I think I squealed a little when I saw there that was another book in the Emily Calby series by Dorian Box. It was just published at the beginning of January, 2025. If you haven’t read this series yet, I encourage you to do so. The whole series is heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.

I was captivated by the story line of a twelve-year-old girl whose family was murdered, but she managed to escape. In each book, the reader learns more about Emily’s life. I’m not going to share about her life, in case you haven’t read the previous books yet. You should definitely start with Book 1, The Hiding Girl.

Once again, Dorian Box has written an exciting, adventurous, heartbreaking, and uplifting book. To be honest, I don’t think I would have loved it as much if I had not read the whole series first. I think you should definitely do that. It answers so many questions from the previous books.

I love the characters of Emily and Lucas. His fierce love as her father-figure is endearing. Plus, Emily is a badass, and you have to love a strong, female character.

Box does a wonderful job of showing how Emily deals with her past trauma. He examines her internal struggles as an adult. He also explores how a childhood trauma can affect every single part of your life.

I definitely recommend this whole series. I would say that Book 2 and 4 were my favorites, but I liked each one.

I gave this book five out of five stars because of the adventure, mystery, and romance part of the book. I hope there will still be more books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Friction Press, and Dorian Box for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.

I think this series is very interesting. She wants to uncover the truth about her past and her father’s. Thus is a suspenseful book.

I had no idea another book was coming from this series. I was thrilled to read the 4th book in the Emily Calby series.

In this installment Emily begins to research her fathers family. She knows little about them as her father wouldn't talk about them. Not everyone wants Emily to find out the truth.

What a wild ride! Just when I thought the series couldn't get better it did. The characters all remain the same people throughout the series. I dislike series where the characters become unrecognizable as the books go on.

Lots of drama and action as I expected. I love that Emily won't give up until she finds the answers she's looking for. The supporting characters are just as great and a few new faces are added as well.

I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

Thanks to netgalley and Friction Press for the arc.

Emily is one of my favorite characters in fiction. She’s smart, funny, quick thinking, and a little bit stabby. It was fun going into Emily’s past, but what a scary ride for her!

I love the addition of Zach and Meggie to the storyline. They add another complex layer to an already perfect storyline. This was practically a one sit read, so addicting and such absolute fun.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this godsmacking book

where to start with this one......

when a hidden letter is discovered by a new lawyer taking over an old firm he doesnt realise what he is about to uncover.....

emily the sole survivor of her families massacre is going home ... when she gets the call about a letter from a lawyer she can only think to go home and see what its all about....

what happens next begs belief

what a rollercoaster of a ride.... and couldnt put the book down at all.... kept me glued for hours....

cant wait to read the next book by this author wow

Emily Calby, you live rent-free in my character-driven mind. I loved this book so much I emailed the author with a million "omg"s, and I'm surprised he didn't block me. Why is this book series not yet a Netflix series?

This book gives us so much of Emily's back story, the ancestry she didn't want and didn't know she needed, and I hyperfixated on every page. Like in the other books, the trauma symptoms remain accurately presented, the dialogue is that of a girl emotionally stunted at 12 (but with a law degree), and the characters live on the extreme opposites of the sinister-versus-good spectrum.

I suggest everyone start at book 1 and fall in love with one of the most persistent, endearing, willful, resilient, and loveable young adult characters written.

The Girl Goes Home by Dorian Box
Emily Calby #4

Meeting Emily and watching her grow through this series has been an amazing experience that I hope won’t end with this book ~ Excellent addition to a wonderful series!

What I liked:
* Emily Calby: strong, intelligent, good friend, protective, horrific backstory, survivor, lethal, has PTSD, newly minted lawyer with a practice to give a voice to the voiceless, curious and intrigued by new information about her past, intriguing
* Zach Skellar: lawyer, moved from Chicago to Nantyville, Georgia, Finds documents that he offers to Emily, loved vinyl records, quiet, the opposite to Emily, potential love interest for Emily
* The slow burn romance between Emily and Zach and that they seem to be opposites but good with and for one another
* Lucas Jackson & Kiona: husband and wife that have been like parents to Emily for half her life, strong, supportive, protective, there for her in more ways than one, like them both
* Briley Carr: journalist, followed Emily’s story and wants to write a book, good person, finally meets Emily in this book, integral part in the story
* Meggie Triblet: Emily’s best friend during childhood, mother of two, in the process of divorcing abusive underhanded husband, good friend even after years apart, like her
* Supporting characters: Jemmi/gym owner, Tim/bartender, Myla/housekeeper, Elmer Ferguson/lawyer who sold Zach his practice
* The way the plot was paced with new tidbits of pertinent information coming at just the right
* That I was drawn in, cared about the outcome, and felt invested in Emily and all of the rest of the characters
* That Karma was active in meting out justice…eventually
* Hoping that there will be another book to look forward to

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like:
* Most of the Wilbur dynasty and the hold they had on the county, the evil they did, the harm they caused
* Thinking about how different the lives of Charlotte, Averill, Sammy, and the next generation could have been if only…

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Friction Pres for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This was a strong fourth entry in the Emily Calby series, it had that feel that I enjoyed from the first three books. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed getting to read this in this series. I enjoyed the plot of the book and was everything that I wanted in this type of book. Dorian Box has a great writing style and am excited for more.

I love the characters and the concept of the smart and tough young girl who deals with things instead of being a "victim". The pace is very good and the plot excellent. A very entertaining book.

Emily Calby is back. This time she is trying to uncover the truth about her father’s mysterious past, but what she learns is that dangerous people will go to extreme measures to keep her from finding out. Is it worth the risk to dredge up the past? Emily thinks so.

This book is another 5 star read by Dorian Box. I could not read it fast enough. Emily is my favorite bad ass and I can’t get enough!

If you haven’t read the previous books in the series, you don’t need to. It works as a standalone.

The Girl Goes Home Publishes on January 1, 2025.

I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read the others in this series but it doesn't matter as we're given enough background to understand what's going on. It opens with Emily and her journal as true-crime author Briley Carr is interested in the Calby Murders as Emily--then 12--escaped when her family was killed and later opened her own law practice. She also reunites with best friend, Meggie as odd things keep happening and Emily knows they must all be connected to her family and their ancestors. It's a crazy book with suicide, murders, split personalities, and even love!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A psychological thriller, The Girl Goes Home (2025) by Dorian Box is the fourth instalment in the Emily Calby Series. Now twenty-four, Emily has opened a solo law practice, when she receives a letter alerting her to an old legal document discovered in an older lawyer’s vault. Emily decides to reluctantly return to her hometown of Dilfer County, a decade after escaping the murder of her family. Emily is determined to investigate her past and befriends the young Memphis Attorney to assist her with legal action. The judge is a member of a rich and powerful family that runs the local county and is more interested in keeping the misdeeds and secrets in the past. It will take Emily to quell her feisty fightback response to learn about her late father and his never-talked-about past. Met with obstacles and interference from law enforcement, Emily will require the help of her friends, yet it will ultimately put their lives in danger. A tale of long-buried secrets and Emily’s family history make for an enjoyable three and a half star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Friction Press and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Dorian Box and the publisher for the ARC of "The Girl Goes Home" in exchange for an honest review.
Here's as honest as I can get. I think I've finally run out of adjectives to describe how much I love this series of books. Any thriller fan who wants genuine heart and soul mixed in with all the suspense and action......look no further. These books are a pure goldmine of page turning entertainment.
Emily Calby, sole survivor of the home invasion slaughter of her mother and little sister, has been toughened by cruel fate to become a force to be reckoned with.......and a fierce avenger against those who harm others. And yet at the same time, she's an achingly hurting, troubled girl, even as she takes on evil while up against impossible odds. Fortunately, in the midst of her chaotic and dangerous coming-of=age, she acquired ex gang leader Lucas as her mentor-protector and at times, exasperated father-figure.
Now a fledgling new lawyer starting her own practice, Emily's contacted by a fellow young attorney back in her original home of Dilfer County Georgia. He's found suspicious documentation concerning the adoption of her late father, who died in a tragic farm equipment accident. Or was it an accident after all?
Emily's return to Dilfer County to get to the bottom of things runs her afoul of a powerful, corrupt family dynasty who control everything in the county including the courts and police. This repugnant, murderous clan think they have nothing to fear from a skinny little blonde girl. But as Emily continues her relentless hunt for the truth, they find out how terribly wrong they were to underestimate her.
What's truly remarkable about all of Emily's perilous adventures is the expert way these books tug on your heart strings even as they're serving up the violent action. (You might practically tear up and/or smile warmly at Emily's first tentative steps at affection and love). I can only hope that author Box doesn't choose to end the series here.
The five stars I'm giving "The Girl Goes Home" is only because the rating system here won't let me go any higher....(which I would in a heartbeat.) Highest recommendation.

