Another heartbreaking story inspired by true events; The Quarry Girls is one book that you won’t soon forget. It’s Minnesota in the late 1970s and a young waitress about to leave for college has disappeared. The local police believe she may have simply left town earlier than planned in a hurry to get to the big city. When another teenage girl soon goes missing, law enforcement dismisses her as a runaway, prone to being a troublemaker. Seeing a pattern here? The story is narrated by Heather, who is close friends and bandmates with the ‘runaway’ Maureen. She may be a bit wild and fierce, but Heather knows Maureen wouldn’t just take off without letting her best friends know. And her friends are already very worried about her, due to something they recently witnessed.

There are tunnels connecting all the basements in their town, long abandoned from their original purpose (commuting to the local factory in bad weather) and left as un underground play area for the local children. One night Heather and her friends accidentally open a door to a stranger’s basement and see something they really wish they hadn’t. Now they think her disappearance could be connected to those people in the basement, but they promised never to tell anyone about it, for fear of Maureen’s reputation. The danger keeps growing as Heather’s father, the district attorney, warns her about a predatory man that’s arrived in town. Heather does her best to stay away from him, but what she doesn’t realize is that danger has been present the entire time.

The Quarry Girls is not an easy read, but it’s an important one. Current events have highlighted the continuing propensity to blame victims and the failure to act until it’s too late. We may have come a long way in 50 years, but that’s not enough. No one should feel unsafe in their own community, in danger from the very people who are supposed to protect them.

Another amazing book from favorite author Jess Lourey will hit the shelves August 2022 and this is one that you need to pre-order now. Take my word for it --she just keeps getting better and better.

The Quarry Girls is set in Minnesota in 1977 and is set in small town Pantown where everyone knows everyone. Once again author Lourey weaves a tale that true crime lovers will devour. The darkness of the novel is real and the intensity of the story and characters is deep. I read this in two sittings and would have read it in one if I could have. It is that good.

The story revolves around three young girls - Heather, Brenda and Maureen- who revel in quarry parties, the county fair and twisting tunnels that lie beneath the city. While it all seems innocent in the beginning as the story develops the reader realizes that something is just not right in this idyllic little town and the girls, unfortunately, are a part of what is a terrifying secret.

When one of the three girls disappears the other two begin to question everything and everyone and rightfully so. They have seen something very disturbing and they just can't believe it. People just aren't who they seem to be and it was a surprise to this reader to see how the story developed and who really were the dark characters. When the second girl disappears Heather knows that she is next and tries to do everything to dodge the danger.

Written in a very engaging and exciting manner this book will be one that stays on my favorite list for a very long time. This author never disappoints and this is a great book for any mystery or true crime lover. Thanks to the author and publisher as well as NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy for my honest review.

This book is dark and disturbing. The Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey has a most unusual and interesting setting--a town in 1970's Minnesota built over intersecting tunnels that run beneath the home of each resident. The tunnels are accessed through the basement door of each house. The parents consider the tunnels to be a safe place for the children to play, and the children are able to run free there. The cast of characters in this story are young, underage teens and adolescents.

The tunnels seem to be a clever metaphor for the world we see above ground, and the darkness beneath that we cannot see. This book is about both, but the underbelly is what makes the tale so disturbing. We watch the innocence of children being systematically destroyed by sexual exploitation, parental neglect, emotional abuse, deceit, kidnapping, and rape. Although the author is careful to avoid writing explicit scenes involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of the story characters, we readers understand what is happening. These elements involving young teens were simply too much for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC to read and review. *NetGalley Top Reviewer.*

The Quarry girls is spectacular! A well crafted novel of balance of growing up too.fast and the desire to stay a little girl. An eye opening look at how women have been treated and their resilience to overcome. I will definitely be checking out more of Jess Lourey's novels.
Thank you to NetGalley and The publisher for this advance copy

This book was sent to me from. Netgalley for review…it is a myriad of stories woven together about serial killers…at times, difficult to read…young girls…victims…crime… under…horror…

#NetGalley #TheQuarryGirls

This is essential Jess Lourey -- girls coming of age in broken families in a town where it's hard to imagine another life could be possible. No adult seems to have the girls' welfare in mind, and none seem trustworthy, so they are left to scrap out lives for themselves and each other. I cared for, and rooted for the girls in the story, and could not put the book down until I knew how things turned out for them. Chilling and evocative, this is a must-read! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is absolutely a creepy thriller that takes place in the 70s. I think that was my favorite aspect of the book. Two friends see something that they decide to keep a secret. It leads to intrigue and mystery. Perfect for any thriller fans. This is an exciting book.

There is so much to say about this book. It was equally haunting and disturbing, but in an extremely well written and intriguing way. The emotions that I had for the characters were unmatched. I literally couldn’t put it down, I read it in a couple hours. I was really impressed that all of the loose ends were tied up at the end of the book, mostly because I feel like that doesn’t always happen. I also found myself audibly gasping multiple times. I don’t want to give anything away, but I was completely thrown for a loop and I love that! A must read for any thriller fan.