After I finished this book, all I could say was “WOW!” This is a twisty and unique story that I could not put down. The main character Joan is a remarkable character and I truly enjoyed following her story. Lourey also includes many other supporting characters, but her writing is so well done it is not confusing in the least bit. It’s hard to talk about this book without giving away some of the plot, and I highly recommend everyone go into this blind to get the full experience so all I’ll say is “READ THIS BOOK!” It’s out now so grab a copy ASAP. ⁣

I kept seeing this book everywhere and knew I had to read it because the storyline sounded so creepy. This book seemed different from a lot of the thriller type reads I had reviewed lately and it definitely was. Now I can’t say too much about the book because I do not want to spoil the storyline for anyone. This is a book you just have to keep reading to try and piece together what is going on. I really did enjoy the creepiness factor of this book and how it all fitted together. I can see why people were comparing this to Rosemary’s Baby. This book will hold your attention throughout and make you question everything. If you like stories with a creepy edge then you will love this book.

The story is set somewhere in 1960's. Joan and Deck move to Lilydale, Minnesota, from Minneapolis to live with Deck's parents. Joan is pregnant and is actually a journalist. When she moves to Lilydale, the town is haunted by the missing case of a four year old, Paulie, who disappeared mysteriously back in 1944 and Paulie's mother too disappeared and the house where Paulie lived with the mother was burned down. Then a boy who claimed to be Paulie returns back to this small town and Joan is asked to write the article. And Joan finds many disturbing things about this small town.

Since this was actually based on real events, the story itself intrigued me. However, the first part of the story was a bit boring but it got tad interesting towards the ending. The development of the story was a bit slow but the ending, there was this unexpected twist that I literally did not expect! Overall, it was actually a good thriller and the writing was good. I am not giving too much details about the story but there were some parts in the book, that was actually a bit disturbing and disgusting to read but nonetheless it was a good thriller. Worth four stars!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the book. This review is based on my honest opinion.

Bloodline by Jess Lourey is one of the creepiest books I have read in a very long time and I loved every word of it. Rosemary’s Baby is a prime example of what I consider creepy. Joan Harken, a journalist, leaves the big city for a move with her boyfriend to his Minnesota childhood home in the country. Lilydale is like a picture postcard and is everyone’s dream of life in a small town. But not all is as it seems and Joan soon notices that someone is always watching her. The friendly neighbours are overly-friendly and claustrophobia creeps into Joan’s life. There is something definitely wrong with this place and the journalist in her wants to find out what is going on. Why is everyone so interested in her? I cannot provide more information without spoiling the book for those who have not yet read Bloodline. The fact that this novel is based on real events makes the reader even more invested in the story. And you will not believe the conclusion! Highly recommended for any mystery reader who doesn’t mind a little fear and tension. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well hello Jess Lourey, how is Bloodline my first book by you?! This is the question I have been asking myself because WOW. I had an ecopy but when I saw it was a KU title and I could get the audio for $1.99, that's just what I did, and it was totally worth it. Whitney Dykhouse narrates Bloodline and I LOVED her as Joan. I was completely addicted to the audiobook and I would highly recommend it.

I am from Minnesota but haven't spent any time in Lilydale, and frankly after reading this book I'm not sure I want to. Especially considering this book was inspired by a real case there. I have read my fair share of thrillers, and this book is what I would call the cream of the crop. It was unique, suspenseful, and above all, incredibly creepy. Once I started it I knew I was going to have a hard time putting it down and that was definitely the case. I just wanted to know where it was going and didn't want to stop until I got there. I was completely chilled by Bloodline, and the end was something I never saw coming. I say go into it as blind as you can because that is the best way. I see you Lourey, and I can't wait until your next book comes out!

Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I tried to enjoy this one but I just didn't. I went back to it several times. In the end I skipped many chapters just to see if it ended how I expected. Which it did. While the premise was intriguing, it moved too slow and the town was a bit too Stepford. I also didn't care for any of the characters, especially Deck. Joanie was complex, yet I couldn't get invested in her.

