Truly I went into this book having LOVED all the prior ones in the series and initially I felt like this one just wasn't living up to the rest. I was a bit confused, I was a bit less in love with the characters.. but it didn't take long before all the love I felt for agent Van Reed and Harry Steinbeck just came rushing right back. If you've loved the prior books in the series this one is a must read. It has all the same creepiness, the same interesting and complex characters, and it builds more on the back stories started in the others books.

And no spoilers but... the ending?? I CRIED.

A must read.

Thank you for the ARC review copy!

Van is called to a scene of a recent murder that might be tied to her since her ID is found there. Could it tie back to a cold case from the 80’s? And be connected to her more than she’s willing to admit? Now her and Harry need to piece it all together. This one kept me on the edge of my seat all the way to the shocking end. And I mean shocking. You’ll never guess this twist!

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Evangeline Reed is a complex, fascinating character. A survivor of Frank Roth's family farm of horrors, she has left the police force to work solely on cold cases. Her "visions" of crimes being committed made her an excellent detective until her partner died and she was pushed out of the force. Now she tries to grapple with her past, her abilities, and her current role as a closer of cold cases.

When her old PD badge is found at a current homicide scene, Van and Harry try to find a link to an existing cold case as a cover to investigate. They are able to find a string of three deaths of young women in the 80s, all who died suddenly with strange smiles on their face -- just like the current victim. This appears to be a result of a hemlock poisoning, something investigators couldn't figure out in the first round of cases. But the more Van investigates, the closer both old and new cases bring her back home...

Love Van's character so much, hoping future installments of this series further the relationship between her and Steinbeck, its the only thing missing from this series so far!

Just a really solid mystery/police procedural. Look forward to more from this series and like that each book so far can be read as its own storyline without having to remember too much!

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. This was a really good thriller. An investigation of two different murders, many years apart, can Agent Evangeline find out the answers and do these two murders have anything to do with each other?

4.25 stars.

The Laughing Dead was my favorite installment in the Reed and Steinbeck series thus far. I just adore both of the leads, Harry and Van, so much. They both have unique voices and background stories, and both are the reason I just adore this series. It's a bit difficult to find thrillers that focus on creating memorable, quirky characters as well as an engaging plot. The Laughing Dead weaves together the loose ends from both books one and two. However, I hope this isn't the last in the series because there is so much character development and plot lines to explore. The ending of this book felt like it was the beginning to the rest of the series. Van and Harry's partnership and their interactions just keep me going. I love Harry so much, he's a perfect blend of quirky intellectual and brooding forensic scientist. I am wondering if Lourey intends to develop a romantic relationship between Harry and Van. I would 100% be for it LOL. Book Three really showed the potential for romantic development between the two if Lourey intends to pursue this route. To me, and to other characters (i.e. Kyle), a potential budding romance seems probable. Again, I would absolutely not be opposed to it. I love that we see the two first as partners, then as potential friends and confidantes, and possibly more.

I am holding back from a five star because I needed to see more from the ending. I honestly thought the book could've been fifty or so more pages to wrap up some loose ends that felt a bit rushed. Again, perhaps Lourey intends to explore these loose threads in future books, but I still do think this book could've been wrapped up better.

I am excited and intrigued by a potential book four, not only for more of Harry and Van's character development, but also because the ending left so many potential avenues to be explored with other characters (i.e. a CERTAIN character who has been missing for years...I would love to know what happened when this character was missing and adjustment to a new life).

Anyways, I will be waiting on pins and needles for the annoucement of a potential book four. Then I will be requesting it on Netgalley as soon as I can :)

Has Van committed another murder and doesn't remember doing it? Has Harry learned Van's secret and decided to be done with her? Nobody's smiling except for the dead. Jess Lourey really has a way with words. With wonderfully odd characters and a thrilling storyline, this twisted tale will keep you reading long into the night. This series is in my top five all time greats. I hope that Steinbeck and Reed are around for a very long time. I already am twitching for the next one.

