Reader, how I gasped! I go through a lot of mystery novels and thrillers, so very few plot twists truly surprise me anymore. The Return Of Ellie Black, however, had me almost completely wrong-footed throughout. I can hardly believe that this is Emiko Jean’s debut thriller. It’s so perfectly plotted and seeded, and I fell for every single red herring she wrote into her story. What a terrific way to kick off the thriller-writing aspect of an already solid fiction-writing career!

Which, of course, leads me to fear accidentally giving away any spoilers while discussing this absolute page-turner of a novel. What I can safely say is that our heroine Chelsey Calhoun became a cop to follow in her police chief father’s footsteps. She joined the police force of her Coldwell, Washington hometown and worked her way up to the position of detective in its Family Services department. So she’s the investigator to call when 19 year-old Ellie Black, missing for the past two years, suddenly emerges from the Capitol State Forest. Chelsey had originally caught the missing persons case back when Ellie first disappeared. Ellie’s parents, Kat and Jimmy, had done everything they could to help Chelsey bring Ellie home to them, including volunteering as much information about their daughter as possible:

QUOTE
All these details to show how special Ellie was. Proof she deserved to be searched for, to be found. There was no way Kat could know a dollar figure was attached to each case. A careful calculation multiplied by parents’ wealth, then divided by race and religion. The poorer and darker a girl, the less funds and time the department allocated to her rescue–after all, the public is a little less outraged when those types of girls go missing. Maybe Ellie’s mom could sense it–some daughters were worth more than others. This was not a viewpoint Chelsey subscribed to. But it was a reality, even if she didn’t want to believe it.
END QUOTE

Chelsey isn’t jaded, exactly, but she has grimly realistic expectations of the world around her that leave little room for optimism. While this makes her a good investigator, it doesn’t improve her less than stellar people skills, whether on the job or in her personal life. Being the adopted Japanese daughter of a very white family never helped with that either, especially when she was growing up. Her adoptive parents did their best, but it was really their birth daughter, her older sister Lydia, who made her feel safe and accepted and just a smidge less like a social outcast.

Lydia’s disappearance when they were teenagers was thus an especially crushing blow for Chelsey, even before the confirmation of Lydia’s death tore their family apart. In order to cope, their father taught Chelsey self-defense and wilderness survival skills, lessons she embraced, though not entirely without reservations:

QUOTE
It had been a relief, getting away like that, escaping to the woods with a gun. Her mom was a wreck. And the kids at school stared at her. She’d felt so alien. Lydia had been Chelsey’s home planet; without her sister, Chelsey was adrift. But often, Chelsey wondered if her father, if people in general, should spend less time protecting daughters and more time worrying about sons. The dangerous things boys do. How they might be raised differently. She’d mentioned something similar to her father once, and he’d gazed at her hard, then said even harder, <i>I don’t have any sons.</i>
END QUOTE

Now an adult, Chelsey feels duty-bound to help find and save girls who’ve vanished just like Lydia and Ellie did. At first she’s ecstatic that, unlike her own sister, Ellie has managed to come home alive. She soon suspects, however, that something isn’t quite right about the story Ellie is telling. As the days pass and the evidence mounts, Chelsey begins to believe that Ellie is keeping terrible, dangerous secrets, and that other girls are still at risk. Will Chelsey be able to get Ellie to talk about what really happened to her before anyone else gets hurt?

This was an excellent thriller that had me gasping in shock, both at the extremely clever plot twists and in sheer admiration of Ms Jean’s storytelling skill. Told from multiple viewpoints that shift back and forth in time, the layered construction of this book has been done with both exquisite delicacy and a keen eye for maximum drama. Perhaps most important, however, is the commitment to sisterhood and survival that permeates this sensitive exploration of what it means to be a victim in the 21st century, to always feel culpable in your own abuse and to have to fight to reclaim what should never have been taken from you in the first place. Despite the misgivings I had regarding some of Chelsey’s choices as a cop in the last third of the book, this was by far one of the best written and most affecting thrillers I’ve read this year so far.

Wow! Thank you so much Netgalley, Emiko Jean and Simon & Schuster for this ebook. This book was just so good one of the best detective books I've read. The way this story unfolded and how everything connected at the end was just superb. I couldn't put this down and I highly recommend!!!

