Jess Lourey

more photos (2)

year in books

Jess Lourey’s Followers (4,386)

member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
Foxy Vixen
1,498 books | 3,164 friends

Sean
636 books | 33 friends

Betty
4,145 books | 481 friends

Lancelo...
2,287 books | 2,248 friends

Sara Es...
44,545 books | 1,562 friends

Nessa
26,600 books | 189 friends

Donna F...
2,351 books | 4,997 friends

J.C.
48 books | 983 friends

More friends…

Jess Lourey

Goodreads Author


Born
in Tacoma, WA, The United States
Website

Genre

Member Since
August 2016

URL


My name is Jess Lourey, and I write about secrets.

The story of my first published novel is both devastating and transformative, something I speak about in my TEDx Talk (https://youtu.be/a5vSLh3oPXI). I've come a long way since then. I'm proud to call myself a bestselling, twice Edgar-nominated, and twice Goodreads Readers Choice Awards shortlisted author who has won the ITW Thriller, Minnesota Book, and Anthony Awards. I write crime fiction, young adult, nonfiction, children's books, and book club fiction.

I've reached over a million readers since 2020. I'm also a former writing and sociology professor who still loves to teach transformative creative writing workshops built around my Rewrite Your Life method.

I live in Minneapolis with a rot
...more

To ask Jess Lourey questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Jess Lourey Thank you! "Catch Her in a Lie" is the short story that started off this series and it came out last year. THE REAPING is the follow-up to THE TAKEN O…moreThank you! "Catch Her in a Lie" is the short story that started off this series and it came out last year. THE REAPING is the follow-up to THE TAKEN ONES and comes out September 2024, and I'm right now editing the third in the series, tentatively titled THE LAUGHING DEAD.(less)
Jess Lourey Thank you for your kind words about Unspeakable Things, Benjamin! My publisher, Thomas & Mercer, has an incredibly effective marketing team, and they …moreThank you for your kind words about Unspeakable Things, Benjamin! My publisher, Thomas & Mercer, has an incredibly effective marketing team, and they worked hard to get Unspeakable Things in front of readers. They also have an amazing editing team, which meant that the book was the best it could be once it got in reader's hands. Honestly, though? I think part of it is luck/timing. Unspeakable Things is my 19th book, so for sure not my first rodeo, but I think it landed at a time people were particularly interested in true crime, nostalgia, and healing childhood wounds.(less)
Average rating: 3.95 · 356,809 ratings · 24,357 reviews · 49 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Quarry Girls

4.02 avg rating — 125,474 ratings — published 2022 — 11 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Unspeakable Things

3.78 avg rating — 89,678 ratings — published 2020 — 18 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Taken Ones (Steinbeck a...

4.21 avg rating — 30,730 ratings — published 2023
Rate this book
Clear rating
Bloodline

3.88 avg rating — 32,616 ratings — published 2021 — 9 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Reaping (Steinbeck and ...

4.08 avg rating — 13,077 ratings — published 2024 — 7 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Litani

3.96 avg rating — 9,598 ratings — published 2021 — 6 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
May Day (Murder by Month Ro...

by
3.54 avg rating — 8,625 ratings — published 2006 — 14 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Laughing Dead (Steinbec...

4.39 avg rating — 5,799 ratings — published 2025 — 3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
Catch Her in a Lie (Steinbe...

3.71 avg rating — 6,484 ratings — published 2022 — 2 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
June Bug (Murder by Month, #2)

by
3.81 avg rating — 3,975 ratings — published 2007 — 15 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
More books by Jess Lourey…

Goodreads Giveaway!

My publisher is running a giveaway on Goodreads for 5 early copies of The Verdant Cage! You can enter here. I'll post a description of the book below. It's a young adult dystopian thriller with a strong romance thread, and it's the best thing I've ever written. I hope you'll check it out!

The Wall was built to keep them safe. Or so they thought.

