The Reaping

Steinbeck and Reed, Book 2

De: Jess Lourey

Narrado por: James Daniels

By-the-book forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck and rogue BCA agent Van Reed must catch a cold-case killer who’s returned to abduct a small town’s children one by one in this heart-stopping novel from the Edgar Award-nominated author of Unspeakable Things.

In 1998 an Alku, Minnesota, family of five was brutally murdered in their sleep. The event shook the insulated community but, without any solid leads, was relegated to the cold case files, where it moldered for twenty-five years. Until today.

Agent Harry Steinbeck hoped never to return to the northland, a place that holds terrible memories of his sister’s abduction. But when a recent homicide is connected to Alku’s unsolved mass murder, he and cold case agent Evangeline Reed have no choice but to investigate.

The case grows impossibly darker as, one by one, the children of Alku begin disappearing. And Harry and Van can’t shake the sensation that someone is watching every move they make.

As an elusive killer’s trail leads to a truth more sinister than either imagined, Harry knows there’s only one way to crack this case: he must finally face the secrets of his own past—even if doing so will cost him everything.

©2024 by Jess Lourey. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Mystery and horror mix in a creepy novel whose suspenseful ending hints at a very special sequel.” —Kirkus Reviews

“With the Fall season quickly closing in, readers are scrambling for their next haunting read. And readers will find nothing more delightfully twisted than Jess Lourey’s latest chilling thriller, The Reaping.” —BookTrib

“The novel’s setting in fictional, Alku, Minn., an insular community founded by seven immigrant Finnish families, is truly creepy, and Lourey’s skillful manipulation of flashbacks cranks the suspense.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

So intriguing I could not stop listening.

The story line is addictive and the suspense is always in a heightened state. Edge of your seat excitement, hoping we get more of Harry and Van soon!

Amazing 4 1/2 star read

The Reaping (Steinbeck and Reed Book 2), my second read from author Jess Lourey. In The Taken Ones the character focus was on BCA agent Van Reed with forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck introduced as a secondary character. In this book he's a more primary character. Well-written and enjoyable, Amazon labels it as a Women Sleuth thriller, I wouldn't categorize it as that. I purchased an Audible copy it two days ago after reading The Taken Ones and am voluntarily reading & reviewing it, James Daniels narration made the 9-hours 42-minutes read fly by in an uninterupted read. I look forward to reading more from this author, The Quarry Girls high on my TBR list, yeah she's that good! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

Another winner!

I love this series new series. I cannot wait for the next one. The characters are terrific, and the stories are suspenseful.

Was not expecting that

Small towns or in this case; small communities have a lot to hide. Especially when it the stigma of mental illness.

Not as good as the first but good

The storyline was intriguing but a bit far-fetched and the time shifts were too much. It made the story difficult to follow. My main disappointment was the narrator, I’m sorry but he wasn’t a good choice for Harry. And he completely changed Van’s inflections therefore her character. I wasn’t a fan.

Engaging Mystery

I pre-ordered this book as soon as I could after finishing The Taken Ones, and I wasn't disappointed!

I wasn't sure about having a new performer, but since this story is from Harry's POV, it made sense to switch things up. Daniels' performance grew on me, and I'd definitely listen to another Harry story performed by Daniels.

Lowrey again delivers a haunting mystery in a beautifully fleshed out world. Harry may not have been happy to return to Duluth, but I absolutely loved it! Lowry has a fabulous sense of setting and world building. I've visited Duluth all my life, and she describes it all perfectly.

The story itself is as mysterious and gripping as The Taken Ones. I was briefly worried the conclusion would be too predictable, but I needn't have been concerned; Lowrey breaks out weighty and satisfying twists right up until the end. And, of course, a bombshell in the epilogue.

I cannot wait for more Steinbeck and Reed thrillers!! I'll be pre-ordering for sure!!

Wow!

I loved the unusual, the weird and the twists and turns. It kept me guessing until the end!!!! Both the main characters and their background stories just added to the whole book! I do hope they return for another book.

Another Brilliant story by Lourey!!

WHOA!!! I’m blown away once again by the Steinbeck and Reed series!! When I started this I wasn’t sure. I thought nope, it’s not going to be as good as The Taken Ones. Boy was I wrong!!!!

Lourey is BRILLIANT!! She comes up with the most unusual stories and then at the end you are left with your mouth hanging open. After she discusses how this story came to her and the research she found, and once again my mouth was hanging open. I’m thinking by what was said at the end (shhh…NO spoilers!) that there is going to be another book…I HOPE SO!!! I definitely want to continue in the world of Steinbeck and Reed, there is so much more to be said when it going to these two!!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THRILLER/MYSTERY LOVERS!!!!

Creepy

It was a great creepy book. Worth listening to. Might be better read to keep the people separated but maybe not.

Excellent addition to a superb series.

After listening to The Taken Ones I was hooked on following not only the Steinbeck and Reed series but Jess Lourey as well. When I saw The Reaping was available on Kindle Unlimited and included the audiobook version, I couldn’t resist borrowing it and setting everything aside to listen to this episode of Steinbeck and Reed. Once again Hess Lourey blew my mind with a story that had multiple story lines all leading up to a conclusion that wasn’t just unexpected but opened doors to a future episode without ending on a cliffhanger. This episode was filled with further disclosures about Steinbeck and Reed’s personal lives that explained more fully why they are in some respects very dysfunctional people yet highly competent investigators. Now that I’ve finished this episode, I intend on exploring more of Jess’s books while I wait for the next Steinbeck and Reed story.

James Daniels does an excellent job of providing voices to each character and bringing the story to life with his pacing and vocal moderation. I thought he did an excellent job creating the female voices to the point I at times felt I was listening to two narrators.