The Return of Ellie Black: A Novel: 1 (Chelsey Calhoun)

This was a great read but the ending was a bit of a let down! I’d still recommend as a good thriller.

This novel uses some very interesting plot twists that I enjoyed -- and have not seen before -- however, the final resolution and denouement felt over-explained. That is, too many threads were resolved all at once. She should have left out the one biggest surprise (no spoiler here) and had a stronger book, I feel. Still, an enjoyable read with good character development and back stories strengthen the plot. .

The book starts with two crimes the kidnapping of Ellie Black and the death of Lydia, the sister of Detective Chelsey Calhoun. The grief over her sister's death drives Chelsey to doggedly follow the clues for Ellie's abduction. But the story takes several hairpin turns before coming to an ending. Loved this book for the atmosphere , the setting, and the character building. Every character was fleshed out with their own psychological kinks that made them feel real. Highly recommended for fans of both thrillers and police procedurals.

This story was well told and kept me wanting to read , read , read . The story was believable and awful at the same time.

Plot 5/5 Great storyline and paced perfectly. The main characters were somewhat relatable and very realistic. All of the characters were gritty and real, the imagery spot on. Spice 1/5 I don’t like reading smut and this mentioned sex with her husband, describing the act very vaguely using an f bomb in one sentence. Language 3/5 A couple of f bombs and a few “d*mns”. Graphic scenes 2/5 This book was gritty but it didn’t get too descriptive with the actual violence in action. I’ve read some crazy novels and this satisfied that dark read that I was looking for but it was gory and overly descriptive. Highly recommend.