★★★☆☆ (3.5)

Ahhhh Jess Lourey, my go-to. It was fun to be back with Steinbeck and Reed, and as usual this was a very easy-to-read, well-paced thriller. However, I do think that was the weakest of the series so far. Steinbeck isn't really in it a whole lot, and it's mainly regurgitating Van's past which we largely know about, rather than the live case at hand. I'm interested to see if the series continues from here!

cw// murder, mentions of cult, mentions of child abuse, mentions of sexual abuse

Last year I stumbled upon The Taken Ones and fell in love with chaotic Evangeline (Van) Reed and follow-the-rules, stoic Harry Steinbeck. The Taken Ones was told mainly from Van’s POV but it became very clear quite quickly that there were more secrets under the surface belonging to both characters. The second Reed & Steinbeck book, The Reaping, brought this perfectly mismatched duo back for another slightly creepy, X-files-ish case told mostly from Harry’s POV.

I took my time with The Laughing Dead – I knew the characters and I knew that no matter where Lourey took us it was going to be a bit of a crazy ride. So I decided to sit back and enjoy it page by page. I was not disappointed. Part murder investigation, part cold case, part thrill ride and all emotional rollercoaster. I mean, any book that can make me cry is a winner and this one did that more than once.

"Four paws up." -Owl.

Three teenage girls are found dead in central Minnesota—each with her mouth twisted into a chilling grin, as if laughing at a deadly joke no one else can hear. Authorities eventually close the case, and the town forgets the horror. The media dubs them The Laughing Dead.

Decades later, cold case agent Evangeline "Van" Reed is called to a crime scene where the victim bears that same grotesque smile. But this time, the killer has left something behind—Van’s own police ID. Now, she’s not just investigating the case; she’s the prime suspect. And with secrets she’s never even shared with her partner, forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck, she might not be able to prove her innocence before the past comes back to claim her.

I really enjoyed this book—an easy 4 out of 5 stars for me. It had the feel of an old-school detective crime novel while incorporating modern elements seamlessly. The writing was smooth, the story easy to follow, and I found myself flying through the pages. It kept me engaged from start to finish, leaving me wanting more. Overall, a highly satisfying read!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC copy. I’ll definitely be recommending this to other readers!

This is the third in the Steinbeck/Reed series, and I liked it the best so far. The first book focused mostly on getting to know Van. The second focused on getting to know Harry. And now, this third one, it feels a little more like we're off to the races.

The plot of this one was really grabby, with twists and turns and tangles that I was not expecting. Without spoiling anything, we finally get to see a real intertwining of Van and Harry's pasts. I like Harry more and more as the story develops. I like Van, too, but her impulsivity sometimes irks me, although I realize that's important for the story. And Owl! Omg, I love Owl. <3 She really added a lot to the storyline, with the scenes where she's included being used to bring out more of Van's personality and also bringing out more of Harry's.

The confession from Van to Harry at the end did not go how I predicted it would. I did feel like Van was overreacting a bit when she went to see Harry <spoiler>and his sister</spoiler> at his house at the end, but I also felt like that overreaction was consistent with Van's anxiety in general, especially with a male relationship. I'm really looking forward to the fourth in the series.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Taken Ones and The Reaping so much, that I could not wait to get my hands on The Laughing Dead. And it did not disappoint.

Three 16 year old girls died in one week in 1986 in Minnesota and the only thing linking them was the creepy smile on their corpses. Decades later, cold case agent Evangeline “Van” Reed is called to the scene of a crime where the victim wears that same horror-movie smile. But this time someone seems to be sending a message: Van’s police ID has turned up at the scene, making her the prime suspect.

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. I still find Van to be rash and impulsive and find Harry to be somewhat rigid and stiff at times, but I get it and think they really balance each other out well. I love this series, was very excited to wrap up some loose ends we've been tugging on for the last few books, and I cannot wait to see what is next for Van and Harry.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love this series! A cold case from the 80s collides with a present-day murder, hitting a little too close to home in book three of the Steinbeck and Reed series. I love this crime-solving duo and was glad to finally have some resolution to all of the lingering mysteries from their pasts. Lourey's signature setting of creepiness and terror reigned throughout this story, creating a chilly atmosphere filled with doom. The eerie smiles of the dead, the creepy cult, the nightmarish visions, the paranoia of possibly losing touch with reality...take your pick! This book was downright scary. I felt like I was going crazy at times. The nail-biting suspense and unexpected twists had me flying through the pages. The ending was completely satisfying. I just hope that it's not the end of this series. These characters have grown on me and are now a part of my ever-growing literary family. And now we have Owl!! Owl was my absolute favorite part of this story. This adorable dog stole my heart, and she deserves to have more story time. So. fingers crossed for more books to come. I highly recommend this book and series to all my fellow thriller fans!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

This is my first read by Lourey and won't be the last. I enjoyed it. It was an easy read that was hard to put down. I was invested in Van and her story, past and present. The author created a world that I was weaved into.

