4/5✨

This debut, domestic thriller was VERY addictive with the action starting by chapter 2 with all of the red flags a'flyin' about ol' John. DeYoung did an amazing job describing the strained family dynamics to make you connect and empathize/sympathize no matter your life story.

While I love the overall book's multiple POVs and effortless writing, a few things were meh (hints the 4 instead of 5). Again, these are minor and you may like them.

I wasn't as invested (pun intended) in John's POV in areas. It had too much wealth management jargon that wasn't needed to understand/appreciate the Ponzi scheme/other fraud happening in the book. This made me skim parts of John's POV and focus on the dialog.

I was able to guess the twist(s?) about halfway through the book (which is typical for me and one of the reasons the 4/5 rating was given) BUTTTT this in no way took away from the book overall. I will be looking out for more DeYoung thrillers!

As always, thank you to NetGalley, Andrew DeYoung and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

How well do you know your spouse? What will you do if the FBI shows up at your house one day informing you that your significant other is being investigated for fraud and money laundering? Worse, your partner is now missing and seemed to have vanished without a trace??

These are the problems that our MC Regan faced in this novel. She’s also trying to stay sane while taking care of their 2 young kids. She’s exhausted, overwhelmed, sleep-deprived, living in her sweats and joggers; and yet, she stepped up and took control when it seemed like her husband left her to deal with the authorities AND the mob boss. I admired her grit and fierce mama bear determination to protect her family. On the other hand, I felt irritated reading about her husband John’s POV. It felt like he was justifying his bad decisions too much, blaming others instead of taking responsibility for them. But I must admit that towards the end, I felt bad for him and even hoped for him to have a HEA. I did like how the author ended the story though. I think each character got what they deserved. This book is more of a mystery than a thriller but I was all for it. I like the unravelling of the story and slowly learning the whys and the hows. If you like Laura Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me, then I think you’ll also enjoy this.

Praises to DeYoung for creating a gripping thriller, perfect for summer time! Enjoyed ever second, and didn't want it too end!

This book teaches us two important lessons; never underestimate the lengths a Mother will go to in order to protect her children, and how well do we know the person we share a bed with?

Regan thought she knew her husband, John. But when the FBI appeared at her door and John had disappeared, Regan found herself questioning what she thought she knew and began to piece together the truth. John is on the run after being caught running a Ponzi scheme. As a reader, your initial reaction is to feel sympathy for the family he left behind...until you don't. You will soon find out that Regan isn't perfect, either.

Overall this was a solid book, it wasn't a thriller per se, although it did have some elements. I felt like I was peeling back the onion layers, finding out new details and piecing everything together.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC.

The Day He Never Came Home is a domestic thriller/mystery that is split into three parts. Part one focuses on Regan, part two focuses on John and part three is how it all ties together.
This had a strong start and while I didn't care too much for Regan, she was resourceful and you can't help but respect her willingness to do whatever it takes to protect her children. I was completely invested in her storyline.
Despite part two being told from a different POV, I found it too repetitive. John's perspective is important to the overall story but I would have preferred it to be a little shorter.
I did however, enjoy part three (and the epilogue!) but was hoping for a few more twists.

I'm looking forward to reading whatever DeYoung releases next!

🏡THE DAY HE NEVER CAME HOME!
𝔡𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔠 𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
🗓️𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘! 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤! ★★★★★

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...The title is enough. Go in blind. Way more fun that way. Trust me.

🩷𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...This one was devoured by moi! 🙋‍♀️ I was intrigued from the start to the end. I am a sucker for domestic thrillers already, but phew..this one had a lot more to it! The story was more than just twists & suspense. The first half you get the POV of the wife & how she is struggling since she has no clue where her husband is & then every truth she did know becomes a lie. The second half is the POV of the husband & wow! That will really change your thinking you had all along. This is not the typical he is having an affair blah blah kind of plot. Just trust me. 💟My Canadian 🇨🇦book buddy @whats.amy.reading posted on this one recently & I am so glad she did because I am not sure I would’ve known of this one otherwise! What a blast! It’s out today! 🎉Thanks to @poisonedpenpress @andrewdeyoungauthor @netgalley for my copy! Yall add this to your TBR!🏡🌼

Regan and John are happily married until the FBI shows up to search their home and arrest him AFTER he’s already taken off. Regan was not willing to just cry in a corner. She was going to find out what the truth was and fight for her family or whatever was left of it at all costs.

