Thank you Libro.fm / Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Simon & Schuster #partner for the advanced e-copy of Before You Were Anne in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster / Simon & Schuster Audio
Published: September 1, 2026
Summary:
After a woman is killed and her daughter vanishes, detective Chelsey Calhoun uncovers a legacy of violence and survival that spans from Japan to Seattle in the new novel by the author of The Return of Ellie Black.
A murdered woman. A missing daughter. A truth buried across two continents.
Married, pregnant, and thriving in her career, Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life finally feels whole, until an explosive new case shatters everything. A mother is dead. Her sixteen-year-old daughter, Naomi, has disappeared. And the search will awaken questions about Chelsey’s own origins—questions she’s spent a lifetime afraid to ask.
The victim called herself Anne Walker. But she was born Rika Takahashi, and her journey from a remote Japanese farm to suburban Seattle conceals decades of deception. Across Tokyo’s shadowed underworld, an isolated Idaho town, and years of carefully constructed lies, Rika reinvented herself at every turn. But she was always running—from someone, or something.
Now, Chelsey must find Naomi before she becomes the next victim. But the deeper she delves into Rika’s hidden life, the more she discovers: some secrets are worth killing for. And the most dangerous truths may be the ones closest to home.
Told in three interwoven voices, Before You Were Anne is a gripping suspense novel about the lies that bind families and the sins that echo across generations.
My thoughts:
I loved The Return of Ellie Black and was thrilled to know that Emiko Jean was bringing us back to Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s world…and boy, do we get another fantastic story. What I love most about this author, besides her amazing storytelling, is that she’s not afraid to go there with her stories – they get dark, but she always manages to balance that darkness with some hope.
Once again, I found myself pulled right into the story, and even though this is another slow-burn, I was all in. While Detective Calhoun is investigating the murder of a mother and trying to locate her missing teenage daughter, the case is raising questions about her own past.
I could not put this one down once I started it. The twists are so effective – hitting at just the right time and feeling natural and not done for shock value. Everything seemed to be building to the resolution, and while it was shocking, it worked. I also loved that we get more of a glimpse into Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life. It seems we have only started to scratch the surface on who this Chelsey really is and I’m all about digging deeper into her life, however long that takes! I’m a big series reader, so the more books, the better and why I firmly believe in reading series in order!! That continued character development is so awesome to watch unfold.
Audio thoughts:
This was narrated by a full-cast and it was excellent. Each of the three narrators – Mizuo Peck, Mieko Gavia and Mirai – all do an amazing job with their respective parts.
Books in this series:
- The Return of Ellie Black
- Before You Were Anne
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