The Quarry Girls

A Thriller

By: Jess Lourey

Narrated by: Jess Nahikian

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.

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

No twists and turns, just inevitable darkness

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.

Fast paced and engaging!

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!!

Dark story that sticks with you

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.

Decent!

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.

Took awhile to hold my interest

Story was a little heavy on metaphors, but good descriptions. Reader was overall solid. The book was an interesting premise, but a few too many “bad guys” for my liking. There are certainly “bad people” in this world, but not all of them are men. In addition, there are many more good men than bad.

Excellent!

Great story and great presentation. I highly recommend this book. Can’t wait to listen to another book of hers.

Great story, strong soul!

Really like this read, the story was good, pace too. The primary character is very strong. Making you wish you knew someone like this in the real world.

The Quarry Girls

Took me a while to get into and kinda predictable but overall enjoyed it the book.

Meh…. 🫤

This book was just alright. I found myself distracted a lot and just wanting it to be over!

Compelling and Sad Coming of Age Story

The story is of innocence lost and finding the courage to speak out. I found myself remembering the days of my teen years of no adult supervision & getting into situations that could have ended badly. Excellent storytelling by the author and very good audio.