“The Return of Ellie Black” by Emiko Jean was released May 7 by Simon & Schuster.
Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life is turned upside down when she gets the call Ellie Black, a girl who disappeared years earlier, has resurfaced in the woods of Washington state — but Ellie’s reappearance leaves Chelsey with more questions than answers.
It’s been 20 years since Chelsey’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.
The debut thriller from New York Times bestselling author Emiko Jean, “The Return of Ellie Black” is both a feminist tour de force about the embers of hope that burn in the aftermath of tragedy and a twisty page-turner that will shock and surprise you right up until the final page.
Also by Emiko Jean:
“Mika in Real Life.” Mika Suzuki’s life is a mess. Fired from a dead-end job, she shares a home with her best friend, who just might be a hoarder if all the unopened deliveries are a sign. Her last relationship — to a burnout named Leif — ended in flames. And she’s a perpetual disappointment to her traditional Japanese parents, especially to her mother, who keeps presenting her with dating prospects found in church.
Then she receives the surprise of her life — a phone call from Penny, the baby she placed for adoption 16 years ago. Now a headstrong teenager, Penny is eager to learn all about Mika, who she is and what her dreams are. The harder-won heart belongs to Thomas Calvin, Penny’s adoptive widower father. What starts as a rocky relationship with him slowly blossoms into friendship and, just maybe, something more.
Faced with her own insecurities, Mika at first embellishes the facts about her life. But Penny’s love revives so many of the dreams she once had, especially those about being an artist and making a difference in the world… ultimately forcing her to answer the question, Just who is Mika in real life?
“Tokyo Ever After.” Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in — it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, Northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way” — and her mom against the world. But then Izzy discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity… and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.
In a whirlwind, Izzy travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.
Izzy soon finds herself caught be-tween worlds, and between versions of herself — back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairytale, happily ever after?
“Tokyo Dreaming.” When Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, she’s overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect body-guard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true.
Only… her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard-turned-boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game.
But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart?
Info: www.emikojean.com