Five star thriller!! I did not want to put this one down. I thought it was unique in a since as it does not remind me of any other mystery/thriller I’ve read in the past. I love the detective aspect of the book and the different POVs. There were also some twists and turns I DID NOT see coming, which is always a plus in thrillers. I would truly recommend this book to anyone. You won’t be disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. The first thriller by this author, this book is expertly paced. And hold onto your seats, because the last 50ish pages have the twists and turns coming at you faster than you'll be able to turn the page. Told mostly from the detective's perspective, you will find interspersed throughout the novel short chapters from Ellie's perspective, and they are both fascinating and horrifying.

"It’s been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she’s been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work.

Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington State.

But something is not right with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been, or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsey to find the answers. She needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Ellie: for herself, and for the memory of her sister, but mostly for the next girl who could be taken—and who, unlike Ellie, might never return."

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Recommended read! I could not put it down! Chelsey has lost her sister and now with children missing, she throws herself into trying to solve the mystery even at the results of almost losing her life and marriage. Lots of twists and hope. Missing girl, Ellie, wanders back and the case explodes!

I loved this book from the very first page. It was so engaging and kept my attention the entire time. We get flashbacks throughout the story that slowly tell us what really happened to Ellie and it left me on the edge of my seat. There were parts of her story that were hard to read.

The storyline was gripping and this was such a binge-worthy book! The twists blew my mind. I would have never guessed where the story was going and one shocking reveal in the end made my jaw drop. For a girl that has almost given up on thrillers, this one was great! Thank you so much for the gifted copy!

I could not put this book down. This isn't necessarily a fast-paced thriller, it was more of a character driven suspense novel but I could NOT STOP READING!

I have read Emiko Jean's YA novels in the past so it was exciting to see her veer into a new genre and she didn't disappoint.

This novel starts out with a bang - Ellie Black, who went missing two years ago, suddenly reappears. The small town detective, Chelsey, in charge of her case, who also has a personal connection to the case after her sister went missing years ago, is wondering what more there is to this story since Ellie isn't talking. She isn't saying what happened, who took her, how she got away, none of it. Chelsey thinks there is more to the story and slowly starts uncovering details as to what happened.

Emiko Jean did an amazing job keeping me incredibly invested in the characters - there were multiple narrators (I heard the audiobook is a full cast and is amazing!) and I thought she did a great job really developing each character and making me care so much about each person and kept me turning the pages because I just HAD to know what actually happened to Ellie.

There were a few big twists and turns - one that didn't quite work completely for me, but that didn't deter me from really loving this book. This is one I definitely will not forget and I can't wait to see what this author does next! Bravo!

Thank you to Netgalley & Simon and Schuster for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ellie Black has made a miraculous return, after being missing for over two years. Coldwell cop Chelsey Calhoun is the detective assigned to Ellie's case. Detective Calhoun has been mired in a tragedy of her own for nearly 20 years, and Ellie's case brings everything to the surface for her. Something isn't quite adding up with Ellie's story about her captivity, though, and it will be up to Detective Calhoun to unravel the threads of deception to uncover the truth. Before it's too late for another girl.

It's incredible that this is the debut thriller by this author, because she set the hook perfectly. I was snared by this story and raced through the pages to get to Ellie's truth. There's a good pace and plenty of mind blowing revelations. Do yourself a favor and check out The Return of Ellie Black. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the review copy.

This is quite a captivating mystery that will keep you wanting to turn pages. It is full of exciting twists and turns until the very shocking end.

I really enjoyed this one!! I thought the mystery was really interesting and I never saw the plot twist at the end coming. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Chelsey & there were times when she got alittle annoying. There were a few small things at the end that I didn’t really care for, but overall, I enjoyed this one!

4.5 stars. This book was captivating from page one. I had to force myself to put it down to do things like work and sleep.

The characters are so strong, especially Ellie and Chelsey. The dual POV & timelines (Ellie’s experience running concurrently with Chelsey’s investigation) are so interesting. An amazing thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emiko Jean, and Simon & Schuester for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean starts off with a compelling premise that had me hooked right away. The mystery surrounding Ellie Black's reappearance after two years in the wilderness, coupled with Detective Chelsey Calhoun's personal quest to solve her sister's long-standing disappearance, creates a strong narrative drive.

However, I found it challenging to keep track of the characters and some of the storyline's intricacies. It could have been a problem with my listening experience, as I had the audiobook, or maybe the book's pacing and structure contributed to my confusion. Despite these hiccups, the plot takes a dark and intriguing turn, keeping you guessing.

As the story progresses, the twists and turns become more intense. Unfortunately, by the end, it felt like the plot went a bit too far, losing some of its earlier focus. Despite these reservations, the book's feminist themes and gripping mystery elements make it a worthwhile read, especially for fans of thrillers with strong emotional undercurrents.

Man, talk about a book hangover. This one is going to be hard to get over.

In The Return of Ellie Black Detective Chelsey Calhoun gets a do over when Ellie, who has been missing for two years, has suddenly reappeared in the woods near their small town of Sid;lfkjas;dlkf, Washington. Physically malnourished and obviously terrified, Ellie is reluctant to speak about her time with her captor, and Chelsey must tread a fine line if she has any hope of solving this case.

Chelsey is determined to not let another girl vanish. She is driven to the point of neglect to her marriage and disregard for precinct rules. Ellie’s case haunts her and brings back her own trauma of her sister’s disappearance many years ago. Her character has selfish tendencies, but her heart and dedication to helping makes it easy to disregard her flaws.

This book is a slow burn that puts the reader into the mind of a monster. Many parts are tough to read, but Emiko Jean handles them delicately. The alternating points of view gives a full picture of everything and everyone and makes the book hard to put down, in particular the last quarter of the book, which has one heck of a twist that will leave the reader reeling. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers do not miss this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and of course the author Emiko Jean for the advanced copy of the book. The Return of Ellie Black is out now. All opinions are my own.

Oh man. This was dark. That being said, I was beyond engaged the entire time. The writing was beautiful and the storytelling was done incredibly well. I definitely felt an emotional connection to our characters.

With multiple POV’s and first hand accounts, this book will take you for a ride- you won’t be able to predict what comes next. There were a number of times I had to pause because it got dark, disturbing, and descriptive, but that final reveal? Smh. How 😩

I really enjoyed this!

Talk about a page turner. This book had me HOOKED! I don't read a ton of thrillers, but I so appreciate a well-paced thriller with compelling characters, and Emiko Jean's newest book absolutely delivers both.

I always get so nervous as I approach the end of a thriller, because I feel like everything hinges on the resolution. (Has the author laid enough groundwork for the reveal to pay off? Does it make sense? Is it realistic?) The resolution of this book was arguably my favorite part of the entire story. The foundations and backstory were there, and the reveal was believable (and honestly shocking without feeling like it came out of nowhere).

I think this book is best if you don't know anything at all going into it, so I'm not going to elaborate much on the story or characters here. I do have a couple additional thoughts, though. There were a few aspects of the book that I wish Emiko Jean could have dug into a bit more. Throughout the book, Detective Chelsea Calhoun, one of the protagonists, is deeply immersed in her job. And while Jean addresses some of the problems with the white male cop culture that is an inherent part of this job, I felt like she could have explored this/pushed it further.

Additionally, this same protagonist is also a Japanese woman who was adopted as a child by a white family. Emiko Jean is an Asian-identifying author who often writes Japanese characters, and I was quite excited to see how this would play out in the story. While she references it a couple of times (mostly in the context of feeling like a bit of an outsider, particularly at her job), I also would have loved to see Chelsea's identity play a larger role in the story.

Content warnings: kidnapping, sexual assault of a minor, murder, gun violence, domestic abuse, emotional abuse

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced copy!

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
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After being missing for two years, Ellie Black is found as a shell of her former self. Detective Chelsey Calhoun takes back up the case, eager to find who held Ellie captive, and where are they now?
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What I liked:
-This was a great mystery book. We mostly follow Detective Chelsey as she tries to unravel what happened to Ellie. At the same time we are learning more about Chelsey and what drives her in her police work.
-Ellie was such a mystery herself. She was a tough nut to crack after everything that she went through. I loved the chapters where we learned more about her.
-The last 20% of the book was crazy, and I loved every minute of it!
-The second to the last chapter in the book was very emotional and made me cry.
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4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What an excellent missing person story. I am very impressed and definitely recommend.

