The Laughing Dead

Steinbeck and Reed, Book 3

De: Jess Lourey

Narrado por: Carly Robins

Two murder investigations, decades apart, threaten to expose a cold case agent’s darkest secrets in a pulse-pounding thriller by the Edgar Award-nominated author of The Taken Ones.

The bodies of three teenage girls are found in central Minnesota—each with her mouth fixed in a ghoulish grin, smiling at a deadly joke no one can hear. But authorities eventually close and forget the curious case, dubbed the Laughing Dead.

Decades later, cold case agent Evangeline “Van” Reed is called to the scene of a crime where the victim wears that same horror-movie smile. But this time someone seems to be sending a message: Van’s police ID has turned up at the scene, making her the prime suspect. It’s not that outlandish, considering her secrets—ones she’s never even told her partner, forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck.

As she feels others closing in, Van reopens the mystery of the Laughing Dead, hoping to find a connection to clear her name. But the search only gets darker. Because the more Van digs backward in time, the closer she comes to a terrible truth: Everything she has spent her life trying to hide is returning to haunt her.

©2025 by Jess Lourey. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Turn on the lights and check your locks before settling down with Jess Lourey’s latest thriller. The Laughing Dead is a tense, twisty read that will grab you by the throat and won’t let go until you race to the very last, spectacularly creepy page.”—Melinda Leigh, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“Jess Lourey slays in this spellbinding, spine-tingling mystery and thriller about Evangeline Reed, a complex and intriguing protagonist whose personal history and desire for justice make her perfect to take on the case of the Laughing Dead. The story explores Van’s dark and tragic past, her struggles with guilt and forgiveness, and her fight for redemption and deliverance from evil. Writing from multiple perspectives, Lourey weaves an intricate tale of despair and hope, leading to an explosive and gripping climax that had my jaw dropping to the floor.”—Yasmin Angoe, author of the Nena Knight trilogy and Not What She Seems

Great finale to a series

I’ve enjoyed reading this series. Great way to end the series with the closure readers want to happen.

Excellent storyline

As always, a great read with believably flawed characters. We need book 4 already. Hopefully another with Harry’s perspective.

I’ve so enjoyed discovering Jess Lourey

On the edge of my seat with every twist and turn, And tears in my eyes at the end

A great series

I Love the characters in this series and the stories. This book and the series is a must read.

The Laughing Dead

A chilling and suspenseful mystery that had me turning the pages in f3@r!
I didn’t realize this was the third book in a series when I started to read, but it still worked well as a standalone. And while I’m sure reading the first two would’ve helped establish the dynamic between Van and Harry more clearly, I never felt completely lost.
That said, I did find the timeline shifts a bit confusing at times, especially while listening to the audiobook. It’s possible that having more background from the earlier books might have helped me understand what was truly happening. I was also hoping the cuIt element would play a bigger role in the story, as it felt somewhat underdeveloped.
However, I really enjoyed how Van’s buried past, something she’s tried so hard to keep hidden, resurfaces and becomes the crucial key to cracking the current case.
I’ll definitely be going back to read the first two books in the series!

Stellar follow up!

Loved this. Great follow up to the previous books, and I’m hoping against hope that there will be more in the series.

Love love love!

Wow! So good! I couldn’t stop listening! The way this third book ties the last two together so incredible.

beautifully written

this story had a good speed to it. well written and completely engrossing for me.
who can't appreciate a dog and happy ending.

heart pounding

Maybe the most suspenseful of the series. I love these characters! All the relationships are so complicated but frightfully realistic. There were many loose ends tied up in this story, but I really hope that doesn't mean there won't be more books about Van and Harry. I just can't get enough of these two :)

Always good

I love this series, this one was just as good, glad Harry got his happy ending.