I stayed up until 1am reading this book, finishing it in one day. I think that alone shows how quickly this book hooked me! What made it such a compelling read was getting to learn about Ellie's experiences as we were learning more about the case through the detective's eyes, hoping that Chelsey could figure out how to get her to open up to find the person who did this to her. What was she hiding and why? Were there other girls that were taken? Can Ellie heal from what she has endured? Can Chelsey bring the person to justice after knowing her sister's killer died before he could be?

Reading The Return of Ellie Black made me feel as if as I had immersed myself in a new season of Criminal Minds, and I absolutely had to binge to see how and if the crime was going to be solved.

This thriller encapsulates an array of emotions - loyalty, teen angst, fragility, fear, love, and protection. Main character, Elizabeth (Ellie) Black, has been missing two years and two days when she suddenly reappears wandering out of a wooded area in Washington state. When she is discovered by a father/son hiking team, she is emaciated, bewildered, and very tentative. Is she suffering from Stockholm Syndrome? Is she happy to be back? Will she be able to fit into society and her daily life again?

Enter detective, Chelsey Calhoun. Chelsey was assigned Ellie's case when she disappeared two years ago. She is not going to let this case go unsolved even though Ellie makes it clear she does not want to cooperate to uncover who is behind her abduction and captivity. Chelsey has a personal vendetta for finding and solving any missing girl case that makes it way to her precinct - Chelsey's own sister was abducted and killed when she was only 15 and Chelsey 14.

The reader is taken on an emotional roller coaster as Chelsey uncovers evidence and clues that point to the fact that time is of the essence before more girls come up missing or dead.

The narration alternates between a third person one mostly involving Chelsey and the investigation to a first person one in Ellie's voice disclosing her life before, her abduction, her captivity, and her now present life.

If you like crime thrillers, you will enjoy this book, and no doubt devour it like I did. Thank you NetGalley and Simon Schuster for this intriguing crime ARC. It drops for release this week - May 7th.

What’s great debut from Jean! Chelsey Calhoun is a detective in Washington state who has been haunted by the sudden disappearance of Elizabeth black two years earlier. Blacks disappearance has always hit too close to home for Calhoun, reminiscent of her sister Lydia’s disappearance. Calhoun is awakened one morning by the news that black has been found alive. The reappearance, though, leaves more questions rather providing closure as Elle won’t talk about where else was or who had her.. Calhoun has to move carefully to unlock the information that she needs and in the process she may also get the answers about Lydia as well.

This is a very thoughtful mystery full of atmosphere. The PNW setting adds to the uneasiness of the plot. There is subtle social commentary here about class and race, as there are comments throughout about the victims who are able to get the resources to find them and those who fade away. Calhoun is a great character and I would hope that we see her again. A page-turning, atmospheric mystery that will establish a new voice in the field.

Thanks to the publisher for providing this arc via Bethany in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Emiko Jean for the advanced copy of The Return of Ellie Black. I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in two days. It's not often that a story will make me feel so many emotions, but this one certainly did. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this dark, twisty and heartbreaking tale.

Solid thriller! I was hooked from the synopsis and the duel perspectives - I didn’t figure out the ending (because literally WTF) but it wasn’t as shocking as I thought it would be (if that makes sense?) Definitely some heavy topics so check those trigger warnings. I finished in a day - it’s a quick one. If you like thrillers you’ll fly through it - it’s a yes!

The first time I read Emiko Jean was for a book tour for, Mika in Real Life. It is a book about life and love and finding yourself. I really, really loved her writing so I requested this book but got a completely different genre than I was expecting.

“I wish this wasn’t what it means to be female—it is not a matter of if something bad will happen, but when.”

Detective Casey Calhoun gets the call that Ellie Black has been found, alive, in the woods two years after she went missing. Casey’s own sister disappeared 20 years prior and is the reason she became a detective. “If you’re going to be an officer, you’ll have to be better than a woman.”

Casey now finds more questions than answers and cannot make the ends meet. The investigation is getting nowhere and the victim, Ellie, is refusing to talk. It is a carefully choreographed dance of revealing and concealing the truth. Casey is determined to do what she can without the girl needing to relive the trauma and finds clues along the way that make her question even more.

“People in general, should spend less time protecting daughters and more time worrying about sons.”

The writing, once again her writing! She has an often poetic way with words combined with the ability to bring in emotion very eloquently. I could feel the difficulty Casey was having when Ellie wouldn’t talk. I could feel the urgency, the despair and more. I could feel her mind turning things over and re-analyzing again and again. I could also feel Ellie’s absolute horror and love and resolve when I didn’t yet understand the “why.” I love an author that can unexpectedly build feelings with very few words..

Ultimately, this story stayed with me and rolled around in my head for days. It twisted and surprised me in the end with an unexpected reveal. I will continue to seek out Emiko Jean for her astounding ability to wrap me up in the words of her novels.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the copy!

The book releases May 7, 2024.

Thank you to the publisher,,. Wow this book had me gripped once it started to pick up and things were not as they seemed. I had an inkling that there would be a big twist but didn’t expect what it was. A classic thriller but instead of a fast paced, the story slowly unwinds unveiling the disturbing story of how Ellie Black had gone missing. I wish there was more in the ending though.

Pros:
The ending!
This whole novel was a fast paced read with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. This was well written and the characters were mostly likeable.

Cons:
None from me

5 stars/A

This book was just WOW! It’s one of those mystery novels that leaves you at the edge of your seat, you can’t put it down, what happened to Ellie Black? She’s been gone for 2 years and out of nowhere she pops up. Chelsey is a detective and she has grown really close to her family, this case is really important to her because of her past. We get to learn more and more about her and why she became a cop, Chelsey has a few skeletons in her closet, so we get to see that unravel and then everything else. BUT the end felt a little rushed, and there was even a mystery of her own that gets solved and I felt like I needed a little more of that, but then again, everything about Chelsey is a little unfinished, so I also felt it was a bit fitting. What goes on here and the girls shes trying to save and her determination is enough to make me love there story and her, because she sure is a badass.

This is a riveting suspense thriller, that will keep you turning pages. There are sections that have very disturbing descriptions, but don't let that deter you from reading this book. It is so well done and makes so much sense within the story.



Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Netgalley and Cindy Burnett from Thoughts from a Page.

Addicting, dark story! I absolutely loved this thriller! I kept myself busy so I could continue listening. Such an immersive listening experience. Narrated by several amazing narrators. Keeps you guessing till the very end. At a few key important discoveries I gasped so loud I scared my kids. It was so good!! Loved it!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was a good detective story, and a quick read. Detective ChelseyCalhoun's sister disappeared when they were 15. As a dective, she worked on a case for a missing girl, Ellie Black for over 2 years. The case went on, but there was no new information until Ellie Black miraculously appears in the Olympia National Forest. This is just the beginning.

I feel like the Missing girl trope has been done a lot. This wasn't really a unique storyline that way. I feel like I couldn't connect to Chelsea as I would like to have. I feel like I should've liked her character more. It just didn't really draw me in. It could definitely be a me problem. I haven't loved any books since early in the month.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and Emiko Jean for to opportunity to review and early digital copy for my honest review. I will definitely try another by this author, though.

I read and enjoyed Tokyo Ever After and Mika in Real Life, so I was intrigued when this author pivoted to thrillers. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this dark and twisty thriller that absolutely blew me away!

I very rarely give a thriller 5 stars, but this one did it. It was suspenseful, surprisingly literary (in a good way!) and oh my goodness, the twists and turns it took had my jaw on the FLOOR. If you like a smart, well-written thriller that will keep you guessing from beginning to end, make sure Ellie Black is on your radar!

✨Book Review✨

The Return of Ellie Black
Emiko Jean
Release Date: May 7, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to @simon.audio @simonbooks @emikojeanbooks and @netgalley for the #gifted physical copy and ALC.

At 17 years old Ellie Black goes missing from her hometown. Over two years later she is miraculously is found alive in the woods nearby. Chelsey Calhoun, the detective on the case, will stop at nothing to try to figure out who took Ellie.