For as long as teenaged apothecary Rose Allgood can r

Read more of this blog post »
3 likes ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 28, 2025 16:00
May Day June Bug Knee High by the Fourth of ... August Moon: Humor and Hijinks September Mourn October Fest November Hunt
(13 books)
by
3.89 avg rating — 37,605 ratings

Salem's Cipher Mercy's Chase
(2 books)
by
4.03 avg rating — 4,419 ratings

The Catalain Book of Secrets
(1 book)
by
3.89 avg rating — 768 ratings

The Toadhouse Trilogy
(1 book)
by
3.83 avg rating — 88 ratings

Related News

  Kellye Garrett’s crime fiction novels have been featured on The Today Show, won numerous awards, and named to Time magazine’s 100 Best...
50 likes · 23 comments
  Kellye Garrett is the acclaimed author of the upcoming Like a Sister suspense novel, in which no one bats an eye when a disgraced reality-TV...
78 likes · 10 comments
Witchcraft for Wa...
Jess Lourey is currently reading
by Grady Hendrix (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating

 
The Guilty Dead
Jess Lourey is currently reading
by P.J. Tracy (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating

 
The Apprentice
Jess Lourey is currently reading
by Tess Gerritsen (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating

 

Jess’s Recent Updates

Jess Lourey wrote a new blog post

Goodreads Giveaway!

My publisher is running a giveaway on Goodreads for 5 early copies of The Verdant Cage! You can enter here. I'll post a description of the book below. Read more of this blog post »
Jess Lourey is currently reading
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Rate this book
Clear rating
Jess Lourey has read
The Laughing Dead by Jess Lourey
Rate this book
Clear rating
Jess Lourey rated a book it was amazing
The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall
Rate this book
Clear rating
Jess Lourey rated a book it was amazing
The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall
Rate this book
Clear rating
Jess Lourey made a comment on Make Gloup
" Right?? 😊 "
" Jessica wrote: "OMG LOVE this--so spooky! I've already pre-ordered and can't wait for my copy :)"
Yayyy! So glad to hear it, Jessica!
...more "
Jess Lourey made a comment on New MAY DAY Cover!
" Aww YAY!!! "
More of Jess's books…
Quotes by Jess Lourey  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“And once I opened up all that real estate where before I’d been holding anger and regret, I found a lot of things were simpler than I’d made them.”
Jess Lourey, January Thaw

“You’ll recognize those men, the ones inclined to their dark side, because they’ll expect you to carry their load. They’ll smother your anger with their pain, they’ll make you doubt yourself, and they’ll tell you they love you the whole time. Some do it big, like Ed, but most do it in quiet steps, like your father.”
Jess Lourey, The Quarry Girls

“The law might not recognize it, but fifteen’s a girl and sixteen a woman, and you get no map from one land to the next. They air-drop you in, booting a bag of Kissing Potion lip gloss and off-the-shoulder blouses after you. As you’re plummeting, trying to release your parachute and grab for that bag at the same time, they holler out you’re pretty, like they’re giving you some sort of gift, some vital key, but really, it’s meant to distract you from yanking your cord. Girls who land broken are easy prey.”
Jess Lourey, The Quarry Girls

Polls

Our Deadly Author of the Month Poll is open! The three authors receiving the most votes will be our Authors of the Month for Oct., Nov., and Dec. This poll closes Sept. 16.

 
  5 votes, 20.8%

 
  4 votes, 16.7%

 
  3 votes, 12.5%

 
  2 votes, 8.3%

 
  2 votes, 8.3%

 
  1 vote, 4.2%

 
  1 vote, 4.2%

 
  1 vote, 4.2%

 
  1 vote, 4.2%

 
  1 vote, 4.2%

 
  1 vote, 4.2%

 
  1 vote, 4.2%

 
  1 vote, 4.2%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

 
  0 votes, 0.0%

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 304597 members — last activity 9 minutes ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
Comments (showing 1-1)    post a comment »
dateDown arrow    newest »

Nora-adrienne Feel free to troll my friends and followers list for your friends and readers.


back to top