This was so freaking good! I loved to two perspectives so much! Ellie’s perspective was utterly terrifying but so well done! One of the best books of the year so far!

I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Return Of Ellie Black! With all the rave reviews, I saved the audiobook for my road trip from Chicago to Vermont. Let me tell you, what a road trip-worthy audiobook!

The book incorporates many tropes and themes that I enjoy, such as psychological thrillers, detective stories, missing girls, and victim trauma. The story is a mix of both character and plot. As with most character-driven stories, the plot builds slowly, but the dual timelines really develop both Ellie and Chelsey as women you want to root for. And a great thriller always needs a couple of unexpected twists; in this one, the twists are both surprising and believable.

I agree with the rave reviews regarding the audiobook—it feels like you're listening to a movie. The full cast really brings the story to life. It's completely immersive! I highly recommend this one for your next road trip!

3 stars
The Return of Ellie Black
Emiko Jean

This was my first time reading Emiko Jean and her first adult thriller debut. As far as the thriller genre, this trope has been used (overused) in many thrillers. I feel like an outlier in my opinion of this story, but I just didn't connect with it. The writing was juvenile and the plot was fairly basic. There was little backstory for the characters, except for Ellie and the Detective and I think transitions were difficult for the author. This novel should come with many trigger warnings. The trauma was real in this story and never seemed to have any resolution. I didn't mind the twist at the end, bur I found it very sad. I found the book to be disturbing and dark.

Thank you to #Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the eCopy of The Return of Ellie Black. My opinions are my own.

Ellie Black has been missing for 2-years when she's suddenly found by hikers in the woods of Washington State. She's distraught and disheveled, but where exactly has she been? Detective Chelsey Calhoun is shocked by Ellie's reappearance, but unfortunately, Ellie's not offering up a lot of answers. The mystery lingers.

For Chelsey, any missing person case hits close to home. Her sister, Lydia, went missing when they were just teens, and ever since, Chelsey has been searching for closure for herself, and any other missing girls out there. As Chelsey begins questioning Ellie, she's not able to get any real answers from her. It feels off, like Ellie is hiding something, but what? She's a victim here, right?

This novel is insta-compelling. We kick off with Ellie being discovered and from there, it's a ride. We get a lot of different perspectives, and even different points in time, as we begin to build out the truth behind this mystery. I was initially surprised by all the perspectives, but somehow, it just worked. I also loved the tone from the start, how mysterious it all was.

This definitely kept me guessing and I appreciated how Jean continually added to the mystery. What started out as the mystery of what had happened to Ellie, ultimately evolved into so much more. I thought Jean had some very clever reveals and I loved the thoughtful way she explored the topic of the exploitation and victimization of women.

Overall, I was impressed with this. The tone stood out for me. I'm not sure quite how to explain it, but it felt distinctive from other Missing Persons Thrillers. It's quite character-drive, but so well-executed.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to reading more from Emiko Jean!

The Return of Ellie Black is a phenomenal thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. It is fast paced, keeping the reader fully engaged throughout. I devoured this book in a matter of hours needing to know what happened, gasping out loud at the twist I didn’t see coming. It is rare that I am caught off guard by a book, the sign of a true thriller. Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the digital copy granted in exchange for my honest review

I love a good thriller and read them often, so it takes a lot to impress me. This one did just that. Told from the perspectives of a female detective and the young girl who returns after being abducted two years prior, their stories intertwine around each other to uncover deep rooted terror in the system.

It was so good, sharp and had great plot twists. The creep factor was there and I loved the strong female protagonist who grappled with her family history that played into how she handled the case. There are some trigger warnings as the basis of the story is a young girl who is kidnapped and held captive in deplorable conditions. The fact she was able to survive what she did is incredible and as the reader, you will feel very confused and conflicted about her and her lack of cooperation with the investigation, but hold tight because the ending brings everything together.

Dark and suspenseful, this story of a missing girl's return is unputdownable. I didn't see the final twist coming!

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the copy to review.

For me this was really a 4.25 -3.5 star read. The story follows one detective - Chelsey after a girl returns from being missing for 2 years - Ellie Black. Ellie returns but refuses to speak about where she was or what happened to her and the story takes off from there. I really liked the story being told from the detective’a point of view and the author took twists and turns I didn’t easily predict, which I enjoy.

I think the story does a great job of keeping the reader guessing but not being over the top or taking a crazy turn that was not really possible in the story. This story was a change from the authors typical genres and I enjoyed it a lot!

Ellie Black went missing from a party two years ago. She suddenly turns up confused, not knowing who she is or where she came from. Chelsey is in charge of the investigation and this hits home as 20 years prior her sister was murdered by her then boyfriend. Chelsey has no clue what she is getting into and things just unravel. You can't put this book down and the ending will definitely shock you.

