Excellent, fast paced thriller. Do not make plans after starting this book, because you won’t want to stop until the end. On a hot day in 1980 three young girls were walking through the woods on their way to a swimming hole. When one of the girls emerged alone so horrified she could not remember the abduction of the other two, the community was outraged and scared. Eventually the case goes cold until a particularly vile homicide occurs that is connected to the original case more than 40 years earlier. Creepy thriller that is not to be missed.

I requested The Taken Ones thinking it would be a standalone crime story inspired by a true crime case, as was The Quarry Girls.

But ... what? This was a super-good police procedural with a cold case investigator called in when a current murder brings up a notorious disappearance of two young girls decades before.

I thought this book was fantastic. Great characters, really masterful use of the past/present timeline, and a high creep factor.

And then ... it's a series?!??!? What? I am very excited and can't wait to read the next installment!

Jess Lourey is one of my auto-reads, as in I see her name and I must somehow get my grubby little hands on a copy of her book. The way she's able to go back in time to tell tales of missing kids, missing people, murder...whatever that's dark and sinister out there is perfection.

I'm always terrified and must read these books in one sitting.

Jess is beginning a new police procedural series with THE TAKEN ONES. There is undeniably chemistry between our female and male lead detectives. They are also quite quirky.

THE TAKEN ONES showcases a current horrific murder tied to a cold-case involving the disappearance of two girls.

Our main character has visions that helps in her solving crimes. It is just enough "supernatural" to not cross over into unbelievable territory.

I can't wait for the next in the series. The cliffhanger has left me ... hanging ... ready for more.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an e-copy of THE TAKEN ONES to review.

I rate THE TAKEN ONES five out of five stars.

This was fine. I didn't dislike it the story or the writing or anything. It was paced well, the villain was appropriately creepy, and the atmosphere was strong.

But it's probably my least favorite of Lourey's books, simply because it's a pretty standard police procedural. Granted, there is a bit of a twist on the formula with Van having psychic visions, but that actually took me out of it a bit. I love Lourey's previous books Bloodline and The Quarry Girls and others because of their realism; so despite the procedural aspect being the least enjoyable part of The Taken Ones, I actually would have preferred it being even more straightforward, for believability's sake (or, at the very least, for that aspect to be advertised in the synopsis or genre placements so readers aren't jarred when the visions begin, as I was).

Also, reader alert: there is a short story that precedes this book (available on Amazon via Prime Reading), and the plot of that story is frequently mentioned and plays a not-insignificant role in this book and its character dynamics.

Oh, and it ends on a cliffhanger. Annoying.

The author has again set her latest mystery in Minnesota. Her familiarity and knowledge of the area is vividly described in a chilling forest near a small town called Leech Lake, close to Minneapolis. In the eighties two young girls disappeared there, another walks out forever traumatized. Warning - There are graphic, despicable crimes and horrific scenes. The unknown circumstances has haunted not just their parents but the community. Rumors of bad vibes, an unknown evil presence, even a faceless ‘Bendy Man’ continue to abound about the haunting forest.
All those terrible memories bubble up with the discovery of a body, an obvious homicide. Evangeline (Van) used to be In homicide at the Minneapolis PD before losing her partner and friend, Bart. Now she’s transferred and does mostly paperwork at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Cold Case Unit. This new case will be her chance to prove her abilities taking lead of a team. She had a childhood filled by fear and trauma in a commune. Most of Van’s behavior, her visions, vivid dreams and premonitions, her confrontational attitude and lone wolf tendencies made it hard to get close to knowing her. Sometimes I didn’t like her at all, even had me wondering if police work was beneficial to her or the department. Other times she was smart, strong and compassionate. She works this case with Agent Harry Steinbeck, a forensic scientist, by far my favorite character with his suave attire and wise persona. His steady demeanor balances Van’s frenetic choices, behavior and heedless actions.
The plot has many solidly realistic supporting characters, I enjoyed some of their lives and jobs very much. I am a skeptical nonbeliever in regards to having visions, dreams and so forth, which most certainly affected my enjoyment of this story. I’m positive others will it find it more their style than I did. Without revealing spoilers I knew most of the secrets at forty percent into the story. I enjoyed other books by the author and will watch for more of her work.
A digital advance reader copy of “The Taken Ones”, Steinbeck and Reed #1, by Jess Lourey, Published by Thomas & Mercer, was provided by NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey is an adventure into the dark side of humanity and what some are willing to do. The story will invade your mind, and you won't be able to stop thinking about it until it is finished if you are lucky.

Will Van and her team find Lily before she ends up like Amber? Will Van's career be over in the process?

The story starts in 1980 with three young girls taking off to the local creek to swim. However, only one girl leaves the woods. The other two are missing, taken. The older two are friends, Amber and Rue, in the third grade, while Lily is Rue's six year old sister. The case goes cold with no leads. That is apparently due to the original team investigating and how things were handled in small towns in the 80s.

Flash forward to the present time, and they find a woman recently buried alive with possible ties to the cold case. The cold case team must work with the current homicide team.

The Investigators

Evangeline Reed
Agent Van Reed, as she prefers to be called, lives a solitary life with her primary focus on her work and her volunteer time at the animal shelter as her relief valve. Van hasn't had an easy life as she was raised on Frank's Farm, a weird cult like place. Once "rescued," she got a degree and became a detective with the Minneapolis Police Department. She was lucky to get one of the more experienced detectives as her partner, and he became her best friend. However, when he died, Van was pushed and bullied right out of the department. Now, she is working with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Cold Case Unit.

Van also has dreams that show her horrible things that are happening now. These monsters in her dreams do terrible things to the innocent, and Van needs to save them. I like Van. She has this almost emo thing going on, but mostly, it's poor hygiene and lack of care in her appearance. I don't know how she manages to deal with the gift she has been given or the path her life is on. But I do know that I would be friends with her moody self.

Harry Steinbeck
Dr. Harry Steinbeck is the forensic person on the team and works closest with Van. Harry is an elegant guy with multiple outfits and doctor bags to match. His appearance is always spotless, and he is at the top of his field. He comes from a well-to-do family, and his manners show that.

I like Harry, but there seems to be more to him than meets the eye. Harry shows a part of himself, but it's almost like he spotlights this positive personality, hoping that what lies beneath stays in the shadow. However, I could be wrong, and he could just be what he appears.

Think of them as The Odd Couple television series, where Oscar, the grumpy-couldn't-care-less-slob guy, lives with Felix, the neat-always-a-ray-of-sunshine guy.

Five Stars
I started reading this one afternoon before we had plans, and I couldn't get it out of my mind. The complexity of the characters, the crimes against humanity, the small town settings with all the secrets, and the good ole boys' club intrigue me completely. The clues kept leading us in all these different directions, but the severity of the kidnapper's reasoning is mind blowing.

My rating for The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey is five stars. If you love a good mystery with a thrill, you must read this one. I truly recommend it. However, set aside some time; otherwise, you won't be able to concentrate on anything else.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey.

Until the next time,

~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for letting me read a copy of The Taken Ones. This was my first book by this author and I will read more. This was a great book that was hard to put down since it caught my attention from page 1. This book was filled with suspense and secrets a good combination from this award winning author. Two girls disappear when they were going on a summer outing. This is #1 in a series I cant wait to read the rest of the series in order to see the awesome storyline.

I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC. I love Jess Lourey's storytelling. She creates characters and settings that are so real and relatable. I felt like I was in the story alongside the characters watching this tale unfold.

