Jess is an Amazon Charts bestselling, ITW, Anthony and 2023 Minnesota Book Award-winning author who's also been shortlisted for Edgar and Agatha awards. She writes crime fiction, nonfiction, children's books, YA adventure, and magical realism.
She is also a retired professor of creative writing and sociology, a recipient of The Loft's Excellence in Teaching fellowship, a Psychology Today blogger, and a TEDx presenter (check out her TEDx Talk about inspiration behind her first published novel).
When she’s not leading women's writing retreats, reading, traveling, or fostering kittens, Jess Lourey is drafting her next story. She lives in Minnesota, where twenty-three of her books are also set.
A fascination with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), a branch of law enforcement unique to the state, led Jess Lourey to embark on a new series this fall. THE TAKEN ONES (Thomas & Mercer: publication date: September 19, 2023) centers on Evangeline “Van” Reed, a cold case BCA agent with a dark past who partners with forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck to solve the unsolved mystery of two missing girls from more than 40 years ago—and the recent murder of a woman who could be identified as one of those girls.
Jess Lourey shares some backstory on her crime fiction: “I grew up in St. Cloud, MN, in the ‘70s, at a time where there were at least two serial killers operating in my neighborhood. We then moved to Paynesville, MN in the ‘80s, when eight boys were abducted and returned in this small town, leading up to the murder of Jacob Wetterling, an eleven-year-old boy who lived nearby. There was so much violence all around me. My entire childhood, I saw women and children being harmed and not much in the way of justice or accountability. That has left an indelible mark on me, and in my thrillers, I strive to give a voice and perspective to those who are hurt.”
Transcription available on request.