by Emiko Jean
First published 2024
Detective Chelsey Calhoun has spent twenty years haunted by her sister's disappearance during their teenage years. She dedicates her career to finding missing girls, searching for the closure that continues to elude her. When local teenager Ellie Black emerges from the Washington woods after vanishing two years ago, Chelsey expects answers. Instead, Ellie's return creates new mysteries. The girl refuses to reveal where she has been or identify who she might be shielding from investigation. Chelsey must uncover the truth behind Ellie's disappearance and the silent years that followed. Her investigation becomes personal, driven by memories of her lost sister and fear for future victims. Each clue Chelsey uncovers brings her closer to understanding what happened to Ellie, but the girl's silence threatens to let a dangerous predator escape justice. The case forces Chelsey to confront her own past while racing to prevent another girl from suffering Ellie's fate.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: missing-person, personal-investigation, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Washington
Period: 20 Years Ago
299 pages · Paperback · Penguin
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness