Since Detective Chelsey Calhoun lost her sister she has been a little lost, for an attempt at closure she finds herself in a hunt for other missing girls. Ellie Black mysteriously reappears, she is found in Washington State woods. Two years after her disappearance, Chelsey sets about trying to find out where she has been and what she’s been doing. She quickly realises things aren’t as they seem.

This book had me on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t wait to get to the next page to find out what is happening. The back story to the characters is built well creating a connection with character. There were a few surprising twists along the way that I did not see coming, at first one seem so out of place but as I progressed it made total sense.
I would definitely recommend this book and i wholeheartedly enjoyed this read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

A great beginning to a new series.
A baby is found on the doorsteps of a library then a letter is sent to the police to test the babies DNA with the result that turns out Debra was a young mother that disappeared 4 years ago so Detective Gina Hart is on the case and has to tell the husband that his wife is still alive and given birth recently and is probably held captive.
A great story to keep you reading with the different points of view.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review.

Published 9th May 2024. A thriller that is slow burn and with layers that peel away to reveal things that I never saw coming. I say slow burn, but the slowness is deliberate as you get taken into the minds of Ellie, Chelsey and the men who control. The story starts with two hikers coming across a girl, a teenager who went missing two years previously, Ellie Black. The detective leading the case is Chelsey Calhoun who herself has a tragic back-story, her sister died twenty years previous. Chelsey has built a relationship with Ellie's parents over the two years that she was missing and is driven to find out what happened. The story is told from Chelsey's perspective in the main but interspersed is Ellie's story - what happened to her and it is harrowing and trigger warnings for abuse and child abduction. The Ellie that has returned is not the Ellie that went missing, she closes down and refuses to give Chelsey anything that might help to catch the man who took her - something that Chelsey feels is not quite right. She feels Ellie is holding something back, but is it just the trauma of what she suffered that she has locked away? I found this to be a super read and I was invested in both characters. For me, there was no misdirection, nothing to send me in the wrong direction, rather it was a slow reveal which allowed me to get a glimpse of the psychology behind some of the actions. A smashing read. Rounded up to 5*

An enjoyable book. It starts off a bit slow with lots of background details but soon becomes unputdownable. One aspect of the conclusion was predictable but there were a few other twists. The author bravely does not neatly tie up all the loose ends. I look forward to the next book.

This kept me guessing right up until the last pages as the disappearance of a young girl brings back disturbing memories for the detective on her case. Well written, engaging and plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader's attention

I love reviewing a book I've forgotten about, so I went into The Next Girl (Also known as, 'The Return of Ellie Black') by Emiko Jean completely blind. Having only read 'We'll Never Be Apart' by the author before (A great YA mystery!), I was hoping to get another dark mystery again, I wasn't disappointed.

I struggle reading books when I can't warm or dislike the main characters, although this book is told from multiple points of view, we mainly are seated in Chelsea, a detective with a traumatic childhood having lost her sister. In many ways it was easy to empathise with Chelsea, although mostly I felt a kin with Ellie. How Ellie told her parts and what happened had my on an emotional rollercoaster. I don't want to talk about the story really, nor any other characters. I won't give spoilers in my reviews. However I do feel that big 'revelation' at the end/climax (For me) wasn't needed. I guess it made everything into a neat little bow. I personally like things a little less 'tidy'. I don't feel you will be left with any questions though with this clever mystery. I did feel there was some nice red herrings and it will probably keep you guessing as to who the 'bad man' is.

There will be some triggers for some in this book and all I will say is this is a dark mystery which contains some subjects/situations while may be upsetting (Kidnapping, children, rape - not of a child, but teen, abuse etc). So be warned. I do not feel these are spoilers. The Next Girl was a solid 3.5/4 stars, I really enjoyed this but felt that 'neatness' at the end wasn't needed for me. Still this is definitely worth reading and if you are a fan of Emiko, I don't feel you'll be disappointed!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin General UK, for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This books starts with Ellie who has been missing for two years found by hikers in the woods. She struggles to fit back into her family but all is not as it seems. Detective Chelsey Calhoun is responsible for tracking down Ellie's abductor but has a past history of her own. A great thriller with some unexpected twists. Recommended.

