At the core of Gone Tonight is the story about the love a mother has for her daughter. All her adult life, Ruth has been keeping a secret from her daughter Catherine. That secrets threatens to come to light as Catherine teachers adulthood and Ruth will do anything to keep it buried.

Told in alternating perspectives, I really enjoyed how the story unfolded. Both characters were great, and loved the balance between slow burning mystery and intense thriller at the end.

It was fantastic on audio as well.

📖 Gone Tonight
🖋️ Sarah Pekkanen
✨ Thriller

•What To Expect•
2 points of view
How well do you know somebody?
Bond between mother & daughter

•Rating•
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars
I recommend this book!

•Similar Recommended Reads•
Stone Cold Fox
Things We Do in the Dark
Wrong Place Wrong Time

What a twisty web of lies all in the name of mother/daughter love! I wasn’t immediately sucked into their stories. But as we learned more and more of their dual POVs and timelines, things got interesting! The story provides the reader with some family drama, some thrill, some murder mystery, and an all-around crazy experience.

I also listened to the audiobook narrated by Kate Mara. Her voice provided that extra level of intrigue as I’ve known her best in thrilling roles. I would have liked a second cast member to read for the other main character though. It was sometimes difficult to keep the storylines apart.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Sarah Pekkanen for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

🎧Audiobook Review 🎧

I flew through this audiobook courtesy of @macmillan.audio a while back. Not quite sure what’s taking me so long to post a review other than life has been crazy. Also, my elephant ears are dying out for the year and it’s making me kinda sad. 😢

This book is about a mother and daughter pair who are extremely close. Uncomfortably close, if you ever happened to meet them. The daughter, Catherine, is ready to move things along a bit and finally separate more from her mother, Ruth. But, Catherine does know the real reason Ruth clutches her so closely to her breast…but, she’s about to find out.

I highly recommend this one for any thriller readers out there. This one had quite a few twists and turns, all making this one a page turner.

As I read this one, I enjoyed the story and was interested in the characters and the outcome, but at the same time, it was kind of slow and not very exciting. There was no suspense and lacked and wow thriller moments. I did enjoy the narrator for this one. The voices seem to ring true for each character.

Happy Friday y'all! And the Friday before a long weekend for those of us in the States to boot! Hooray!!

I am so excited to celebrate my bestie @caroline_conley and her boo at their wedding this weekend. Let's get this party started! 😎

What are you up to?

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GONE TONIGHT by @sarahpekkanen is a cat and mouse type of thriller that I actually really got into. As I have said before on here, thrillers are often hit or miss but this one hit for me! Thank you yo the author, @netgalley and the publisher @macmillan.audio for the audio-ARC.

Catherine Sterling and her mother Ruth have always been two peas in a pod. Being an only child to a single mother can have that effect as you try to eek through life together. But when Catherine gets an opportunity for a dream job, all of a sudden her mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, a family trait the two have always been worried about. As Catherine tries to navigate her mother's new diagnosis and struggles with the idea of leaving her mother behind for a job, Catherine starts to notice inconsistencies and other secrets her mother has been hiding. Could it possibly that she doesn't actually know the truth of the person she has spent almost her whole life with?

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I was looking back at my notes on this one and I have some pretty funny questions written down as I was trying to sort out what was happening. I was pretty sure I had this one figured out but I was absolutely incorrect. 🤣 This was fast paced with perfect little breadcrumbs to shuffle you to the ending. I have not read any other books by this author but think I might check out their backlist because I liked the writing style and the characters a lot! I also really enjoyed the audio narrator!

Read this one of you like family secrets, fast-paced thrillers and mother-daughter relationship drama. It is out on shelves now!

Have you read this one or another of Pekkanen's books? Do you have a favorite thriller or thriller offer?

Stay hydrated out there!

💚SMASHBOT💚

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When Ruth Sterling’s daughter, Caroline, decides she’s ready to move away from home and start fresh, Ruth will do anything to stop that from happening. Caroline thinks she knows her mother, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Ruth has spent decades keeping secrets from her daughter - she has no idea about her past or background. Ruth’s quest to keep her daughter by her side quickly unravels and both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception.