This is Emiko Jean’s first foray into thriller territory and she certainly nailed it. Ellie Black went missing two years ago. She suddenly shows up, on a hiking path, and is found by two hikers. Detective Chelsey Calhoun worked Ellie’s missing person case. She’s elated that Ellie has been found and is eager to speak with her so she can find who took her. Ellie is evasive, though. She isn’t cooperative and this leaves Chelsey to wonder if it’s PTSD or something else.

I absolutely loved this one. I was hooked from the beginning and loved the multiple POV. Chelsey also has secrets and the twists were great. It’s definitely a page turner and I couldn’t put it down. I read it in two days.

If you're looking for a new page-turner to add to your TBR, THE RETURN OF ELLIE BLACK deserves to make your short list at the very least. I read this novel in one long sitting because I just couldn't put it down. There were definitely some references to types of content I don't love to read about, but nothing happened on the page that was too graphic. Please heed the CWs.

Seventeen year old Ellie Black leaves a party in search of a bathroom and disappears without a trace. Two years later Ellie is found wandering the woods in Washington state.

Detective Chelsey Calhoun has followed her dad’s footsteps into the police force, she is driven after the disappearance and murder of her sister when she was a teenager. She was assigned Ellie’s case when she originally disappeared and she is determined to get the man who kidnapped Ellie.

Something seems off with Ellie, and when she stops cooperating with the investigation, it makes detective Calhoun that much more determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.

There really isn’t much I can tell you about this book, there are so many twists and turns. The book is primarily told through the POV’s of Chelsey and Ellie with others sprinkled throughout. Just when I was confident I knew where the author was going, she would throw a twist that sent me in a completely different direction. This book was impossible to put down.

Some of the descriptions of Ellie when she was kidnapped were difficult to read so please check TW before reading.

If you like fast paced thrillers I think you will love this one.

Detective Chelsey Calhoun is awakened by a call late one night: Ellie Black has been found after missing for two years. This news launches Chelsey in a fast paced mystery thriller of trying to figure out who took Ellie and where she’s been all this time. To make things more complicated, Chelsey is still haunted by the loss of her sister whose murder twenty years ago broke her family apart.

Let me just say that overall I enjoyed this book. It was a page turner, and I was desperate to know how it ended. However, as I read, there are several things that pulled me out of the thrill of the story, and I found the ending pretty disappointing.

Let’s start with the positives.

Positives:
1. I thought the characters were fun. Even though they were very stereotypical (loner small town copy, bland supportive spouse, every man is violent and dismissive, every woman is angry and unsatisfied) this actually made it easy to follow the story because you didn’t have to think too much about their motivations. I know that doesn’t sound like a good thing, but I think the plot was twisty enough without having to also question what the characters were up to. It makes for a good mystery thriller to read for someone who’s never read one before.
2. I loved Danny and Ellie’s relationship. I thought they were sweet and their problems and interactions before and after her abduction felt so realistic. Ellie’s parents were also written really well. The way they handled their daughter's disappearance felt very true.
4. The switching POVs were a little jarring at first, but it was easy to understand who was telling the story, and I thought it made for an interesting story format.
5. The description of Ellie’s abduction and her time with her captor was absolutely chilling, and some of the things that happened to her will definitely haunt me for a while.
6. I really loved seeing Chelsey’s internal monologues and doubts as she went through the case and how much she cared about the people involved.

Cons:
1. I really thought we were going to get a bit more about Chelsey’s Japanese heritage, or her trying to learn about her heritage.
2. I love police procedural shows, and I understand you just have to ignore some of the science because it won’t make sense. But the part with the DNA? I’m pretty sure that’s not how DNA works, though I might be wrong.
3. I didn’t mind the repeated comments about the violence towards women, because it is true especially for the mystery thriller genre, but why not go louder with it? Why not have Chelsey make an impassioned speech to her husband or boss about why she has to do certain things? Why not have her talk about this to Ellie?
4. All the reveals were so unsatisfying. One of the reveals was easy to guess, and the other one was such a blah moment because there was no emotional buildup for the surprise. The reveal at the very end was silly and so out of the blue. To make it effective, there should have been some hints scattered throughout the book so that the reader could revel in that moment of connecting all the dots. Or we should have met more of the characters involved so we’d feel a connection to what’s happening on the page.


I hope I didn’t spoil anything for those who still want to pick up the book. And it is definitely a fun book to pick up, especially if the things that bothered me don’t bother you. I’d recommend it for an easy summer read.


Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this arc in return for an honest review.