This is a gripping and suspenseful mystery/thriller. It tells a story of a mother daughter relationship like no other. It starts out more like family drama then takes a sharp quick turn and gets real twisty. This is a must read. Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen
Pub date: August 1, 2023
Narrated by Kate Mara
Length: 10H 8M
Pages: 352

Catherine and her mom, Ruth, are extraordinarily close. So close that Ruth will do just about anything to keep Catherine from leaving.

When Ruth learns that Catherine wants to progress in her nursing career, she realizes that Catherine will have to move. Not. Acceptable. Then Cathrine begins to ask questions and mucking about in the past. Secrets will be unveiled and they are doozies!

This is an absolutely phenomenal thriller with a twist filled plot and mounting tension that kept me so invested!
I hesitate to use the word shocking but I’m going to! LOVED!

I don’t want to ruin this for anyone so I’ll stop here but I cannot recommend Gone Tonight enough!

Narration: Kate Mara does a stunning job with her vocal acting, but she kills it with Ruth. I listen at 2.5x and it was perfection. Well done, Kate! I look forward to listening to more from you!

Thank you to @StMartinsPress for this gifted DRC and to @MacMillan.Audio for this gifted ALC.

The premise of this story was interesting and a bit heartbreaking. My emotional connection to this story added on about a half star (my grandfather had Alzheimers) but overall I felt the entire plot was ok. Pacing was great and I always have loved the author’s use of multiple POVs. However the reveal on what happened so early made me somewhat disappointed and it made me less interested to read the story. It’s one of those situations where no matter how fantastic the writing is the plot is just ok. It’s a great book for a quick read or if you want to be introduced to this author but in my opinion it was a bit of a let down and was, as I said, just ok. Not bad, not great, ok.

I tore through this one!!! I was already a Sarah pekkanen fan but this book sealed the deal. It had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down. It’s been a long time since I read a book that quickly!

I have long been a fan of Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks as co-writers. When I saw Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen, it was an automatic request. I could not wait to read this one. Pekkanen does not disappoint. This book was propulsive and full of suspense. The pacing was great, with twists, turns, and reveals perfectly placed.
I flipped between reading and listening for this one. I loved having access to both formats as I didn’t have to put it down even when I needed to get stuff done around the house. I burned through this book so fast. I couldn’t wait to reveal each new secret.
Kate Mara does a great job with the narration. I saw another reviewer mention that they would have preferred two different voices for Catherine and Ruth. I agree that the audio experience could have benefited from a second voice, as I had to pay close attention to the flips in point of view. However, this didn’t take away from the story for me. Just worth noting for listeners to pay attention as they get started with listening.
4.5 stars.
Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the digital and audiobook ARCs via NetGalley. