This is a continuation of a series that is absolutely superb! You can read this book as a standalone, but I’d at least read the first book in the series to fully understand the main characters. This story is both compelling and edge of your seat thrilling! I highly recommend and the audio version was great!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC for exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a good book, but I didn’t realize that it was a connected series. I do think it can be read as a standalone, but I felt like I was missing a lot of the backstory around the main character. Had I read the other books first, I think I would have enjoyed this one much more!

But as for the audio narration, it was very well-done and kept me entertained!

THE LAUGHING DEAD was creepy! I loved the atmosphere in this one. It just always seemed so dark. There’s murders happening and the girls are all found with a smile. {why so serious?} apparently the drugs used make them distort or something into a smile.

I really enjoyed our main character and her dog. This is a police procedural with a mix of flashbacks to her time living in a cult and the trauma she experienced there. I would have liked a little more clarity on the timelines at times but I enjoyed the back and forth of present and current events.

This was a wild read and I really enjoyed it. Also be advised that this is the third book in series and I do think it’s beneficial to read in order.

The audio was greatly done and I enjoyed the narrator.

Steinbeck and Reed return in the gripping third installment of the series, and it’s every bit as tense and chilling as its predecessors.

Told through dual timelines, the story opens with the discovery of a victim bearing a grotesque, unsettling smile—eerily reminiscent of an old, unsolved case known as The Laughing Dead. As the past and present collide, Van finds herself being manipulated—and framed. But will she risk unearthing the secrets she’s spent years burying just to clear her name?

As always, Jess Lourey excels in crafting richly drawn characters, immersive atmospheres, and stories deeply rooted in the heart of Minnesota. The emotional depth and evolution of the characters are best appreciated when read in order, making this a series well worth following from the beginning.

👄 A L C / A R C • R E V I E W 👄
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Title: The Laughing Dead
Author: Jess Lourey
Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: 7/22
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The Laughing Dead is the third installment in the Steinbeck and Reed series. While they are all separate stories and can be read as a stand alone, I still recommend reading them in order in order to understand the dynamics between the two.
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As before, I love the camaraderie between Reed and Steinbeck. They have such a great chemistry and their bantering is perfection. This time they are following a case where the victim is left dead with a ghastly smile on their face. This is connected to cold cases from the past, which is what gave this story a dual timeline. The 80’s flashback timeline was superb, it really brought an eerie element to the story.
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As per the last two in the series, this is more of a slow burn. There is a lot of detective work but this one was just so interesting that it kept my attention the entire time. This just has that creepy mysterious atmosphere that I am always searching for in my mysteries/police procedurals. I really enjoyed this one.
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I listened to this via audiobook while I read along on my kindle. Carly Robins was fantastic. I love what she did with this audio and her narration really bought this one to life for me.
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This is a great series, I definitely recommend it!! Check this one out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Jess Lourey, Brilliance Audio and Thomas and Mercer for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Book review • four star book review • early released copy • audiobooks are books too • I listen while I read • recent book review • Steinbeck and Reed • police procedural • thriller • mystery • ghastly smile • book number three • books books books

Ohhhh my gosh this book was CREEPY!!! I loved every second of it.
I loved how this story tied in all the background stories of the other books together with a great big bow.
The characters, the urban legends, the mystery, the cults! I ate this book/series up and I need more Steinbeck and Reed in my life!
This book comes out on July 22, so get started on the first two in the series now so you can read this one!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I continue to LOVE this series of Steinbeck and Reed. The stories are a bit horrifying but once started reading, I can't put them down. The point of view, and the narration, has alternated between Van's then Harry, and now in The Laughing Dead, we are back to Van. They both have secrets and fears on which we are getting more information when each is the point of view. The books really must be read in order.

This team is part of a cold case squad at the BCA in Minnesota. Van Reed has 10 years experience as a homicide detective in Minneapolis and made the switch to the BCA when her partner died (of a heart attack). Harry Steinbeck is a highly respected forensic scientist.

Van volunteers at a dog shelter and ends up fostering a dog whose owner is in a domestic shelter. The owner is murdered and is found with Van's old Minneapolis police id. The detective who hates her is in charge and will try to tangle her up. She is involved with the case when she and Harry tie the death to 3 cold cases in the method of death.

As she works this cold case, Van is also searching out what happened to her father after he left prison, as well as all the women on the compound. She now believes Harry's missing sister may have been abducted by her father. Her visions start again and she also is seeing red scarves everywhere. She does eventually find two of her "sisters" who are still brainwashed in the cult of her father.

Harry is thinly involved while Van is off investigating, until she gathers so much evidence she is attacked. Their personal relationship and secrets become shared which I love. I'm very excited to see how things go forward and if the next book will be Harry's point of view. I enjoy how smart and capable they are in their inquiry and procedures.

