One thing I love about Jess Lourey's books is the setting is Minnesota based. Another thing I love about her books are her flawed characters. The Taken Ones is the first in a series and it will be a long wait until some questions get answered in subsequent books.

My reviews don't include spoilers. What I will do is recommend that you read The Taken Ones right away if you like mystery/thrillers. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance copy for an honest review.

I love Jess Lourey's thrillers...I found her via NetGalley with the Quarry Girls and have read her back log since then. The Taken Ones is the start of a new series with 2 interesting characters..Van and Harry and I'm so excited to know more about these 2! Great pace, characters and mystery!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Thomas Mercer for the ARC. I just have to say that this story is such a heartbreaking story; it drew me in right from the beginning. 3 girls go into the woods to go swimming, and only one comes back totally traumatized, with no memory and no trace of her friends. I think that the author did a great job going to and from the past and present both were blended together,

After reading The Quarry Girls and her new book, The Taken Ones, I’m an official Jess Lourey fan!

The Taken Ones was such an intricate, thoughtful mystery/thriller. I am really hoping Lourey turns this into a series because I need more Van & Harry in my life.

Van’s backstory reminded me of the FLDS and Warren Jeffs (trigger warning for abuse) and I found it an interesting component to the story. At first, I wasn’t sure about the supernatural-ish element with Van’s visions, but I think it worked well in story. Overall, I loved it and I will be anxiously waiting the second book!

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

Prepare yourself. This one is going to stick with you for a long time.
Summer 1980....
Location: Minnesota
Three girls go into the woods and only one returns and the one that does is not the same.

Jess Lourey weaves yet another tale of mystery and murder and introduces her latest characters -cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck . I am hoping this is the beginning of a long and exciting series because if Book 1 is any indication, readers are in for a thrilling ride.

The thing that drew me into with this book was the connections between two different time periods. A cold case from 1980 and a present day case had links that were complicated and difficult to unravel but the build up to the conclusion of the book was amazing. I have come to expect nothing less from this author and must admit that I neglected everything else once I started reading this latest offering by Lourey. How does she do it? And now does she continue to do it so well?

Characters in this one hold secrets and just enough of a past to promise the reader an enjoyable, if somewhat scary, read and this reader is anxiously waiting for more. My only disappointment -- that it ended.

I will be looking for Bendy Man everywhere I go now and keeping my eyes open wide.
Thanks to the author, Net Galley and the publisher for providing an advance reader copy for my honest review. A million stars for this one, folks. It's that riveting.

A great read!
I'm new to Jess Lourey and I will be reading her again
A gritty story with some terrifying themes and outcomes
I really liked the touch of insight or supernatural in the story
The main characters were realistic and interesting
I am really looking forward to reading more of Van Reed and Harry Steinbeck's adventures
Highly recommended

A great police procedural featuring a cold case unit & the Minnesota PD.

Van is no stranger to trauma, having grown up on the infamous Frank’s farm. Her sixth sense for crime made her an excellent homicide detective, until her partner died and she is back on desk duty. Her role in a cold case unit has her once again working with the police department when a woman is found buried alive with tied to a famous double kidnapping of two young girls in the 1980s.

Well researched, developed and a very interesting plot with a great lead character. Looking forward to more!

On a hot summer day in the 80's 3 young girls walk into the forest on their way to go swimming. However, only 1 comes back out of the forest; she has no shoes, her feet are burning on the hot road, and she has no memory of what happened in the forest or where her sister and friend are. They are quickly labelled as "the taken ones". There are superstitions surrounding those woods about a "bendy man" who takes children but those are just stories....right?

At present time a woman's body is found in a shallow grave in an industrial area; she had been buried alive. This isn't a normal crime scene, though. The woman was found buried with one half of the "best friends" charm that one of "the taken ones" and the girl who walked out of the forest shared. Is this a coincidence or does this body belong to one of "the taken ones", decades later?

This book does a great job of going back and forth between the past and present. The main character, Evangeline Reed, is a cold case detective with a dark past of her own and the author did a great job of intertwining her story with the current case she is investigating.

When I google this book it says "Steinbeck and Reed #1" and I can honestly say that I am HOPING SO BAD that there will actually be a book 2 because this was fantastic! A quick, twist/bendy read (see what I did there?!). I loved it and would love to read more about Detective Reed. It's my first time reading this author and I can guarantee it won't be my last .

The story opens in 1980, where three young girls go into the woods but only one comes out. With no memory, no trace of her friends. The superstition of the Bendy Man haunting the woods continues.

Present day, 2022, cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned to a homicide, with a woman buried alive, holding the charm that belonged to one of those girls. Van follows her gut but Harry trusts science and the two must work together to find the killer.

The author did an amazing job of taking us between the past and present in this story, that blended seamlessly, while still keeping me intrigued. There was also the superstition incorporated, which made it quite spooky. Wonderful atmosphere and another enjoyable read by the author.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the gifted advance copy.

