This was an ok story. It had a decent plot, but it wasn't anything spectacular, in my opinion. I wasn't a big fan of the characters, but I did like the dual timelines.

This book was an absolute blast! I had no idea where the story was headed, and the twists and turns kept me guessing the entire time.

Spoiler: I definitely didn’t see that coming!

From the start, I felt like I couldn’t fully trust the narrators, which made the experience even more fun and unpredictable. That layer of uncertainty added so much to the tension and kept me hooked.

I’ve been loving so many releases from this publisher lately, which is one of the reasons I picked this one up—and I’m so glad I did! Andrew DeYoung crafted such an intense, gripping story. I was on edge the whole time, and I can’t wait to check out more of his work.

The Day He Never Came Home by Andrew DeYoung is a thrilling and fast-paced psychological drama that explores the unraveling of a woman’s life when everything she thought she knew about her husband turns out to be a lie. Regan Peters is a devoted wife and mother, content with the life she and her husband, John, have built. That is until the FBI arrives at her door, revealing John’s involvement in a Ponzi scheme, his ties to dangerous criminals, and the fact that he’s been living under an assumed identity. Suddenly, Regan’s world shatters, and she’s left to piece together the truth.

The plot takes a gripping turn when Regan discovers that John’s final gift to her—a lake house—was bought with illicit money and put solely in her name. This discovery forces Regan into a web of deception and moral dilemmas. Should she cooperate with the FBI, or should she protect herself and her children by hiding the truth? Her decision sets off a chain of events that only deepens the mystery and puts her in increasingly dangerous situations.

DeYoung masterfully portrays Regan’s transformation from a woman who has been deceived and passive into one who will do anything to safeguard her family’s future. The stakes are high, and Regan’s growing desperation is palpable as she navigates a world of lies, criminal activity, and personal betrayal.

The Day He Never Came Home is a tense, character-driven thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. With well-crafted suspense and a protagonist who undergoes an impressive evolution, this novel is an engrossing read for fans of psychological thrillers and suspenseful dramas about family secrets and survival.

I was really excited to dive into The Day He Never Came Home because the premise sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the story, and I ultimately decided to put it down before finishing. While I can appreciate the author’s writing style and the themes they set out to explore, the pacing and character development just didn’t draw me in the way I had hoped.

I believe this book will still appeal to readers who enjoy mystery/thrillers but it wasn’t quite the right fit for me at this time. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

"𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆."

Special thanks to @poisonedpress Andrew DeYoung & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Starting this book I'm taken by a huge wave of dejavu. I'm not sure from what book or where but I'm still so intrigued I can't put it down. Everyone is, in my opinion, an unlikeable character, and alot are quite shady if you ask me. Including REE-gan 🤣. John / Casey is a whole 'nother story .
Part 2 is interesting to say the least but the back story is what makes it intriguing.

*𝕊ℙ𝕆𝕀𝕃𝔼ℝ 𝔸𝕃𝔼ℝ𝕋 ⚠️ 𝔹𝔼𝕃𝕆𝕎*
And Part 3: I have to say, although the story was sort of twisty, it felt lack luster in the end. Like I always knew she would end up on top in the end.

Altogether it was a fast-paced read but I'd say ⭐️⭐️⭐️ is the max I'd give this one.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
July 9th, 2024


ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Do you know anyone who has legally changed their name?

.
.
.

#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #andrewdeyoung #poisonedpenpressinfluencer #partner #poisonedpenpartner #thedayhenevercamehome
.

The Day He Never Came Home by Andrew DeYoung is a gripping domestic thriller that explores betrayal, deception, and the lengths a mother will go to protect her children. Regan Peters’ world is turned upside down when she discovers her husband, John, has been living a double life, running a Ponzi scheme and associating with criminals. As the FBI closes in, Regan grapples with the shocking truths about her husband and her own capacity for survival. DeYoung skillfully builds tension, layering suspense with each new revelation, while exploring the moral complexities of Regan’s choices. The novel is fast-paced, with a strong, relatable protagonist whose journey from shock to empowerment keeps readers on edge. A compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers and crime dramas.

I have had this eBook hanging out on my Kindle for a while now. I read this one in one sitting, I found it that attention-grabbing. I just kept turning pages as I was engrossed in Regan (Ree-gan) and John’s story.
Secrets abound!
Regan did not have the most perfect childhood nor did John, but John’s upbringing was much worse than Regan’s if you were to compare the two. John also held fast to some long-buried, best-forgotten secrets. Both John and Regan did all they could to better themselves, to escape their childhoods, and ended up meeting along the way. In the beginning, they had what I would call a fairytale relationship – John being what I would consider the weaker one in their relationship.
I like strong female characters and this is what Regan represented to me, but in a different light than what I would have predicted throughout these pages.
There are so many things going on throughout these pages – Regan wanting a home and a family and a career, John wanting to be the provider but getting into something he wasn’t expecting, their children (Etta and Philip), Arnold Scovel (his name just sounds like a bad guy), Tamara, the FBI, financial crimes, Regan’s parents, Randy (John’s brother), even John’s mom for a minute.
Part one is told from Regan’s point of view, part two is John’s revealing of his past, and part three is the culmination of parts one and two. I really enjoyed this read which kept me guessing as to how it would all come together in the end, who would be the winner, so to speak. Apparently, this is this author’s debut novel and I am hopeful that he will write more because I’d be interested in giving them a read.