The Return of Ellie Black/The Next Girl is a simmering psychological thriller with a then and now narrative in the dual perspective of Ellie Black and Detective Chelsey Calhoun. Twenty years back, when they were both teenagers, Chelsey’s sister suffered a violent death. Since then, she’s been in an emotional limbo and has, at the detriment to her happiness and relationships, devoted too much of herself to her work especially cases involving missing girls. And then, Ellie, who disappeared two years ago, turns up. But her return isn’t easy. She finds it hard to live in the world she was ripped from. She won’t assist the police investigation and seems to be protecting somebody, but who and why? For Ellie, for her dead sister, for the next girl, Chelsey is driven to uncover the truth, to prevent more tragedy. She’s not prepared for what she eventually finds.
Advance review copy received with thanks from NetGalley and the publisher. The Return of Ellie Black is also known as The Next Girl. It’s release date is 7 May 2024.
The Return of Ellie Black is a twisty, slow-burning psychological thriller with well-drawn, empathetic characters. It deals with tragic themes so it’s not for readers who may be triggered by child abduction and abuse. The conclusion is a bit of a stretch, but overall, I recommend this as an enjoyable read. 4.5 stars

I enjoyed reading this smart thriller, with plenty of twists to keep the me satisfied. The story line feels familiar, but still unique. I didn’t see the final twist at all. Thank you to Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine.

I read Emiko's previous books and I was interested on reading a more adult and dark one. It kept me invested throughout the story, lots of twists and turns. Didn't expect the last person to be that one. I didn't like the main character, she wasn't very likeable for me tbh. Ovwralll, is a good read that tackles a lot of themes that might be trigerring for some people so be aware!

Told by multiple pov's , I couldnt put this book down. The slow burn was perfect as I was hanging onto every word this author wrote.

This has got to be one of the best 'girl in the woods' detective thrillers I have read. Unusually it starts with a missing girl being found. Actually, that's not quite correct as the hikers who happened upon her, were not looking for her. She had been missing for two years and as you might imagine, her nearest and dearest were overjoyed to see her. However, she was not the same person as when she went missing, furthermore she refused to assist the police in their inquiries over her disappearance. These matters naturally have to be handled very sensitively and it can take many months for a damaged soul to engage. But Detective Chelsey Calhoun has not got that luxury when she discovers there might be other girls held in captivity. The race is on to find them. But, Detective Chelsey Calhoun finds she was never too far from the perpetrators of crimes past and present.
However, this is no simple plot but doesn't throw red herrings to the reader, it's more of a gradual reveal. There was clever use of psychology to explain people's actions. Altogether, great pace and a compelling read.

Amazing book!
I was thoroughly engaged throughout this book and I didn't want to put it down! The author captured my attention from the get go! Five stars from me :)

The tension in this book is palpable from start to finish. A true nail-biter that will leave you breathless and wanting more!!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for this review.

Read as 'The Return of Ellie Black'.

I loved the start of this book and thought the premise was interesting - not a plot spoiler as in the blurb - Ellie returns from being held captive and struggles to adjust to life back in the real world. The characterisation was good and the slow reveal of the back story had me guessing at all sorts of things that I thought would be revealed. This was amplified by the dual narrative of 'present day' largely through the eyes of the Detective, Chelsey, and the back story told through Ellie's voice.

However, almost at the end, I started getting really frustrated by the plot twists and reveals which, I felt, were not believable at all. So, although the writing was engaging and I enjoyed the book overall, I thought the author simply tried to cram in as many 'shocks' as possible towards the end. A quick read so worth it if you have the time.

A really good mystery/police procedure story surrounding a missing girl. The narratives were very well written and kept me gripped throughout. Highly recommend all books by this fabulous author xx

An absolutely gripping thriller, full of tension and fear. Teenager Ellie Black has been missing for two years when suddenly she reappears. Dirty, malnourished and obviously severely traumatised, Detective Chelsey Calhoun is tasked with investigating what happened to her but Ellie isn’t talking. Chelsey has a personal interest as her own sister disappeared when she was a similar age but had died at the hands of her boyfriend. Never wanting any family to suffer as hers had she makes it her mission to solve any crime involving violence against women and girls. We gradually discover the horrific details of Ellie’s disappearance through her own words but also through Chelsey’s determination to get answers. Believing Ellie was not the only girl who was taken she delves deeper into this mystery and eventually the shocking truth is even worse than she could have ever imagined. An exceptional thriller with a twist you won’t see coming.

Ellie Black appears out of thin air two years after she goes missing. But where was she? And Why won't she help the police?

This was an enjoyable thriller, very by the book - think Police officer with a troubled family last, a misogynistic work place, gut feelings etc etc.
But sure that's exactly what I signed up for.

Told with a few POV and A few twists I didn't see coming, overall this was an enjoyable thriller that kept me reading.

It has a big-ish cast of characters which I got confused with towards the end as many had aliases etc.

I could not put this book down.

Such a great thriller driven by well developed and interesting characters. The twists and turns are shocking but make sense which keeps you on your toes and wanting to keep turning the page.

I will definitely be reading more of Emilko Jeans books.

Dark, twisty and gripping, a tale of a missing girl who reappears two years later. Chelsea is a detective who slowly unlocks what has happened and who is responsible. Suspend belief but a page turner.