A thrilling page turner, slow paced but keeps you guessing, questioning and intrigued. Chelsea Calhoun is a multilayered detective with her own history and connections interwoven with the story. Ellie Black is unreliable but sympathetic victim. The whole supporting cast are reactive, realistic and well written. My only negative was Noah's character felt flat however I think as he never had a POV or contributed to mystery/plot directly.

This was a little far fetched in terms of the amount of girls that disappeared in such a small area, and that they were all kept so close to where they disappeared and by people operating in clear sight. I know that this has happened in the past but not to such a large degree. Having said that, it was an enjoyable read, and lots of twists and turns. Towards the end, it seemed inevitable who the last girl would turn out to be, nevertheless it kept you involved and invested right to the end.

I really enjoyed this book . I had no idea which direction this book was going to go and had no idea why these girls were taken . Once she was back home it took on a completely different story. I will be following this author and will definitely be reading more books . 5 stars from me . Can’t wait for the next

Woah! What a rollercoaster this book was. From the first page I couldn’t put the book down and was totally absorbed by the story!

Some parts were so hard and upsetting to read but the writing is so incredible that you just want to jump in and rescue the girls yourself!

An incredible thriller that will have you on the edge of your chair!

Thank you NetGallery and the publishers for the early arc!!

Wow, wow, wow! Thank you so much Emiko Jean, this was an incredible read.
The story of a missing girl, who after 2 years turns up alive. But things aren't as they seem.
Read this book. Perfect for holidays, fast paced, well written and one I didn't want to put down!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers, what a way to start my year! Setting the bar high with this one!

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to review this title.
A good example of a twisty thriller mixed with a detective novel that gets you thinking the whole way through. I love trying to predict the end of stories and even I didn’t see that twist coming!!

An enjoyable book, with a difficult subject leading it. The story was well written and there was a strong sense of narrative throughout.
The subject really was difficult to imagine, the horror of losing family members with no one appearing to be able to locate them. Thankfully there was a police officer who was determined to get to the bottom of the whole story. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

The premise of this novel is really interesting. We have a female detective battling her multiple demons and we have Ellie Black who has returned from being held captive for a few years. Lots of twists and turns and many differents POVs in the book. I particularly liked Ellie's voice a lot - raw and heart-felt. I think some of the POVs of the minor characters were not necessary but the book does a good job of keeping you guessing. However, the ending didn't have enough conviction for me. Be warned it deals with some sensitive issues.
I like the writer's style and would be open to reading more of her works in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for my Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

This story about a detective investigating a missing person’s reappearance and haunted by her own personal tragedy is well-written but I found the plot and the twist involving the two narratives a bit contrived. This is not a story that will stay with me.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy

After Ellie Black comes out the woods after missing for two years…the mystery is where has she been? The detective assigned to her has roots of a missing sister as well which draws her into this case. The layers and layers and flips upside down will have this book giving you whiplash as it comes to the thrilling conclusion. I can’t wait for more books hopefully in this series.

A great read which keeps you on your toes throughout. The twist is unexpected which makes it the perfect read! I’d recommend this for your 2024 bookshelf.

Blockbuster of a book. Where to start, well it is a book about kidnapping, deceit, betrayal, greed and the breakdown of one human on another.

When you think you have got this plot, then another red herring gets thrown into the mix.

Made a good Christmas read.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this novel.

When two hikers discover Ellie Black, a teenager who’s been missing for two years, Detective Chelsey Calhoun rushes from her bed to investigate.

Thankfully, Ellie is still alive. Last seen at a motel party, all previous leads did little to help the case.

As expected, Ellie is much changed and a shadow of her former rebellious self.

In turn, Detective Chelsey Calhoun has had a traumatic life and is sympathetic to Ellie’s harrowing experience. Losing her sister in her youth, her family and entire world fell apart. Thus, Chelsey will do anything to protect other troubled girls.

However, Ellie refuses to cooperate and with time being of the essence, Chelsey is suspicious. She is relentless in furthering the case and bringing the perpetrator to justice. What is Ellie hiding?

Told in a dual narrative, The Next Girl by Emiko Jean builds suspense with memory snippets throughout, adding context and depth to the story and its characters.

Both characters are incredibly complex with traumatic pasts. However, the point of view is predominantly told from Chelsey’s perspective. This was interesting as it added a unique insight into the workings of the police.

In contrast, I particularly liked the way Jean demonstrated Ellie’s fractured mindset and illustrated the PTSD she faced from her ordeal. She does an excellent job exploring the psychology of a kidnap victim alongside complex trauma.

Many twists will keep you guessing throughout this dark thriller. Overall, you’ll struggle to put it down and it’s certainly worth a read in 2024.

The Next Girl by Emiko Jean will be released on May 9 2024 via Penguin General UK.

A girl who had been kidnapped for two years reappears. She seems cagey and the detective, Chelsey, is determined to find out what. Her sister had been murdered when she was a teenager and this has always haunted Chelsey. The book follows both the leading ladies and we also learn about other girls who have been kidnapped. Lots of twists and turns in this highly entertaining book despite its somewhat gruesome subject matter!!

I did not see that ending coming at all! Completely different to Mika in Real Life - which I also enjoyed - but I great read.

I think this is a difficult one to review without spoilers but just know, there was twist after
twist and they all worked beautifully except the very last one and that is what made it a 4 star not a 5 star.
The characters were so well written especially Chelsey and Ellie. Chelsey was your typical detective, taking work home and letting it consume her life, she advocated so hard for the missing girls and I was rooting for her at all times. Ellie’s portrayal of a girl resisting brainwash was incredible.
It was uncomfortable at times but it worked for the plot if that makes sense?
Please read trigger warnings prior to going into this book as there are parts that are very difficult to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Viking for the arc.

Chelsey is a dogged detective who became a police officer because of her sister's death, specialising in missing girls. Ellie Black reappears after being missing for two years, and might have been held with other girls. Ellie refuses to give information to the police, but Chelsey is determined to find out what happened. Some good plot twists. A good beach read.

I loved The Next Girl! It was very well written and I was engaged from start to finish. The ending, wow, did not see that coming. There were many twist and turns throughout the book, some predictable, others not. I will definitely read more of Emiko Jean’s books!!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin General UK for an advance copy of The Next Girl, a stand-alone thriller set in Washington State.

Two years ago Ellie Black disappeared and Detective Chelsey Calhoun, who lost her sister twenty years ago, did everything she could to find her. Now Ellie has turned up, a shadow of her former self and, Chelsey suspects, keeping secrets. Secrets Chelsey is determined to uncover before the next girl is taken.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Next Girl, which has a strong story to tell with a few twists and an explosive resolution. The novel is told mostly from Chelsey’s third person point of view and Ellie’s first person with other characters contributing occasionally. This is a novel of if only and regrets, which gives it quite a heavy atmosphere, even without the subject matter.

The narrative alternates between Chelsey and Ellie, with Ellie further splitting her narrative into a description of her capture and how she is dealing with her release. What she doesn’t disclose is her secrets. Chelsey, on the other hand, is a determined investigator, but she doesn’t appear to be able to move past her sister’s disappearance and presumed death all those years ago. I was surprised to discover that she is married as she seems so emotionally stunted. Ellie has a moving tale to tell and it is well written, really pulling at the heartstrings, whereas Chelsey’s investigation feels a bit all over the place. There is no doubting her desire to solve the case, but there could be questions about her methodology.

I like the pacing of the novel as Ellie’s narrative fits seamlessly into and complements Chelsey’s investigation. The ending is perhaps a bit of a flurry of action and explanations, but when the clues come quick action is required. I’m not sure that I particularly bought the solution, but it seems like a fitting ending to the strong journey to get there.

The Next Girl is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC. This was a fast-paced, twisty thriller that I very much enjoyed. Although I found some of the plot reveals predictable, there were still enough surprises to keep me entertained. I would definitely read more of this author's work in the future.