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.

“The greatest trick the devil ever played wasn’t convincing others he didn’t exist, but that your friends were your enemies.”

The Return Of Ellie Black was one hell of a ride! Even though it is fiction these types of stories always drive home for me how much a woman can, and will, endure. Ellie Black was no exception. This isn’t a page flipping mystery but more of a slow burn and I felt that it fit the story well. Overall an entertaining and suspenseful mystery!

Thank you @SimonBooks #SimonBooksBuddy for the free book and also Netgalley and the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers more than 20 years ago. Since then, she has never relented in her search and it was the reason she became a detective. Now, there is a glimmer of hope. Another girl, Elizabeth "Ellie" Black ,was abducted 2 years ago and she has just materialized in the woods of Washington. However, when interviewed for her story by the police, she refuses to tell them anything.

This is a slow burn, suspenseful thriller with characters you will love and a story you will consume! Its a dark tale that will take you into a world of evil, full of palpable fear and despair, where women are preyed upon. But there is also a female detective chasing that evil straight into hell.

I am so excited for this new story and author! I am very much looking forward to the next stellar release by Emiko Jean!

Highly recommend!!!

Title: The Return of Ellie Black
Author: Emiko Jean
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"The Return of Ellie Black" by Emiko Jean

My Perception:

'The Return of Ellie Black' was quite a long mystery thriller, but if you go to the end, you are given a good story. Detective Chelsey Calhoun was kept busy investigating what had happened to seventeen-year-old Ellie Black. Some twenty years earlier, Chelsey's sister, Lydia, had vanished and, up until this time, was thought to have died with her boyfriend.

Along with what had gone on with Ellie being gone for two years, Chelsey was determined to find out what had happened to her. However, a lot will come out of this search for Ellie, especially when she returns after all this time. What was up with that, especially with her not wanting to talk about what had happened to her?

Well, when this story starts coming out, get ready for it. It will reveal much of what has happened in Washington State to Ellie and a few other interesting characters.

What did Chelsey's father and her boss have to do with anything that happened in this situation? Because Chelsey did not want to give up on Ellie, things began to open up. Chelsey was determined to discover the truth, going the extra mile as an officer. Would she be able to save other lives? I don't want to tell you too much different than pick 'The Return of Ellie Black' and see how it all comes out.

Be ready for a long but not easy read that will bring you a lot of twists and turns, abuse, heartache, and sadness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the much-appreciated arc in exchange for an honest review.

This started out super strong for me! Our main character is a detective who chose that career because her sister disappeared 20 years ago and she wants to bring closure t other families going through something similar. They find a missing girl (Ellie Black) that was gone for 2 years and she isn’t cooperating with questions despite the detective wanting to get to the bottom of what happened to her to prevent other victims from being taken. I was drawn into this story immediately and overall enjoyed my read! I didn’t love the second half of the book quite as much as the first half but it was still a solid thriller!

The Title pulled me in from the beginning and the author didn't disappoint!

Chelsey is haunted by the disappearance of her sister. She decides that she is going to get a job in the police department in her hometown.

There is a girl found in the woods and come to find out its Ellie Black who has been missing for two years. So Chelsey is looking for justice for Ellie and Ellie doesn't want to be involved. As the story unfolds, Chelsey needs Ellie's help in order to try and help other girls in this same situation.

The book pulls you in and grips you because you get to see what Ellie went through and shows you just how fragile Ellie is. The story is gripping, dark but there also is a soft side that shows the hope that Ellie wants to be normal. The book has plenty of twists and turns and its just a great read. I love the author writing style and will read more from the author.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

This was one of the best thrillers I have read in a very long time! I loved the way it was written, the multiple POV, and the way that it all came together. The twists were shocking and the story itself was completely unnerving. I truly had no idea how it would end and I was happily shooketh. I definitely recommend this one and can't wait to convince my friends to read it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. That last twist was SOMETHING. I did not see that coming. This is a story of missing girls and an obsessive female cop who tries to find and help them. Chelsey Calhoun followed in her father's footsteps in choosing to be a cop. In the wake of her sister's death and her mother's departure, she idolized her father and tried to live up to his demands. This complicated legacy and unresolved trauma makes her determined to find out who took Ellie Black when she mysteriously returns to town after being missing for years. Chelsey's investigation is interspersed with flashbacks by Ellie of her abduction and subsequent captivity. The setup for this novel was far-fetched, but the Pacific Northwest setting was beautifully described and you really got to know the main character and see all her blind spots. And the author keeps the surprises coming til the last second.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean is a suspense filled thriller novel. The story in The Return of Ellie Black is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters and also by going back to an earlier timeline along with the current timeline. This one also is on the dark side and not the easiest read about abuse.

Chelsey Calhoun knows what it’s like to have someone she loved go missing which has lead Chelsey to her life now as a detective. Twenty years ago Chelsey’s sister vanished and Chelsey continues to look today all the while trying to solve the cases of other missing girls that come along.

