The Laughing Dead by Jess Lourey

The Laughing Dead by Jess Lourey

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, all rights reserved.

“Turn on the lights and check your locks before settling down with Jess Lourey’s latest thrillerThe 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

Jess Lourey writes about secrets. She’s the New York Times bestselling, two-time Edgar Award–nominated, two-time Goodreads Choice Awards–shortlisted, ITW Thriller Award–winning, and Minnesota Book Award–winning author of young adult, crime fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and book club fiction. She’s surpassed a million readers, and her books have been translated into more than sixteen languages. When she’s not off chasing research for her next book, Jess lives in Minneapolis with a rotating crew of foster kittens. Check out her TEDx Talk for the surprising, vulnerable story behind her first published novel.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781662514166
ISBN 10	1662514166
Title	The Laughing Dead
Author	Jess Lourey
Series	Steinbeck And Reed
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Amazon Publishing
Year published	2025-07-22
Number of pages	331
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.