I tend to prefer my thrillers to be fast paced and action packed, but The Return of Ellie Black is not like that. To me, this story actually starts off very slow and is told from multiple POVs with multiple flashbacks. I wasn’t completely sold with the twists at the end and I was left with some questions, but overall I enjoyed this read and would read another thriller by this author.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful police procedural/thriller by Emiko Jean. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Chelsey became a detective, following in her dad's footsteps, and is still haunted by the murder of her sister when they were teenagers. Chelsey becomes obsessed when she receives a call that Ellie Black, a girl who disappeared years ago, has been found alive. After interviewing her, Chelsey is convinced that Ellie knows more than she is letting on and she fears there may be more victims.

Wow - this was a wonderful book and I gasped out loud at the twist! Chelsey was such a good character - a good detective, but still reeling from her past and not able to move on. Written from Chelsey's POV as well as from Ellie's, we learn of Ellie's experiences in captivity and they will chill you to the bone; the fear is palpable. We see the emotional toll that an investigation like this takes on Chelsey's personal life and relationships. I also appreciated Ellie's therapy session info to help us understand her. The ending was perfection. This is a new to me author, but I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more from her.

An immersive psychological thriller-mystery, that’s gripping, dark, and heartbreaking.



Detective Chelsey Calhoun receives a phone call informing her that Ellie Black, a missing teen from one of her previous cases, has been found. Chelsey jumps into action but can't help but think about her sister who went missing years ago under similar circumstances. Ellie isn't giving up any information and Chelsey leaves no stone unturned in search of answers. 



This was a deliberate and at times unsettling tale of captivity, manipulation, and trauma; taking us deep into the depraved world of the real life monsters that prey on women.
Please review TW’s before reading - certain topics may be disturbing for some readers, but nothing is too gruesome in description.

Jean did an incredible job setting up the plot by weaving back and forth from the past and present. The dual timelines made for a perfectly executed, fast-paced page turner.

What a dark and disturbing tale! From the get-go The Return of Ellie Black offered up something you don’t often find in a thriller. Underneath the deftly crafted characters and twisty, twisty plot was a critique on misogyny and how women seem to often get blamed for the actions of men. Thought-provoking and profound, it certainly had me reexamining relationships from my past. That, however, wasn’t the only successful aspect to this truly shocking thriller.

Told from an omniscient perspective, the two central characters were well-drawn and fully fleshed out. Both clearly dealing with trauma, more bound them together then separated the two women. Intelligent, strong, and yet authentically flawed, watching their journey unfold was quite the win. Especially as the complex storyline unfolded before me. After all, despite the gripping events, I found the plot to be mostly character driven.

Speaking of the storyline, I do have to preface my gushing with the fact that much of the book was a long, slow burn. Not exactly an action-packed premise (until the end), the psychological musings nevertheless strengthened this story until the explosive climax and believable conclusion. On top of that, the entire book was utterly breathtaking in its suspenseful rendition of kidnapping and the ensuing captivity. Filled with nerve-shredding dread, it kept me utterly riveted.

Done and dusted, while this book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting after initially reading the synopsis, I still found myself captivated right from the start. Especially given that attention-grapping prologue. A new-to-me author, Jean had certainly proven herself through her ability to create realistic, evil monsters that will suck you right in. So if you love a good jaw-dropping twist or carefully layered plot, you should definitely give this book a try. Rating of 4.5 stars.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean, 320 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2024. $27. Lgbtqia, centering me
Language: R (57 swears, 19 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Then-seventeen-year-old Ellie disappeared over two years ago, and Detective Chelsey Calhoun has never been able to let Ellie’s case go. And then Ellie turns up again. Despite Ellie shutting down every conversation with her, Chelsey presses forward, determined to close the case this time, and finds more than she thought possible.
Jean tells the story in alternating points of view, mostly giving readers just enough of the past and present to stay a step behind Ellie so that readers are in the same desperate state as Chelsey. The twists and turns that make the book thrilling were fun, even if I’m having a hard time buying into the final, climactic reveal. Despite that hang up, the conclusion is still a satisfactory ending.
Chelsey is Japanese, Daniel is Chinook (Native American), and Sam and Valerie are lesbian. The mature content rating is for alcohol use (including underage drinking); scary elements; illegal activity; mentions of drugs and overdose, nudity, and rape; and sex. The violence rating is for blood; gun use; mentions of domestic violence and suicide; assault; bomb use; and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I stayed up until 1am reading this book, finishing it in one day. I think that alone shows how quickly this book hooked me! What made it such a compelling read was getting to learn about Ellie's experiences as we were learning more about the case through the detective's eyes, hoping that Chelsey could figure out how to get her to open up to find the person who did this to her. What was she hiding and why? Were there other girls that were taken? Can Ellie heal from what she has endured? Can Chelsey bring the person to justice after knowing her sister's killer died before he could be?

