You know a book is THAT good when you can't stop thinking about it! Ellie Black, a story about a girl who vanishes and two years later is discovered wandering in the woods, is layered and complex and honestly it blew my mind 🤯 This is Emiko's debut thriller and I am more than impressed- I couldn't put this fast paced book down and binged it in one sitting. Ellie is not your typical victim- she's secretive and withdrawn and it seems there is a lot that she doesn't want those around her to know. I thought it was a great spin on the missing girl trope. I don't want to give anything away but if you read any new thrillers this May, make it this one.

This book was captivating from page one. I had to force myself to put it down! The characters are so strong, especially Ellie and Chelsey. The dual POV & timelines are perfect.

I've been telling everyone who will listen about this book. It's been a while since I read such an unputdownable thriller. I was hooked from the very beginning, and even when I had a sense of where things were heading, I was thoroughly invested in going along for the ride as the characters made discoveries and reveals were made. SO GOOD.

In "The Disappearance of Ellie Black," Chelsey's character shines with a blend of strength forged from tragedy and determination honed through adversity. Her personal and professional journey, shaped by the loss of her sister to violence, provides a rich backdrop to the narrative. Unlike the breakneck pace of traditional thrillers, this book opts for a methodical approach, delving deep into the chilling realm of predators targeting women. I found myself utterly absorbed in the storyline, hanging onto every word as the author skillfully unraveled the layers of darkness. As a newcomer to this author's work, I was thoroughly impressed by her ability to immerse readers in the narrative, evoking palpable emotions of fear and despair among the characters. This novel stands out as one of my favorites of the year, reminiscent of the captivating allure of "Strange Sally Diamond." The expertly executed mystery, reminiscent of Karin Slaughter's style but with a less graphic tone, kept me guessing until the very end. Centered around the disappearance of a young girl and the ensuing detective investigation, the story evolves into something far larger and more sinister than anticipated. I was uncertain of the direction the plot would take, but the ending left me pleasantly surprised and thoroughly satisfied. With minimal critiques, I eagerly recommend adding this book to your to-be-read list upon its release.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

I am very surprised to say that I loved this book. This book was very dark. It was about my least favourite topic to read about - kidnapping. Yet somehow I couldn’t put it down and read it within 24 hours.

Told between the perspectives of Ellie, and how she was taken and where she’s been for 2 years, and the detective who is obsessed with finding out what happened. I loved the back and forth, and really enjoyed the detective’s point of view and back story.

I think the way the author wrote the book, with a lot of dark, heartbreaking and truly awful moments but how she didn’t include too many details worked for me. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t stop reading, but it didn’t keep me up at night. Although these girls and these crimes will haunt me. I also loved the focus on when girls go missing how resources are used trying to find them or how quickly they are given up on. I think it was this focus, and the detective character, that made this hard topic easier for me to read about.

I am very impressed with this book having read others by this author. Her other books are completely different, in the YA and fiction coming of age and romance. So to write a totally different genre that does not shy away from evil, is a huge accomplishment in my opinion.

I highly recommend this one if you love thrillers. Thank you to @simonandschusterca for my copy! This one is out on May 7th!

2.5/5⭐️

i loved ‘tokyo ever after’ and ‘tokyo dreaming’ so much that i was really looking forward to trying out another emiko jean book!

an adult thriller by her was unexpected but a pleasant surprise. her writing as always was incredible but i felt like i was tuning in and out of the storyline and couldn’t really fall into it the way i normally do. although i enjoyed my time with this book and would recommend it, it wasn’t my favourite.

thank you to simon and schuster and netgalley for an e-arc!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Please look up trigger warnings before reading.

After being missing for 2 years Ellie Black is found alive in the woods by hikers. After Ellie's return Detective Chelsey Calhoun is back on the case and determined to get to the bottom of things but Ellie seems reluctant to help. The investigation brings back painful memories of Chelsey's own sister's disappearance 2o years ago.

This was a quick read and kept up the suspense throughout. I liked how the author added in flashbacks from Ellie's perspective so we were able to understand what happened to her and the motivations behind her unwillingness to help with the investigation. I thought the author did a good job of showing the impact of Ellie's trauma on not only Ellie herself but on the people around her. She did an excellent job of making Ellie a complex character whose feelings, motivations, and behaviour are all complicated by what she had to endure and do to survive. The mystery itself progressed slowly throughout the book and I liked being able to try to piece new information and evidence together alongside Chelsey as she investigates. In the end what kept me from rating this higher was the end of the story. One of the plot twists felt very out of place and took me out of the story and the final plot twist I found predictable. The ending was disappointing to me as some of the storylines were wrapped up too quickly and we were never given the opportunity to explore what had happened. Overall, I did enjoy the book but wish there had been more of a payoff after all of the buildup throughout the story.

This was a dark look at some of the worst that can happen to girls and women as one missing girl shows up after being gone for two years and the police detective who is determined to figure out what happened to her. Twisty, shocking and heartbreaking, this story captured me from the start and kept me riveted right to the end with some surprises I didn't see coming. Great on audio with a full cast of narrators and HIGHLY recommended for true crime thriller lovers. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This is definitely my new favorite from Emiko Jean!

