The Quarry Girls Audiobook By Jess Lourey cover art

The Quarry Girls

A Thriller

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The Quarry Girls

By: Jess Lourey
Narrated by: Jess Nahikian
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One of Audible's Best of 2022

Killers hiding in plain sight. Small-town secrets. A girl who knows too much. From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Unspeakable Things and Bloodline comes a nerve-twisting novel inspired by a shocking true crime.

Minnesota, 1977. For the teens of one close-knit community, summer means late-night swimming parties at the quarry, the county fair, and venturing into the tunnels beneath the city. But for two best friends, it’s not all fun and games.

Heather and Brenda have a secret. Something they saw in the dark. Something they can’t forget. They’ve decided to never tell a soul. But their vow is tested when their friend disappears—the second girl to vanish in a week. And yet the authorities are reluctant to investigate.

Heather is terrified that the missing girls are connected to what she and Brenda stumbled upon that night. Desperately searching for answers on her own, she learns that no one in her community is who they seem to be. Not the police, not the boys she met at the quarry, not even her parents. But she can’t stop digging because she knows those girls are in danger.

She also knows she’s next.

©2022 Jess Lourey. (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Amateur Sleuths Crime Thrillers Genre Fiction Mystery Small Town & Rural Thriller & Suspense Scary Exciting True Crime Suspense

Critic reviews

“[The Quarry Girls is] one of the most anticipated thrillers of the fall season…[The] novel is about innocence lost, the unwritten rules of silence in small towns, what ‘broken men’ do to others, and what boys growing into men do in packs that they would never do alone. And then there’s the courage of one woman who will not allow herself to be killed.”St. Paul Pioneer Press

“Like Unspeakable Things and Bloodline, Jess Lourey’s The Quarry Girls is ultimately a morality tale—almost a dark fairy tale except that the plots are rooted in reality and the danger is all too real. The sad fact is that there is no shortage of past crimes to prompt Jess Lourey’s creative mind, but readers can rest easy knowing that this author will approach every idea with deep reverence for the victims and a goal of providing a healing and heartfelt journey—for both the characters and their readers—within the pages of some truly exceptional crime fiction.”BOLO Books

“Few authors can blend the genuine fear generated by a sordid tale of true crime with evocative, three-dimensional characters and mesmerizing prose like Jess Lourey. Her fictional stories feel rooted in a world we all know but also fear. The Quarry Girls is a story of secrets gone to seed, and Lourey gives readers her best novel yet—which is quite the accomplishment. Calling it: The Quarry Girls will be one of the best books of the year.”—Alex Segura, acclaimed author of Secret Identity, Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall, and Miami Midnight

Featured Article: Best of the Year—The 15 Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022


This year was an amazingly fruitful one for mysteries and thrillers. As we tried to narrow this list down, a popular refrain among editors was: "Don’t forget this, don’t forget that, and what about this?" Some of us liked when the twists and turns began within the first few minutes, while others were happy to go on the rocky, thrilling rides the genre provides with a little guessing along the way. But we’re sure about one thing—this list is simply the best.

Compelling Storyline • Unexpected Plot Twists • Soothing Voice • Well-developed Characters • Vivid Descriptive Writing
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Firstly, there is a short prologue/author’s note at the beginning that gives away some pieces of the book, which was very unfortunate. I recommend listening to that AFTER the book. It’s based on a true story, so there are only so many twists and turns one could expect, but the story felt quite inevitable. There were few red herrings, and you basically know if someone is a protagonist or villain soon after being introduced to them. There are a couple of twists but very easy to see coming. The subject material is INCREDIBLY dark, so brace yourself for that if you pick this book up. It felt more like a coming-of-age story with a gritty and macabre backdrop, and larger commentary on what men are capable of in groups. Finished the book feeling sad and down, not surprised by unexpected twists. Might be what you are looking for, but didn’t do it for me.

No twists and turns, just inevitable darkness

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I loved this! I finished it in two days. Engaging and fast paced the entire time, the narration was great too. I was captivated and wanted to know the answers and get to the end! Definitely had me shocked a couple times, and tugged on my heart strings at points too. Great read!!

Fast paced and engaging!

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I really enjoyed the late 70s coming of age context for this story. It’s dark and heavy and not as filled with “surprise twists” as I’m used to but I enjoyed it. Surprised to see reviews complaining about the narrator. I thought she did a really nice job.

Dark story that sticks with you

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Overall I enjoyed this audiobook. My only complaints:
- Some of the twists had clues that were revealed a little too early, making the twist a bit predictable
- Some of the pieces of the resolution felt a little disjointed, like I was hoping for them to come together, but they didn’t quite align for me.

However, the story kept me listening and it was more enjoyable than not! The narrator did a great job, too.

Decent!

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The author's note at the beginning had me pause to truly consider how the serial killer came to be so prolific in the '70s. From my childhood, I recall the Hillside Strangler and Night Stalker.

I had to take frequent breaks from this novel. Now as an adult, seeing the behavior of males (both teens to adults) portrayed in the novel is so disturbing and yet so common. It begs the question, how do we raise boys to be good men when there are so many bad examples that have an influence on them?
Part of the Kindle Unlimited catalog.

Gritty and Gut-Wrenching

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This was intense from start to finish. Emotions ran high and low through every twist and turn. Sometimes hard to listen to but very uplifting and hopeful at the end.

Very engaging

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Great story--I love Jess Lourey's recent mysteries! I've read Unspeakable Things and Bloodline, and this is my first Audible listen of her books. While this narrator would have been a good fit for Bloodline, she wasn't a great fit for a teenage girl first person tone. The narrator is good on her own, but made this one sound super depressing as even the parts that weren't serious sounded melancholy with her hushed, plaintive tones. I stopped halfway through and finished on my Kindle and enjoyed the story WAY more by removing her voice from my head!

Excellent Mystery!

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Trigger Warnings…Serial murders and rapist of young children/women. Well written and gripped me right at the start.

Crime Junkies

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As someone who listens to a lot of true crime mysteries, this book kept me on my toes, trying to figure out what happens next. Really interesting twists and heartbreaking tale.

Really Enjoyable

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Heather’s idyllic childhood in her beloved hometown comes to a screeching halt when she first discovers that many community leaders are totally corrupt and then learns that a serial killer is preying on the high school girls in the town. Very few bright spots and little happiness in this thriller.

Grim

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