I listened to this book and the audio was so engaging. While this is a bit of a suspense thriller, I would venture to say that it’s as much character driven as it is plot driven. It’s incredibly gripping and I found it to be quite emotional as we learned more about Ruth’s life and all the lies she has had to tell in order to keep up her facade. I really enjoyed the two points of views and how the author wrote about families dealing with illness and how it changes the family dynamic. I almost wish Ruth and Caroline had been narrated separately as I think it would have made the story that much much captivating on audio, but overall is was a fast-paced enjoyable read.

I'll be honest, most of what drew me to this book was Kate Mara as the narrator, and thankfully she did a fabulous job! Plus, I ended up enjoying the story much more than I thought I would. Sarah Pekkanen's books have been hit or miss for me (as have thrillers been as of late), but I found myself unable to put this one down. The dual perspectives, the going back in time, it all worked for me. And while I tried to temper my expectations when it came to twists, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the ending. Pekkanen did a great job of wrapping it up in a way that made sense, while still leaving a question or two open for interpretation.

I went into this read pretty blind without even reading the blurb, and I am glad I did.
This story certainly kept me on my toes. It is told in a dual perspective by Ruth and Catherine and I will say, I enjoyed both narrations equally, which rarely ever happens. I was fully invested in the past and present timeline, and while I wasn't entirely sure how I was being tricked, I knew not to trust what I was hearing.
Very intriguing, had my attention from beginning to end, pacing was good, no crazy, unbelievable out of the blue plot twists just for shock value. This was one of my favorite thrillers of the year so far and I have already recommended it to multiple friends!

4.5/5 stars, rounded up.

Loved this mystery! I don't want to say too much here to give any plot points away. The narrative alternates between mother and daughter, and the reader quickly realizes they are both keeping secrets from the other. The pacing is fantastic, the characters are interesting. This was a real page turner with so many twists!

I listened to this one, and the narrator (Kate Mara) does a great job with the alternating points of view. She kept me listening! I didn't want to stop, I had to know what would happen next.

Recommend this if you like dual points of view, fast-paced mysteries, and family tensions.

I went into this book completely blind, and the amount of twists and turns Sarah Pekkanen takes you on is fantastic. I continued to be surprised throughout this entire book. I thought she did an incredible job with the character Ruth and telling both timelines from her perspective. I also listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was wonderful.

Did not finish this audiobook. It was just too slow for me. I couldn't get into it. I tried a few times but just couldn't do it.

I gave this 4.5 stars on Goodreads. I really loved this! I have been itching for a thriller with a new or fresh plot line. I understand that there are only so many directions to go in and that thrillers will often have overlap---and I am okay with that---but because I read so many thrillers, it gets a bit repetitive after a while. This was intriguing from the start and maintained my interest throughout.
I think this brought something new to the table and I can appreciate that!

It is a well known fact here on the blog that I am a dual-POV lover! This book has such a dynamic dual--POV storyline that kept me guessing and really built up the suspense. In addition to the suspense, there is some really interesting commentary on mother-daughter relationships and, my favorite... SHORT CHAPTERS!!! Ugh, I am obsessed with short chapters. I have heard the back and forth on long vs. short chapters. You can call me crazy, but I am sticking with my short chapters!

This is about a mother and daughter who are out running their past...but only the mother knows it. This story is a slow burn and is told through alternating perspectives.

I primarily listened to the audiobook for this one. My one issue is that the narrator really didnt do much to help us as the reader to differentiate the characters. The characters have alternating chapters and the narrator sounded the same for both. This sometimes confused the story.

For this story being as slow as it was, I wasn't expecting such a strange ending. It kind of seemed out of nowhere and only added as a twisted ending. I found it kind of off putting.

This is the first book I've read from the author as a solo author. I have read many of her books written with her writing partner. I think she delivers better when working with her partner, there seemed to be something missing from this novel.

Gone Tonight
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Sarah Pekkanen

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking, and lives for her daughter. All her life, it's been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home, and begin a new career. And Ruth Sterling will do anything to prevent that from happening. Ruth Sterling thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother's past or background. But when Ruth's desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth's carefully constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception. No one can know Ruth's history. There is a reason why Ruth kept them moving every few years, and why she was ready—in a moment's notice—to be gone in the night. But danger is closing in. Is it coming from the outside, from Ruth's past? Is Ruth reaching a breaking point? Or is the danger coming from the darkness that may live in Catherine, herself?

