After Ellie Black comes out the woods after missing for two years…the mystery is where has she been? The detective assigned to her has roots of a missing sister as well which draws her into this case. The layers and layers and flips upside down will have this book giving you whiplash as it comes to the thrilling conclusion. I can’t wait for more books hopefully in this series.

Blockbuster of a book. Where to start, well it is a book about kidnapping, deceit, betrayal, greed and the breakdown of one human on another.

When you think you have got this plot, then another red herring gets thrown into the mix.

Made a good Christmas read.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this novel.

When two hikers discover Ellie Black, a teenager who’s been missing for two years, Detective Chelsey Calhoun rushes from her bed to investigate.

Thankfully, Ellie is still alive. Last seen at a motel party, all previous leads did little to help the case.

As expected, Ellie is much changed and a shadow of her former rebellious self.

In turn, Detective Chelsey Calhoun has had a traumatic life and is sympathetic to Ellie’s harrowing experience. Losing her sister in her youth, her family and entire world fell apart. Thus, Chelsey will do anything to protect other troubled girls.

However, Ellie refuses to cooperate and with time being of the essence, Chelsey is suspicious. She is relentless in furthering the case and bringing the perpetrator to justice. What is Ellie hiding?

Told in a dual narrative, The Next Girl by Emiko Jean builds suspense with memory snippets throughout, adding context and depth to the story and its characters.

Both characters are incredibly complex with traumatic pasts. However, the point of view is predominantly told from Chelsey’s perspective. This was interesting as it added a unique insight into the workings of the police.

In contrast, I particularly liked the way Jean demonstrated Ellie’s fractured mindset and illustrated the PTSD she faced from her ordeal. She does an excellent job exploring the psychology of a kidnap victim alongside complex trauma.

Many twists will keep you guessing throughout this dark thriller. Overall, you’ll struggle to put it down and it’s certainly worth a read in 2024.

The Next Girl by Emiko Jean will be released on May 9 2024 via Penguin General UK.

I loved The Next Girl! It was very well written and I was engaged from start to finish. The ending, wow, did not see that coming. There were many twist and turns throughout the book, some predictable, others not. I will definitely read more of Emiko Jean’s books!!