The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey @jesslourey @robins_carly @BrilliancePub

the setup…
Over 40 years ago, three young girls ventured into the woods near their homes in Leech Lake, Minnesota and only one emerged…traumatized, in shock and with no memory of what happened. It’s now the summer of 2022 and cold case Detective Evangeline (Van) Reed is called to a scene where a woman was buried alive, rescued only a short time after she died. She and her partner are assigned the case along with BCA forensic scientist Agent Harry Steinbeck. They soon learn the woman is connected to the missing girls from 1980, referred to as the Taken Ones. Complicating the investigation is the original detective assigned to the case from the Minneapolis Police Department David Comstock, the man responsible for Van leaving the force and joining the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

the heart of the story…
The mystery of the Taken Ones was surely intriguing but it was Van Reed I found most fascinating. She has dreams where she sees crimes being perpetrated, including their identities, and they haunt her relentlessly. Of course, that’s in play with this case but there’s another one that’s plaguing her at the same time. Her former MPD partner, now deceased, knew how to manage and leverage her “gift” but she’s sort of at sea now without him. Harry sensed her gift when they worked an earlier case and now they’ve been partnered for this one. Van doesn’t know if she can trust him and he’s a bit wary of her lack of discipline. There’s a lot going on outside of the dynamics of the investigation and it all had me fixated, not wanting to miss a thing.

the narration…
Robins is particularly skilled at providing voice distinctions that help to define the characters. She’s also a gifted storyteller and delivered a great performance.

the bottom line…
I knew from the prequel that both Van and Harry would be fascinating characters and that they are! I was as drawn to them as I was to the mysteries. Van’s troubled history with the MPD (and her childhood) also posed some issues and at times things looked bleak. But her complicated personal issues didn’t detract from her doggedness in solving these cases, even when she held the unpopular point of view. Harry doesn’t like to speculate, relying solely on facts so he struggles with believing in her and following only what they could prove. They are an interesting combination and I can’t wait for their next joint case!

Book Info

• Release Date: September 19, 2023
• Series: Steinbeck & Reed #1
• Narrator: Carly Robins
• Audio Length: 10 hours, 31 minutes
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio

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(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)