The Quarry Girls

A Thriller

By: Jess Lourey

Narrated by: Jess Nahikian

Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

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

So much potential

I was initially so into the story but it just got more and more contrived as it went along. The characters weren’t believable and neither was the story. Super disappointing

Gripping Story, Narration A Miss

The narration made the performance almost difficult and distracting to listen to. Though effort is appreciated in differentiating different voices, often the tone would carry from a character into the narrative sentences and I caught myself wondering if and when the character had stopped talking or thinking.

Really great moments, but average overall

At one point I loved this book. The writing was really interesting and the story was unfolding brilliantly. Then it took some weird, unexpected turns - but not in a good way

Great story.

Narration at first was a bit Monotonous and really hard to listen to. But after the first couple of chapters it was much better. Storyline was suspenseful.

Presents many issues

One of the top issues is betrayal of trust: mother leaving the family, father leaving the family, law enforcement officials deciding their own punishment, etc.

It was ok

Honestly, I fell asleep, and I don't know the resolution of the events, and I'm not sure if I care enough to go back and find out. I suppose I should, but there was just so much information that went nowhere. Maybe it was resolved, and everything was tied up. it seemed like in the end, Heather had been happier than she had throughout the rest of the book.
if you have kindle unlimited, you can listen to this book for free. That's what I did, I would not have spent a credit on this one.

Well written, well read

I really enjoyed the story and the performance. Sure there were obvious designs keeping certain things from wrapping too early but just appreciate it!

1977

Being a child of the 70's, so much of this book was relatable to me. The subject matter is dark, but what a great time capsule to take me back to my youth. Luckily, I never experienced the darker story!
I will be reading more by Jess Lourey. I will also look for Audible books narrated by Jess Nahikian.

OUTSTANDING

Kept me engaged the whole time. LOVED IT!!!!!!!! Narration was perfect. Surprise ending for sure

Twists and turns!

I highly recommend this book if you love books with complex mysteries, books with characters you shout at, and books you can’t put down!