“The Reaping” by Jess Lourey

Another solid entry in the “Steinbeck and Reed” series -- 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the “Steinbeck and Reed” series so much that I decided to read Book #2 sooner rather than later. If author Jess Lourey keeps up with this much quality, she’ll be up there with Christopher Andrews and Dean R. Koontz as one of my favorite writers.

“The Reaping” had me shivering with unease from start to finish. As mentioned, I loved “The Taken Ones,” but I think “The Reaping” may have surpassed it entirely.

The story rejoins cold case investigator Evangeline “Van” Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck as they plunge into the enigmatic and shadowy Finnish town of Alku, Minnesota, where the threads of an old case weave together with a chilling recent murder.

I finished the book last night, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking all morning -- “The Reaping” is the kind of book that lingers on your mind. The folklore elements are woven seamlessly through out -- there’s something deeply unsettling about an insular town where everyone knows everyone else’s secrets, and outsiders are never truly welcome. Layer on top of that (get this) a nursing home for serial killers, a blood witch prowling the woods, and the quietly inhumane rhythms of daily life in Alku, and you have something genuinely creepy.

As always, I strive to avoid spoilers, so I’d rather not give away any more details about the plot. 

Suffice to say, the epilogue left my jaw on the floor, and I’m very much looking forward to Book #3. Kudos, Ms. Lourey!