THE DAY HE NEVER CAME HOME was very fast-paced and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The lying husband is one of my favorite tropes and this satisfied my appetite completely!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPressfoe the book #TheDayHeNeverCameHome by #AndrewDeYoung. This book left me stunned. So good. John is such a great husband and provider. Maybe too good. But now he has disappointed, and the FBI is knocking on Regan’s door looking for him. Just the day before, he bought Regan a lake house in just her name. She should have told the FBI about it. Now everything is a mess and dangerous. What is she supposed to do now?

Andrew DeYoung’s “The Day He Never Came Home” is a riveting domestic thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

The novel centers around Regan, whose life takes a dramatic turn after an unexpected birthday gift from her husband, John. The suspense builds as secrets begin to unravel and their marriage becomes strained, leaving readers eager to uncover the truth. The plot development is masterfully executed with a well-crafted narrative and relentless pacing urging the story forward as we follow Regan’s desperate search for answers. DeYoung skillfully weaves two sides of the story, emphasizing the subjectivity of memory and perspective—a clever touch that resonates with personal experiences.

The characterization is equally impressive. Regan’s emotional journey feels authentic, and the supporting cast adds depth to the narrative. While not explicitly feminist, the novel subtly acknowledges the challenges faced by women juggling family, work, and personal aspirations. The ending strikes a delicate balance, leaving room for further exploration while satisfying readers’ curiosity.

“The Day He Never Came Home” is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. DeYoung’s storytelling prowess shines through, making this a captivating and suspenseful novel that lingers long after the final page.

This book is set in 3 parts. First part is from Regan. She is home after a wonderful birthday that he husband bought her a house. FBI show up and tell her that her husband is part of a Ponzi Scheme and that they need to go through her whole house. She didn't know that he was doing this and tries to figure what is going on, and where her husband was. As she is unraveling this she is finding out more and more about her husband that she didn't know about. Regan finds out so much in this section.

Second part is from John's perspective. This goes from his young childhood to and adult and married to Regan. This explains what was happening and how the Ponzi scheme started. There were some interesting bits in this part.

Part 3 is about both of them to tell the rest of the story. There were some interesting things happening and I appreciated the story getting there.

The Day He Never Came Home was such a fun read for me. It flowed quickly, bouncing between timelines of John’s past and Regan’s current day. With every chapter, the issues either got deeper and more complex, or we received more clarity and understanding. I did expect there to be more drama with one aspect of the storyline, and while that problem did reappear in the end, it did feel like it was kind of forgotten. I loved the ending twists – there were a few – and thought that this was well written. I can’t wait to read more from Andrew DeYoung. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for my eARC. The Day He Never Came Home will be published tomorrow, 7/9.

This was recommended to me by a friend, and I’m so glad that I read it! Regan Peters marries John, he loves her and wants to give her a good life. He works as a financial advisor and has had a great year, or so he told his wife. After John doesn’t return home, the FBI shows up at Regan’s door informing her that he’s been running a Ponzi scheme, and is not who he says he is at all. Now Regan is determined to figure things out, but with her omissions to the FBI, she’s quickly becoming a suspect in John’s crimes. And she will do anything to protect her children.

DeYoung writes a multi layered story that hooks the reader right from the very beginning. It is written and is is fast paced. There is a lot of deception in this book, but it’s done so well. At first you feel bad for Regan, but then as you learn more about her and her relationship with John and how it started, it’s harder to feel bad for her. Though, that doesn’t take away from enjoying the book at all. There were so many twists, and none of which I saw coming at all.

DeYoung uses multiple POV in this book, and while John was a con man, towards 3/4s to the end of the book, I started to feel a little bad for him! An author really needs to be talented for me to root for the “bad guy!”

Thriller lovers will love this book.

This was an intriguing story told from two POVs. First, we meet Regan who is shocked when the FBI shows up at her door. They have a warrant and share details about her husband, John. It seems their entire life has been built on his lies. A seemingly successful financial advisor, who in reality has just conned all of his clients. How is Regan going to provide for her two young children with John gone and how much did she know?
The story then switches to John’s POV. We learned where he came from and what decisions brought him to this place.
The story was fast paced, and it was interesting that the author didn’t switch POV’s every other chapter. We stayed with Regan until something happens that brings John to the forefront. I enjoyed the story, even if I didn’t really like either of the main characters.

Andrew DeYoung's dazzling debut, THE DAY HE NEVER CAME HOME, is a riveting domestic suspense about a husband and father's secret life that unravels. With its unexpected twists, this story will keep you turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning, eager to uncover the next revelation.

About...

Regan Peters is married to John, and they have two children, Etta and Philip. John is a financial advisor who works long hours to provide for his family.

The day before John went missing, he bought Regan a lake house as a surprise for her birthday. He even put it in her name. She could go to it when she needed to escape, and he would keep the kids for a relaxing getaway.

He was a good man, all things considered. Not perfect, but they had been through their share of storms —the early money troubles, the issues with her family, the strain of caring for the kids, but they had weathered them all. Somehow they found their way together to a safe harbor. Or so Regan thought.

However, the tranquility of their life is shattered when the FBI shows up at their home, informing Regan that her husband had been running a Ponzi scheme—a fraud where money from one investor is used to pay off other investors and the person perpetrating the scam also steals money for themselves. (Bernie Madoff)

The scheme falls apart when there is not enough new money coming in, and when that happens, the fraudster often disappears with the cash.

Several of John's clients had accused him of refusing to return their money when they attempted to withdraw from their funds. FBI Agent Armstrong and Agent Torres are on the case and have reason to believe John stole his client's money. Do they think Regan knew about it?

Now, the joint assets will be subject to possible forfeiture and seizure.

How could John do this? Does she really know her husband? What about all the people he had stolen money from? What about her family? These questions haunt Reagan, plunging her into a world of uncertainty and fear.

John is now missing, and their regular home is being searched. Is he dead? They have yet to learn about the lake house, but they will soon.

However, there is a threat from some bigger criminals connected with John and his secretary and the FBI is after him. Reagan is willing to cooperate in any way she can. Everything she thought she knew about her husband was a lie.

She was an interior designer and then stayed home to care for the kids since he was doing well. However, now it appears all their assets will be frozen, and she will need to start her own interior design business again.

Regan is also hiding some secrets. John left a bag of money, so she assumed he meant it for her to take care of herself and the kids. She is undecided about it for now.

Reagan is sharp, intuitive, creative, and smart—not the typical dumb housewife. She may figure out a way out of this fiasco. She also learns more about her husband when she receives a video. There is a crime boss. Is John dead or alive?

My thoughts...

THE DAY HE NEVER CAME HOME is engrossing and clever, and the author grabs your attention from the first page to the last. This thriller reads differently than a debut—it is twisty, sophisticated, and well-written with great characterization. I loved and read it in one sitting; I could not put it down.

A riveting tale and thrill ride about marriage, trust, greed, corruption, and secrets. A twisted original exploration of loyalty, family, and how far we'll go to protect the ones we love. A fast-paced and intense thriller, cleverly broken into three parts, each with its unique point of view: Regan, John, and a combination of both narratives.

I loved Reagan's POV and enjoyed her character. She is fearless and resilient; her story is not the typical Bernie Madoff narrative or clueless wife. Of course not as innocent as she pretended to be and quite clever.

The author's unexpected twists keep you on the edge of your seat, and Reagan's resilience, courage, creative thinking, and determination give this a nice twist in the face of adversity.

