Emiko Jean truly does not miss! She's shone in young adult romance, in new adult contemporary fiction, and now with a thriller and mystery. I was unsure what to expect since I was used to the warm hugs of her previous books. However, The Return of Ellie Black was such a pleasant surprise. I think most mystery babes will enjoy this one!

Men preying on young girls. They need to be found. Who can you trust? Nobody.

Detective Chelsea Calhoun’s sister, Lydia, vanishes and is presumed killed in a murder suicide by her boyfriend. Chelsea can’t live with the fact that she couldn’t save her sister. She is determined to rescue and find all other young girls that go missing. She will not stop until Ellie Black is found. I loved Chelsea’s character, I loved Ellie’s devotion and compassion for the girls that were taken with her. I loved Emiko Jean’s writing style. I would recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When a girl is found on a trail by two hikers stating that she is Ellie Black, a girl that has been missing for over two years, it is up to Detective Chelsey Calhoun to figure out what happened. Detective Chelsey has previous experience with missing people. Her sister went missing twenty years ago and believed to be dead. However, Ellie is finally safe and surrounded by the people she loves. When Chelsey tries to get Ellie's story, Ellie is reluctant to help and seems to be hiding the truth about what happened to her. As Chelsey follows the clues, evidence might point to Ellie not being the only victim.

This was a great debut for Emiko Jean. I was invested in Detective Chelsey's character as she figured out what truly happened to Ellie Black while dealing with the death of her father and the disappearance of her sister. I enjoyed the two different point of views, especially Ellie's account of what truly happened during the two years she was missing. Some of Ellie's scenes were very difficult to read, and I highly suggest reading the trigger warnings for this book before making the decision to read this book. The ending was slightly lackluster. The resolution felt rushed and felt that the author could have provider a better conclusion, but I did enjoy the book overall.

The Return of Ellie Black releases May 7th.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review The Return of Ellie Black. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This will go down as one of my top reads of 2024.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a huge fan of novels written with strong female leads that violently shake away societal pressures to not listen to our guts.
Domestic(ish) thriller. I didn’t put the pieces together until 77% and even then there were still two twists to come.
Trauma and its ripple effects.
Violence against women.
Injustices within the system.
Police procedural with Nordic noirish themes of heavy trauma backstories, social justice themes, and family secrets.
Dual narrative. Slow going until the second narrative is introduced.
Characters are well-fleshed out. Back stories intermingle well with current narratives.

“I wish this was not a cautionary tale about what happens to girls who wander off in the dark. Who are made to learn there are bad people everywhere. The truth is these people are not strangers. They are men you work with, the men you raise. I wish this wasn’t what it meant to be female - it is not a matter of if something bad will happen, but when.”

17 year old Ellie Black is found by hikers, alive, two years after she goes missing. Chelsey Calhoun, detective of the Coldwell PD and case lead during Ellie’s disappearance, suffered her own loss and trauma 20 years prior. This story follows Chelsey and Ellie, as Chelsey tries to unravel what happened to Ellie during the course of two years, and Ellie attempts to resolve her trauma.

The novel is structured with a first person POV flashback of Ellie’s experience, and with 3rd person present day timeline, mainly following Chelsey’s journey. Unfortunately, I found this structure to be completely jarring and disconnecting the flow of the reading experience. I would have enjoyed this much more if the 3rd person present day POV been in Chelsey’s 1st person POV. There were also instances where the writer broke the 4th wall, which doesn’t make any sense given this story is not written in a journal or retelling format.

My biggest issue with this novel was with the writing style - the story was a conjunction of endless short, choppy sentences. It made it extremely hard to focus on the content and meaning of the words on the page. I would have DNFed had the plot not been interesting enough to keep me going.

From a plot perspective, however, this story was very well developed. The pacing was fantastic and never let off the gas. I thoroughly enjoyed the flashbacks from Ellie’s POV. They gave me that edge of your seat feeling that made me want to continue turning pages. The ending gave shock factor, however I wish there were more Easter eggs in the earlier parts of the book instead of so much information dumping to tie everything together.

Chelsey’s character arc was also developed very well. We got to see her internal battle with wanting to fight for justice, and the way that justice should be morally sought, while also dealing with her own personal trauma. There was also some good commentary on the issues of women’s abuse, and systemic injustice for lower class victims.

Overall, I’d recommend this to those who enjoy strong female leads, and twisty, turny thrillers. Check your trigger warnings!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my ARC of The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean. I loved this one! A thrilling storyline centered around Detective Chelsey Calhoun's investigation into a missing girl, this book was a page-turner. I particularly enjoyed the alternative POVs in each chapter and although it wasn't stated who the narrator was, it wasn't hard to follow. I think it added to the mystery and atmosphere of the book. Where I think there may be some room for improvement is the dialogue and ethics of the therapist's character. While there was more accuracy than most books describing sessions and/or a therapist working with a trauma survivor, I think there is still a bit of room to go in terms of it being genuine, realistic, and an accurate depiction. My only other comment would be that a content warning should be included at the beginning of this book. Otherwise, I really loved this one! I'm rating it 5/5 stars and would recommend this read to anyone looking for a suspenseful, atmospheric, page-turner.

