What do you think?
Rate this book
Zachary Goldman Mysteries #22
He Was Not Himself
Fans of private investigator mysteries, psychological suspense, and dark family drama will love He Was Not Himself.
A worried father hires private investigator Zachary Goldman to check out his daughter’s new boyfriend.
Aaron Barrows seems perfect. Too perfect. He says all the right things, shares all the right interests, and swept Leila off her feet at exactly the right moment. But the more Zachary digs, the less Aaron’s story holds together.
What should have been a routine background check turns into a tense private investigator mystery filled with deception, dangerous secrets, and questions no one in Leila’s family wants to ask. If Aaron isn’t who he claims to be, Leila could be walking straight into trouble.
A suspiciously perfect boyfriendA father desperate to protect his daughterA neurodivergent detective following the cracks in the storyDark family secrets, rising danger, and psychological suspenseZachary knows better than most that appearances can lie. To protect a young woman who doesn’t want his help, he’ll have to uncover the truth before the damage is irreversible.
Start reading He Was Not Himself today before the lies go too far.
A worried father hires private investigator Zachary Goldman to check out his daughter’s new boyfriend.
Aaron Barrows seems perfect. Too perfect. He says all the right things, shares all the right interests, and swept Leila off her feet at exactly the right moment. But the more Zachary digs, the less Aaron’s story holds together.
What should have been a routine background check turns into a tense private investigator mystery filled with deception, dangerous secrets, and questions no one in Leila’s family wants to ask. If Aaron isn’t who he claims to be, Leila could be walking straight into trouble.
A suspiciously perfect boyfriendA father desperate to protect his daughterA neurodivergent detective following the cracks in the storyDark family secrets, rising danger, and psychological suspenseZachary knows better than most that appearances can lie. To protect a young woman who doesn’t want his help, he’ll have to uncover the truth before the damage is irreversible.
Start reading He Was Not Himself today before the lies go too far.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 17, 2026
2 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
P.D. Workman
241 books502 followersAward-winning Canadian author P.D. Workman has written over a hundred addictive page-turners featuring diverse and divergent sleuths, high-stakes investigations, and stories that linger long after the last page. Her books dive deep into characters’ minds while exploring timely social issues through fast-paced, emotionally charged plots. Readers praise her work for its powerful emotional truth combined with unputdownable suspense.
Shunning sleep, when Workman is not writing, formatting, or marketing, she’s probably running, reading, or spending time with her family.
Check out her catalogue at pdworkman.com to start your next page-turner and sign up for news and special deals.
Shunning sleep, when Workman is not writing, formatting, or marketing, she’s probably running, reading, or spending time with her family.
Check out her catalogue at pdworkman.com to start your next page-turner and sign up for news and special deals.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 18, 2026
He Was Not Himself - a review by Rosemary Kenny.
An over-protective father hires PI Zachary Goldman to investigate his student daughter's too-good-to-be
-true boyfriend; but which man is the real problem - and who's the boy's absent birth father? As always, Zachary's OCD leads him to intensely focus on the 'star-crossed lovers', even after he's recused himself from the case.
The tension, drama and action leads the reader through some delectable and often dangerous twists and turns, so you'll have to put your thinking caps on to unravel the many secrets and lies within He Was Not Himself...but it's oh so worth it. Don't miss this clever, all-action thriller - go grab a copy today!
An over-protective father hires PI Zachary Goldman to investigate his student daughter's too-good-to-be
-true boyfriend; but which man is the real problem - and who's the boy's absent birth father? As always, Zachary's OCD leads him to intensely focus on the 'star-crossed lovers', even after he's recused himself from the case.
The tension, drama and action leads the reader through some delectable and often dangerous twists and turns, so you'll have to put your thinking caps on to unravel the many secrets and lies within He Was Not Himself...but it's oh so worth it. Don't miss this clever, all-action thriller - go grab a copy today!
Review of advance copy received from Author
If he seems too good to be true…
In another scorchingly good mystery, PI Zachary Goldman takes on a seemingly simple case of a father wanting to know more about his beloved daughter's new boyfriend. The young man just seems too good to be true, and the daughter is totally smitten with him. Can the young man really be so perfect? Zachary, still recovering from the physical and psychological trauma of his last case, is happy to take on a case that appears to present no obvious danger and is so straightforward. And that, in itself, is just another example of something that seems too good to be true. As his investigation gets underway, Zachary uncovers a lot of puzzling details about this “too perfect” young man. The more he digs, the more convoluted the boy's story becomes. I don’t want to spoil anything for you, so I’ll just say that this is an intriguing story with plenty of surprises and a Shakespearean twist that will keep you flipping pages well into the night. This story is yet another example of why so many people will tell you that P. D. Workman never disappoints.
══════════════════
I was provided with an advance copy of this book, for which I thank the author, but my choice to share my honest and unbiased review is completely voluntary.
In another scorchingly good mystery, PI Zachary Goldman takes on a seemingly simple case of a father wanting to know more about his beloved daughter's new boyfriend. The young man just seems too good to be true, and the daughter is totally smitten with him. Can the young man really be so perfect? Zachary, still recovering from the physical and psychological trauma of his last case, is happy to take on a case that appears to present no obvious danger and is so straightforward. And that, in itself, is just another example of something that seems too good to be true. As his investigation gets underway, Zachary uncovers a lot of puzzling details about this “too perfect” young man. The more he digs, the more convoluted the boy's story becomes. I don’t want to spoil anything for you, so I’ll just say that this is an intriguing story with plenty of surprises and a Shakespearean twist that will keep you flipping pages well into the night. This story is yet another example of why so many people will tell you that P. D. Workman never disappoints.
══════════════════
I was provided with an advance copy of this book, for which I thank the author, but my choice to share my honest and unbiased review is completely voluntary.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is filled with twists and turns. It definitely keeps you guessing and thoroughly interested. Once again, I have stayed up way too late because I had to see how it was going to end. Such a great series.
April 23, 2026
I had my doubts about the most recent case of Zachary’s. Something felt off to me. I did not figure it out. Hints made me suspicious, but it wasn’t anywhere close! This was an exciting book, and I enjoyed reading it! Look forward to the next one!
April 24, 2026
PI Zachary is hired to check out his daughter’s new boyfriend. Is he who he says he is or is his daughter in danger. Full of suspense and secrets that will intrigue you until the end.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews