blistering pavement.

Fast forward to the year 2022, where the police are called to a gruesome homicide scene. A woman has been found buried alive, clutching a necklace that shockingly links back to the Taken Ones case from 1980. The Cold Case detective, known as Evangeline but referred to as "Van," and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned to the case. Van grapples with her own troubled past and has the ability to experience visions. She is determined to unravel the mysteries surrounding that fateful day in the woods and discern the connection between this buried woman and the missing girls. As their investigation deepens, they encounter mentions of the elusive urban legend known as Bendy Man and question his relevance and existence.

The story unfolds through the perspectives of Van and Harry as they methodically investigate, interspersed with the point of view of the unidentified killer. This book serves as a promising beginning to a new detective series that has left me eagerly anticipating more.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jess Lourey's "The Taken Ones" is a gripping and emotionally charged thriller that delves into the darkest corners of the human psyche. This novel weaves together elements of mystery, suspense, and psychological drama, creating a narrative that keeps readers enthralled from the very first page.

The story centers around the lives of two women, Liv and Cam, who share a tragic connection: they were both abducted and held captive in a remote cabin by a sadistic kidnapper. After enduring unimaginable horrors, they manage to escape, but the scars of their past continue to haunt them. Years later, they find themselves drawn back to the cabin, driven by a shared determination to uncover the truth about their captor and find closure.

One of the novel's standout features is the way it handles the complexities of trauma and its aftermath. Lourey does a commendable job in portraying the emotional struggles and resilience of the two main characters, Liv and Cam. Their narratives are both heart-wrenching and empowering, providing an authentic portrayal of trauma survivors reclaiming their lives.

The plot is expertly structured, with a dual timeline that alternates between the past and the present, revealing the harrowing events of the abduction alongside the characters' current journey of investigation and self-discovery. This narrative approach heightens suspense and keeps the reader engaged, with each revelation shedding light on the enigmatic kidnapper's identity.

Lourey's writing is both atmospheric and suspenseful. She effectively creates a sense of dread and tension, transporting readers to the eerie and isolated cabin where the most horrifying events of the characters' lives took place. The remote Minnesota wilderness becomes a character of its own, adding to the overall unsettling atmosphere.

While "The Taken Ones" is a compelling and well-crafted thriller, some readers may find the pacing slightly uneven, with moments of intense action followed by slower, introspective segments. Additionally, the novel occasionally relies on certain thriller conventions and tropes, which may make some aspects of the plot feel somewhat predictable.

Overall, "The Taken Ones" is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged thriller that explores themes of survival, resilience, and the enduring bond between survivors. Jess Lourey's sensitive treatment of the effects of trauma and her ability to maintain suspense make this novel a worthy addition to the psychological thriller genre. If you're a fan of thrillers that delve into the human psyche and celebrate the strength of survivors, "The Taken Ones" is a compelling and unforgettable read that will keep you hooked until the very end.

The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey
Steinbeck & Reed #1

Terrifying, twisted, and terrific ~ Couldn’t put it down.

What I liked:
* Evangeline “Van” Reed: difficult childhood, bright, left police to work cold cases at Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, lucid dreams that prove to be true, has a bit of PTSD, has a secret, Intriguing
* Harry Steinbeck, forensic scientist, seeks facts, dapper dresser, caring, kind, tenacious, has a secret that I want to know
* That Van and Harry seem opposites who work well together – eager to see what they tackle next
* The supporting characters that work with Van and Harry – would like to get to know Kyle, Johnna and Deepty better
* The police procedural aspects of the story and how the cold case was solved
* That the cold case of the girls kidnapping, and the case of the woman buried alive were both solved by the end of the story
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to
* Thinking about how warped and twisted the criminals were…and there were quite a few in this book
* The closed ranks of the police and the way they treated Van

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer & Jess Lourey for the ARC of The Taken Ones.

Wow another winner by Jess Lourey. She never misses at grabbing my attention from the get go and this book was no different. A master at pulling at my heart strings and dealing with unsettling themes while providing a really entertaining thriller from start to finish.

Summer 1980: Three girls go into the woods, only one comes out.

Summer 2022: A woman is buried alive and found clutching something that goes back 42 years to the Summer of 1980.

Are these crimes connected? Can Van and Harry and their team figure everything, despite mountains of obstacles in their way?

This book was VANtastic! I honestly loved everything about it - the pacing, the characters, their backstories, their relationships. Everything struck a wonderful balance that kept me turning pages late into the night. While I did find Van to be impulsive and childish at time, her backstory made me understand a lot and I thought she was a very well-written character. I love that this is going to be a series and I cannot wait to see what is next for Van and Harry and Kyle.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Great read!
If I didn’t have to adult, I could have easily read this in one sitting. Fantastic pace, great character development. I did vibe with Van, even though I understood her past and trauma I found it very difficult to support some of the things she did, therefore losing some respect which made if difficult to vibe with her at times. I did admire her tenacious nature, which made her a great cop/investigator at times which is what you want when it comes to hunting a killer, but still…
I really loved where the author took the killer in terms of his development. I loved that she had obviously done her research and gave us something a little different than usual when it came to him. I like it when I have to google 😂 I also really loved Harry’s character, i especially loved that last two sentence he gave us, which make me suspect we’re going to get another instalment of these two detectives, and I’m down for that!

Wowza. That was dark! It was also incredibly unique into storyline. I won’t go into details, because that would be a spoiler, but it was very unique and not one I have seen before. The writing was excellent and the plot was nicely paced. This was chilling and a great spooky season read!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

• cold case thriller/procedural
• multiple POVs & timelines
• excellent writing

I didn't want this book to end. I loved it. The author creates a fantastic atmosphere, amazing characters, and the story sucks you in. I was so disturbed while reading! I really enjoyed the forensic & police work... it's presented in a way that's digestible and easy to understand. And that Epilogue? Ummm I need more Steinbeck and Reed!!! I also highly, highly recommend this author's other work. Especially Bloodline and Unspeakable Things.

🗣️ Thank you to Jess Lourey for the opportunity to read and review your book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

First in a new series from Lourey, where the female lead reminds me a lot of Carol O'Conner's Mallory. When a woman found to have been very recently buried alive turns out to be one of a pair of missing girls missing for for several decades, the obvious question is the other missing girl still alive. Agent Reed from the BCA's Cold Case department has shift through a lot of red herrings, many from her own past. Reed's own tragic childhood has left her suffering traumatic visions, sometimes leading her to amazing (almost psychic) guesses, but leaving her colleagues to treat her with disdain and distrust.
Reed is very much the flawed hero on a quest for redemption.
While the case is solved, the readers learn there is much for Reed to hide from her fellow Agents. Looking forward to the next case.

I enjoyed this book and found the concept of a supernatural twist on a police procedural to be a good suspenseful read. The book started off with a bang and somewhat lagged in the middle but finished strong. I look forward to more books by Jess Lourey.