Two years ago Ellie Black was at a party when she disappeared without a trace and with little to go on was thought to be one case that would go unsolved. That is until now when Ellie has been found alive in the woods of Washington State. Detective Chelsey Calhoun is immediately on the case but finds it odd that Ellie stays silent about where she’s been and who has been keeping her.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean was a solid thriller novel that kept the pages turning until the very end. The author did a good job setting up a somewhat dark abduction story while weaving back and forth from the past and present. My thoughts at the end though were it all seemed to be a bit rushed in the wrap up and I wasn’t totally sold on the ending overall so this one fell in at three and a half stars for me. Although a slightly lower rating I would return to this author in the future as the story was an engaging read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I was super impressed by this debut thriller from Emiko Jean.

The story is told through dual POV which gives us insight into both main characters. But it's the characterization of Detective Chelsey Calhoun and the girl who returns from the missing, Elizabeth, that really grabbed me. We see the determination of Chelsey to solve the missing person cases, partly for her own personal reasons, but she really cannot let go of this case, even when her marriage is threatened. Elizabeth goes through a gruesome ordeal, but it's her grit that helps in her survival. The chapters are interspersed in a timely manner in order to provide a backstory to the character's motivation.

This story with its strong plot, twists and revelations, and emotional tug, stayed with me for a long time after I read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance reader's copy.

Ellie Black, a teenager from Washington, is discovered wandering in the woods almost exactly two years after she disappeared from a party at a motel. Detective Chelsey Caldwell worked the case went Ellie went missing and always hoped she’d be found. Chelsey’s sister went missing when she was a teenager and that case didn’t have a happy outcome, but it ultimately led to Chelsey following in her father’s footsteps onto the local police force. Unfortunately, Ellie is refusing to cooperate with the police investigation, even when it’s revealed that she might know of other missing girls. It’s up to Chelsey to figure out what Ellie’s hiding and why - before something even worse happens.

I was immediately sucked into this book! It’s not necessarily a fast-paced thriller and the writing kept me totally hooked. I stayed up way too late reading because I had to know what happened next. I didn’t have any guesses on what happened to Ellie, but the truths that come out at the end are truly shocking. This is my first read by this author and it certainly won’t be my last. Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for my e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to grab this on 5/7!

This book deserves 4.5 stars! Holy crap! Well written thriller! I was not disappointed this time. It is one of the must read if you want a fast paced, cannot put down and an intense read. I highly recommend this novel to anyone! I don’t want to give away too much because I want the other readers feel as much as I did while reading this.

I received this copy as an eARC from netgalley and Simon&Schuster. My opinion is purely my own. Thank you.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. Author Emiko Jean is a very talented writer. Her style is interesting and her words always entertaining. I enjoyed this book up until the very end. I thought the 'twist' was unbelievable as well as unnecessary. The book centers on a young girl, Elizabeth 'Ellie' Black, who is kidnapped and held prisoner on a compound with several other young girls. Two years later, she manages to find her way out and is reunited with her family. Detective Chelsey Calhoun is on the case. She has her own set of issues and Ellie's silence frustrates her as she tries to unravel the truth. Calhoun is haunted by her own sister's murder and caught between her husband and her job. Overall, the book is well-written, the characters are intriguing, and the story is suspenseful. I was just disappointed in the end. It didn't seem realistic and took away from the story when everything could have been wrapped up nicely without the 'twist'.

Would recommend for fans of…
🔎 Mare of Eastown
🔎 Mary Kubica’s The Good Girl
🔎 Karin Slaughter’s Pretty Girls
🔎 Top of the Lake

WOW! I’m declaring this the best thriller of 2024!

On the surface, The Return of Ellie Black feels like a typical police procedural – a detective, Chelsey, investigates when a missing girl, Ellie Black, returns two years after her disappearance. It’s difficult to say much more without giving anything away, but this story blew me away. It’s the kind of novel that’s so good you want to savor it, but at the same time, you need to know what will happen next and you won’t be able to put it down.

The Return of Ellie Black has the perfect blend of character and plot and will satisfy fans of both character-driven and plot-driven mysteries. I loved how Emiko Jean incorporated so many POVs throughout the story. While Chelsey and Ellie were the two main POVs, other characters, including Ellie’s parents, boyfriend, and counselor are also featured. They never distract from the main characters, but they help add depth and perspective to the larger story.

While I think everyone should give this book a try, there are parts of it that can be tough to read, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about the content.

The Return of Ellie Black is out May 7. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @Simon.audio for the audiobook and @SimonandSchuster for the ebook. The audiobook is narrated by a full cast and it was a really great listening experience. I mostly listen during the day, in my car or while around the house. At night, I usually read on my Kindle, so having both editions of this book was really great, especially since I couldn't stop reading.
There are some heavy topics in this book, but it's a wonderful mystery/thriller without gore or explicit content. The POV rotates and the reader gets insight and peeks into the story that feel like pieces to a big puzzle. Then the twists come and omg, I just couldn't put this book down until I knew exactly what happened and who was involved.
I highly recommend checking this one out!