This was a fantastic read! I am a big Jess Lourey fan and this book just sealed the deal. I am really hoping for another installment of the BCA and these main characters. There were many layers to this story and each one suspenseful. There were definitely some serious CREEPY vibes going on as well. I finished this in two sittings and am eagerly awaiting the next book. Grab a copy now , you will be hooked!!

A serviceable crime novel following a investigator duo. Van, the primary protagonist, had a deep and well-defined traumatic background that drives her motivations and explains her personality. The plot had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, and the pacing was decent, with no significant lulls. That said, I thought the actual writing was a little on the flat side, style wise, with a lot of the details reading as more "matter of fact" than I like. I prefer prose with a bit more emotion and "flavor."

I read this in one evening because I couldn't put it down! Such an intense book! It's rare that a book actually scares me, but this one did, right from the start. A cold case and a new homicide case are connected, but how? Can Van find the connection and the killer before he does it again? This was a fast paced thriller with complex characters working through layers of trauma. I didn't want it to end and I'm hoping there's a 2nd book in the series very soon!

Being completely honest, I didn’t really expect to like this book as much as I did. I’ve had a very hard time getting into one of her other books. After reading this one, though, I am definitely going to try again. There are some slow parts, but the more I read the more excited I became that this is actually going to be a series. It’s well written, really good character development, and I found myself completely invested in the story and in their lives. Thank you so much NetGalley!!

Jess Lourey has such a powerful and unique voice. Her style is completely her own. I read this book in 2 days, I couldn't wait to see how it ended. I truly hope we will see more of Van and Harry.

The cold case angle is the perfect way to bring in her nostalgia writing that she does so well, but to have the stories modern also. And Minnesota FTW! I got a thrill at seeing my hometown of Moorhead mentioned.

One factual error that snuck through: Harry calls her Van at the end of chapter 45 then again in 48 before she questions his use of her nickname in chapter 61. I remember this because in chapter 6 she says he never used her nickname and I wondered why it wasn't called out until chapter 61 despite him saying it 2x before that.

Received copy from netgalley, review is my own.

I need to be sure that I get the next book in this series the day if publishes. Van and Harry are such an interesting and unusual duo, Van as an investigator of cold cases after being bullied out of the police department. Harry, a forensic investigator who is always operating inside the lines. Van has a background of abuse and isolation, so trust is not something she understands or gives lightly. She also has very clear views on evil, and the unrelenting pursuit of perpetrators. The evil and depravity of society is baldly displayed in this book. Van is unique, talented and dedicated, all traits that are not appreciated by everyone. The merciless bullying she is subjected to is so raw I felt pain for her. There are so many plots at work in this book, and they are seamlessly brought together. You literally will not have any idea of the next path the investigation will take. I cannot imagine any thriller fan who will not enjoy and appreciate this book.

Jess Lourey does not disappoint. I deliberately paced myself to read this over two evenings because I did not want it to end. This is a haunting thriller with a good dose of creepiness. As well, a disturbing tale of a creature lurking in the woods came to an unexpected and satisfying reveal that made my toes curl. Highly recommended for mystery/suspense fans, and fans of Jess Lourey. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. #TheTakenOnes #NetGalley

Van is a cold case agent brought in on a disturbing murder that just may tie back to a mystery from 1980. Harry is the forensic scientist that is brought in on the case. Van Reed and Harry Steinbeck are an unlikely duo, but somehow they make it work. Jess Lourey has quickly become one of my must read authors. Can’t wait to find out all of Harry’s secrets!!

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was one of the best thrillers I've read in a while. I loved all the plot twists and could not stop reading. I'm looking forward to the next book! Thank you to the author and publisher for the advanced reader copy, all opinions are my own.

Thank you Jess Lourey, Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC of this book!

"The Taken Ones" is a dark, gritty, creepy and Suspenseful Mystery Thriller. I was immediately pulled into the story and didn't put the book down until it was finished.

This story will take your emotions on a rollercoaster ride. There is heartbreak, tragedy, trauma, horrifying experiences, spooky elements and so much more.

Definitely a gripping read and an excellent start to a new series, I'm looking forward to reading the next book!

Three young girls go into the woods, and only one comes out. Mute and shocked, she cannot recall what happened.
Years later, a woman is buried alive, and does not survive. A necklace is found with her that belongs to one of the missing girls.
Van Reed investigates the cold case, and Harry Steinbeck, a forensic scientist, investigates the homicide.


So tense!! I was gripped by this book. This story will compel you to keep reading. It is creepy and chilling.

I like the main characters, they are real. Very human and have their own secrets which form their personalities.

I have never read Jess Lourey's books before, but will definitely keep an eye out for them.

If you want a spine chilling thriller, this book is for you.
A very solid 5/5 star book.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.