This was hard to put down. You get sucked in right as the author jumps right in with Ellie Black, a teen who has been missing for two years, returns home to her small Washington coastal town. Chelsey Calhoun is the detective on the case, and she is finding Ellie a bit of a hostile witness. Is really too traumatized to tell her story, or is there something wrong going on here? We follow both Ellie and Chelsy's narratives, with Ellie slowly revealing what happened to her the last two years, and Chelsey almost burning her own life to the ground to find the truth. Loved it. The ending was wrapped up a little too neatly for me, but I know it worked for many readers.

A fast-paced mystery with several twists along the way. Detective Chelsey sets out to find what happened to Ellie Black only to uncover family secrets of her own and her boss's. As the past collides with the future Chelsey finds herself on a rollercoaster to find the truth. Emiko Jean creates great characters and a page-turning plot that keeps you up at night wanting to know the ending. An enjoyable detective story right up to the ending.

Another author that writes so well across genres! I ate this up! What a fun thriller.

Elizabeth Black has been missing for two years when she is found by some hikers. Where has she been? Who took her?

This was a wild ride and kept me on my toes for all of it.

Thanks to netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an eARC.

I don't read mysteries very often, but the cover and summary of this book really piqued my interest. I have never read a book by this author, but I recognized her other books and decided to dive right in. The story kept my interest in wanting to know what would happen next, but at times it was hard to follow because of the writing style. The story starts in 3rd person following the main lead character detective Chelsey Calhoun, and a few times following other characters, and then goes into first person flashbacks in Ellie's point of view. The story flowed more when it was in first person, but when it went into 3rd person the sentences felt choppy and short. Detective Calhoun's sister Lydia vanished years go when they were teens. Now she has made it her mission to help save other missing girls. Years after her sister has vanished a missing girl named Ellie reappears 2 years later walking in the woods. I wanted to see where the story would take me, which was entertaining and at times dark, but the ending felt very far fetched. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster @simonbooks @simonandschuster and Simon Audio @simon.audio and Netgalley @Netgalley for the e-arc. All thoughts are my own.



Twenty years ago, Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when she was a teenager. She’s been searching ever since. As much as she’d like to hope for a happy ending, they’re rare, and the chances grow slimer every day.

Then she gets a glimmer of hope when local teenager Ellie Black, who went missing two years prior has been found.

But as Detective Chelsey investigates, things aren’t adding up. Ellie’s story isn’t exactly what she says it is and she needs to get to the bottom of it. If not for her sister, then for the next girl who could be taken, and who might never return.


I picked this one up first and foremost because it takes place not far from where I live. I am just drawn to stories that take place in my State. Weird fascination maybe, but I have fun with them, and this book was no exception. This book is intense! And in the best possible way. While it dealt with some dark content, it was done in a delicate way and wasn’t off putting. This book was told through multi points of view and they were done great on audio. This was an exceptional listen, and I didn’t want to pause to put it down, but when I had to I picked up a print copy. The pacing was on the medium fast side, and I liked it because I didn’t have time to dwell on any of the tough topics that were discussed. While the final twist was a little out there, I thought it was fun and enjoyable.

This was my first book by this author and I’m excited to read more. I recommend this one on audio and print and I enjoyed going back and forth between the two versions.

Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life is turned upside down when she gets a call that Ellie Black has mysteriously reappeared after being missing for over two years. Chelsey is determined to find the person responsible and in that time also comes to some realizations of her own.

This is a twisty mystery that I could not put down with surprising twists all the way to the end. Each of the main characters. Chelsey and Ellie, popped off the page providing opportunities for growth and insight. Emiko Jean uses a dual POV in a creative way and melding together seamlessly enhancing the overall reading experience. I loved the setting and sense of place Jean has achieved in the Pacific Northwest and the Olympic peninsula. Highly recommend this book if you like mystery or thrillers

I know we're going to be seeing The Return of Ellie Black everywhere this summer. It's just that good. Not only did I care about the characters, but the pacing is perfect and the twists are epic. This book is about more than Ellie, her disappearance, and her return. It's about how far we'll go for the ones we love and what we'll do to survive. Books like The Return of Ellie Black are exactly why thrillers are my favorite genre.

