Member Reviews

How far would you go to protect your life and the one you’ve built for your children? What lies would you tell to keep your secrets hidden? These are the dilemmas Regan faces as her world starts to fall apart following her husband's disappearance and an unexpected visit from the FBI. The author takes us on a suspenseful journey, illustrating how compromising your morals can lead to dangerous consequences, and questioning whether you can survive the fallout. With rich character development, an engaging plot, and a mystery that unravels gradually, I was captivated from the very beginning. This was my first experience with this author, and I am eagerly anticipating more of their work.

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The day He Never Came Home by Andrew DeYoung published on July 9th by Poisoned Pen Press.

The Day He Never Came Home starts with Regan Peters who is married to John, a financial advisor, and they have 2 children. John works long hours and leaves Regan alone with the kids for long stretches. Regan is overwhelmed and needs some help, but she knows John is working hard to provide them with a good life. Is he though? One morning Regan wakes up and John's side of the bed is cool and hasn't been slept in. He was working late the night before, but he always came home.
When there's a knock at the door, Regan is shocked to find 2 FBl agents standing there. They want to know where John is?
Regan says he's at work. The FBI agents had just been at John's office and it's cleaned out, no one is there. They tell Regan that John was running a Ponzi scheme, is using an assumed identity, and working with criminals.
Regan now puts things together. Just yesterday John had given Regan a lake house for her birthday. He made a point of telling her that it was in her name only. He was making sure that she and the kids would have a place to live. How could John leave them? Regan makes a decision not to tell the FBI about the lake house and she hopes that John is hiding there.
Unfortunately, they have a warrant and are searching the house she's in now with her kids. The agents tell Regan that she should take the kids elsewhere and stay overnight to give them time to thoroughly search the house and grounds.
Regan decides to take the kids to her parents house. Regan dreads seeing her mother with this news as she's never been a fan of John's.
Will Reagan be able to find John and get the answers she needs before he’s arrested by the FBi?

This story had me on edge the whole time I was reading it . I just loved the whole story and will be looking forward to more books by the author!

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This was a fun popcorn thriller! Short chapters, and you get a duel pov. When Regan’s husband disappears just after he buys her a beautiful lake home for her birthday. When the FBI shows up saying her husband isn’t who she thinks he is, she’s ready to find some answers! You are pulled in with curiosity, of what really happened, why, and what will be next!
3.5⭐️


Thank you to Poison Pen Press and Netgalley for my gifted copy!

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Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a woman whose husband is in trouble for fraud and disappears. She tries to figure out what is going on and find her husband.

I really didn’t like this book. I didn’t like the main character from the beginning. She was so whiny and ignored so many red flags from her husband. Like hello?? Ugh she just annoyed me and I couldn’t get into the story.

I hope others love this one.

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Two sides of the same story can look completely different, especially when both sides feel their story is right. Andrew DeYound tells the story of a young couple who find themselves inside a criminal investigation based on the husband's past history. A past this wife knows nothing about, maybe. THE DAY HE NEVER CAME HOME is the day Regan Peters must shoulder a future she's not prepared for. The story has some familiar vibes but is original in the telling of the couple's decisions and the consequences. This was not the thriller I expected based on the cover synopsis, it's much better.

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This was an exciting and twisty thriller! While there were some twists I predicted, I like how DeYoung pushed them even further so that I was still surprised by the turns this novel took. The characters were multi-layered and interesting. I enjoyed how their layers were slowly pulled away. I thought the structure was well done as well and the change of perspective in Part 2 really helped seal the deal that this was an excellent book. I look forward to seeing what is next for DeYoung.

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This book started out a little slow for me. As I got a little more into it the story got more and more interesting. I enjoyed the story as a whole but there were parts that were definitely very predictable. Which is the reason for 3.5 stars.

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Regan and her husband have just had a wonderful day. He has bought her a lake house and she is beyond excited. But the next day, he does not come home and the FBI are at her door. They are accusing him of stealing money from his investors. She is now on her on and navigating this terrible mess!

After a rough 24 hours Regan begins to think about her options. And she is not going to sit back and watch her world fall apart. And boy…does she take action!

This book starts out so strong and I could not stop reading. Now, it did slow down a bit in the middle. But, the hook was set and I had to see where this story was headed.

As a reader, you may not start out thinking Regan is super smart…but her true colors come out and she takes no prisoners!

Need an intricate, intense con…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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The Day He Never Came Home is a fantastic book that keeps you on edge throughout. Regan Peters is married to John, a financial advisor, and they have 2 children. John works long hours and leaves Regan alone with the kids for long stretches. Regan is overwhelmed and needs some help, but she knows John is working hard to provide them with a good life. Is he though? One morning Regan wakes up and John's side of the bed is cool and hasn't been slept in. He was working late the night before, but he always came home. When there's a knock at the door, Regan is shocked to find 2 FBI agents standing there. They want to know where John is? Regan says he's at work. The FBI agents had just been at John's office and it's cleaned out, no one there. They tell Regan that John was running a Ponzi scheme, is using an assumed identity, and working with criminals.

Regan now puts things together. Just yesterday John had given Regan a lake house for her birthday. He made a point of telling her that it was in her name only. He was making sure that she and the kids would have a place to live. How could John leave them? Regan makes a decision not to tell the FBI about the lake house and she hopes that John is hiding there. Unfortunately, they have a warrant and are searching the house she's in now with her kids. The agents tell Regan that she should take the kids elsewhere and stay overnight to give them time to thoroughly search the house and grounds. Regan decides to take the kids to her parents house. Regan dreads seeing her mother with this news as she's never been a fan of John's.