It’s the Summer of 1980: With no fear of a local superstition, three girls go into a Minnesota woods and Only one comes out. Dead silent. Memory gone. No trace of her friends. The mystery of the Taken Ones captures the nation.
Flash forward, Summer 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide—a woman buried alive, clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of the vanished girls from the 1980s. Van follows her gut. Harry trusts in facts. Their common ground is the need to catch a killer before he kills again. They have something else in common: each has ties to the original case in ways they’re reluctant to share…
The Taken Ones was a classic police procedural, which made me excited! This is a great start to this series, with two well-written characters, a strong mystery, and just enough twists to keep you engaged. I really enjoyed the counter balance of these two characters. The writing is polished and the story keeps moving enough to keep you engaged and wanting more! Hopefully more stories with these two will be coming very soon!
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas&Mercer for the advanced copy of this book.

2.5 Stars

This was my first book by this author and it wasn't what I was expecting, but not in a good way. I was really into it, clipping along at a fast pace and enjoying the read about a dead body that links back to a cold case from forty years ago. And then all of a sudden the lead cop gets "visions" and starts to have heart flutters over her partner. Why oh why couldn't this just have been a really good police procedural/investigation plotline without the voodoo and the romance thrown in!? Lourey had a really good thing going here until she didn't.

I was engaged enough to want to finish this one because I wanted to know who the killer was and had the author not thrown in the two things I mentioned and had avoided about a million sub-plots in the narrative I would have loved this book. There are plots about a senator abusing her husband and kids, another about Van's backstory in an abusive cult, one about a case she worked on before with Steinbeck and another about the history she has with her old partner and his replacement and then we had swingers and dog rescues...I got a headache trying to figure out where the author was going with it all.

I did love how the author wrote the killer's point of view, man is he ever damaged, his pages creeped me the feck out and his ability to hide was certainly a unique one. The book ended on a real cliffhanger and this is supposed to be a series but I was so disappointed in the way it went I won't be bothering to pick up book two. I am in the minority here and at the time of posting this review the book has a 4.35 rating so take my review with a grain of salt.

Three young girls went out to swim, but only one returned, and she was never the same.
Many years have passed, and when one woman is found, buried alive, her identity, sets a chain of events in motion. She is one of the two girls who vanished so many years ago. What could’ve happened to keep her alive and away from her family for so long? And why has she been killed now in such a gruesome way.
Cold Case detective Van Reed is determined to find answers. Especially since time might be running out for the other girl who was taken. Van had such a terrible upbringing, but it’s easy to see why she cares so much about justice. I don’t want to venture into spoiler territory, but there is a lot going on with this character.
Harry is also working on the team trying to solve this old case. I didn’t feel like I really got to know him, but since I believe there will be another book, perhaps his character will be more fully developed.
An intriguing start to a new series.

Jess Lourey is a master of mystery/true crime. Talk about suspense! The story has a very creepy beginning- three little girls walk into the woods to go swimming on a hot day. Only one comes out, after witnessing something horrific. The missing girls and their abductor are never found.
Present day we follow our main character, Agent Evangeline Reed, as she works the cold case which is now mixed in with a current murder case. She works with a forensic scientist, Harry Steinbeck. We get several flashback chapters of Van’s childhood and the story flows seamlessly.

This book had me in a chokehold. I was so nervous reading and I couldn’t put it down! Finished in two sittings (had to sleep unfortunately) and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. The story wraps up nicely but it was the perfect end to set up the next book in the series. I loved Quarry Girls and enjoyed this one even more, so l’ll be checking out the rest of Lourey’s books. Five stars!! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

This was my first book by Jess Lourey and apparently, this book is the first in a new series. After reading this, I would love to pick up more from Lourey and this series! I found this book to be an excellent, quick paced book that I just could not put down. I don't always gravitate towards detective series, but this was a great pick!

I love Jess Lourey's Murder by Month series, why not read her new thirller series!

Two girls disappeared over 4 decades ago, thought to be murdered. When one of the girls is found dead after being buried alive, the case is blown wide open.

Agent Van Reed is assigned to The Taken Ones cold case while Detective Comstock works the active murder case. Neither one of them are thrilled to be working together, but they both have a desire to solve the case.

