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A review by astifel21
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“‘My Name?’ Who is she? What has she become? A vessel. To be carried. To be kept. To be filled.”
This novel by Emiko Jean is a mystery thriller about the reappearance of a missing teen 2 years after her abduction. The case lands in the hands of female detective Chelsey Calhoun who has her own demons and past to sort out. When Ellie reappears Chelsey is determined to bring to justice whoever did this to Ellie, in part because of the burden she carries over her sisters disappearance as a teenager. The problem is though Ellie won’t talk and Chelsea has to work hard to unravel the story with little help.
“The truth is these people are not strangers. They are the men you sleep with, the you work with, the men you raise. I wish this wasn’t what it means to be female - it is not a matter of if something will happen but when.”
This book had me on the edge of the couch. My husband teased me as I flipped page after page glued to the story. As a lover of crime dramas this story sucked me in and I just had to know who did it. But I loved that it wasn’t just the search for the kidnapper but also glimpses of the life the characters lead. We get to see the cracks in Chelsea’s marriage. The mistakes Ellie’s parents made. Each of them trying to come to terms with the direction their lives have gone. It was a race to the end for me on this one and the reveal definitely caught me by surprise. If your looking for a book to keep you on the edge of your chair then I’d recommend this one but be warned you might also find yourself angry at what can happen to girls and women.
“A careful calculation multiplied by parents wealth, then divided by race and religion. The poorer and darker the girl, the less funds the department allocated to her rescue - after all, the public is less outraged when those type of girls go missing. Maybe Ellie’s mom could sense it - some daughters were worth more than others.”
This novel by Emiko Jean is a mystery thriller about the reappearance of a missing teen 2 years after her abduction. The case lands in the hands of female detective Chelsey Calhoun who has her own demons and past to sort out. When Ellie reappears Chelsey is determined to bring to justice whoever did this to Ellie, in part because of the burden she carries over her sisters disappearance as a teenager. The problem is though Ellie won’t talk and Chelsea has to work hard to unravel the story with little help.
“The truth is these people are not strangers. They are the men you sleep with, the you work with, the men you raise. I wish this wasn’t what it means to be female - it is not a matter of if something will happen but when.”
This book had me on the edge of the couch. My husband teased me as I flipped page after page glued to the story. As a lover of crime dramas this story sucked me in and I just had to know who did it. But I loved that it wasn’t just the search for the kidnapper but also glimpses of the life the characters lead. We get to see the cracks in Chelsea’s marriage. The mistakes Ellie’s parents made. Each of them trying to come to terms with the direction their lives have gone. It was a race to the end for me on this one and the reveal definitely caught me by surprise. If your looking for a book to keep you on the edge of your chair then I’d recommend this one but be warned you might also find yourself angry at what can happen to girls and women.
“A careful calculation multiplied by parents wealth, then divided by race and religion. The poorer and darker the girl, the less funds the department allocated to her rescue - after all, the public is less outraged when those type of girls go missing. Maybe Ellie’s mom could sense it - some daughters were worth more than others.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death and Death of parent