This thriller will leave you absolutely breathless. It is intense. A teen girl is abducted and taken to a compound littered with evil. She mysteriously re-emerges two years later having escaped. Her own story of what happened is told in her voice but not to the investigating officer. The officer searches through the measly clues to try and find the abductor, running into walls she must destroy.It will keep you at the edge of your seat.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars. Chelsea Calhoun is a detective assigned to work on a case involving Ellie Black, a young woman who suddenly disappeared two years ago and who just as suddenly has just reappeared. This case is more than interesting to Chelsea because her own sister also mysteriously vanished when they were teenagers. As the narration shifts between that of Chelsea and Ellie, the reader is able to learn much about these characters individually as well as clues leading up to discovering what actually might have happened to both girls. This book is beautifully written, and the plot line is well developed, making for a really good read. And, although there are some pretty dark moments involved, this is a real page turner with plenty of twists and turns. All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I devoured this book! This book is outstanding. I could not put it down. This book is atmospheric, twisty and twisted! When Ellie Black shows up after missing for two years, it seems like a happy ending. But as evidence gets uncovered, you’ll see that things aren’t as they seem. This will be one of my top reads of the year!

Thank you to NetGalley, Emiko Jean, and Simon & Schuster Publishing for this arc of The Return of Ellie Black, out May 7, 2024!

Well, right off the bat my anxiety level is at 100, as my daughter’s name is Ellie. Elizabeth, “Ellie,” Black has been missing for two years. Detective Chelsey has been searching for clues, any little signs of her anywhere, so that another girl isn’t next. She couldn’t save her sister, when she left all those years ago,but she vows to find Ellie.

Chelsey is living with her husband Noah of two years, a fast and furious love that developed from day one. Chelsey has her own secrets though… and some of them may have to resurface. At times Noah seemed like a side character to me, and not a front runner in her life. Her dad was also in the police business, and she followed in his foot steps. Chelsey was a strong willed, open hearted, and devoted character the entire time.

Chelsey receives a call at midnight, in which she learns Ellie has been found… alive. Is it really her? What happened the last two years? Is this the same girl who truly disappeared on that cold night so long ago?

As Chelsey is driving back to her family home, the home she’s keeping a secret from Noah, she reminisces about her childhood. As she thinks of these memories, she says something about how she wishes there was a way to know when you’re experiencing life’s happiest moments. It made me think about that statement…. How true it is that we don’t realize until later on that these small moments, these parts of our lives that may seem so small, but end up momentous after all.

I could not stop reading this book… Mostly because I needed to know that everything would be OK in the end. This author did a great job at making you want to turn the pages. There are some trigger warnings, with child abduction, and abuse and watching them deal with post traumatic stress disorder, but if you can handle reading about it, the author does a very nice job of laying it all out there.

This was the first book by this author that I have read, and I am intrigued to look at her other novels! This one was a whirlwind… And I loved how Chelsey really stayed true to herself from beginning to end… also showed a lot of growth.

A great read if you’re into psychological thrillers!

The Return of Ellie Black was a page turner. Yes, I lost sleep one night as I did not want to put it down. The character were well developed highlighting flaws and strengths. Not only is this is a detective thriller it is also a psychological one. I had not read any books by Jean but will look for them as the writing style flowed and crescendoed at appropriate times. The tragic lasting affects of kidnapping has tentacles that reach beyond the "stolen" person especially when one is young.. Please read other reviews for more details on the story line as I did not want to be redundant. Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy.

Malnourished and Frightened to Death


Emiko Jean describes the details of kidnappings of young girls. They are placed in dire circumstances, subjected to beatings, unwanted sex and poor nutrition. This is the story of how Ellie Black escaped the compound and then returned to try and save the other surviving young girls. There were some complicated family structures of those that survived and some that did not.

It was not pleasant reading. The reader knew that these young, innocent girls would not be treated well. One of the better written scenes was the capture of Ellie and her isolation in a bus with minimal water and food given to her by one of the kidnappers.

Another main character, Detective Chelsey Calhoun, had her own nightmares with her past. She was determined, however, to find these girls, despite the strain it brought to her marriage. This book seemed l midway between Young Adult and Adult.

This novel seems like a loose (very) version of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. David Koresh, who believed and/or stated that he was the Messiah had adults and many children who seemed to be there against their will. It culminated in a standoff in the 1990’s between the FBI and the 80 or so inhabitants. Janet Reno, the U.S. Attorney General wanted to save the children, but the FBI made an unsuccessful attempt to capture those that were there against their will. No one knows the true story except the ending was the worse imagined.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster. All opinions expressed are my own.

Put this one on your radar! And be prepared to be on the edge of your seat for the entirety of this wild ride!

The plot immediately drew me in and I was unable to put this book down. Which speaks volumes all in itself considering I had a terrible cold while reading. Missing girls just don’t “reappear” after two years. I had to find out how, why, and what happened to Ellie. I was truly puzzled and the truth is more than I ever imagined. It still gives me chills.

Full of suspense, drama, and complex/disturbing relationships, I remain beyond impressed that the author of MIKA IN REAL LIFE wrote THE RETURN OF ELLIE BLACK as her debut psychological thriller. Emiko Jean, what do you have next up your sleeve? I’m dying to know.

If you are lucky and have an advanced copy (thank you @simonbooks @netgalley), make sure to join the @aotmbookclub for their buddy read that starts on April 22nd. I can’t wait to be a fly on the wall for it, waiting for your reactions/responses, just to relive the jaw-dropping twists and turns.

This was sooooo good!!! I love Chelsey and all the roadblocks she bravely tackles not just as a female Asian detective, but her everyday life. Having lost her own sister, she faces a missing girl case that she becomes obsessed with. After Ellie mysteriously returns after being gone and her case was getting cold, Chelsey tries to find the answers. The results are wild!!! Really good story!

I liked this one! I had it figured out fairly early on, but the story kept me reading. I think my biggest frustration was the way the book kept flashing back to what happened while Ellie was gone. I know this was supposed to drive home how harrowing it was and help us understand why she made the decisions that she did, but I found that it took me out of the rhythm of the mystery and generally made the mystery less pressing because there was less to uncover. It wasn't a light book, but if you tend to like true crime or books about women held captive and how they break free, then I think you'll enjoy this one.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

*Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to Simon Audio for a gifted ALC*

What a TRIP! I immediately got the vibe of The Grave Digger from Bones, but it turned out to be even more sinister. Each plot element nests nicely inside the next, until you're left with a pile of Matryoshka dolls and no way out. The full cast audio was astounding, though I definitely got distracted unpacking and missed some key plotpoints. (No fault of theirs though!)

We've got reappearances, a string of cold case kidnappings, and just a lil taste of cult happenings, so I'm a happy camper. This is one that I definitely want to reread to make sure I see all the strings in Emiko Jean's web, and I absolutely want to see more thrillers from her in the future!

This was a great read. Well paced, interesting if not disturbing plot, kind of a wild twist at the end but I’m all for it. I was very entertained and devoured the book in a couple days.

In the new thriller The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean, teenager Elizabeth Black makes a shocking reappearance two years after being mysteriously abducted. Ellie, as she is known to her friends and family, is clearly ravaged by the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder; she sleeps in a crawl space instead of her bed at night, refuses to bathe or cut her long, matted hair, and is repulsed by physical contact with other people. Little by little, readers learn the horrifying story of her capture and forcible induction into a repressive cult on a deserted, rural property. Meanwhile, in alternating chapters, Detective Chelsey Calhoun works against the clock to find Ellie’s captors. She has worked the case since the earliest days of her career, motivated by a tragedy involving her sister during their teenage years. But as more information about other victims comes to light, Chelsey begins to suspect that Ellie herself is hiding something sinister.
To me, this book is a masterpiece. As a voracious reader of mysteries and thrillers, I repeatedly thought I had this book’s plot and its characters’ motivations all figured out — and every time, I was wrong. Author Emiko Jean managed to keep me guessing until the last pages. This book touched on some incredibly dark but important topics: survivor’s guilt and the freeze and fawn responses are only a few. I highly recommend this book. The opinions expressed in this review are mine. Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for access to the advanced reader copy.

I have been a fan of Emiko Jean for several books now and while I very much enjoyed her more comedic work, I was sincerely impressed with the quality of her writing in THE RETURN OF ELLIE BLACK. The premise of the novel, *starting* with the return of the missing girl is brilliant and, without giving anything away, is brilliantly executed throughout.

Beyond the great writing and tight plot, the setting is very atmospheric. The character work is also great, especially with Detective Calhoun.

THE RETURN OF ELLIE BLACK reminded me of Long Bright River by Liz Moore and The Girls by Emma Cline (two books I also loved). I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for something dark, twisty, female-centric and superbly written.

[I share reviews on my IG account @asjouhanneau.]