Speedy read with a
twisted twist. Didn’t ever
want to put it down.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I write haiku reviews on Instagram but am happy to provide more feedback.

Detective Chelsey Calhoun gets the call that Ellie Black has suddenly reappeared after being missing for the last two years. A teen is abducted and suddenly reappears on her own, looking thin, dirty, disheveled, and not talking about what happened. She desperately wants to know what happened. But this also brings up memories of her own sister's disappearance and death. Suddenly this case consumes her.

This is a dark story but also one of determination to uncover evil and restore justice, not only in Chelsey's life but in Ellie's as well...if she can.

The story unfolds slowly and reveals things to the reader along the way that ending up making sense by the end of the book. Compelling reading!

My thanks to Cindy Burnett with Thoughts From A Page , Simon & Schuster, and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this e-book.

This missing persons mystery featured several strong, well-developed characters and dramatic, emotional episodes. Young detective Chelsey Calhoun works with endless determination to learn who kidnapped and kept Ellie Black for two years- and how the damaged teenager then came to wander out of the vast Olympia National Forest alone. Details emerge of abuse, neglect- and the existence of other victims, some possibly dead. It’s an emotional journey, and not always a straight path. One might need to suspend disbelief as parts of the mystery are solved- but it was an engaging and original reading adventure.

An engaging read that keeps you hooked from start to finish! The Return of Ellie Black is a captivating story filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy to invest in their journey. The writing style is smooth and immersive, drawing you into Ellie's world effortlessly. Overall, a highly enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a compelling and entertaining story!

I’m torn on how to rate this. While a lot of parts were fantastic, there were too many instances of me going “why is this necessary” while reading. Chelsey was not a character I felt anything toward, mainly because I felt she was underdeveloped. Additionally, the fact of her being adopted really never came into play, nor the fact that she had a husband who was rarely brought up. On the other side, I loved the format this book took! Learning one journal entry at a time what really happened to Ellie was a great technique for keeping me hooked. Ellie is a character I really felt for, so I really loved seeing how she went from rebellious teenager to horrified prisoner to a girl trying to heal. If you are a fan of mysteries with some fast paced action, definitely check it out!

An outstanding twisty thriller that is also trauma centered and compassionate, I highly recommend this book!
This is a great mystery, I love that it focused on a missing person who has been found so they story focuses more on what happened. I often love that kind of story, a reverse procedural in a way that also gives space to the victim to have a story, not just be a the reason for the story but to be centered on sharing trauma as well as helping to discover what happened. Emiko Jean offers a stellar mystery, dark and edgy but with an empathetic approach that allows a complex story and strong female characters to shine

This novel was a wild ride! I could not put this down and I was literally skipping pages ahead just to see what happened next. This definitely felt like a Criminal Minds episode brought to life, but it had about a million more twists. I will say I had to suspend disbelief at the ending, but it was still very entertaining. This was a little darker than I’m used to, but it was well written and I would recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced reading copy of this book.

This is the first Emiiko Jean novel that I’ve had the privilege of reading. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this e-copy. I am certainly going to read more of her backlist after this one.
This is the story about a detective, Chelsey Calhoun, who has made her life’s work searching for missing girls ever since her sister went missing when they were teens. Suddenly, a girl who went missing two years prior is found in a national park nearby. Her name is Ellie Black.
This story is told from the point of view of both the detective and Ellie. As Ellie reveals her back story we are given clues about her disappearance.
Emiko Jean has given life to her characters that make you feel as though you were reading about true crime. As I read I found myself in the minds of a detective, a traumatized missing girl, a family who was suffering and the killer.
The atmosphere gave me a strong sense of place and I found myself everywhere the author took me.
The carefully constructed plot had me thinking I was on the right path but then suddenly something unexpected would happen and have me breathless. I finished this book in two sittings because I could not put it down. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys suspense, character analysis and a mystery that will leave you wanting more from the author.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was invited to read this title prior to release by the publisher. While the description sounded interesting to me, there should definitely be trigger warnings for this book. I'm not sure if this book is being marketed towards YA or adults, but there's definitely adult content that may not be appropriate for a teenager. TW for sexual abuse, kidnapping, mental torment, and abuse.

Ellie Black was taken 2 years ago, from outside a motel where she was having a party to raise money to buy a new phone. We start with her return to her family and the detective, who was in charge of her missing person case, Chelsey Calhoun. Chelsey wants to help Ellie identify her kidnapper(s) so they can give her peace of mind and get justice. Soon, it's obvious there are other victims and that the girl who was taken may be Ellie Black, but she's not the same person anymore because of trauma and PTSD. Ellie has a family who loves her and a boyfriend who wants to be there for her out of guilt and other emotions. Ellie doesn't seem to settle so easily, still afraid to talk about who took her or any clues about the other girls taken. Afraid to cut her hair or wear new clothing or even shower. We get flashbacks about what happened to her, and it's truly horrific. The details of the sexual abuse aren't too specific. Fear kept Ellie from trying to escape. Then it becomes more apparent that there are other reasons.

