As an elusive killer’s trail leads to a truth more sinister than either imagined, Harry knows there’s only one way to crack this he must finally face the secrets of his own past—even if doing so will cost him everything.
Our favorite character is back solving another mystery. While I did enjoyed this second instalment it wasn't as good as the first book. Thank you Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Okay yes this is everything I needed!! I was a bit iffy on book one but I know better than to doubt this author!! Everything about this felt much more settled than book 1. Harry as our main POV was a good switch-up. Van is still compelling as a side character.

The setting was phenomenal, the town was creepy, the case was gruesome and the reveals were top notch. And yet again we have a crazy cliffhanger. Can’t believe I will probably have at least a year to wait for book 3.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In 1998 an Alku, Minnesota, family of five was brutally murdered in their sleep. The event shook the insulated community but, without any solid leads, was relegated to the cold case files, where it moldered for twenty-five years. Until today.

Whew, this book was CREEPY, and chilling! I genuinely had no idea “who dun it” until it was revealed. It’s an interesting story with plenty of twists and turns, and the two main characters make a great team.

Also, the epilogue…I need book 3 now!

The Reaping is not an easy read but it's thrilling and engaging! I just could not put it down as I wanted to understand what was going on in such a bizarre small town with its strange inhabitants and its peculiar behaviors and I was rather surprised when I read that the author has based the story on some true facts! Van and Harry make an interesting and complementary duo, both with their demons and fights, but that make things work as they above all, search for justice. The story is well-written, it grows bit by bit, and has an incredible ending! Loved it!
I thank Ms. Lourey, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley & Thomas&Mercer Publishing for an eARC ♥️

The story's like a twisty puzzle that keeps you guessing until the very end. I loved how the author connected the past and present in unexpected ways - it was like a big aha! moment.

Harry, the main guy, is super relatable. His personal struggles and demons make him feel like a real person, you know? I found myself rooting for him from the start. And the way his history ties into the mystery? I absolutely loved that, pure genius! It's like Jess Lourey took all these threads and wove them into this intricate tapestry.

Oh, and I had no clue it was the second book in a series! I dove in blind and still got totally sucked in. Now I'm gonna go back and read the first one, 'cause I need more Harry in my life. I'm invested!😍

Anyway, if you're into mysteries with a personal touch, you'll love this. It's got all the twists and turns you want, plus characters that feel real. Just be ready to lose some sleep - it's a page-turner! And don't worry if you haven't read the first book, like me. This one stands on its own, but trust me, you'll want to read the rest of the series too.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

A detective pairing with mismatched investigative styles, The Reaping (2024) by Jess Lourey is the second in the Steinbeck & Reed series. Harry Steinbeck (forensic scientist) and cold case Agent Evangeline Reed work for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. They are sent to the insulated community of Alku to investigate a murder that has similarities to a historic case decades earlier. As they struggle to advance the case, the locals' lack of assistance and the strangeness of Alku's history of disappearances and deaths, raise even more questions. Then a young girl goes missing, requiring Harry to confront his own dark secret and grief. The links to the 1998 Korhone family murder create a foreboding atmosphere and possible supernatural mystery. It's an enjoyable detective team and a fine standalone tale with a three stars read rating. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

The Taken Ones is one of my favorite detective style thrillers and this twisty follow up was quite good as well. With more focus on Steinbeck in this book I will admit I was less invested. I enjoyed the folklore of the Finnish community in this book.

I love Steinbeck and Reed. They both have elaborate and interesting backstories tied to what led them to become BCA Agents. The plotting of the mystery surrounding multiple murders that happen years apart is intricate with clues and red herrings. Making the story even more interesting is the fact that it takes place in a secluded community within a group of families tied together by history. I strongly recommend this book for fans of police procedurals.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐲

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵? 𝘐𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩?

Agents Evangeline Reed and Harry Steinbeck reunite to solve a new murder mystery in a town built on secrets. This time, Steinbeck’s past haunts him as he returns to the place where he grew up.

When I saw the book on NetGalley, I was thrilled because I love Jess Lourey, and I loved The Taken Ones. The Reaping started off interestingly but became confusing as I read further. By 35%, the identity of the murderer was predictable, which is disappointing for this genre.

At some point it started to feel slow paced, and it took a while to fully engage me—specifically, around 85% into the book. Despite this, the book was still good, with a great ending that managed to surprise me.

This is the second book in the Steinbeck and Reed series, and I recommend reading the first book before diving into this one. Although I enjoyed the sequel, I must admit it wasn’t as good as the first book.

I rate this ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Reaping comes out on September 3, 2024 and preorders are available now.

Huge thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an interesting ride! I have found that I love thrillers set in Minnesota and this was no exception! I didn’t read the first book in the series but I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. This particular book features gruesome murders, missing children, and basically an assisted living prison for serial killers. I mean, what more could you ask for? It was well written and I really enjoyed getting to know the characters.

Jess Lourey has done it again! She is amazing at writing character-driver thrillers that keep you on the edge of your
After 1.5 books of looking at things from Van's side (which I loved of course), it was time for Harry's POV in "The Reaping". It was nice getting to know him while the duo investigated such an interesting case.

I love how there is a case for the book and longer mysteries that'll carry the series on (like perhaps parts of the characters themselves). I'd recommend the book and series to all thriller fans.

My only trouble was with Harry's perception of Van and vice-versa. They have this perfect view of her which can get annoying and unrealistic. When two characters are this different, it's okay for them to be annoyed with each other once in a while. *Spoiler* And I hope this will be a platonic relationship going forward too.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the e-copy!

