Jess Lourey
Jess Lourey was born on May 24th, 1970 and is currently 56 years old. Jess Lourey was born in Tacoma, Washington, USA.
Jess Lourey is known for writing in the Cozy Mystery, Thriller, and Crime Fiction genres.
Jess Lourey is the author of the Murder-By-Month Mystery series which currently consists of 14 novels. The Murder-By-Month Mystery series started in 2006 with the novel May Day. The most recently released novel in the Murder-By-Month Mystery series was Monday Is Murder which was released in 2022. There are no upcoming novels for the Murder-By-Month Mystery series.
Jess Lourey: Awards & Accolades
Lourey's books have won multiple awards, Unspeakable Things won the Anthony Award, Best Original Novel, in 2021. Shattering Glass won the Anthony Award, Best Anthology / Collection, in 2021. Bloodline won the Anthony Award, Best Original Novel, in 2022 as well as the International Thriller Writers Award - Best Original Paperback Novel in 2022. Quarry Girls won the Anthony Award, Best Original Novel, in 2023.
The following novels by Jess Lourey were nominated for these awards:
- Knee High by the Fourth of July: Lefty Award, Best Humorous Mystery Novel (2008).
- October Fest: Lefty Award, Best Humorous Mystery Novel (2012).
- December Dread: Lefty Award, Best Humorous Mystery Novel (2013).
- January Thaw: Lefty Award, Best Humorous Mystery Novel (2015).
- February Fever: Lefty Award, Best Humorous Mystery Novel (2016).
- Salem's Cipher: Anthony Award, Best Paperback Original (2017).
- Unspeakable Things: Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller (2020). Edgar Award, Best Paperback Original (2021).
- Bloodline: Goodreads Awards, Best Horror (2021).
- The Taken Ones: Edgar Award, Best Paperback (2024). Anthony Award, Best Paperback Original (2024).
Related Authors
Fans of Jess Lourey also enjoy these authors:
- J.T. Ellison, author of: Lie to Me.
- Jane Harper, author of the Aaron Falk Series.
- John Marrs, author of the Dark Future Series.
- Michael Robotham, author of the Cyrus Haven Series.
- Dervla McTiernan, author of the Cormac Reilly Series.
- Andrew Mayne, author of The Naturalist Series.
- Blake Pierce, author of the Riley Paige Mystery Series.
- Fiona Barton, author of the Kate Waters Series.
- Andrew Gross, author of the Ty Hauck Series.
- Sharon Bolton, author of the Lacey Flint Series.
Jess Lourey: F.A.Q
When was Jess Lourey Born? How old is Jess Lourey?
Jess Lourey was born on May 24th, 1970. Jess Lourey is currently 56 years old.
Where was Jess Lourey Born?
Jess Lourey was born in Tacoma, Washington, USA and is American.
What book awards has Jess Lourey won?
Unspeakable Things:
Anthony Award: Best Original Novel (2021).
Shattering Glass:
Anthony Award: Best Anthology / Collection (2021).
Bloodline:
Anthony Award: Best Original Novel (2022), International Thriller Writers Award: Best Original Paperback Novel (2022).
Quarry Girls:
Anthony Award: Best Original Novel (2023).
What was the first book Jess Lourey wrote?
The first book written by Jess Lourey was May Day, published in 2006.
What was the most recent book Jess Lourey wrote?
Her most recently released work was Twice in a Blue Moon (a short story) on June 30th, 2026.
What is the most popular book by Jess Lourey?
Based on the number of readers on Book Notification, the most popular Jess Lourey book is
Unspeakable Things. Here are her most popular books and their average ratings:
- Unspeakable Things (6.27)
- Quarry Girls (8.60)
- The Taken Ones (8.45)
- The Reaping (8.14)
- Bloodline (5.60)
What genres does Jess Lourey Write?
Jess Lourey primarily writes in the Cozy Mystery, Crime Fiction, and Thriller genres. Her work includes sub-genres such as Psychological Thriller, Police Procedural Crime Fiction, and Domestic Thriller.
Are there upcoming new books by Jess Lourey?
Jess Lourey has a new book coming out on August 18th, 2026 called
The Crying Killer.
Click and we will keep you updated on this via e-mail, and about any new books Jess Lourey announces in the future.
How many books has Jess Lourey written?
Jess Lourey has written 37 books across 11 series and categories, excluding contributions to anthologies.
- 14 books in the Murder-By-Month Mystery Series
- 3 books in the Salem's Cipher Mystery Series
- 2 books in The Catalain Book of Secrets Series
- 7 Standalone Novels
- 4 Short Stories/Novellas
- 2 Non-Fiction Books
- 1 book in the Claudette's Interactive Children's Series
- 1 book in the Getaway Series
- 3 books in the Steinbeck and Reed Series
- 2 Jessica Lourey Non-Fiction Books
What happened to the book Jess was writing, A Whisper of Poison?
"Whisper of Poison", a young adult novel which was initially scheduled to be released in 2023 and has had the release date bump around, is not being released. Instead, as per a blog post by Jessica on July 4th, 2025, it has been changed to "The Verdant Cage", complete with a new cover and new content, and will be released in April 2026.