We follow Van as she tries to solve a cold case of murders that happened in the 80s only to repeat in the present. She has to come to terms with some pretty harsh memories of the past as well as focus on the issue in the present. While a lot of authors muddy the story by bouncing back and forth between time lines, Lourey does not. She transitions flawlessly.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for this opportunity to resd this ARC.

Third in the Reed/Steinbeck series. This one returns to Van as the main character. A woman she knows is murdered, with Van's own ID left at the scene. The case is similar to several deaths that happened in the 80s. She and Harry investigate the cold case, while she also searches for answers about Harry's sister. This was really good and I hope there are more in the series, though it ended in a way that wrapped up a lot and could be a finale. 4 stars.

What? Another Steinbeck and Reed book by the fabulous Jess Lourey? SIGN ME UP! The third book (plus a short story prequel) in the Evangeline "Van" Reed and Harry Steinbeck series finds the duo coming together again in yet another creepy and weird murder mystery caper. Author Jess Lourey is the best at weaving a tale of horror, mystery, intrigue and all over fabulousness and this book does not disappoint.

I loved the way the story had a 1980's bent as well as current day and the level of creepiness and mystery --whew. It left me with an open mouth at times as I finally figured out the connections. Van has visions that lead the reader to wonder....did she do it? Is she losing it? Was her previous life the reason that she is the person she is today? Patience, my friends, it will all be revealed. If you have been reading this series so much will be answered for you but it will leave you gasping. I guarantee it.

Who doesn't love a story with a rescue dog in it? Way to tug at the heart strings. Lourey must stay awake at nights coming up with these amazing stories that flow so expertly from her computer to paper form. She has become one of my favorite mystery writers and that is saying a lot in this day of some really superb mystery writers.

No spoilers here if you have been a fan of Steinbeck and Reed but trust me--you won't want to miss this one. It is phenomenal and will stick in your mind long after you finish the final page. Well, done, Jess Lourey, well done. Please write another one.

Big thanks to the author, NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

10 out of five stars!!!!
I love so much about these characters, this installment in the Reed and Steinbeck series, and the conclusion of this book!
I don’t know how she does it, but Jess Lourey must weave creepy dream blankets with her words. I was so creeped out in at least 2 specific moments in this one (no spoilers). The MN setting, the throwback memories to the ‘80’s, the cold case aspects, the sweet love from Owl the fostered doggo, all of it!!
Thank you to Jess Lourey, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an Advanced Copy.

As Van Reed looks into the 1986 cold case of “The Laughing Dead”, three girls found dead with unnatural smiles on their faces, she uncovers horror that hits way too close to home.

Jess Lourey is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and I can’t get enough of the Reed and Steinbeck series! This third installment was phenomenal, and I hope to see these two again. I wish we had seen more of Harry in this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this captivating eARC.

Police procedurals are my bread and butter, and if you love mysteries and you haven't yet read Jess Lourey's wonderful Steinbeck and Reed stories, you should read this one. A heartfelt series where good and bad can get a bit murky, but it is somehow entirely relatable.

Jump in with The Laughing Dead, and I can almost promise you that you will want to catch up. Van finds her true family in this story, even though she must turn her back on her birth family. I loved every word.

I’m definitely still trying to wrap my head around this book and what I feel for it. When I saw that I was approved to read this ARC through netgalley, I quickly read the first book in the series and then attempted to read the second(though it became a DNF). Thankfully, this book was still easy to understand without having read the second in the series. I really enjoyed Owl the dog, he was probably my favorite part of this book. I liked how we were able to get some closure on Van’s childhood, but there’s something about this book that just doesn’t sit right with me and I’m not too sure how to explain it or what it really is. Because of this, I’m rating it a 3/5.

I was so graciously given an ARC of this title.

I found out it was a series and started on the previous books before this one. For some reason I can't connect with this series, I think it may be the pace. I will say that out of all the books, I did like this one the most...so take that as you will.