Jess Lourey

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Jess Lourey

Goodreads Author


Born
in Tacoma, WA, The United States
Website

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Member Since
August 2016

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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
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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)
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More books by Jess Lourey…

Beyond Our Wildest Dreams

Kristi Belcamino and I organized last Saturday's Authors for Minnesota Day with two goals: celebrate Minnesota's incredible independent bookstores and raise funds to protect our most vulnerable neighbors.

The response blew us away.

Twenty-six bookstores across the state saw record turnout, with readers hopping between locations, discovering new favorites, and meeting nearly 60 generous authors who

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Published on March 01, 2026 16:00
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The Guilty Dead
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Jess’s Recent Updates

Jess Lourey wrote a new blog post

Beyond Our Wildest Dreams

Kristi Belcamino and I organized last Saturday's Authors for Minnesota Day with two goals: celebrate Minnesota's incredible independent bookstores and Read more of this blog post »
Jess Lourey answered Craig's question:
This question contains spoilers… (view spoiler)
Jess Lourey
Thank you! I love Van and Harry and have an idea for a book four, but I need to finish some other projects first. 😊
Jess Lourey is currently reading
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
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The Laughing Dead by Jess Lourey
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Jess Lourey rated a book it was amazing
The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall
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Jess Lourey made a comment on Make Gloup
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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

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


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