I absolutely LOVE the alternating point of view which suits the presentation of Harry and Van between the books. For me, the Minnesota settings are really fun since I have lived there. Since a big plot is resolved, I'm curious about what comes next. I can't wait for more in this series!

Narration:
We are back to Carly Robins narrating as she did the first book The Taken Ones. I was immediately comfortable with her as Van. I enjoyed the performance of the male and female voices although it was mostly Van's thoughts with a little dialogue between him and Van and some of the witnesses questioned. I listened at my newer 1.75x speed.

4.5 🌟

I didn’t realize how much I missed the narration of Van Reed until this one started. Evangeline is such a standout character, and doing an immersive read with both the book and audiobook again made my book-loving heart so happy. If this is the final book in the series, I’m going to miss her.

First things first, the cover. Creepy in the best way. Total attention grabber. And Jess Lourey absolutely delivers on the inside too. Her writing is sharp, thoughtful, and always keeps things interesting. Each book in this series has its own vibe but brings back characters you’ve come to care about, which I really appreciate.

This one hooked me right away with the a 1986 slumber party flashback. Cue the 80s: Ouija boards, Sun-In fails, and parents who were the opposite of helicopter parents. I was fully transported. It felt like reading a page out of my own childhood.

The storyline is compelling, dark, and yep, creepy. Three teenage girls from the 80s are found dead, all with a ghastly grin on their face. That image stuck with me in the best way. When that grin shows up again in present day, Van is pulled into the case, and it gets personal fast. I loved how each victim from the past had a memorable nickname like Judy the Jester. Those flashback chapters were so fun and absolutely gripping.

There were so many great touches that I loved. Owl the dog? Adorable. Van’s love for shelter dogs and her bond with her foster pup made me love her even more.

This is probably the only one in the series I wouldn’t say could be read as a standalone. There are things woven into this book that would definitely hit harder if you’ve read the others. And honestly? You’ll want to. They’re that good.

The Minnesota setting, the 80s flashbacks, and a dog named Owl? Jess Lourey you get me.

I think this might be the end of the line for the Steinbeck and Reed series. Even if I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters that I’ve grown to love, everything wrapped up in a way that felt meaningful and full circle. If there’s another book, I’ll be first in line.

Thank you Brilliance publishing, NetGalley and Jess Lourey for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

It’s a yes for me! 🖤

DeAnn @deannsreadingriot

The Laughing Dead is the 3rd book in the saga of cold case agent Van/Evangeline Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck, the 4th if you read the short story prequel Catch Her in a Lie. I read it right before this book and it was a great introduction and way to get back into their story.

The Laughing Dead is by far my favourite book in the series! It starts with a murder where the victim is found with a horror-movie rictus smile, and it reminds Van of a cold case decades earlier nicknamed "The Laughing Dead", where 3 teenage girls were found in the same condition. It becomes even more eerie when Van's ID is found at the scene. Uncovering the truth between all these coincidences forces both Van and Harry to dig into some dark secrets in their past that have been hinted at in previous books, so I was excited to learn more about them. This is a dark and creepy crime thriller and Jess Lourey is great at creating such complex characters that you don't know whether to root for them or hate them. Except for the foster dog named Owl, who brings about some heartwarming and hilarious moments, she is an absolute keeper, and even made me cry a little.

The audiobook narration by Carly Robins was fantastic, I didn't even hear a narrator, I just heard Van Reed telling us her chilling story!

The Laughing Dead by Jess Lourey is a dark thriller that’s centered around a cold case investigation, the story is full of unexpected twists, and the audios tone keeps you reading. Even though it’s part of a series, it can still be enjoyed on its own by those who like psychological thrillers. For me, it was a solid read, though not a standout, which is why I’d give it 3 stars.

Evangeline "Van" Reed is a member of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Harry Steinback is a forensic scientist. The two don't have a lot of page time together, but when they do, they chemistry between these two is off the chain! When Van's current case is found to have ties to suspicious deaths from the 1980's. Van and Harry work get answers. I loved the references to the eighties. Van's past is brought into focus (I was just a bit lost, but was able to catch on pretty quick). I hope there is another story arc involving Van and Harry. I found this to ve very fast paced and quite enjoyable.

Thank you to Brilliance Audio for the ALC. The narrator, Carly Robins, was great.

Wow! I was hesitant to start this one because the second one wasn’t my favorite but the ending of book 2 set this one up perfectly. This was a fast-paced, enthralling story that had my pulse racing until the riveting conclusion; it really packs a punch and leaves you reeling. This one wraps up a few ongoing storylines and I hope this is not the end of the series. Highly recommended but start at the beginning to get the full story.