It took me three months to read this book. The pacing was slow and exhausting at times. I could easily put it down and not have an urge to pick it up again.

This book is supposedly the first in a series of the duo Steinbeck and Reed. Honestly, you need to read Catch Her in a Lie first to really get the background for this story. I was a little lost with too much missing background information.

This book isn't inclusive of a dynamic duo. This book is all about Evangeline Reed, her special gifts, and her pursuing this case. Harry Steinbeck does not make enough appearances to warrant a name in the title of this series. He takes more of a spotlight in the last 15% of the book, but even then that's too little too late.

The series has potential, but this wasn't a knock out thriller for

This was my first read by Jess Lourey and WOW was it good! It was a fast-paced whodunit novel that had me wanting to read just one more chapter every time I had to stop. This detective/crime thriller is dark and filled with tension, suspense and turns that made for an exciting read. The main character, Van, was complex, broken and unreliable at times but her dedication to help others and better herself kept me rooting for her. The book ends with a clear resolution but leaves you with a cliffhanger! I cannot wait for the sequel!

Forty-two years ago on a hot summer day, three young girls went into a neighborhood forest on the way to a creek to swim. One traumatized girl walks out of the woods. This is a cold case that Evangeline (Van) takes the lead to solve. She has a history of abuse that is unknown to her fellow offices at the bureau, along with occasional dreams that guide her in solving cases. A woman is found that had been buried alive and she was one of the girls that had disappeared. Van becomes obsessed with this cold case and is running out of time to find the second girl.

This is an intense story of manipulation, evil and survival.

Thank you NetGalley

A cold case from 42 years ago comes into play when a new murder case occurs.
Cold Case detective Van, is more than who she appears to be and is a favorite character of mine! She is in charge of the cold case and runs into a few snafus. Amazing storylines and I love the different point of views in the book.
Also, the ghost story of the woods is The Bendy Man and what name could be better than that!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Jess Lourey is known for the high suspense and fast pace of her thrillers, and The Taken Ones is no exception.. The book starts with a small, heartwarming scene as Evangeline “Van” Reed volunteers at an animal shelter and gives an old abandoned dog some exercise and love. Within paragraphs, the focus shifts with a phone call. Van is a cold case detective with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and she is called to work the case of a woman who died after being buried alive. The victim was clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of three girls who vanished in 1980. Van and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck both have ties to the earlier case, and for Van the current crime stirs devastating memories of her own childhood. Together they work to find the connections between the two cases and stop a killer on the loose. The tension never slackens in this chilling and heartbreaking story.

This is my first book by this author and boy was I impressed. Two girls disappeared 42 years ago while walking through the woods to a creek. Present day one girl is buried alive but help arrives too late. There is tension, action, stress, excitement....all the makings of a great detective mystery thriller. Loved this book - highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley. #netgalley #the takenones

Summer 1980: Three girls go into a Minnesota forest despite the local superstition that it is haunted. One only comes out…without her memory.

Fast forward to 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide where the dead woman is found clutching a heart charm necklace. The necklace belonged to one of the missing girls from 1980. Now they’re both desperate to catch the killer before he strikes again. Can they trust each other and work together to solve this homicide before it’s too late?

I picked this one up because it had an interesting premise, I kept reading this one because my friend @littleblondebombshelf enjoyed it.

I found this one to be a little too slow for my liking. I struggled to get sucked into the story like I typically enjoy. However, about halfway or so, things picked up and the pieces started coming together and I did enjoy it. I loved the mystery element to this one. It kept me guessing and, on my toes, begging to find out the answers. I did read The Quarry Girls by this author, and I really enjoyed it. So, for me it was just an issue with this book. I do enjoy the author’s style overall and enjoy her books.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley @netgalley, for access to this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Publication Date: September 19, 2023

3.5 stars rounded down.

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