Before You Were Anne: A Novel
Emiko Jean
Sep 2026 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Mizuo Peck, Mieko Gavia, and Mirai
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10 hr 31 min
Unabridged
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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 this propulsive novel from the New York Times bestselling 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.
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.
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 this propulsive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Return of Ellie Black.
A murdered woman. A missing daughter. A truth...
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About the author
Emiko Jean is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult and adult fiction, including Love Me Tomorrow and Love Me Always. Her work has been published around the world and translated into over thirty languages. She lives in Washington with her family.
Mizuo Peck is a versatile actress and native New Yorker. She is internationally known for her role as Sacajawea in the 20th Century Fox movie, Night at the Museum, and its sequels. Her other film and television credits include Madam Secretary; A Case of You; Almost in Love; Law & Order: Criminal Intent; and All My Children. Her stage work includes 365 Days/365 Plays at the Public Theater and All’s Well That Ends Well as a company member of their exclusive Shakespeare Lab Program. Mizuo’s on camera commercial and voiceover work has been for many brands including Levi’s, Suave, Verizon, KitchenAid, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Glade, and Oil of Olay. For photos, interviews, reels, and more please visit her website, MizuoPeck.com.
Mizuo Peck is a versatile actress and native New Yorker. She is internationally known for her role as Sacajawea in the 20th Century Fox movie, Night at the Museum, and its sequels. Her other film and television credits include Madam Secretary; A Case of You; Almost in Love; Law & Order: Criminal Intent; and All My Children. Her stage work includes 365 Days/365 Plays at the Public Theater and All’s Well That Ends Well as a company member of their exclusive Shakespeare Lab Program. Mizuo’s on camera commercial and voiceover work has been for many brands including Levi’s, Suave, Verizon, KitchenAid, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Glade, and Oil of Olay. For photos, interviews, reels, and more please visit her website, MizuoPeck.com.
Emiko Jean is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult and adult fiction, including Love Me Tomorrow and Love Me Always. Her work has been published around the world and translated into over thirty languages. She lives in Washington with her family.
Mizuo Peck is a versatile actress an...
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