Chelsey Calhoun has her own reasons for wanting to solve the cold cases of missing girls. Her older sister Lydia was presumed dead when she was 15 years old. It's not immediately clear that no body was found. She has excellent instincts and compassion , as well as laser focus. She senses something is very off about Ellie's return and her behavior, from her family , boyfriend, and her therapist once it's clear, she's in danger. The last reveals with the kidnappers and the identity of the older woman, Serendipity, had me "shook". I suspected but wasn't sure of this development until it happened. I have to give the author credit for surprising me up until the very end. I also liked that Chelsey had her own identity issues, being adopted into a white family being Japanese.

5/5☆ out 5/7/24

I liked the premise of this book, but after an initial good start, it devolved into melodrama, and the twist at the end was just too unbelievable.

The *chokehold* this book had on me!!! Firstly, thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book. At first, I had a hard time getting used to the staccato-style writing; short sentences squeezed between longer sentences. it was through out the book but I eventually got used to it. Other than that, the writing was immersive and creepy. I appreciated a lot of the sexiest/racist narrative with the MC, Chelsey since she's a transracial adoptee - I am one myself. I wish it was more in the forefront of the story and woven into the character more. I did also appreciate the statistical narrative of women and sexual violence against them. We learn the abductors obviously have hatred towards women early on and use this excuse of the "bad mom" narrative later on is something that doesn't get talked about enough; it does beyond just the sexual nature of the violence Ellie, Willa, Hannah, and Grace went through. The plot was really well done - I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!

A nuanced, gripping thriller.

“I wish this was not a cautionary tale about what happens to girls who wander off in the dark. Who are made to learn there are bad people everywhere. That the truth is these people are not strangers. They are the men who you sleep with, the men you work with, the men you raise. I wish this wasn‘t what it means to be female - it is not a matter of if something bad will happen, but when.“

Ellie Black was seventeen when she vanished in the middle of her own party. Two years later, she reappears seemingly out of thin air in the middle of Washington State Park, alive but deeply traumatized. Local Detective Chelsey Calhoun, who lost her own sister when they were both teenagers, soon senses that Ellie is hiding something about what happened to her. And as she digs deeper, she begins to fear Ellie might not have been the only girl in those woods.

At first glance, this might seem like a fairly typical story about a young girl gone missing, and the local detective (with her own tragic past) assigned to her case. To that end, the mystery itself is nicely done, if not entirely original. The pacing is fairly slow until the last bit, when the story kicks into overdrive.

At second glance, thanks to the author’s thoughtful, eloquent storytelling, „The Return of Ellie Black“ is a deeply nuanced reflection on what it means to be female in today‘s society. A lot of it hit home for me, and I can affirm the publisher‘s enthusiastic praise of this book as a „feminist tour de force“.

Another thing that makes this not just another thriller is Detective Chelsey Calhoun herself. Sure, she is a small-town detective with her own baggage who seems to be the only one putting the pieces together in this case (been there, done that), but it‘s a testament to the author‘s writing skills that Chelsey still remains an interesting, and thoroughly likeable, protagonist - so much so I‘m holding out hope for her to make another appearance in a future book.

Thanks to its nuances, this is one of my favorite thriller reads in a long time.

TW for sexual abuse, kidnapping, domestic abuse, substance abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My review can also be found on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199798460.

I would like to preface this review by thanking Simon and Schuster for sending me an advanced readers copy of The Return of Ellie Black in exchange for my honest review.

Two years ago, Ellie went missing. Until one day she is found but she is different. Chelsey, the detective on her case, is determined to find out what really happened.

Oh. My. God. This book was a whirlwind from start to finish. I loved the dual narration between Chelsey and Ellie's flash backs. A lot of care and depth was put into this story. It was so twisty, but in the best way possible. When I tell you my mouth DROPPED after some of these plot twists. You are truly blindsided. But, that's what makes this book so good. I love a thriller that is unpredictable and subtle. If you're in a reading slump, I highly suggest picking this one up.

Obviously, this is 5 stars for me. This is an unputdownable story and perfect for the thriller reader in your life. This one comes out May 7th, don't sleep on it!

Thank you @netgalley for the ArC of The Return of Ellie Black. This is an unsettling book and one that I couldn’t put down. I find kidnapping/trafficking books make me anxious especially being a parent and this one really made you feel that way. It was a powerful debut and I look forward to reading more by Emily Jean. I could see this becoming a detective series with Chelcey as the detective. She was likable and would like to see more of her back story. I was a little unnerved by the parents’ reaction to when Ellie retired. It seemed flat and although they weren’t the focus, it seemed off.

Ellie Black has been missing for two years when she didn’t come home from a sleep. When she returns one night in the woods, Detective Chelcey Calhoun investigates her disappearance. However, something isn’t right with Ellie and Chelcey wants to find out the truth.