I love it when a thriller doesn’t rely too heavily on forced twists and focuses instead on the characters and telling a compelling story, and that is mostly what I got with this book. This one would have been near perfect if it had not been for the final (and mostly unnecessary) twist at the end. Still, I found this to be a gripping and captivating story that I finished in a day.

The book primarily focuses on Detective Chelsey Calhoun, a woman who followed in her father’s footsteps as far as her career goes; she is not only dedicated to her job but tenacious when it comes to solving crimes. A lot of this is driven by the fact that her sister went missing several years prior (and is presumed dead), and her disappearance still haunts Chelsey. When a local teenager, Ellie Black, who vanished two years earlier, is found alive in the woods, Chelsey is just as shocked as anyone and clings to the case – determined to find out where Ellie had been, who took her, and whether the same person or persons might be behind the disappearance – and murders – of other young women in the area. But as she delves deeper into Ellie’s story, she realizes things may not be as easy as she hoped. Ellie appears to be withholding information and eventually tells Chelsey that she doesn’t want to participate in the investigation, but Chelsey has a hard time accepting this. She knows she needs to respect Ellie’s wishes, but she feels Ellie is potentially hiding something or protecting someone – but why? Chelsey’s determination to uncover the truth about Ellie’s disappearance is driven not only by personal reasons but also by her commitment to finding justice for other missing girls who may never return, but where does she turn when her star witness refuses to cooperate?

As I mentioned earlier, I was glued to the pages of this one. I loved how it played out and the different viewpoints the author provided. Not only do we see things from Chelsey’s perspective, but we also get to see things from Ellie’s point of view, both when she was being held captive and now that she is free. We also get a few chapters from the POV of Ellie’s parents and Ellie’s boyfriend, all of which blend together to form a captivating narrative. The characters are well-developed and multi-dimensional. I rooted for Chelsey and desperately wanted Ellie to share her truth. To top it off, the evil peeps were just as gross and weird and messed up as you’d expect, nicely balancing everything out. 

The author does a wonderful job of building tension and suspense throughout the novel, with little reveals along the way that kept my mind churning. As the story unravels, the reader is drawn deeper into the dark and unsettling world of disappearances and secrets that lie beneath the surface of a small PNW community. What makes it all even more troubling is that we know things like this actually happen far too frequently; it’s both sad and infuriating. Emiko Jean tackles these complicated topics with grace and sensitivity, creating a story that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling. I mentioned this earlier, but I think my only gripe with this one was that the little twist toward the end felt largely unnecessary. (If you’ve read the book, you know what I mean.) It felt as though maybe it was forced in because twists are expected these days. I think the book would have been just as powerful without it.

Overall, I would highly recommend this to fans of thrillers and suspense. From the very first page, I found the writing to be compelling and engaging, and the story immediately sucked me in. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a riveting and thought-provoking read.