After a tumultuous few months in which her mother died, she is passed over for a promotion, mugged and finds out she's pregnant, Joan Harken welcomes her boyfriend Deck's suggestion to move to his hometown of Lilydale. On paper, the idyllic town of Lilydale is exactly what Joan thinks she needs; it's peaceful, quiet and safe with a close knit, welcoming community.

When a stranger shows up in town claiming to be Paulie Aandeg, a small boy who had disappeared 20 years before, her reporter instincts will not allow Joan to let the story go. What she discovers threatens to shatter Lilydale's perfect veneer.

With strong Stepford Wives vibes, this book was somewhat entertaining but far from spectacular. Nothing I haven't come across before, in better written and paced versions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing a digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

This book was amazing! I have always loved books about small towns that seem perfect from the outside, but they are anything but! The dread and suspense just kept building throughout the book. The ending was perfect. I loved this book!

Absolutely loved this story! Looking forward to reading more books by this author! Highly recommend!

Joan is happy to return with her fiancee to his hometown in Minnesota. It is a far cry from the bustling city life she is used to but after her recent mugging she thinks she should give it a fair trial especially as she is now pregnant.

The neighbours and her in laws are welcoming but it seems rather strained. Joan cant put her finger on what troubles her, but having being used to being independent she sets out on first finding a job at the local newspaper, a one man show which nevertheless welcomes her and she tries to put her misgivings aside and get on with her life.

When she feels that every step she takes is being monitored and then relayed back to her family especially to the elders of the community, she knows that things are off kilter but how she is going to get out of this is the issue.

What follows is slightly Margaret Atwood ish. It is also a recreation of a true story so here fact is
stranger than fiction.

Surreal but good reading.

This was a chilling read. A small town rooted with secrets and a well renowned family with secrets of their own - I simply couldn’t put this one down once I got started!

In the same vein as Rosemary’s Baby, this story will get under your skin in the most chilling way.

This is definitely one that will keep you up late to finish but make sure to leave a light on because it’s a DARK read!

In a tale inspired by real events, pregnant journalist Joan Harken is cautiously excited to follow her fiancé back to his Minnesota hometown. After spending a childhood on the move and chasing the screams and swirls of news-rich city life, she’s eager to settle down. Lilydale’s motto, “Come Home Forever,” couldn’t be more inviting.

And yet, something is off in the picture-perfect village.

This was a real page turner. I couldn’t wait to see how it was going end. And boy was it a surprise. It kept me guessing until the very end. So suspenseful and creepy!

I received a digital copy of this book and my opinion is my own.

Everything goes to hell when Joan moves to Lilydale. I liked this book cause it was based around a true story. Too bad the actual case wasn't solved. Jess Lourey is an exceptional story teller.

Thanks #Bloodline #NetGalley

Thanks for this copy of Bloodline. This was my first book by this author and I want more. Bloodline was a fast read.... fast paced thriller. I loved the characters and the storyline. Very different from books I’ve been into lately. I give this book 4-4.5 stars. I feel like the ending was a little rushed but overall a very good paced book. The twists and turns keep you in gaged throughout the story and keeps you turning and not want to put it down. I will be recommending on my Goodreads for sure. Thanks!

Thank you @netgalley and @jesslourey for allowing me review Bloodline.
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I loved everything about the story. It was such an easy read and drug me in right away. I love how the main character Joan was very likeable. I wqs on her side from the start. Everything that happened blew my mind, I didnt guess the main line.

This was creepy. I'm reading reviews that said this was predictable, but I actually thought this was going in a horror/supernatural direction and was willing to suspend my disbelief and I was actually surprised when the reveal was not what I expected. Not as exciting as what I imagined but it was still good.

Joan Harken and her boyfriend, Deck, have decided to move from the big city to Deck's tiny hometown of Lilydale. It's the kind of place where everyone knows your name and your secrets. But it's also the kind of place where Joan, pregnant and recovering from being mugged, can be safe. Nevermind the fact that it's 1968 and Deck has so far avoided the draft—moving home means a job and some protection by his father, the town's mayor, in that regard.

But Joan, who never settled in one place for too long, finds the town stifling. First, Deck insists on telling everyone that they're married. Then, he spills the beans about their pregnancy. Soon it seems like every action on Joan's part is watched and judged.

Then Joan hears about Paulie Aandeg, a little boy who went missing over two decades ago. Paulie's case was never solved. And though it's been quite some time, when another boy goes missing Joan can't help but think the two are connected.

Funny story: back in 2008 I attended my very first con, Left Coast Crime, which was held that year in Denver (convenient!). And I remember Jess Lourey from that con! Craziness!

Anyway, Bloodline, wow! This latest from Lourey screams Rosemary's Baby meets The Stepford Wives!

Joan is smart and determined. She's also very career focused. But she's not going to let getting pregnant derail her plans. Nor is she going to let moving to Lilydale stand in the way of her chances. She gets a job at the local paper, taking on whatever assignments they want to give her. But it's clear that the job is meant to placate her.

She's to be grateful for what they've given her. After all, a woman in the family way shouldn't be working! And it becomes clear to both Joan and the reader that Lilydale is exactly the kind of town filled with exactly the kind of people who believe that!

I didn't know that Lilydale was also the setting for Lourey's previous title, Unspeakable Things. Don't worry, you don't have to have read it. But it is fun that Lourey's created this fictional town to encompass these two stories.

Bloodline delves into the history of Lilydale—all the way back to its founding actually. And it's a town with dark secrets.

I really enjoyed this one! The small town setting in 1968 was so perfect! As was Lourey's overall creepy vibe throughout the story. And the pacing...well, this is definitely one you won't want to put down. Not only did I read it pretty straight through (two sittings, I think), I dove straight into Unspeakable Things as soon as I was done (there was a sample chapter—I couldn't help it!).

If Lourey's books are any insight into how my reading year is going to go, then I'm definitely (hopefully) in for a lot of great reads in 2021!

This book by this new to me author had me intrigued from start till the last page.
Bloodline, written by Jess Loury, published by Thomas & Mercer, tells Joan's story. A mystery with thriller elements that had me guessing and kept me in suspense till the end.
Joan's story is heartbreakingly beautiful, well written, complex. The storyline spans decades and believe when I say evil exists. A story full of twists, turns, Untifen tun sich auf, a huge Verschwörung that tops everything I eveer read. 4,5 stars.

Joan find herself pregnant and gets mugged - which makes her decision to move with her boyfriend, Deck, to his small hometown much easier. She is a journalist and gets sucked into a 20 year old disappearance of a kindergarten boy. To Joan, the town is a little too perfect - and she feels like she is being watched all the time. Deck tells her she’s paranoid, but she can’t shake the feeling of her every move cataloged by the Mill Street families.

I wanted to like this much more than I did. The first half was a little slow, but did get better during the second half. It was creepy and had a mystery element to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first experience with Lourey's writing - and I know that it won't be my last! Based on a real story of a missing child in a small Minnesota town, this hooks the reader in right from the very start! Joanie Harkin in 1968 moves to Lilydale, Minnesota with her boyfriend and unborn child, unsettled after being mugged in Minneapolis. A reporter, she can't stop herself from digging into the town's past, while feeling uneasy with the way news flows so rapidly by word of mouth in this small town.

It's a fast-paced read - and while not entirely unpredictable, it remains engaging from start to finish! Joanie's choices may at times frustrate the reader, and while she does seem more like a modern woman than the 1968 setting would initially suggest, she manages to be sympathetic throughout. And while the plot's twists are pretty easy to see coming (there's some pretty heavy-handed Farrow-shadowing, I mean foreshadowing!), it is a satisfying and fun read - though I wish that Joanie's disgust with some physical characteristics hadn't been so palpable because it did make me like her a lot less. Still, it's entertaining and I am curious to check out Lourey's other books!