Regan and John are well-developed characters who cross moral lines, adding depth and complexity to the novel. John's troubled and insecure past, desperate to escape his life (like Jay Gatsby) and driven by his desperate need for money, prestige, wealth, respect, and security, even if it means resorting to illegal means. His childhood was heartbreaking. This moral ambiguity makes some stop at nothing to bury the truth. Can you ever escape your past?

Readers will enjoy learning how the two met, their relationship, and how they got to where they are in the present. Regan learns she is far more capable than she imagined and will do anything to protect herself, her children, and their future.

Andrew DeYoung's skill in crafting a compelling, thought-provoking, twisty domestic suspense of moral corruption and betrayal is evident in THE DAY HE NEVER CAME HOME. His ability to keep the reader on the edge of their seat is commendable, making this book highly recommended. I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Recs...

For fans of Hank Phillippi Ryan, Carter Wilson, Mary Kubica, Christina McDonald, Kimberly Belle, Laura Dave, and Harlan Coben.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for a digital advanced reading copy for an honest opinion. #CoverLove

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 9, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
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This book begins with Regan’s husband John surprising her with a lake house for her birthday. The next day Regan’s life comes crashing down around her when the FBI show up at her house with a search warrant and inform her that her husband has been running a Ponzi scheme. Regan’s life quickly unravels as she learns that her entire marriage may well have been a lie.

The first half of the book alternates between present day and Regan’s memories of her relationship with John, while the second half takes us into the past and we learn about John’s life before Regan.

This book was a solid four stars for me. I almost gave it five stars, but there was a lot of woe is me from both main characters, and everything wrapped up too quickly at the end for me. While the ending wasn’t *bad* I was hoping for a little more meat there, so to speak.

Super thankful to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Andrew DeYoung for the opportunity to read this book early and share my honest thoughts. This is definitely one to check out if you are a fan of books you don’t want to put down

What a great, twisty read! At first it seemed kinda predictable but what a great read!!! Totally a fast paced read!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced reader copy!

I didn't find this book engaging, mainly because I didn't like Regan from the beginning. Although I found the plot intriguing, this book wasn't the right fit for me.

★★½ ROUNDED DOWN ⬇️⭐️
———————
I want to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to review this book.

PLOT:
Regan and John have the ideal life from the outside. 2 children, a beautiful home in a great neighborhood — but there is much more than meets the eye. Regan being a SAHM and John, a financial advisor, have alot more secrets than anyone could guess. It’s Regan’s birthday and all she wanted was a break from the kids and time with her husband. Instead she got a house. And it is hers! All hers. But, he has to work late (again) that night and usually little does she know, that would be the day he never came home 🫣

Pace: Fast — I finished reading in 2 days because I had to uncover secrets and see how it all played out!

POV: 3rd Person — which I think worked beautifully in the execution and delivery. It was done really well through this perspective.

REVIEW:
This was a really enjoyable read. There are flashbacks/timeline situation to help you understand how the hell did we get here? The pacing was great! Evert chapter lead me to the next as I was intrigued by every story that began to unravel and be exposed. How I felt about a character in the beginning changed once I got to see the other side of things and then left me questioning things at the end (its a good thing). You do get a complete story so no crazy cliffhangers here, but with so many lies being told and revealed, I do begin to wonder 🤔 I loved it!


TLDR: Great story full of secrets and takes you back to see how did we get into this mess to begin with. Loved it! Highly recommend! 

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel and leave an unbiased review.

This was a decent story showing what a mother will do to protect her children. It had some interesting turns, but I just couldn't connect with the main character.

Thank you for the advanced copy for an honest opinion!

Right from the start, you are thrown into a suspenseful situation. At first, I believed the main FMC had no idea what her husband was doing, but then you get a hint that she might be more aware than it seems. You get the story from her point of view first, so it's easy to fall for that until we are given more information on the MMC. I really enjoyed the sense of mystery that was kept throughout the story, not knowing what was going to happen. I really liked that we got to learn about who the MMC was before he married and why he made some of the decisions that led to the situation at the beginning of the story.
Would definitely recommend this book! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc copy!