Author · updated September 2026
Jess Lourey Books in Order
Every Jess Lourey book in publication order — 28 in total, spanning 2006–2023.
Jess Lourey has had one of the more interesting reinventions in crime fiction. She started with the fun, funny "Murder-by-Month" cozy mysteries, then pivoted into dark, atmospheric psychological thrillers drawn from the real unease of growing up in small-town 1970s and '80s Minnesota — and became a bestseller all over again. Her recent thrillers (Unspeakable Things, The Quarry Girls, The Taken Ones) are tense, deeply-rooted, and hard to shake. Whichever side of her work you meet first, you're in for a distinctive voice.
Publication Order of Murder-by-Month Mystery Books
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  May Day | 2006 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 |  June Bug | 2007 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 |  Knee High by the Fourth of July | 2007 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 |  August Moon | 2008 | Amazon US UK |
| 5 |  September Fair | 2009 | Amazon US UK |
| 6 |  September Mourn | 2009 | Amazon US UK |
| 7 |  October Fest | 2011 | Amazon US UK |
| 8 |  November Hunt | 2012 | Amazon US UK |
| 9 |  December Dread | 2012 | Amazon US UK |
| 10 |  January Thaw | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 11 |  February Fever | 2015 | Amazon US UK |
| 12 |  March of Crime | 2017 | Amazon US UK |
| 13 |  April Fools | 2019 | Amazon US UK |
Publication Order of A Salem's Cipher Mystery Books
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Salem's Cipher | 2016 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 | The Adventure of the First Problem | 2016 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 |  Mercy's Chase | 2018 | Amazon US UK |
Publication Order of The Catalain Book of Secrets Books
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seven Daughters | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 | The Catalain Book of Secrets | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Toadhouse Trilogy | 2012 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 |  Unspeakable Things | 2020 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 | Bloodline | 2021 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 | The Quarry Girls | 2022 | Amazon US |
| 5 | The Taken Ones | 2023 | Amazon US |
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death by Potato Salad | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 | Beauty Is in the Eye of the Newt | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 | The Paper Frog | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 | Give Her a Hand | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
Publication Order of Anthologies
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Shattering Glass | 2020 | Amazon US UK |
Every title by year All 28, oldest to newest
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May Day | 2006 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 | June Bug | 2007 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 | Knee High by the Fourth of July | 2007 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 | August Moon | 2008 | Amazon US UK |
| 5 | September Fair | 2009 | Amazon US UK |
| 6 | September Mourn | 2009 | Amazon US UK |
| 7 | October Fest | 2011 | Amazon US UK |
| 8 | November Hunt | 2012 | Amazon US UK |
| 9 | December Dread | 2012 | Amazon US UK |
| 10 | The Toadhouse Trilogy | 2012 | Amazon US UK |
| 11 | January Thaw | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 12 | Seven Daughters | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 13 | The Catalain Book of Secrets | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 14 | Death by Potato Salad | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 15 | Beauty Is in the Eye of the Newt | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 16 | The Paper Frog | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 17 | Give Her a Hand | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 18 | February Fever | 2015 | Amazon US UK |
| 19 | Salem's Cipher | 2016 | Amazon US UK |
| 20 | The Adventure of the First Problem | 2016 | Amazon US UK |
| 21 | March of Crime | 2017 | Amazon US UK |
| 22 | Mercy's Chase | 2018 | Amazon US UK |
| 23 | April Fools | 2019 | Amazon US UK |
| 24 | Unspeakable Things | 2020 | Amazon US UK |
| 25 | Shattering Glass | 2020 | Amazon US UK |
| 26 | Bloodline | 2021 | Amazon US UK |
| 27 | The Quarry Girls | 2022 | Amazon US |
| 28 | The Taken Ones | 2023 | Amazon US |
Frequently asked
What order should I read Jess Lourey books in?
Her recent thrillers are largely standalones you can read in any order — a great starting point is Unspeakable Things (2020), followed by The Quarry Girls and The Taken Ones. Separately, her cozy Murder-by-Month series runs in order from May Day (2006).
What is Jess Lourey best known for?
Today, for her dark, atmospheric psychological thrillers rooted in the Midwest — though she built her early following with the humorous Murder-by-Month cozy mystery series.
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