My Thoughts: Pekkanen is known to team up with Greer Hendricks delivering masterful psychological thrillers but is solo this time, which did not disappoint. This one is a masterpiece, its compelling, twisty, slow-burning character development, apt tension, and a carefully constructed plot. This thriller grabbed my attention from the start and kept me fully invested into the very end. This is one of the better thrillers I have read in recent months. This story is divided into three carefully constructed acts that create a web of twists, the darkness that can reside in a person’s soul, and the very depths that a mother will go to protect their child, no matter how old the child is. The center of the book is Catherine and her mother Ruth, dealing with a possible Alzheimer’s disorder, their relationship is co-dependent, a bit dysfunctional, and at times, obsessive. Catherine cancels her plans to relocate to Boston to help her mother. Catherine soon realizes that her mother has spun her own web of dark secrets that slowly come to light. Will they all unravel?

The premise was original and I have not read before. The story is narrated in alternative perspectives. Our protagonists are unreliable. Catherine is focused, trusting, and concerned about a possible Alzheimer’s diagnosis for her mother, what it would mean if her mother is diagnosed. Ruth is secretive, extremely dependent upon Catherine, and has built up a life based on a false set of facts. When Catherine starts to unravel the family secrets, she finds more than she can imagine. The characters were created with depth, mystery, and intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, suspenseful, twisty, and just brilliant. The author’s pace and flow of the story is spot on and delivers the plot in twisty layers, some were predictable but a few I did not see coming, and thrilling, exciting suspenseful tension.

The story initially presents more contemporary and then a twist is revealed and it slides into excellent thriller territory. I had the pleasure of having the audiobook and digital book. The narrator was absolutely fantastic, the voice variation was spot on, she really brought these characters from the pages to our minds. This thriller was compelling, captivating, gripping, on the edge of your seat read. Once I started, I devoured in less than 48 hours. I highly recommend picking up this book, or any of their works.

Gone Tonight was utterly bingeable, and I'm glad I could speed up the narration via the NetGalley app, because I could not get through this fast enough. It was a compulsive listen, and the twists were really nicely executed. I loved the flashes of backstory mixed in to make us feel more connected to mom. Kate Mara was an interesting narrator... she did a really good job giving us distinct voices for the POVs.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars

Happy publication to Sarah Pekkanen and Gone Tonight! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ALC (Advanced Listener 🎧 Copy) for an honest review!

📅 Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen was published on August 1, 2023. 📅

I still think about this book even though it’s been a little over a week since I’ve read it. I find myself thinking about my morals and what I would do in a situation where I’m faced with the decision to lie about my entire life and existence to protect my child or keep my identity and risk losing it all…including my child and my own life. On principle, I don’t believe in lying. However, if put in the same position as Ruth, the main character, I think that I’d forego my moral compass to protect my daughter.

Ruth and Catherine have always faced the world together. Ruth was pregnant 🤰 with Catherine at the age of 16 and the father is no longer in the picture 💔. Ruth has been Catherine’s biggest cheerleader 📣 and has been so excited about her moving to a new city to start her first job. Unfortunately, Ruth starts showing early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and they seem to be progressing rather quickly.

Catherine does not feel comfortable leaving her mom alone and she begins struggling with the disease. She plans to cancel her apartment contract and notify her job that she can’t commit to her employment contract any longer. That is until Catherine begins to wonder if her mom truly has Alzheimer’s or if she’d been spinning a complex web of lies.

This is a thriller lover’s ❤️ must read with lots of twists, turns, and unexpected outcomes!

This was a wonderful book. A great Thor ill er that kept me guessing the whole time. I would recommend this to all thriller lovers!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Mystery/thriller📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A captivating thriller that starts off a little slow but certainly picks up the pace. It reminded me of Pieces of Her.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Slow burning tension
Unreliable POV
Intriguing and captivating thrillers
Suspenseful reads
Lots of secrets
Alternating timeline/POV
Complicated family dynamics

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Learning about Ruth’s backstory

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
It was a little hard to get into


I enjoyed the narration and I feel like the voice really help hook me in.

This was so interesting. Loved it. Enjoyed every second of it. Hope there’s another book after this with same characters. The audio narration was performed really well, and brought the story to life!