Reading The Return of Ellie Black made me feel as if as I had immersed myself in a new season of Criminal Minds, and I absolutely had to binge to see how and if the crime was going to be solved.

This thriller encapsulates an array of emotions - loyalty, teen angst, fragility, fear, love, and protection. Main character, Elizabeth (Ellie) Black, has been missing two years and two days when she suddenly reappears wandering out of a wooded area in Washington state. When she is discovered by a father/son hiking team, she is emaciated, bewildered, and very tentative. Is she suffering from Stockholm Syndrome? Is she happy to be back? Will she be able to fit into society and her daily life again?

Enter detective, Chelsey Calhoun. Chelsey was assigned Ellie's case when she disappeared two years ago. She is not going to let this case go unsolved even though Ellie makes it clear she does not want to cooperate to uncover who is behind her abduction and captivity. Chelsey has a personal vendetta for finding and solving any missing girl case that makes it way to her precinct - Chelsey's own sister was abducted and killed when she was only 15 and Chelsey 14.

The reader is taken on an emotional roller coaster as Chelsey uncovers evidence and clues that point to the fact that time is of the essence before more girls come up missing or dead.

The narration alternates between a third person one mostly involving Chelsey and the investigation to a first person one in Ellie's voice disclosing her life before, her abduction, her captivity, and her now present life.

If you like crime thrillers, you will enjoy this book, and no doubt devour it like I did. Thank you NetGalley and Simon Schuster for this intriguing crime ARC. It drops for release this week - May 7th.

What’s great debut from Jean! Chelsey Calhoun is a detective in Washington state who has been haunted by the sudden disappearance of Elizabeth black two years earlier. Blacks disappearance has always hit too close to home for Calhoun, reminiscent of her sister Lydia’s disappearance. Calhoun is awakened one morning by the news that black has been found alive. The reappearance, though, leaves more questions rather providing closure as Elle won’t talk about where else was or who had her.. Calhoun has to move carefully to unlock the information that she needs and in the process she may also get the answers about Lydia as well.

This is a very thoughtful mystery full of atmosphere. The PNW setting adds to the uneasiness of the plot. There is subtle social commentary here about class and race, as there are comments throughout about the victims who are able to get the resources to find them and those who fade away. Calhoun is a great character and I would hope that we see her again. A page-turning, atmospheric mystery that will establish a new voice in the field.

Thanks to the publisher for providing this arc via Bethany in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Emiko Jean for the advanced copy of The Return of Ellie Black. I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in two days. It's not often that a story will make me feel so many emotions, but this one certainly did. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this dark, twisty and heartbreaking tale.

Solid thriller! I was hooked from the synopsis and the duel perspectives - I didn’t figure out the ending (because literally WTF) but it wasn’t as shocking as I thought it would be (if that makes sense?) Definitely some heavy topics so check those trigger warnings. I finished in a day - it’s a quick one. If you like thrillers you’ll fly through it - it’s a yes!

The first time I read Emiko Jean was for a book tour for, Mika in Real Life. It is a book about life and love and finding yourself. I really, really loved her writing so I requested this book but got a completely different genre than I was expecting.

“I wish this wasn’t what it means to be female—it is not a matter of if something bad will happen, but when.”

Detective Casey Calhoun gets the call that Ellie Black has been found, alive, in the woods two years after she went missing. Casey’s own sister disappeared 20 years prior and is the reason she became a detective. “If you’re going to be an officer, you’ll have to be better than a woman.”

Casey now finds more questions than answers and cannot make the ends meet. The investigation is getting nowhere and the victim, Ellie, is refusing to talk. It is a carefully choreographed dance of revealing and concealing the truth. Casey is determined to do what she can without the girl needing to relive the trauma and finds clues along the way that make her question even more.

“People in general, should spend less time protecting daughters and more time worrying about sons.”

The writing, once again her writing! She has an often poetic way with words combined with the ability to bring in emotion very eloquently. I could feel the difficulty Casey was having when Ellie wouldn’t talk. I could feel the urgency, the despair and more. I could feel her mind turning things over and re-analyzing again and again. I could also feel Ellie’s absolute horror and love and resolve when I didn’t yet understand the “why.” I love an author that can unexpectedly build feelings with very few words..

Ultimately, this story stayed with me and rolled around in my head for days. It twisted and surprised me in the end with an unexpected reveal. I will continue to seek out Emiko Jean for her astounding ability to wrap me up in the words of her novels.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the copy!

The book releases May 7, 2024.

Thank you to the publisher,,. Wow this book had me gripped once it started to pick up and things were not as they seemed. I had an inkling that there would be a big twist but didn’t expect what it was. A classic thriller but instead of a fast paced, the story slowly unwinds unveiling the disturbing story of how Ellie Black had gone missing. I wish there was more in the ending though.

Pros:
The ending!
This whole novel was a fast paced read with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. This was well written and the characters were mostly likeable.

Cons:
None from me

5 stars/A

This book was just WOW! It’s one of those mystery novels that leaves you at the edge of your seat, you can’t put it down, what happened to Ellie Black? She’s been gone for 2 years and out of nowhere she pops up. Chelsey is a detective and she has grown really close to her family, this case is really important to her because of her past. We get to learn more and more about her and why she became a cop, Chelsey has a few skeletons in her closet, so we get to see that unravel and then everything else. BUT the end felt a little rushed, and there was even a mystery of her own that gets solved and I felt like I needed a little more of that, but then again, everything about Chelsey is a little unfinished, so I also felt it was a bit fitting. What goes on here and the girls shes trying to save and her determination is enough to make me love there story and her, because she sure is a badass.

This is a riveting suspense thriller, that will keep you turning pages. There are sections that have very disturbing descriptions, but don't let that deter you from reading this book. It is so well done and makes so much sense within the story.



Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Netgalley and Cindy Burnett from Thoughts from a Page.

Addicting, dark story! I absolutely loved this thriller! I kept myself busy so I could continue listening. Such an immersive listening experience. Narrated by several amazing narrators. Keeps you guessing till the very end. At a few key important discoveries I gasped so loud I scared my kids. It was so good!! Loved it!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was a good detective story, and a quick read. Detective ChelseyCalhoun's sister disappeared when they were 15. As a dective, she worked on a case for a missing girl, Ellie Black for over 2 years. The case went on, but there was no new information until Ellie Black miraculously appears in the Olympia National Forest. This is just the beginning.

I feel like the Missing girl trope has been done a lot. This wasn't really a unique storyline that way. I feel like I couldn't connect to Chelsea as I would like to have. I feel like I should've liked her character more. It just didn't really draw me in. It could definitely be a me problem. I haven't loved any books since early in the month.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and Emiko Jean for to opportunity to review and early digital copy for my honest review. I will definitely try another by this author, though.

I read and enjoyed Tokyo Ever After and Mika in Real Life, so I was intrigued when this author pivoted to thrillers. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this dark and twisty thriller that absolutely blew me away!

I very rarely give a thriller 5 stars, but this one did it. It was suspenseful, surprisingly literary (in a good way!) and oh my goodness, the twists and turns it took had my jaw on the FLOOR. If you like a smart, well-written thriller that will keep you guessing from beginning to end, make sure Ellie Black is on your radar!

✨Book Review✨

The Return of Ellie Black
Emiko Jean
Release Date: May 7, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to @simon.audio @simonbooks @emikojeanbooks and @netgalley for the #gifted physical copy and ALC.

At 17 years old Ellie Black goes missing from her hometown. Over two years later she is miraculously is found alive in the woods nearby. Chelsey Calhoun, the detective on the case, will stop at nothing to try to figure out who took Ellie.

Captivating! I was hooked from the very beginning and did not want to put this book down. If you’re looking for a page turner with many twists then make sure to pick this one up!

This one hit me deep in my empathetic momma heart. There are some dark scenes in this book that were hard for me to read. However, they were necessary and honestly made it that much more impactful!

🎧I would definitely recommend listening to the audio of this book. The full cast did an amazing job at making you feel immersed in the story!

Whew what a ride! This was a propulsive, gripping story - once I started I didn’t want to put it down! I loved the characters and story development, the multiple POVs kept things exciting and interesting.