Really enjoyed this suspenseful story! It didn't feel like the usual thriller where the female protagonist needs a knight in shining armor to save her. Jean gave us so many present day issues, like discrimination, racism, corruption with police, dysfunctional families, and toxic relationships. I liked the way Jean wrote the alternating perspectives, which can sometimes be confusing, and I also enjoyed the plot, which kept me turning pages and never wanting to put the book down. My jaw even dropped on a couple of the twists. Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Great opening- starts with her being found, where she says i think i’m missing.

Of course we all love a story when a missing person returns home- but i rarely think about what happens when they get back. What if it’s not this picture perfect story.

I personally preferred the first 75%- chelsey is a smart and flawed character- the author somewhat kept her at arms length with us, but it starts to make sense the more we come to know about her.
The pacing was great for me- there were short chapters with sort of this omniscient pov- got to hear from all of the main players. Good clues along the way.

The synopsis calls this ‘a twisty page-turner that will shock and surprise you right up until the final page’- definitely agree

One element that didnt sit right for me- overall very strong thriller meets police procedural.

This book was a wild ride that I didnt want to end. Filled with tons of twists and turns I had no idea what was going on. Love a good thriller like this.

The pages were turning fast and furiously while reading this one! It started the intrigue with the first page and never stopped. I love strong female characters and this novel created two of them. This is the book you put in your beach bag. It clips along and kept me guessing. I thought the ending was a big rushed but I still enjoyed it as a whole. Get this one for a fun read.

Driven by the disappearance and death of her own sister, detective Chelsey Calhoun is a determined hunter of men who murder women, making her way as the only woman (and a Japanese American adoptee in a mostly white environment) when a disappeared woman from two years ago, Ellie Black, stumbles out of the woods. The investigation of Ellie’s disappearance quickly expands into the reopening of a cold case and then a deepening connection between multiple cases of female abduction and murder.

The novel, follows Chelsey into the increasingly complex case, interspersed with segments told from Ellie Black’s perspective. As the investigation widens, Chelsey–dealing with the echoes of her own sister’s disappearance–becomes increasingly drawn in, pushing herself emotionally and straining her own marriage. And, as we see deeper into Chelsey’s and Ellie’s stories, the echoing repercussions of the past–and the danger posed by the murderer, build.

This is thriller that is emotional and suspenseful, with characters who grapple with their traumas and twists that pull us forward, surprise us, and ultimately feel exactly right. It is also a story of female resilience, loyalty, agency, and love. A worthwhile read.

The Return of Ellie Black was my first book by Emiko Jean and I picked it because I loved the cover. I’m a pick a book by the cover type of person.

The story was just as great as the cover. I do recommend though if you have trigger warnings to check them out, there are a couple common trigger warnings.

All I can say is wow! I really enjoyed reading the story and following the clues. The end definitely came to a shock to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a chance to read an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

The writing is fantastic...the story goes off the rails. You will not be able to put Jean's latest down - it is compulsively readable. However, the final reveals were disappointingly far-fetched and aired on the side of ridiculous.

Such a twisty thriller! I love when I have a hard time figuring out what actually happened, and I’m happy to report, I never saw it coming! I will absolutely be recommending this one.

For some reason, I thought I’d already read this - but I was WRONG! I’m so glad I caught this book before it left NetGalley. It begins with a thin, filthy, bloody girl running through the woods. A father and son out hiking ask her if she’s okay, and once they are able to get her to say something, her answer is chilling. Her name is Elizabeth Black, and she’s been missing for two years.

Detective Chelsea Calhoun had interviewed everyone at the time of Ellie’s disappearance - her parents, her few friends, her boyfriend - and nobody knew what happened to her. She was at a party, then she was gone. For two years, everyone has been waiting for news about her disappearance. Now, everyone is eager to know what happened over the past two years, but Ellie is a shell of a person and let’s just say, not up for chats about the situation. Luckily for the reader, we get to hear her story in her first-person chapters throughout the book.

Chelsea has her own trauma that ties her to this case in a special way; she lost her sister years prior and now wants to save Ellie and fix everything she’s been through. Soon though, she learns there’s a lot more to Ellie’s story than meets the eye. Ellie isn’t the only victim in this case, and Chelsea won’t stop until she knows the truth and gets justice.

As for what I thought of the story? It was fantastic! The characters were written so well, the book itself was also written flawlessly, and the novel was multifaceted without getting overly complicated. This is quite a suspenseful thriller, with a lot of shocks that I never saw coming. I can’t think of much I would change! 4.5 stars, rounded up for being a debut thriller.

(Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Emiko Jean and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

First book I’ve ready by this author and it won’t be the last.
This story is a nail biter and will have you reading well into the night.

Characters are likable, some not so much.

You won’t see the twist coming!

Can not wait to read more by this author.

Ellie was abducted, but now she's back. And strangely, things aren't going well, or at least it seems like there are still secrets.

This book wasn't what I expected, but the psychological thriller piece captured me and I was carried through to the end so quickly! Emiko Jean adds enough twists to keep you guessing!