This story definitely had me guessing in the best way. It’s definitely twisted! I’m a sucker for female detectives and PIs and detective Chelsea Calhoun was a compelling protagonist, driven by her past trauma of her sister’s disappearance and presumed death to solve the abduction of Ellie Black. The multiple timelines and points of view worked to unspool the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life is turned upside down when she gets the call Ellie Black, a girl who disappeared years earlier, has resurfaced in the woods of Washington state—but Ellie’s reappearance leaves Chelsey with more questions than answers.

This book had me hooked from the start! I felt like I was reading a book version of Criminal Minds, which I loved! I loved the intricate weaving of Chelsey’s POV, mixed in with Ellie’s perspective (both past and present). While these two voices were the focal point, I also enjoyed how the minor characters’ perspectives were also showcased in select chapters. I’ve read a good amount of mystery and thrillers this year already, but this is probably my favorite of the year! The foreboding and suspenseful atmosphere that Emiko Jean created made this book very hard to put down–I just had to know what happened! The ending was surprising, but also a little bittersweet as well, which I didn’t mind!

I could definitely see this being a movie or series–with a strong, Japanese woman as lead (Maya Erskine, Karen Fukuhara, Anna Sawai).

Read if you like:
-Criminal Minds
-Missing person/Missing person returns
-Strong Asian female lead
-Foreboding + suspenseful atmosphere
-Alternating perspectives (& timelines)
-Cults(?)

There are some intense, unsettling scenes due to the nature of the story. I didn’t find the scenes too graphic, but please read with care.

Thank you to Emiko Jean, Netgalley, and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my review!

The subject matter of this book - the capture and torture of young girls - isn't for the squeamish. I'm okay with that, actually, but on the other hand, no way will I call it fun to read, so forewarned is forearmed. It begins with what should be a joyous event: Ellie Black, who went missing and was declared dead several years earlier as a teenager, wanders out of a local Washington state woods. Her parents, of course, are ecstatic; but quickly, it becomes evident that she's not the same daughter they knew when she disappeared.

The local police are ecstatic as well - including Detective Chelsey Calhoun, for whom Ellie's sudden reappearance triggers unwelcome but always-there memories of her sister Lydia, who disappeared 20 years ago and later was declared dead. Eager to find the person or persons responsible for Ellie's abduction partly to assuage her guilt surrounding her sister's situation, Chelsey jumps into the investigation with both feet. She's so eager to solve the case, in fact, that she quickly alienates her teacher husband of less than two years, Noah, who wants her to ease up a little so they can behave like a "normal" couple.

Ellie herself, though, isn't much help; she refuses to cooperate or speak of where she's been and what she experienced during her absence - not even to a professional therapist. But while that leaves Chelsey grasping at straws much of the time, readers get the scoop: interspersed throughout are chapters from Ellie's viewpoint, telling us what really went on behind closed doors. Slowly and methodically, Chelsey begins to make headway into the investigation, leading up to a couple of in-your-face revelations at the end (one of which I'd correctly surmised but the other something of a gobsmacker).

All told, then, it's a winner in my book and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.

Thank you Simon Audio and Simon and Schuster for a copy of this book! Pub date is May 7, 20204.

Short synopsis: Ellie Black is kidnapped, two years later she comes walking out of the woods.

My thoughts: Okay, this might just be my favorite thriller of the year so far! I’m going to keep my thoughts somewhat vague because I think that’s a great way of going into this story. So many unexpected twists had my head reeling, and that ending! I’m glad I did a buddy read of this to talk through the details at the end.

I loved the format of this with flashes into Ellie’s time in captivity. Those parts of the story were so hard to read, but added such a punch to the story to get inside her head and understand her experiences.

There are definitely some triggers in here: kidnapping, sexual/emotional/physical abuse, manipulation and gaslighting to name a few.

I did list of this on audio and would highly recommend. Full cast of narrators that help bring this story to life.

Read if you love:
- True crime
- Time flashes
- Multiple POV
- Abduction stories

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonbooks for the ARC!

Ellie Black, once a lively teenager, disappeared two years earlier only to reappear in an utterly disheveled state in the vast woods of Washington. However, this long hoped for reunion between Ellie and her loved ones raises more questions than answers. It is up to Detective Chelsey Calhoun, who is grappling with her own loss and trauma, to uncover the truth about what really happened to Ellie.