Emily Calby has had enough adventures to last several lifetimes and is now trying to establish her solo law practice. However, fate has more adventures in store for her. Emily receives a letter from an attorney (Zach) in a small Georgia town saying that he found an old envelope that contained a birth certificate for a Samuel Wilbur but attached to it was a handwritten note with the name "Samuel Calby." Emily's father's name was Samuel, and his date of birth matched the birth certificate. However, he had died in a farming accident when Emily was eleven, and he had been adopted, did not know his birth family, and had been reluctant to talk about his past.

Emily heads to Nantyville, GA to meet Zach and find out more about the birth certificate. Nantyville is located one county over from Dilfer County, where she was raised. So, this trip turns out to be Emily's first visit back to Dilfer County since the lifechanging events when she was twelve. On the positive side, the trip allows Emily to reconnect with her childhood best friend, Meggie. On the negative side, the birth certificate and other information she finds out will pit Emily against the Wilbur family, who run Dilfer County. The family owns the biggest employer in the area, and both the county judge and the sheriff are Wilbur family members. The family is willing to go to great lengths to protect its power and interests. However, Emily will prove to be a more formidable opponent than expected.

As more and more of the Wilbur family's scheming and corruption was revealed, I wondered if the author would have Emily discover new information about the events of twelve-years ago or at least contemplate the possibility. The story ends with Emily doing exactly that, but also leaves the question unanswered, which I felt was fitting.

This book was another hit in this series. A good mixture of mystery and suspense keeps the reader interested. Good character development and a sound storyline makes this book a hit. This is a book which I would recommend to those who like a good mystery as well as those who enjoyed the previous books in this series.

I was thrilled to be offered this arc to read and review! I so loved the previous three books and had no idea a fourth was coming. In this story Emily is learning a bit more about her father’s family. She learns that her father was possibly murdered and that is where the fireworks start! Emily is tenacious as always and determined to find out what happened to her father. This leads her to go back to her home and face the awful memories of the murder of her mother and her sister. But she is able to reconnect with her best friend in childhood, Meggie and that is a joy. You should read the previous books first and that will give you the background to Emily’s growth. I would so love to see another book, concentrating on the growth of Emily’s law firm and her relationship with Zach, another lawyer. Also, there was a hint at the end that Emily may have figured out why her family was killed, maybe not so random as the authorities first thought! I think I know the answer but I am not giving anything away! Please let us have a fourth book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The last time Emily Calby was in Dilfer County, Georgia, she was twelve years old, climbing out a window and running for her life, the only survivor of the famous Calby Murders. She went missing and never returned, shut out even thinking of her life in Georgia. Now twenty-four, she’s a law school graduate opening her own firm in Memphis, excited about a new start! I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! It had great suspense, murder, mystery, intriguing, family secrets, and a few crazy twists! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you, Friction Press for the copy of The Girl Goes Home by Dorian Box, book four in the Emily Cably series. Emily is 24 nowI have loved this series ever since I read the second book. I rushed out to buy the first book because I loved Emily’s story. I loved watching Emily go from a 12 year-old-girl to a 24 year-old woman. l enjoyed the story of how Emily was trying to learn more about her dad’s background and discovers more than she had bargained for. It was great how Emily and her next friend reunited and how Meggie became part of the story. As with the first three books, the writing is stellar and drew me into the story and left me wanting more! If you haven’t started this series, you should! 5 stars