I'm intrigued by a missing-persons story, and I'm a fan of Emiko Jean's writing. The Return of Ellie Black was a disturbing setup followed by a somewhat too-easy-feeling reveal, but in between, I was captivated by the ride.
I'm fascinated by a missing-persons story. In Emiko Jean's The Return of Ellie Black, Detective Chelsey Calhoun is shocked by the reappearance of Ellie Black, a young girl who's been missing for two years.
Chelsey is especially invested in the case because her own sister Lydia went missing years earlier--before falling victim to a tragic murder-suicide carried out by her boyfriend.
While Chelsey is thrilled that Ellie is back, she's frustrated by Ellie's refusal to provide information that might lead the police to her captor. While Chelsey struggles to be patient with the young woman who is coping with layers of trauma, she realizes that Ellie's hiding something--and she may be putting her own life and the lives of others in danger.
The story takes us inside the claustrophobic, twisted, abusive, extremely disturbing compound where Ellie is kept prisoner--and she's not the only girl being kept against her will. When she comes home alive, only Chelsey finds it strange that Ellie has left her captor and remains alive. Has Ellie been released, rather than escaped?
I was distracted by the way Ellie wasn't held accountable (despite her significant trauma) and wasn't pressed for details regarding the culprit who snatched her, where she might have been, and who else was there--all of which could have helped police get to the bottom of multiple other disappearances, past and present. I also found it strange that Chelsey operated as a solo actor in the investigation to the extent she did.
The reveal of the true story behind the abductions, cruelties, and murders seemed far-fetched (every one of the elements--motivations, participants, delusions--were linked to close-to-home situations). But as always, I enjoyed Jean's writing, and I couldn't wait to find out who was behind the infuriating, extremely disturbing kidnappings and why.
I listened to The Return of Ellie Black as an audiobook.
I'd love to hear your Bossy thoughts about this book!
Emiko Jean is also the author of the great young adult stories Tokyo Ever After and Tokyo Dreaming and Tokyo Forever, as well as Mika in Real Life, Empress for All Seasons, and other books.
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