As an avid reader of mystery thrillers, I was pleasantly surprised to find this debut encompassed several elements I enjoy about this genre starting with the woodsy atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest. What truly stood out for me, though, is the beautiful, reflective prose with which this story is written. The writing and exploration of the human psyche maintained my interest as the plot gradually progressed.

I also appreciated the depth and complexity of Ellie’s and Detective Calhoun’s characters. Both women have experienced or witnessed horrific events that left them with indelible marks. Ellie becomes a shell of a person when she reemerges and Detective Calhoun uses her pain as a driving force to protect others. The nuances of their guilt and grief had me sympathizing with and rooting for them.

Lastly, the accompanying commentary about missing women, including those from low SES and marginalized communities was well integrated into the storyline and brings much needed attention to the lack of attention many women receive in the real world.

With all that being said, I felt this was a bit more formulaic and predictable in terms of the Who but not the Why. The ultimate motive also seemed a bit murky and I would have liked more of a backstory on that front. The ending also felt a bit rushed.

Given that Emiko Jean mainly writes YA romances, I do give the author a bit of grace as she is new to this genre. This is still a very strong debut and perfect for fans of slow-burn, atmospheric, psychological thrillers! I would love to see Jean continue publishing mystery thrillers!

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC. This was a fantastic thriller! This book kept me hooked from the first page. I read a ton of books so to keep me entertained and interested in the twisty-turns are really good. Where has Ellie Black BEEN for the last 2 years?! Other girls have gone missing, why has Ellie been the only girl to return? Why is Ellie not talking?? I highly recommend this if you are looking for a solid thriller guaranteed to keep you guessing.

I received a digital advance copy of The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean via NetGalley. The Return of Ellie Black is scheduled for release on May 7, 2024.

Ellie Black has been missing for two years. When the young women reappears in the woods, Detective Chelsey is assigned to the case. The trouble is, Ellie is clearly keeping secrets, refusing to share information that would help find the person responsible for her disappearance. As Chelsey works on Ellie’s case, memories of Chelsey’s sister who vanished twenty years ago tangle with the few clues Chelsey can find about Ellie’s disappearance. Haunted by all the missing girls, Chelsey needs to find closure for both Ellie and herself.

The strength of this novel is the plot. Jean weaves together cases from both the past and present day in a way that made sense for all parts of the story. Toward the end of the novel there was a twist that I did not predict, but in retrospect was clearly laid out in the clues given to the reader.

I do wish that the intricacies of the plot had been better supported with character development. We have two main characters in this novel. We do get to know Chelsey pretty well. Ellie, however, remains a bit more distant despite the amount of time we spend with her in the novel. To an extent, this makes sense, as she is keeping secrets from Chelsey and everyone else around her. Outside of those two characters, the surrounding cast was not as well developed. I struggled at times to keep characters straight, as I didn’t have a clear sense of them. In particular, Chelsey’s husband remained little more than an outline. Given the subplot involving him that should have significant impact on Chelsey, I felt he needed much more development. I couldn’t care about any events connected to him, as I had no idea who he really was.

Overall, The Return of Ellie Black delivered on the mystery elements, but could have used more development in the characters.

Thank you so much to netgalley and Simon and Schuester for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a police procedural that follows a detective who works on a case for a missing girl. This girl turns up two years later and then refuses to talk about what happened.

This was just an ok thriller for me. I thought the premise and writing were pretty good. I liked the setting as well. I did read it pretty fast as well.

However, the characters didn’t feel real to me. They all felt underdeveloped or cliches. The twist was also really unbelievable to me. I can suspend some disbelief but not enough for this one.

I think a lot of people will like this one but it wasn’t a huge hit for me.

This was a fun thriller to read. Told from the dual perspectives of both Ellie Black and the detective trying to figure out what happened to her after she is found alive. The timelines also are split between the current time after Ellie is found alive, appearing to have escaped two years after her kidnapping, and from Ellie’s POV from when she gets kidnapped up through the current time.
This had decent pacing, but slightly unlikeable characters. Chelsey Calhoun is your typical workaholic detective suffering problems in her relationship, and Ellie Black is your typical acting out teenager. I think it’s hard to write thrillers now without using some kind of trope like that, but that’s not to say the writer did it poorly. I was still invested in learning what actually happened to Ellie, as of course, she’s reluctant to talk to the cops after.
One thing I did really like about the book was the micro aggressions the author mentioned that Chelsey the detective has to deal with at work - being female and of Asian descent - and how she always felt like the odd one out growing up and then at work. (One example was how her boss would call her by her first name while calling all the other male cops by their last. Intentional? Probably not, but important to call out things like that.)
Overall, if you like thrillers and suspense, this one is worth checking out!