Captivating! I was hooked from the very beginning and did not want to put this book down. If you’re looking for a page turner with many twists then make sure to pick this one up!

This one hit me deep in my empathetic momma heart. There are some dark scenes in this book that were hard for me to read. However, they were necessary and honestly made it that much more impactful!

🎧I would definitely recommend listening to the audio of this book. The full cast did an amazing job at making you feel immersed in the story!

Whew what a ride! This was a propulsive, gripping story - once I started I didn’t want to put it down! I loved the characters and story development, the multiple POVs kept things exciting and interesting.

“The greatest trick the devil ever played wasn’t convincing others he didn’t exist, but that your friends were your enemies.”

The Return Of Ellie Black was one hell of a ride! Even though it is fiction these types of stories always drive home for me how much a woman can, and will, endure. Ellie Black was no exception. This isn’t a page flipping mystery but more of a slow burn and I felt that it fit the story well. Overall an entertaining and suspenseful mystery!

Thank you @SimonBooks #SimonBooksBuddy for the free book and also Netgalley and the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers more than 20 years ago. Since then, she has never relented in her search and it was the reason she became a detective. Now, there is a glimmer of hope. Another girl, Elizabeth "Ellie" Black ,was abducted 2 years ago and she has just materialized in the woods of Washington. However, when interviewed for her story by the police, she refuses to tell them anything.

This is a slow burn, suspenseful thriller with characters you will love and a story you will consume! Its a dark tale that will take you into a world of evil, full of palpable fear and despair, where women are preyed upon. But there is also a female detective chasing that evil straight into hell.

I am so excited for this new story and author! I am very much looking forward to the next stellar release by Emiko Jean!

Highly recommend!!!

Title: The Return of Ellie Black
Author: Emiko Jean
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"The Return of Ellie Black" by Emiko Jean

My Perception:

'The Return of Ellie Black' was quite a long mystery thriller, but if you go to the end, you are given a good story. Detective Chelsey Calhoun was kept busy investigating what had happened to seventeen-year-old Ellie Black. Some twenty years earlier, Chelsey's sister, Lydia, had vanished and, up until this time, was thought to have died with her boyfriend.

Along with what had gone on with Ellie being gone for two years, Chelsey was determined to find out what had happened to her. However, a lot will come out of this search for Ellie, especially when she returns after all this time. What was up with that, especially with her not wanting to talk about what had happened to her?

Well, when this story starts coming out, get ready for it. It will reveal much of what has happened in Washington State to Ellie and a few other interesting characters.

What did Chelsey's father and her boss have to do with anything that happened in this situation? Because Chelsey did not want to give up on Ellie, things began to open up. Chelsey was determined to discover the truth, going the extra mile as an officer. Would she be able to save other lives? I don't want to tell you too much different than pick 'The Return of Ellie Black' and see how it all comes out.

Be ready for a long but not easy read that will bring you a lot of twists and turns, abuse, heartache, and sadness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the much-appreciated arc in exchange for an honest review.

This started out super strong for me! Our main character is a detective who chose that career because her sister disappeared 20 years ago and she wants to bring closure t other families going through something similar. They find a missing girl (Ellie Black) that was gone for 2 years and she isn’t cooperating with questions despite the detective wanting to get to the bottom of what happened to her to prevent other victims from being taken. I was drawn into this story immediately and overall enjoyed my read! I didn’t love the second half of the book quite as much as the first half but it was still a solid thriller!

The Title pulled me in from the beginning and the author didn't disappoint!

Chelsey is haunted by the disappearance of her sister. She decides that she is going to get a job in the police department in her hometown.

There is a girl found in the woods and come to find out its Ellie Black who has been missing for two years. So Chelsey is looking for justice for Ellie and Ellie doesn't want to be involved. As the story unfolds, Chelsey needs Ellie's help in order to try and help other girls in this same situation.

The book pulls you in and grips you because you get to see what Ellie went through and shows you just how fragile Ellie is. The story is gripping, dark but there also is a soft side that shows the hope that Ellie wants to be normal. The book has plenty of twists and turns and its just a great read. I love the author writing style and will read more from the author.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.