4.5/5

After finishing The Taken Ones, I couldn’t wait to get to The Reaping, and it was just as good!

This book was just as creepy and atmospheric as the first, if not more so. I think this series is making me want to visit Minnesota also lol. This one had a wonderfully folk lore ish vibe that hit the mark so well and it was a lot of fun learning more about Finnish culture and traditions, as dark as this particular family was. It was a bit slower, but the end point was crazy good.
We got this case from Harry’s POV while The Taken Ones was from Van’s POV and I loved that we get to alternate and learn more about each of these characters as we go on.
The ending was a massive cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!

The Reaping was an amazingly creepy read that left me wanting way more of this series. I hope Jess Lourey is on it because I’m ready for more Van and Harry already.

Thank you to the author and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC through NetGalley.
Publication date 9/3/24

I really loved Steinbeck and Reed in The Taken Ones, so I was super excited to dive into book 2. I started and stopped this book a couple of times before I finally got into the story. It was super hard for me to get through and I thought the story dragged. I still enjoyed the characters and I would definitely read book 3. 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Jess Lourey for the coolest promo box and ARC - you are the best!!

The first book in this series, “The Taken Ones”, was one of my favorite books I read in 2023 so I was very excited when I saw “The Reaping” was coming out! Here, Steinbeck and Reed’s story picks up almost exactly where it left off. A homicide connected to Steinbeck’s sister’s abduction (a case that had previously gone cold), leads the duo to his hometown of Alku, Minnesota. Not only does the northern town hold dark and sinister secrets, but its folklore was enough to keep me up at night! The legend of “The Blood Witch” and the town’s children disappearing was the stuff nightmares are made of. Deeply atmospheric, Loury painted a dark picture of an otherwise quiet town and its people. For the entirety of this mystery, I could not guess what was coming and the final reveal had my jaw drop.

Told over dual timelines, we find out Steinbeck’s painful past that he has been carrying with him ever since his little sister was abducted decades ago. As with the previous book, Steinbeck and Reed’s partnership has such a starring role. Their differences truly balance them out and I really enjoy their relationship. I hope there is a lot more of it to come!

Believe when I tell you I gasped at the ending…and immediately messaged the author to beg her for another book!

This book can be read by itself, but I highly recommend reading “The Taken Ones” first because it lays a lot of the groundwork for Steinbeck and Reed’s partnership (and its just a really great book!)

“The Reaping” releases September 3, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_botle) shortly :)

I read the first book in this series last year and absolutely loved it! While I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first, it was still so fun to follow Van and Harry along on a new case! The story moved a bit slow for me at times, but the investigation itself was crazy! The people in the small town of Alku, Minnesota, were cult like and sinister, and I wasn't able to make a guess as to how the investigation was going to unfold. The ending was mind-blowing and has me so freaking excited for book three!

Thank you, @netgalley, @amazonpublishing, and @jesslourey for the #gifted e-arc of this book!

This book absolutely creeped me out to the point it was giving me shivers. 😬

I loved the first book in the Reed/Steineck series, The Taken Ones, and I loved The Reaping even more.

We follow Cold Case agent Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck as they descend on the creepy and secretive Finnish town of Alku, Minnesota as they connect a cold case with a recent brutal murder.

I love when books incorporate folk lore into books and it was done immaculately here. I finished it yesterday and have been thinking about it all day. It’s going to stay with me for awhile. Something about an insulated town where everyone knows each others secrets and don’t welcome outsiders is always so eerie to me. Add in a nursing home for serial killers, a blood witch who stalks the woods and inhumane ways the people in Alku behave - creeeepy.

My jaw was on the floor in the epilogue and I’m going to beg Jess Lourey to please hurry with book #3 in this series because I need it tomorrow. 😂

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I had been not so patiently waiting for the next Steinbeck and Reed book and was thrilled by the opportunity to read an ARC! It was full
of unexpected twists and it was fun to try to figure out the inspirations for some of the places and Minnesota cultural references scattered throughout the book. I will definitely be recommending this book to all my friends and family.

This book was f#cked up, but in a good way! I spent a majority of the time trying to figure out how it was going to get resolved without some paranormal influence. But dang! It worked out, wasn't as crazy far-fetched as I thought it might have to be. That and what a great job of continuing the storyline for both Harry and Van! I love how their histories are twinning together and how each book has slowly unpeeled their pasts. And I love the "Odd Couple" pairing of them. I think it works really well and highlights what they are both missing and needing in their lives. I will miss some of the characters from Alku, but can't wait for the next one in the series!

I really enjoyed this mystery thriller. It had some creepy elements and I enjoyed how the plot moved. These are likable characters, I didn’t read the previous book but you don’t necessarily need to.

3.5⭐️

Steinbeck and Reed book 2

This follows on from The Taken which totally WOWed me, and I’ve loved several others of her books so I was keen to read this one having high expectations.

Harry and Van are on another cold case this one 25 yrs old with a copycat on the loose. In this book Harry is having to confront his past.

The book has a great hook with the first chapter, it’s very creepy. I love the authors use of the retro time period with young characters. This was my favourite aspect. The story line is split between the past incorporating Finnish mythology (which I really liked) and the current investigation. I like the relationship between Harry and Van.
I found the pace slow, there wasn’t enough going on, somethings were built up with the use of suspense when they materialised were underwhelming. Unfortunately my interest waned despite some good use of forensics and genetics and a good imagination to explain things.
Overall I’m afraid that this one didn’t win me over.