Paul Behrens got up early one morning, dressed in a suit, got in his car and drove off, not to work at the middle school, but off … where? When his wife Annie gets a phone call that staid, boring Paul hadn't shown up for work, she immediately goes to the police who note the oddity of Paul's disappearance and begin immediately to investigate.

The circle of characters is small – a handful of detectives, a cluster of relatives, friends, colleagues, students, parents – but these are interesting characters, far more interesting than I expect in a detective story. The police officers especially. They are reflective and developed as individuals. Not a clown among them. Very nice.

Annie’s husband, Paul, is a teacher who loves his job and his students. So, when he unexpectedly fails to show up for work one day, Annie knows something is wrong and reports him missing. As more information and secrets are uncovered the Violent Crime Investigation team becomes involved in the search for the missing man.

The Day He Left is an excellent police procedural, with a variety of interesting characters as well as a good plot. It is well-written and sets a good pace. Not only is the investigation solid, the characters are well-developed, with each of the detectives possessing unique skills and experiences.

Even though this is the second book in the series by Frederick Weisel, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I thoroughly enjoyed The Day He Left and I’m looking forward to the author’s next book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

This was a good story, but I think the general plot and tropes felt too familiar to keep me fully engaged. Fine read to pass the time, but not so unique that I needed to stay up late to figure out what was going to happen next. I was fine waiting.

The Day He Left is the second book in the Violent Crime Investigations Team series by American author, Frederick Weisel. When dedicated middle school teacher, Paul Behrens fails to turn up for work, it’s totally out of character for this man who loves his job. His wife Annie does not hesitate to call the Santa Rosa Police Department. Lieutenant Eddie Mahler decides his Violent Crimes Investigations Team will dedicate the next twenty-four hours to finding him.

But as they take a closer look at the man’s life, and those close to him, it seems that Paul had plenty more than the usual worries about money and job: an unfaithful wife with a drinking problem; a sixteen-year-old son dealing drugs; a thirteen-year-old daughter being bullied; accusations made by a student; and concern for the welfare of another student. He drove off to an appointment of which Annie knew nothing.

And when the team does find him, the mystery is far from solved.

As one team member does double shifts helping out Narcotics, the team’s analyst, Eden Somers is distracted from the case by a development in the case that ultimately caused her to resign from the FBI: the Highway 60 murders. An FBI security breach has brought her to the attention of the main suspect, recently arrested for the third time. Eden has sixty Bankers Boxes of case files to review if the man is not to be released again.

This is not a mystery where the reader has a chance of predicting the killer or motive: most information is only revealed as the police learn it, but the detective work the team carries out is smart and diligent. Weisel gives the characters the opportunity to philosophise about their lives during rare moments of downtime, with each adding depth.

It’s refreshing to note that this cast mostly don’t put themselves in danger unnecessarily, but share information, working well as a team and backing each other up when it matters. The story is let down by a number of annoying continuity issues following on from the first book in the series.

Setting aside the fact that the Violent Crimes Investigation Team takes on a missing-person case a mere three and a half hours after Paul Behrens has driven away from his home, retracing Paul’s steps after his departure, learning about his state of mind and his relationships: family, students, colleagues, all without any indication that a violent crime has occurred, this is an excellent police procedural.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press

It seems like a typical family, teacher Paul, housewife Annie and two teenaged kids. Everything is taken for granted and no one really listens to each other but somehow this is just okay with them. But when Paul’s school calls that he is not at work, Annie (who has secrets of her own), realizes he didn’t even come home last night….she realizes he is missing.

Clues show up that lead to the involvement of Eddie Mahler and his Santa Rosa Violent Crime Unit. They are always busy. Currently some are helping out in a drug bust for another department. They also have some personal issues of their own. All of them are portrayed with heart and authenticity.

Following the initial incident, the family dynamics and the challenges of SRVC unit make this a police procedural with twists, high stakes, and intrigue. This is the second book in the series and can be read alone, but don’t miss the first one. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.

Paul enjoys his job as a teacher so when he doesn't show up for work or phone in one day it is out of character. His wife, Annie, works night shifts and is stuck in a rut as they've been married for many years. She is tired of life in general and when he quotes poetry she doesn't pay attention. Their two teenaged kids have troubles of their own at and outside of school which start to unravel as they are interviewed by police. Not only is the household troubled but the neighbourhood is as well with drug trafficking and other crimes. There are secrets galore!

Angst is pervasive in the story. Though I do typically enjoy books which aren't all roses and light, this family was too dysfunctional and angry with few redeeming qualities for me to become emotionally invested in. They just weren't at all likeable which cast a shadow over my overall enjoyment. It was also not as thrillery as I had hoped. However, I did enjoy the psychology at play and twisty turns and did care enough to find out what happened to the family.

My sincere thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Annie has fallen out of the habit of listening to her husband. She and Paul have been married for a long time; it's easy to nod as he drones on, responding to his voice while completely ignoring every word he says. That becomes a problem, of course, when Paul disappears and the police have questions. Was Paul having issues at work? Is there any reason to think he might harm himself? Annie doesn't know.

But someone does.

