The Quarry Girls: A Thriller

The Quarry Girls: A Thriller is a first read by Jess Lourey that I selected as part of a challenge! While I consider myself an eclectic reader, I sadly admit that a book based on a true crime, full of murder and mayhem would not be my usual choice of reading material. If I wanted to be full of anxiety, fear and anger, I could read US NEWS and World Reports. If not for the Kindle challenge to read a book based on true crime I would have missed experiencing the brilliant talent of Jess Lourey. I was totally unprepared for the tsunami of emotions I would feel reading Quarry Girls. In her author notes (pg. 310), Jess Lourey thanks five authors whose words inspire her writing. Jess writes, " [they] can put together a sentence so unexpected and delicious that I go back to taste it again and again." Jess Lourey's writing inspired the same feelings in me. I usually read to escape but with Jess Lourey's Quarry Girls I found myself savoring her words. It was an experience similar to lingering over a magnificent five course meal, allowing the different flavors of the food, the wine and the companionship, to roll over your tongue and incite your mind. A book that excites and involves all 5 of my senses is a new experience for me. As much as I was exhilarated by the suspense of the story, I was facinated by Ms. Lourey's word craft. Quarry Girls is the most highlighted work of fiction I have on my shelves. Jess Lourey through mere words invoked a feeling of childhood nostalgia, taking me back to a time in the 70s I remember to be idellyic and simpler than today. And while I reveled in memories of swimming in the canals around my small Central California town, Jess Lourey's creative words reminded me that I never knew what secrets, plots and political manipulations were occurring at my parents cocktail parties. I thought she might have read my diary but again the opening pages of the book clued me into the fact that miles from California, Jess Lourey shared a similar childhood. The way I instantly related to her characters added to the thrill and chills felt as the story unfolds! Of the 70s for example, Jess character Heather says, " That summer, the summer of 77,everything had edges. The sharpness took my fiends, but it cut away the blinders, too. And once you understand the truth, there's no living any other way." Talk about "killing me softly with words"! Jess Lourey took my memories, my adventures, my bad choices and wove them into poetic work of art. If only I had the talent to paint a picture with words the way, Jess does in this novel. I was mesmerized by this book. I read page after page of this novel, ignoring my messy house and myhis dogs whines for attention, and finished this book in a day. I was so enthralled, determine to figure out whodunit and how things would turn out, I didn't realize that night had fallen! And then I was so upset that I had finished already, I almost started over again; this time determined to take my time and savor every word. Instead I purchased the audio version so I could sit back close my eyes and have the words wash over me as I rock in my favorite chair in front of the fireplace this winter. Thanks so much to the Kindle Challenge for forcing me to choose a book out of my usual readings which led me to Jess Lourey. She will now occupy a place on my "fave author's shelf.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this on ebook through Amazon First Reads. Thoughts: This was an interesting read. I am not generally a huge fan of serial killer/thriller types of books. I was intrigued by the Minnesota setting here and I really did end up enjoying that Minnesota setting. There is a lot of background here on the late 1970's in the St. Cloud area, particularly Pantown. I had no idea that so many awful things were happening in that time frame in St. Cloud. I also didn't know the urban myths around the Pantown tunnels. The story follows Heather as she and her two girlfriends get an amazing opportunity for their all girl band to perform at the county fair. This is overshadowed some by the fact that a girl named Beth has recently gone missing. Their first performance at the fair goes awesome and they are pumped for their next until one of their band members, Maureen, goes missing. Heather is smart and she is sure that Beth isn't a runaway and neither is Maureen, so Heather starts digging. What she finds reveals a nasty underside to their idealistic small town. This was a well done story. I enjoyed Heather as a character, although her home life was seriously messed up and got more so as the story continued. It was an interesting look back in time and really drove home how in a lot of ways a "woman's" place in society has improved. However, it also drove home how far we still have to go. It was scary how easily society accepted the disappearance of these girls and how readily trusted figures in society accepted and even participated in what was happening. This was easy to read and hard to put down. It is definitely a page-turner and the story kept me guessing. The conclusion wasn't as surprising as I had hoped, but I did enjoy how the story wrapped up. It ends on a hopeful note and I really admired how Heather and Beth handled everything. My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed learning about the history of the St. Cloud area and enjoyed the mystery behind this story. This was well written, easy to read, and not too scary. Will I pick up more Lourey books in the future? Well, as I said, I am not a huge fan of this genre but if another Lourey book comes up in a Minnesota setting and it sounds intriguing I would definitely consider it. This was an interesting read and very well written.

Some intrigue right off the bat, but otherwise a slow build for the first half. The second half was when I suddenly couldn’t put the book down. The lost innocence, learning to see your parents as the imperfect beings they are instead of your saviors, and women/girls fighting to keep their heads above the torrent. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and powerful.

I get it. It was a different time. The 70s. In the Midwest. Sure. But. Let's just say that it was extremely obvious to me...very early on who couldn't be trusted. It took f o r e v e r for the lead character to not only catch on, but to actually DO something about it. But she doesn't do anything as useful as...I don't know... Talking to her sister or her friends that are clearly at risk about any of it (even when it becomes clear that lives are at stake). She doesn't turn over evidence to the federal agent in town when it was obvious locals were being shady about all the things. Nope. No such luck. Instead, like a bad scary movie- she repeatedly goes alone to dark, dank, creepy, and deserted places. Like the woods! All the time. Solo. Constantly. Long after people are vanishing and/or dropping like flies. This girl had a death wish and it made me twitchy with rage. The plot moves fast, it's an entertaining story, it's mostly written well...but holy cow. Loose ends (like a creepy camp an authority figure is in charge of is never brought up again) and the sheer amount of times I wanted to shake/slap people in the book- really pulled me out of the story. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes true crime-esque murder mysteries- and has a lot of patience. Alas, I have considerably less chill.

It was a hit and miss. I like a few of the characters. I like the creepiness of it. Definitely painted good pictures of me to imagine what was going on like I was there. I would read it again.

This book was so amazing! The suspense and the way the story was written. I couldn’t keep myself from reading it so fast! HIGHLY RECOMMEND to anyone who loves thrillers and suspense!!

The Quarry Girls is one of those books that doesn’t just tell a story — it makes you sit with it. Set in 1970s Minnesota, the small-town atmosphere felt claustrophobic and, at times, downright infuriating. The adults, the silence, the willful blindness — it all added to the tension in a way that made the story even scarier. The danger wasn’t just in what was happening; it was in what people refused to see. Heather was such a sympathetic main character. She’s naïve, yes — but believably so. Her perspective as a teenage girl trying to make sense of the world around her made the story hit harder. Watching her loss of innocence unfold was heartbreaking. This book tackles heavy themes — grooming, toxic masculinity, victim-blaming culture, silence in small towns, and the complicated power of female friendship. It felt more emotional than graphic, dark without tipping into horror, and deeply thoughtful in the way it handled its subject matter. The ending was heartbreaking but fitting. It lingers. This isn’t just a thriller — it’s a coming-of-age story wrapped in social commentary, and it’s one that stays with you long after you turn the last page.

🌸BOOK REVIEW🌸SPOILER FREE🌸 Book: The Quarry Girls Author: Jess Lourey Genre: Thriller My Rating: 4 Stars Spice Level: None. But there is mature themes discussed. Tropes: Murder. Mystery. Kidnapped. Coming of Age. Descriptives: PLEASE CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE YOU READ THIS. Triggers: R@pe, Child SA, Kidnapped, Child P0rnography, Murder and more. This was my first Thriller read and I really enjoyed this genre. It kept my attention and had me asking questions. It was a nice break from my usual romance reads. This book had a viewpoint of a 16 year-old-girl so she was very innocent and naive at times. Did it keep my attention? Yes. 85% of the time. Was it easy to read and flowed smoothly? Yes. Would I buy the print copy? (If it was a Kindle Read) No. Would I re-read this book again in the future? No. Would I recommend this book to others? Yes if they are interested in reading a thriller. My Rating Scale: 5 Stars: Excellent Book. Would highly recommend to others. I would buy the physical book. I would also re-read this book in the future. I would also post about this book recommending it on social media. 4 Stars: Great Book. Would recommend to others. I would consider buying the print copy and re-read in the future if it belonged to a series. 3 Stars: Good Book. Didn’t quite hit the mark. Not something I would want to read again in the future. Not something I would recommend to others. 2 Stars: Poor Book. Two stars are saved for the books with great unique ideas but it was poorly executed and hard to read. 1 Star: Very Poor Book. Over-used ideas. Poor Writing. Boring. No Plot. About this Reader: I have very few triggers. Not much will upset me. I look for good romance and not instant love. I rate books on how well they entertained me. -Liz ilovefantasyromancebooks

Totally unexpected turn in each chapter, and unexpected ending. Great book. Couldn't put it down! Recommend reading it if you love a mystery and thriller!

Es hat mich sofort gepackt, von der ersten Seite an, da hab ich gewusst, Ahhh du wirst dieses Buch verschlingen…und genau so war es. Packende Story mit spanenden Plot Twists. Authentische Charaktere mit achtziger Jahre Flair einer amerikanischen Kleinstadt, Ich konnte die Hitze beim lesen schmecken so gut wurde es beschrieben. Oder die Szenen von Beth, so gut. Hier sieht man wieder, das böse ist ansteckend.

A dark and gritty page-turner about a serial killer on the loose in a small town during the 70s. If you’re a true crime fan you’ll want to pick this one up! I loved the author’s note at the beginning about why she chose to write the book and the brief history of serial killers in her hometown. This one sucked me in from the beginning! The alternating perspectives keep the pace moving and allow the complexities of the story to reveal themselves and keep the reader guessing. This was a #maddiesfirstreadsbookclub choice and there were a lot of varying opinions. Some people found the subject matter to be too dark but it was a win for me. I bought a few of her other books after reading this one and I think I’ve found a new author to add to my favs!

Great book, couldn't put down. Keeps you wondering, lots of twists and turns. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have

Had me enthralled from the first chapter, the character's were well described and made you feel like you knew them . Loved the story lines, all the twists and turns. Brought up lots of emotions with each character. Well worth reading.