Okay, being the mother of a girl, this book portrays my worst nightmare. It is so eerily written that II truly felt my fears come alive. I have read tons of books about kidnapping and missing girls, but rarely do they make me feel as afraid as this one did! I felt for both, Ellie, the missing girl, and Chelsea, the detective in charge of her case. This book had me hooked from page one. If life had allowed I would have read this in one sitting!
With that being said, I have to say I was disappointed with one of the surprise twists. I feel it wasn't necessary to this story, was too over the top, and the story would have been better without it. It took away from the feeling of reality, especially after learning the other twist. It was enough to reduce my rating from a five star read to four.

But I still highly recommend it!! It is fabulously written and it will stay with me for a while. Stay safe out there, all you lovely ladies!

Thanks very much to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date is May 07/24.

<i><b>"He's going to k*ll you someday. He's going to k*ll all of us.”</b></i>

There are twist and turns with every lead can Detective Chelsey Calhoun figure out the case of Elizabeth “Ellie” Black and what if there’s more missing girls out there?

What happens when Ellie Black mysteriously returns two years after her disappearance? But nothing is as it seems, Ellie is hiding something.. Detective Calhoun will to anything to get to the bottom of what Ellie is hiding but what if she’s too late…

<i><b>“Gabrielle. Hannah. Elizabeth. When I'm alone, I still repeat our names sometimes. I thought it was dangerous to trust them. But I was wrong.
They never should have trusted me.”</b></i>

“The Return of Ellie Black” is a dark & twisted thriller that will hook you from the very beginning and leave you second guessing. Trust your instincts to figure out the mystery of Ellie Black?


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am speechless.. I couldn’t put this novel down I was hooked from the very beginning from trying to put my detective skills on to figuring out the mysterious return of Ellie Black to the twist & turns that I didn’t see coming this novel always kept me on my toes.

⚠️ Please google trigger warnings before reading. Contains disturbing content ie. violence against women, k*dnapping, SA. Recommended 18+

<b>Thank you so much NetGalley, Emiko Jean, and Simon & Schuster Canada for the chance to read and review this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions remain my own.</b>

It’s been a long time since a book had me stay up late to finish it, and I’m so glad I did. I absolutely burned through this. Excellent read about missing girls and the detective who starts to piece together their narrative, all while grappling with past loss and trauma. The ending will blow you away but getting there is just as enjoyable.

Ooh Wee, what a disturbing and twisty read. And the reveal at the end, gah, it had me shook!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the eArc, in return for my honest opinion.

Ellie Black is teenager filled with angst and armour. She wants a phone, she devises a plan to get one and just like that, she gone. Two years later, a couple of hikers find her on trail and bring her home... but she's not safe or sound.

Lead Detective Calhoun jumps on this case with more than just duty, it's personal. Having lost her sister twenty years ago to a kidnapping, followed by murder suicide, Detective Chelsey Calhoun has made it her personal mission to close as many kidnapping cases as she can. It doesn't take long for the detective to realize that Ellie's hiding something and that something cranks up the heat and turns the case upside down.

What I loved - I loved the multiple perspectives, but I especially loved getting Ellie's perspective because it just made her decision making (much of it bad) relatable and understandable. Ellie's POV had me forgetting that this was a piece of fiction and not a memoir. Seeing her frustration, and walking through her duplicity and the sheer terror and trauma that this girl had to manage was devastating. She had me on the edge of my seat right until the very end. I really wasn't sure if she was going to be redeemable or not, let alone likeable.

Favourite character - I really enjoyed Chelsey Calhoun. I think everything about her personality just made so much sense. Her upbringing and the loss of her sister made her a force to be reconned with; especially in those tough moments when she had to choose between protecting the feelings others or moving the case forward. And yet, she has the space for empathy and in the end, I think that makes her a cut above the rest.

Least favourite character - There was some big daddy issues, and wow, did the toxicity of these men eff up lives.

Favourite Scene - That scene when Ellie's talking with the detective about what she'd do for her sister? Chilling!!!

Lasting impression - That moment when Detective Calhoun realizes who she's dealing with and the truth behind what really happened was everything. How she handled it without burning the place down goes beyond all my understanding of restraint.

Really hoping this becomes a series and we see more of Detective Calhoun.

I've never read anything like this, so I'd recommend this for anyone who followed the Ariel Castro kidnappings, or liked the TV show Cold Case Files and Law & Order: SVU

I’ve heard of this author before but never read their books as was curious. It felt cold at the beginning, I didn’t personally care for the aim character Chelsey as the writing lacked emotions, it was more factual.