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Love love love. Jess Lourey has created a thriller series I am absolutely addicted to, which is pretty hard to come by in this genre.
Evangeline Reed is one of those detectives you love to love. With a complicated past and literal cult childhood, she has seen it all.
This book I’m the series doesn’t not disappoint. It’s eerie and creepy and so dang good.
If you haven’t read any of these books, grab The Taken Ones and buckle up.
Thank you netgalley for the arc!

This one was definitely not for me - I wish the "supernatural" and "psychic" angles were made more clear in the summary. The main character was a bit cringy with her fawning language and description of her partner, and the dialogue leaned heavily towards YA.

The Laughing Dead is the third book in the Steinbeck and Reed series. This was my first book, so it worked fine as a standalone, but I do wonder if having a proper introduction to these characters would have helped me.

Two murder investigations that are decades apart take the spotlight in this mystery thriller. A cold case agent, Evangeline Reed, is called to the case to investigate. At the newest murder, Reed’s old police ID is found at the crime scene, making her a suspect. This follows the typical trope of “ I need to solve this case to clear my name.”

I was excited for this book for many reasons. One being the location. I love Minnesota and have been there many times. This book definitely nailed the atmosphere.

I was also excited for a sinister investigation. The bodies were all found with a smile on their face, like they were laughing as they died. This drew me in, but personally, this failed to execute in a way I found interesting.

Overall, this is a fun mystery and does work well as a standalone. I just feel that if I had known more about the characters, I would have liked the book more.

I arrived late to this series at book 3, sometimes that’s not an issue, but I definitely felt like I’d really missed out on the first 2.

Cold case detective Van, escaped a cult and used her natural gift to gain a criminology degree, now with the discovery of a body found in a state that is reminiscent of closed cases decades ago, it seems appropriate to open a cold case and a series of murders for Van to solve. Her old police id is found at the scene and it seems that the killer is taunting her, could it be the past, calling her in ?

This was really enjoyable, and there’s a lovely boxer dog named Owl in the pages who will surely win your heart.

Great plot, great characters and a brilliant story, I wish I’d read the first two, I’m sure I’d have been able to rate this higher.

Excellent narration!

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

I did not like this book. Had I known it was about cults, I would have avoided. it was also more grisly than I expected.

This was such a fun thriller with so many twists andntuens some I saw co.inf but most that was a complete shock to Mr. I was engaged the whole time and could not put it down I definitely recommend

Author: Jess Lourey

Genres: Fiction/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Summary: Cold-case investigator Evangeline “Van” Reed is pulled into a chilling new murder that eerily echoes a string of killings from the 1980s, dubbed the “Laughing Dead”—where teenage victims were discovered with twisted, frozen smiles. When Van’s own police ID turns up at the latest crime scene, she suddenly finds herself the main suspect. To prove her innocence, she must dig into the decades-old case, unearthing long-buried secrets in small-town Minnesota. With forensic expert Harry Steinbeck by her side, Van races to link past and present before the killer strikes again. But the deeper she digs, the more she fears that the key to the murders lies within her own dark and buried past.

Tropes & Themes: past relationships, dual timeline, secrets from the past, confronting the past.

Character: There were too many characters for me to connect to anyone.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed the audiobook. The narrator was very entertaining, and it fit the mood of the chapters and scenes. In addition, I love the mood and tone of the narrator's voice, which kept me engaged for the duration of the book. The narration was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

One of the things that I loved about the book was the story line, plot and sometimes the book climaxed at right time, which made me want to continue listening. However, the book was extremely long, and it was hard for me to keep up with the characters and details of the book. I felt as if I needed the physical copy so that I could get a better understanding of what was transpiring. However, I felt the plot was clear and the story was very engaging, but I would often lose details of what has led up to certain events taking place in the book. The overall book was ⭐️⭐️.

Thank you @jesslourey @brilliancepublishing #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

Umm… this book is made of pure nightmares! Three murdered girls found with their mouths twisted into a ghoulish grin? Uhhhh, eek. Someone come hold my hand because this one had me biting my nails, sucking my thumb, and whispering “mama” in the corner. 😱

Years later, with the case still unsolved, cold case detective Van suddenly finds her own ID at a crime scene — plopping her straight in the middle of the investigation. Naturally, people start pointing fingers because let’s be honest, Van’s got some doozy secrets she’s never shared. And I LIVED for that tension.

This is the third book in the Steinbeck and Reed series and I seriously loved this detective duo. Their partnership felt so natural and gritty, and now I’m dying to go back and read the first two.

But my absolute favorite part? How the victims were found. Those eerie, fixed smiles… holy moly macaroni, that’s the kind of detail my cold, dead heart eats up. 🖤 If you’re a thriller lover craving detective work, dark and creepy vibes, and a solid mystery that’ll leave you side-eyeing every shadow — add this to your list ASAP.