This is a lot. It's intense, thoughtful, dark, and completely gripping. I wasn't in the mood for a thriller so I thought I'd get a feel for it and come back, but it pulled me in immediately. An emotional, human horror story wrapped in the dedication that only women can have for protecting other women and girls. And also the firm belief that men can be saved and good, and are not inherently born bad but instead made. It's oddly hopeful for a story that's going to hurt you so much on the way to resolution.

Det. Chelsey Calhoun is an interesting character - complicated, empathetic, frustrating, but sharp and smart too. Her emotional intelligence is her biggest journey, but her belief in what she's doing is so important. She doesn't let the boys club of her field stop her from doing the right thing, or from finding the men who will help her instead of get in her way.

Ellie is beyond frustrating, but also such an accurate depiction of trauma. As someone who has spent a lot of time learning about it on the academic and biological side, not to mention my own life experiences, there were times when the way Ellie felt was so accurate and relatable that it took my breath away. She's a surprisingly fun character, keeping a wryness both in the past and present experiences of her life that I really liked.

With any thriller like this, there are twists. Some that you see coming as the pieces fall into place, some you as the reader see before the characters do and have to try and make sense of, and connections that you could not have foretold. I don't love the way some books connect all the things, but my eh for that wasn't enough to stop me from giving this the full five stars. It was utterly gripping, painful, and made me feel connected to the web of women's experiences, the fears and truths we share without words.

Absolutely worth picking up.

Thank you Emiko Jean and Simon & Schuster for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fans of shows like Criminal Minds, I have your next read.

Ellie Black disappears and over 2 years later she returns. Now the mystery of what happened to her, how she came back, and who she is now, is a question that everyone is trying to figure out. Even Ellie.

I have so many thoughts about this book. The format is unlike any other book I’ve read. The switching between Ellie’s first person POV and the third person account of the people in her life kept me sucked in, wondering if people will be able to see the things you get to know. Emiko Jean does an amazing job of giving you enough information and keeping you in the dark enough for all the twist to be a huge surprise. I usually am pretty critical of authors putting extra and sometimes unnecessary details, but the details just helped me visualize each scene.

This book kept me glued and I could not put it down!

This is my first book by author Emiko Jean and I was impressed! The novel was a gripping page turner about a timely topic of a young teenage girls gone missing and her sudden return. I was engrossed in the story line with the multi viewpoint of the victim and the detective assigned to her case. I thought the author did a great job of writing about a sensitive subject with respect and understanding. I enjoyed all the plot twists and jaw dropping moments. It is a must read for mystery suspenseful enthusiasts!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I could not put it down. What a wild ending! I did not see it coming at all. What a thrilling read!!!! I highly recommend for fans of thrills & mystery. Look for this book to be available May 7, 2024.
Thank you #NetGalley #Simon&Schuster #EmikoJean for the ARC.

This is for readers looking for a page-turning mystery that focuses on toxic masculinity and the politics involved in missing-person investigations. Caution: twists ahead.

4.5 stars

The only thing that prevented me from reading this book in one sitting was sleep, I was a little bummed I started it too late in the day!

This one had me hooked. I really enjoyed the different perspectives of Chelsey and Ellie. I felt like both characters were done ridiculously well, the sadness, loss and bravery of both characters jumped off the page and made this a heartbreaking and emotional read. The only thing holding me back from a five star was the ending, while I think the book was fantastic, I actually could have gone without that last twist.

If mystery/thrillers are a genre you enjoy, no doubt this one will be a hit!

Many thank to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Chelsey Calhoun is still traumatized by the death of her sister and brings the feeling of needing to compensate for that to every case she investigates. When a missing girl returns, Chelsey is first in line to determine what happened and find the person responsible for it. Little did she know how warped and twisted this case, and the others it is linked to will become. Multiple points of view and two timelines helped the reader converge on the present in a soooooo very close to unbelievable, but ultimately WHAT????, ending. And a few of the characters seemed a bit too good to be true but still fell just on the side of believable. I'd bring up plot points that I related to from several true crime stories to hook you in, but feel that might give too much away and ruin the story for other readers. Just keep turning the pages and enjoy!