The story follows Chelsey as she is working. Case about Ellie black, a teenager who disappeared 2 years prior. Ellie returns and Chelsey tries to find out what happened to her and to find the person responsible. Chelsey's sister was murdered when they were teenagers which she’s never gotten over, this has a lot to die with how she needs to find who did this to Ellie.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller this, isn’t it, this is a slow burn. Chapters are between the present investigation and the view of Ellie, both past and present. I did enjoy this book; it had some twists. Once I got used to the writing style, it was good, and I would recommend it.

Chelsey Calhoun sister went missing 20 years ago, and other girls have gone missing over the years — and now Ellie Black has been returned.
The story is intriguing and holds your attention —an immersive mystery/psychological thriller —the author takes you deliberately into the depths of the victims mind and how they can have their minds turned to love or even be complicit in what ones abuser wants or does. — which can be disturbing at times. This was a page turner and was very difficult to put down- a gripping tale of depravity, captivity, manipulation, trauma- a case study in victimology. The main character of Chelsey is well developed and has the possibility to become a serial character in a series — I see potential there—and hope we will meet this character again in the future. The writing is quite good and a stark difference from this authors serious style of Romance/ YA writing— I enjoyed this book a lot and look forward to reading more of this genre from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada | Simon & Schuster. This is my honest review.

Wow. What an incredible story. One of the best (and most disturbing) mystery books I've read in a while. Even though it took me longer than usual to finish, that wasn't because of lack of interest but personal life. And I felt myself thinking about the book on and off and knew as soon as I had the time and energy, I'd finish it. I'm so glad I did, because this isn't a book to rush but one to meander through and thoughtfully engage with the sometimes explicit, but mostly implicit social commentary it provides.

[arc review]
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Return of Ellie Black releases May 7, 2024

Unputdownable. From the moment I started this story until the very last page, I refused to set it down.

On Chelsey’s first day working as a detective, a teenager named Ellie was kidnapped. For two years, she has been missing, until a couple of hikers find her roaming in the woods.
Now, Chelsey gets the chance to finally close the first case she was assigned to as a detective — a case that might just be connected to her in more ways than she could ever imagine.

This story is told through multiple pov’s and navigates familial bonds, sisterhood, trauma, and grief.

I’m finding it so hard to review this one without giving away the whole story, but I really loved the writing style!
The last 20% definitely added a fresh wave of urgency.

Emiko Jean is a gifted writer. Her characters spring to life before your eyes. Her descriptive words are strung together like freestyle lyrical poetry.

Ellie Black is the proverbial wild child: she decides to throw a party and charge an entrance fee so that she can buy herself a new iPhone. The night of the party, Ellie leaves to find a bathroom and is never heard from again for two years. (No spoilers here: the blurb for this story comes right out and tells you that Ellie was abducted and was found wandering in the woods by some hikers.)

What happened to her? Who took her? Physically and mentally, she shows all the signs of terrible abuse. The police can't get a word out of her, and her therapist cannot penetrate Ellie's emotional protective shield. I can't go into details without handing you a load of spoilers, so you will have to go into this one somewhat blind.

I had to put this book aside several times because the sporadic revelations of Ellie's awful treatment at the hands of her abductor were hard to endure. I can't say I wasn't warned. Reading this novel took an emotional toll on me and I had to switch to some lighter reading in order to dispel the gloom. It saddens me to think that Emiko Jean personally experienced some form of extreme physical violence and victimization. Kudos to her for facing her fear and exposing violence against women through the written word.

I do highly recommend this book, but I do so with the warning that you will not leave this reading journey unscathed. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this emotionally wrenching novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much, Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley, for sending me this ARC. It has been a while since I read thrillers, but this one hit all the right chords.

The Return of Elli Black is a well paced dark psychological thriller that'll make you question our society, get angry about how women are still treated in some places, and it's about the monsters who prey on women.

I loved Chelsey. Getting to know her personal side of the story while investigating Ellie's case was the perfect personal touch I needed from the story.

The way the author portrayed the character's fear and traumatic experiences were palpable. She catches your attention from the very first page and holds it throughout the story. It may not be an easy read (certainly some parts of it), but it definitely was gripping. The twists and turns will ensure you cannot put the book down, yet you still may need to take a break from the trauma. And the ending? I did not see it coming at all.

Detective Chelsey Calhoun has dedicated her life to try to seek justice for crimes against women. Her own sister went missing when they were teenagers and her regret from not being able to save her, has led her into this life.

When a missing girl shows up 2 years after going missing, Chelsey thinks this will bring a sense of closure to at least one family. However, she finds herself being unable to get Ellie to divulge any of what happened in the 2 years she was missing. What is Ellie hiding from everyone? What happened and what led to her going missing? And could there be more victims out there?

What a tough read this was. This is told in multiple timelines with multiple POVs. We are primarily seeing present day though Chelsey and Ellie, and we are also seeing Ellie's POV during her time of disappearance.

While we know that Ellie eventually makes it back home, things felt pretty bleak and scary at some points. The last few chapters were very exciting and somewhat nerve-wracking.

I definitely had to put this down a few times because of how heavy it felt at certain parts of the story. Go into this one with great care if you can. If you do, you will be rewarded with an intriguing book. Highly recommend!