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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
fast-paced
You won't find me picking up many series. I'm a standalone gal. But I read all of Jess Lourey's thrillers, so I jumped on the Steinbeck & Reed train and haven't looked back. The time between each book feels so long... which is a good sign!
đź“–: I think this series needs to be read in order, so if you haven't met Harry Steinbeck and Van Reed, go check out The Taken Ones first and then The Reaping. Book three, The Laughing Dead, opens with a present day crime that leads to a deep dive into Van's past. Will her connections threaten her relationship with one of her only friends, partner Harry Steinbeck?
🤝: This may be a good fit if you enjoy:
- creepy crime scenes
- books about cults
- the past and present colliding
đź’: I love this series. The characters are flawed and weird, and the crimes are creepy, bordering on Ripley's Believe It or Not. I'm a sucker for clairvoyance, so Van's dreams about crime scenes are fascinating to me. Harry's majorly relatable with his Type A ways (and I picture him being Henry Cavill-like 🥵). The way Lourey writes about the trauma of Van's past is poignant while maintaining a page-turning pace. I'm already looking forward to the next installment of this series!
Note: The dog doesn't die.
Rating: I really liked it! (4.5)
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the early access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Pub Day: July 22nd, 2025
đź“–: I think this series needs to be read in order, so if you haven't met Harry Steinbeck and Van Reed, go check out The Taken Ones first and then The Reaping. Book three, The Laughing Dead, opens with a present day crime that leads to a deep dive into Van's past. Will her connections threaten her relationship with one of her only friends, partner Harry Steinbeck?
🤝: This may be a good fit if you enjoy:
- creepy crime scenes
- books about cults
- the past and present colliding
đź’: I love this series. The characters are flawed and weird, and the crimes are creepy, bordering on Ripley's Believe It or Not. I'm a sucker for clairvoyance, so Van's dreams about crime scenes are fascinating to me. Harry's majorly relatable with his Type A ways (and I picture him being Henry Cavill-like 🥵). The way Lourey writes about the trauma of Van's past is poignant while maintaining a page-turning pace. I'm already looking forward to the next installment of this series!
Note: The dog doesn't die.
Rating: I really liked it! (4.5)
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the early access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Pub Day: July 22nd, 2025
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another dark and twisty installment in the Van & Reed series. The story just gets darker and darker, and I love it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Van and Harry’s story continues when Harry calls her to a new scene, which she is tied to. If her team can relate it to a past investigation, then she can work the case as well. However, Van has a lot on her plate and is keeping secrets from Harry. As it turns out, the past she escaped is coming back to haunt her. While her team works to solve the case, there are glimpses of the victims, and Van’s nightmares ramp up. What if she and Harry are tied together more than they thought? I really hope this isn’t the last we see of Steinbeck and Reed, but if it is I enjoyed their journey.
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a chance to read this early!!!
I really really enjoy this series. I’ve always loved crime thriller shows like criminal minds and SVU so this is always right up my alley.
I feel like this is the conclusion but I’m not sure but either way it was great. I really enjoyed how a little unhinged Van got in this one. Her desperation to help her friend, the victims family’s was chaotic but it was her way of showing she cared. I also really enjoy Van’s internal struggles with how she feels about how she grew up and with who she grew up with. They were the only family she’d ever known and had good times with them even tho the trauma outweighs that she still remembers that they were all just scared children trying to get by.
My heart is so happy about the ending. THE ENDING. Oh Harry Steinbeck you sweet sweet man. Oh and there’s a dog too in this one.
I really really enjoy this series. I’ve always loved crime thriller shows like criminal minds and SVU so this is always right up my alley.
I feel like this is the conclusion but I’m not sure but either way it was great. I really enjoyed how a little unhinged Van got in this one. Her desperation to help her friend, the victims family’s was chaotic but it was her way of showing she cared. I also really enjoy Van’s internal struggles with how she feels about how she grew up and with who she grew up with. They were the only family she’d ever known and had good times with them even tho the trauma outweighs that she still remembers that they were all just scared children trying to get by.
My heart is so happy about the ending. THE ENDING. Oh Harry Steinbeck you sweet sweet man. Oh and there’s a dog too in this one.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the third in the Steinbeck/Reed series, and I liked it the best so far. The first book focused mostly on getting to know Van. The second focused on getting to know Harry. And now, this third one, it feels a little more like we're off to the races.
The plot of this one was really grabby, with twists and turns and tangles that I was not expecting. Without spoiling anything, we finally get to see a real intertwining of Van and Harry's pasts. I like Harry more and more as the story develops. I like Van, too, but her impulsivity sometimes irks me, although I realize that's important for the story. And Owl! Omg, I love Owl. <3 She really added a lot to the storyline, with the scenes where she's included being used to bring out more of Van's personality and also bringing out more of Harry's.
The confession from Van to Harry at the end did not go how I predicted it would. I did feel like Van was overreacting a bit when she went to see Harryand his sister at his house at the end, but I also felt like that overreaction was consistent with Van's anxiety in general, especially with a male relationship. I'm really looking forward to the fourth in the series.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The plot of this one was really grabby, with twists and turns and tangles that I was not expecting. Without spoiling anything, we finally get to see a real intertwining of Van and Harry's pasts. I like Harry more and more as the story develops. I like Van, too, but her impulsivity sometimes irks me, although I realize that's important for the story. And Owl! Omg, I love Owl. <3 She really added a lot to the storyline, with the scenes where she's included being used to bring out more of Van's personality and also bringing out more of Harry's.
The confession from Van to Harry at the end did not go how I predicted it would. I did feel like Van was overreacting a bit when she went to see Harry
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love this series, it’s one of my faves.
I enjoyed the hell out of this book, until the last two pages.
Is it over? Is that the ending? If so, I’m left wanting and unhappy. I just need more. Please please please let there be more.
I enjoyed the hell out of this book, until the last two pages.
Is it over? Is that the ending? If so, I’m left wanting and unhappy. I just need more. Please please please let there be more.