As you read The Day He Never Came Home you learn more and more about John's past, how he and Regan met, and their life together. You won't be able to get this book out of your mind. It's a fantastic debut thriller from Andrew DeYoung that I rate 4 stars with a high recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for an advanced copy of The Day He Never Came Home in exchange for a fair review. The book is out now and should not be missed! #TheDayHeNeverCameHome

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The Day He Never Came Home by Andrew DeYoung was full of twists. This book follows Regan who's husband disappears and the FBI show up at her door looking for John. Turns out he has been running a Ponzi scheme amd everything John has told her about is past turns out to all be a lie. I liked the wring style of Andrew. He told the story well and the twists were good. I will definitely read more from him in the future.

I received an advance review copy and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

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Minnesota gal here! It was super cool to read a book where multiple places in my home state were mentioned! This book was a great read, but towards the end, I felt like I was reading the same information over again, from the different point of view. It would be better to somehow only call out the changes from the other POV vs repeating the same happenings over again.

Regan, John and their two kids live a fairly simple life, or so Regan thought. Regan stayed at home with the kids, and John worked for his own investment company as a Financial Advisor. John worked a lot to make sure that he could give his wife and kids the life he never had. Until one day, the FBI is knocking on the door looking for John, but he seems to have disappeared. Who is John really? And what was really happening?

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Fantastic! Great plot, great characters and a clever use of changing points of view partway through to make things super interesting.

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I gave this book 5 stars because it is one of the best thrillers I have ever read. I like how when Regan found out that he was "dead" she took matters into her own hands to uncover the truth to protect her and her children. I also liked how we got some background information on John so we could understand things from his point of view. I wish in the end he had just gone to jail instead of dying because I can see that he wanted to be better for Regan and the kids. For Andrew DeYoung's first thriller this was amazing and I can't wait to see what his next one will be about if he decides to write more thrillers in the future.

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The Day He Never Came Home is a fast-paced story that will grab your attention right away and not let up. After Regan's husband disappears, she uncovers things about her husband she wasn't aware of. After discovering these things, she has major decisions to make. The characters and suspense definitely kept me turning the pages.

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Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advanced copy. Now onto the review.....

What I liked -
- dual POV with part one is Regan's POV, part two from John’s POV where we learn more about him. Part three is present day and tieing it all together.
- strong character development
- the plot is what drew me to want to read this but it was predictable
- mother who will do what she has to do to protect her kids

This book took me over a week to complete which is a long time for me. I couldn't get motivated to pick it up. From the beginning, there was something about Regan, FMC, that I did not like. I couldn't relate to her. At times, she seemed to live in a world of delusion. She ignored John's red flags. The beginning was a slow start. It wasn't until about 40% in that I had my first gasp. It does pick up in part 3 but it was predictable and there was no crazy twists.

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What lies would you tell to maintain your life and the life you're built for your kids? What lengths would you go to, to ensure that no one found out? These are some of the questions that Regan must answer as her life begins to unravel around her when her husband disappears, and the FBI pay her a visit. The author takes us along as the suspense unfolds to tell a story of how compromising your own morals, one step at a time, can get you in way over your head, and how you may, or may not, make it out on the other side. With deep character development, a plot that keeps you intrigued, and a mystery that unfolds throughout the book, I was hooked from the start. I've never read anything by this author before, but I am certainly looking forward to more.

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Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press & author Andrew DeYoung for this eARC to read and review!

Yikes guys. I can sum this book up in one sentence: a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! When everything that Regan thought about her safe, secure & comfortable life turns out to be a lie … this strong & smart mom starts making some hard choices to protect herself & her children. And she does it like a boss!

It’s a morally gray story of survival that had me not really sure who I was rooting for or who I could trust … on either side of the law!
We also get to see everything from two viewpoints where you get to hear each side of the same circumstance … that made things very interesting & not so cut & dry!! And when an author can get me to feel compassion for the bad guy?? … that’s a winner!

I absolutely LOVED the ending and just closed the book with a great big “thatta girl” smile on my face! A solid thriller with great character development that hooked me from the start!

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Yes! Yes! There is nothing more power than a parents love! This was a very good thriller. I need this to be made into a movie!

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4.5* I really enjoyed this author's style, putting him on my radar for more books. This topic has been written before, but his edge of the seat suspense makes it hard to put down. The characters reveal how greed, corruption and a lack of morals play a huge part in all the deception. Regan begins a dangerous journey after her husband never comes home. The FBI becomes involved and shows up at their home to tell her about John's Ponzi scheme, as a financial advisor. What she doesn't tell them, he bought a cabin with cash for her and their two kids. He also leaves a bag of cash with no explanation of where it came from and no clue to his whereabouts.
Regan receives a video that reveals her husband has crossed over a moral line to provide the best for his family and is involved with some dangerous criminals. She will do anything to protect their kids and even hide the presents he gave her. When she uncovers one lie, she finds another one from him. This was really a great book. The Regan's POV is spot on as a mother on the run from criminals. When push comes to shove, don't discount her mental ability. She is a smart and strong character.
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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I really enjoyed this book and the suspenseful storyline. The author did a great job portraying this original story to keep Readers hooked into the read wanting to see how it would all play out.

Thank you to PoisonedPenPress & NetGalley
For this eARC for my review.

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