Unspeakable Things

By: Jess Lourey

Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly

Inspired by a terrifying true story, a heart-pounding novel of suspense about a small Minnesota town where nothing is as quiet - or as safe - as it seems.

Cassie McDowell’s life in 1980s Minnesota seems perfectly wholesome. She lives on a farm, loves school, and has a crush on the nicest boy in class. Yes, there are her parents’ strange parties and their parade of deviant guests, but she’s grown accustomed to them.

All that changes when someone comes hunting in Lilydale.

One by one, local boys go missing. One by one, they return changed - violent, moody, and withdrawn. What happened to them becomes the stuff of shocking rumors. The accusations of who’s responsible grow just as wild, and dangerous town secrets start to surface. Then Cassie’s own sister undergoes the dark change. If she is to survive, Cassie must find her way in an adult world where every sin is justified, and only the truth is unforgivable.

©2019 Jess Lourey (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved

Critic reviews

"Part suspense, part coming-of-age, Jess Lourey’s Unspeakable Things is a story of creeping dread, about childhood when you know the monster under your bed is real. A novel that clings to you long after the last page."--Lori Rader-Day, Edgar Award-nominated author of Under a Dark Sky

Huge Let Down

Don’t get me wrong it was a great story with great characters that is until the end. The build up was great, I was invested in the characters then it ended with a huge let down.

Wow, heavy story!

I love true crime or truth-based fiction, so when I came across Unspeakable Things, I snatched it up. It’s been a long time since I held so much tension while listening to a book. The fact this was based on true events only made the story even more intense. I’d would have liked more of an ending, but it was enough to feel satisfied.

good telling of a tragic story.

still felt there could've been more of an ending, like what happened to dad, etc.

The ending was boring :(

I was let down by the ending :( it was very anticlimactic.. lacked a twist. But a good listen.

Peaks of interest but loose ending

The book was okay. Some of the midpoints were a little dull and I found the end of the story to be too open...as if there should have been one more chapter to tie it all together. Overall it was an okay book that, if I had to choose again, I would pick.