An unsettling photo found amongst Paul's things turns the investigation toward his job as a middle school teacher and a troubled girl who is hiding secrets of her own. But what exactly happened to Paul on the day he left for work and never made it to the classroom? Is his disappearance related to a local heroin trafficking operation? As Eddie Mahler and the members of the Santa Rosa Violent Crime Investigations Team rush to find the teacher, they discover the members of his family have hidden lives of their own, and that Paul may not have been running away but toward something that could ruin his career and marriage—and even cost his life.

Took three tries to get through 30% of this book. For me there were no likeable characters. The story was disjointed, jumping from one set of locations to the next with little or no explanation. The beginning with Annie, the wife was understandable, but the shift to the investigative team left me wondering where I was and what was going on? This is apparently a very popular series and perhaps is best enjoyed by those who have read the earlier books. As it was, I had trouble keeping the different team members straight and figuring out where they fit into the story.

I put the book down for a few days, then started again (twice). Neither times helped me connect with it in any way.. Not sure what group of people are best targeted as the audience, but judging from past books and reviews, it sounds like they have been found.

When Paul, a middle school teacher, disappears, his wife Annie contacts the police.
As questions are asked about Paul, she realizes how out of touch the two have been.
Items found in his briefcase raise more questions.
As the members of the Violent Crime Investigation team look into the lives of the family and associates, secrets are uncovered. Along with the missing person case, team members
are also involved with other investigations which reveal more information on Paul’s disappearance. Definitely a page turner.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy.

This is my first book by Frederick Weisel and won't be my last.

The book follows Ann who barely gives her husband Paul attention but is in for a rude awakening when he disappears and the police have questions. We follow a group of people (the police and Ann) as they work to find him and uncover why he just left. This is book 2 in the series but I absolutely was engaged with the plot, the character development and the pace of the story. This book is insanely good and I recommend it but if possible try to read the first book first.

A huge thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for my complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This was a great mystery for a snowy day here in New England! There was a lot of action and an intriguing storyline. Near the middle, I felt like there were way too many characters to follow and I found myself stopping to remind myself of their 'story'. I did enjoy this book and it is the first by this author - I will be looking for the first book in this series for a future read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't realize at first that this is the second book in the series however, it read great as a stand alone! Very well written and a gripping suspense story, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the rest in the series!

Secrets Will Be Exposed….
Secrets have a terrible way of outing themselves. When Annie’s husband, Paul, disappears she can’t help much with the police investigation as she never really listened to anything that he had to say. Someone does know a lot about Paul though and it’s not long before secrets are exposed. Solidly crafted investigation with an immersive storyline and a plot populated with well crafted, credible characters. This is the second in the Violent Crime Investigations Team Mystery series but could read well as a standalone.

I did not realize this book is the second of a series until I started to read it. While it does work as a stand alone novel, I think I would have been more into character development had I read the beginning of the series first.

Annie's husband, Paul, disappears. Annie and the two teens in the family all have secrets that could lead to what happened to Paul. This is a multilayered story that includes not only on Paul's disappearance but also details of the various officers that work on his case.
I enjoyed the focus on police procedures and how the plot unfolded with unraveling the details of the missing person. I wanted the characters to be more engaging to me, though as a book in a series there is an opportunity for the characters to grow.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

The Day He Left is an easy five star read. I was able to finish this nail-biter in one sitting with very minimal bathroom breaks. This is my first novel by Frederick Weisel but it will not be my last. Weisel needs to be on everyone's radar. This is an author that truly knows how to tell a story.

Annie and Paul have been married for too long. Annie had become content with just shaking her head and going along with whatever it is that Paul wanted but now Paul is missing and the police have questions they need Annie to answer.

Annie has no idea what happened or who would ever want to harm Paul. Did he do this to himself? Was he having trouble at work?

The a picture is found. Paul is a middle school teacher and there is a young girl who is hiding some big secrets.

Everyone has secrets and little by little, the detectives on this case start to expose them.

This is a MUST READ! I know February seems far off but this novel is totally worth the wait! Get your hands on a copy February 8, 2022!

This book was a good read! Better than most I've read, but it wasn't an omg!! So good book! For me. This book had light suspense, intrigue, action and a very good storyline! But it didn't grab me and have me on the edge of my seat! its definitely worth reading and I would recommend reading it! But its not one of my top favorites! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This book was sent to me by Netgalley on Kindle for review. It is full of mystery and intrigue with characters who are somewhat not likeable…there are so many characters that even at first, one might have to make a list to keep them straight…the story moves quickly, but there are few surprises…the language is too much for the books I enjoy…others may not mind at all…

#TheDayHeLeft #NetGalley
A good read.
Annie has fallen out of the habit of listening to her husband. She and Paul have been married for a long time; it's easy to nod as he drones on, responding to his voice while completely ignoring every word he says. That becomes a problem, of course, when Paul disappears and the police have questions. Was Paul having issues at work? Is there any reason to think he might harm himself? Annie doesn't know. But someone does. An unsettling photo found amongst Paul's things turns the investigation toward his job as a middle school teacher and a troubled girl who is hiding secrets of her own. But what exactly happened to Paul on the day he left for work and never made it to the classroom? Is his disappearance related to a local heroin trafficking operation? As Eddie Mahler and the members of the Santa Rosa Violent Crime Investigations Team rush to find the teacher, they discover the members of his family have hidden lives of their own, and that Paul may not have been running away but toward something that could ruin his career and marriage—and even cost his life.
Intriguing book full of secrets. Wow I'm impressed by the writing style.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Press for giving me an advanced copy.