Litani - by Jess Lourey (Paperback)

About the Book

In the summer of 1984, 14-year-old Frankie Jubilee is sent to live with her estranged mother in the small Minnesota town of Litani. The locals whisper about "The Game," her mother warns her to stay out of the woods and away from adults, and Frankie begins to wonder if she living among monsters, even in the bright light of day.

Book Synopsis

The Amazon Charts bestselling author of Unspeakable Things and Bloodline explores the darkness at the heart of the rural Midwest in a novel inspired by a chilling true crime.

In the summer of '84, fourteen-year-old Frankie Jubilee is shuttled off to Litani, Minnesota, to live with her estranged mother, a county prosecutor she barely knows. From the start, Frankie senses something uneasy going on in the small town. The locals whisper about The Game, and her mother warns her to stay out of the woods and away from adults.

When a bullying gang of girls invites Frankie to The Game, she accepts, determined to find out what's really going on in Litani. She's not the only one becoming paranoid. Hysteria burns through the community. Dark secrets emerge. And Frankie fears that, even in the bright light of day, she might be living among monsters.

Review Quotes

"Lourey serves up another terrifying reality-based thriller...a tale of horror, grit, and, ultimately, hope." --Kirkus Reviews

"Curious, perceptive Francesca, with her concern for others, makes an irresistible heroine. Psychological thriller fans will be satisfied." --Publishers Weekly

"Litani shows that the real terror is not ghosts, but human monsters." --St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Lourey has accomplished quite a feat here with a coming-of-age novel buried inside a very dark psychological thriller." --Bookreporter

"A riveting and disturbing thriller. With Litani, Lourey truly cements her position as the queen of melding small-town suspense and coming-of-age stories that creep into your bones and refuse to leave. Lourey's masterful pacing and prose create a captivatingly claustrophobic atmosphere that hooks you from the very first page and tightens the noose with every shockingly chilling reveal. While secrets and lies fester at the heart of the novel, it is Frankie, the engaging young protagonist, who becomes a reminder that humanity can exist even in the darkest of places. This is one that's going to stick with you for a long time. An absolute must-read." --Brianna Labuskes, Washington Post bestselling author of Girls of Glass

"Writing about real monsters lurking in Minnesota's small towns is Lourey's specialty. The sinister, eerie feeling you get while reading this creepy story...well, that's another unnerving tendency. In Litani, Lourey is at her terrifying best. A heart-pounding story of suspense." --Kaira Rouda, international and USA Today bestselling author

"Move over, Stephen King. Jess Lourey is a master at evoking the horror that lurks beneath the surface of a sleepy all-American small town. Vivid, consuming, and terrifying, Litani will haunt your dreams." --Michele Campbell, internationally bestselling author of It's Always the Husband