The Return of Ellie Black is the fast paced thriller debut by Emiko Jean. Emiko Jean is well known for her Tokyo Ever After series and Mika in Real Life, so I decided to give her writing a try. I am beyond glad I did! This missing girl mystery sucked me right in and I couldn't put this book down until I finished it the next day. 

Twenty years ago, Chelsey Calhoun's older sister disappeared. She is now a detective committed to justice for girls like her sister. The story begins when Ellie Black reappears on a trail in the woods after being missing for over two years. Chelsey is on the case and will not rest until she has answers about (and from) Ellie as well as a string of other missing girls in the rural Washington state area. 

Full of reveals and enthralling turns, we learn that something is amiss with Ellie and it's not just the "typical" trauma of returning to the world after a harrowing experience. While I have a few small gripes about this story, I loved the characters and easy to fly through writing that was immersive without being bogged down. I'm not typically a fan of detective stories, and this one really worked for me. I would have liked more development of Chelsey's character and her relationship, and I also felt the storyline that so many white girls weren't being looked for doesn't add up with the reality in our society. They certainly do get looked for, much more so than girls who are not white. 

Overall, this book is great for a super fast, mysterious read that I really think would launch you out of a reading slump or go down easy when you're in a busy season of life where a slow paced book is just not the right fit. And I'll definitely be reading more from Emiko Jean!