Loved this domestic thriller with dual timelines.
New author for me.
Thank you for having the chance to read it and review

It kept me entertained but it wasn’t really thrillery for me. I did overall like the book but I felt like it didn’t have a lot of wow moments.

I loved the cover of this book!

I found this to be fast paced, secrets, lies and lots of deception. In the book you follow a mother who really comes across and you see the struggles of motherhood and marriage and it was written very well!

I think it was written well, the pacing was good and just an overall perfect read for anyone that likes psychological thrillers.

Will read more from the author.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

A nicely written story, full of potential but I wasn't moved by it that much. It might be an incredible read for some but boring for others.

I think this was meant to be a thriller, but for me it didn't quite hit that mark. It essentially is a story of someone pretending to be something they are not and money laundering. The second half of the book, I enjoyed more - it read at a quicker pace but I had trouble getting into it initially. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters and I feel like it would be a harder one for me to recommend. I think I was just hoping for something more.

This novel is packed with unexpected twists, secrets, lies, and deception. At times, it was emotional and pulled at my heart strings. Andrew DeYoung accurately depicts the struggles of motherhood and marriage. How well do we ever really know our spouse? The novel starts with Regan, her point of view and struggles, then alternates to John's past and point of view. I thought this was a well written novel. The plot was fantastic, and the pacing was perfect.

The Day He Never Came Home was solid, but not a wow for me. The premise—following the mystery of a missing person—was super intriguing, and there were some good moments of tension and suspense. The writing kept me engaged, but there were parts that dragged and some pacing issues that took me out of the story.

The characters didn’t fully click for me either, which made it harder to get invested in the outcome. That said, if you’re into slow-burn thrillers with twists and turns, it might still hit the spot for you.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I enjoyed this! Was definitely more of a domestic thriller. The writing style was quite enjoyable! 3 stars!! Will definitely read more from this author in the future!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Netgalley and Andrew DeYoung for the ARC!

When the FBI Shows up at Regan’s house looking for her husband, she is quite surprised. She knew he put in long hours as a financial advisor but she had no idea just what he had gotten himself mixed up in. As Regan uncover the truth, she is hesitant to tell the FBI everything she discovers. Told from dual points of view, I really liked how it was solely Regan’s perspective up til a point, then switched to her husband’s. I thought it worked well and kept the tension ramped up. All in all, a fast-paced thriller that was an enjoyable read!

The suspense for me was good. The FMC or wife is a great character. Clearly the story was told from her point of view. The story was ok, but it didn’t have that actual psychological thriller behind it. I’m not sure how much of a thriller you can get out of money laundering, but that’s what the writer tried to portray for this book. For me the book was bad. The plot is not a good one for the genre selected. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!

I enjoyed this twisty domestic thriller very much. There were so many twists and turns that I truly didn't see coming, and it kept me guessing until the end.

The story is told in dual POV, and that worked very well. Learning about John's past was a great build-up to the mystery of his disappearance.

All of the characters were a bit unlikable, but I enjoy that with these types of books. This was an engaging story and a suspenseful read that I found quite entertaining. I'm definitely looking forward to more by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you so much Poisoned Pen Press and @netgalley for the copy of this eARC!
 
The Day He Never Came Home by Andrew DeYoung.
 
I really enjoyed this Domestic thriller with a lot of twists and turns that you don’t see coming. It actually keeps you guessing until the end. It was such a good story that kept me turning the pages.
 
I loved the dual POV's. I really like that we got to learn about who the MMC is, the mystery regarding John and his background before he married and why he made some decision that led to his disappearing.
 
What if you had the best life you could think of, you are a stay-at-home mom and you have everything you wish for- but all is not what it seems. When Regan's husband disappears, she has no choice but to take matters into her own hands in every situation she is put into. I love how Regan was a naïve wife in the beginning but then she remains one step ahead of the FBI and the criminal who is threatening her and her kids. Regan was a badass.
 
What a great book!!! I can't wait to read more books from Andrew DeYoung. This one kept me wanting more……

Thank you to @poisonedpenpress and @andrewdeyoung for the digital copy to review.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to think about this one, but my goodness once it started, I ended up finishing in one sitting, I was completely hooked. This was a crazy ride that starts off with a bang, as in FBI agents show up at Regan Peters’ home looking for her husband, whom she assumes is just carrying on a normal work life and she is none the wiser. She soon learns that he is not who she thought he was, and yet she does not tell the agents everything, so she is quickly involved in her husband’s crimes like it or not, and she is forced to reckon with his choices and make some of her own, right, wrong, or indifferent.

I ended up really loving this one, and I did kind of figure it out but not everything, and as I noted it was incredibly enjoyable the whole time. I thought Regan was making some reckless decisions, what with the FBI close by at all times, however she knew what she was doing better than me haha and this worked out as it should. I definitely recommend this, thought the audio was wonderful, only adding to the tension that was building throughout this story. I definitely recommend this one, it was a great thriller.