🌲 This book wrapped me up from the first chapter and I was completely enraptured until the moment I finished. It was thrilling, but also very deep and meaningful too— I just really liked it! Thank you to @simonandschuster and @netgalley for the early peek at this. It’s out 5/7!

🌲 This is obviously a page-turning thriller— but I LOVED the opportunities the author seized here to talk about how these crimes happen to women all too often. She made some of the most poignant statements, without beating it into the reader. It was perfect and my favorite part of the book.

🌲 This reminded me of ‘The Quiet Tenant’ meets ‘The Lovely Bones’ with its own twists and turns too. I DID predict the ‘whodunnit’ aspect fairly early which always bums me out but I’ve chatted with some other people and they didn’t, so I think I just got lucky! It absolutely still highly recommend this!

This atmospheric thriller follows two points of views; Ellie Black who resurfaced after disappearing for 3 years, and Chelsea, the detective who is determined to solve her case. Emiko Jean's writing is fast-paced, and I found her debut thriller to be highly engaging. I loved the departure in writing style she took from the YA Tokyo Ever After series. This was an excellent mystery with a plot twist I didn't see coming! Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an incredible, incredible novel! I don't even know where to begin. This was my first read by Emiko Jean, but she is now an autobuy author for me, and I will definitely be checking out her backlist. This one was done so well!

I was sucked in by the very first pages and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I felt all of the emotions including anger, sadness, anxiety, dread, and hope. While I knew of some inequities when it comes to missing women and the attention their cases receive, there were still a few incredibly heartbreaking things that I learned while reading this. It made me so angry and sick to my stomach to know that the specific girls who were abducted were taken for calculated reasons (e.g. their families were poor and therefore not much money would be allocated to their search and return).

While I had a feeling Chelsey's sergeant was involved in some way, I did not piece together the entire story, and I love thrillers where I can't guess what will happen. There was also a literal jaw dropping twist that I never in a million years would have guessed.

I don't know the words to describe Ellie's chapters other than amazing. But I don't feel that that is the correct word to use due to the content within them. But the writing was literal perfection. I could feel the fear, confusion, desperation, and despair that Ellie felt. It was a constant stomachache the entire time I was reading. I was rooting for her and all of those girls. I literally SOBBED at the end of Ellie's last chapter. It was heart wrenching.

The entire book was the work of brilliance. But one thing that really stood out to me was the contrast between Ellie's dad and the men who took Ellie and the other victims. Ellie's dad always felt inadequate and insecure because he couldn't provide for this family the way that he wanted. He felt less than as a man, but he took his frustrations to the sea, boating whenever he could. While he wasn't perfect, he tried not to take his frustrations out on the women in his life. He loved them. There was a very pivotal moment where he apologized to his wife for his inability to fully provide over the years especially when she was pregnant with their daughters, but his wife responds that it was okay because they were a team. She never saw him as less than. Now, when we look at the motivations of the men who took Ellie and the other victims, we see that they too felt inadequate and insecure. They suffered from abandonment issues and looked at the successes of women (one in particular who I won't mention as it could be a spoiler) as their downfall. Instead of getting therapy or seeking more productive avenues to get out their frustrations, they chose violence toward women. It was interesting to see the two different paths that were taken between these men that stemmed from the same feelings of insecurity.

I feel like this entire review is just me rambling, but I cannot recommend this enough. ALL. THE. STARS!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Books for a chance to be an early reader!

Thanks to @thoughtsfromapage, @simonandschuster, and @netgalley for my advanced copy! This one is out 5/7!

The Return of Ellie Black took me completely by surprise. I like to think that as a seasoned thriller reader I'm able to spot twists a mile away. I am happy to report that I definitely didn't see any of the MANY twists that Emiko Jean threw at me. My jaw dropped several times and the last 10% or so it just stayed on the floor. Thankfully I had @readbyraines to text because I just couldn't get over the shock of each reveal. If you're looking for a well written, catch you off guard thriller, check out The Return of Ellie Black.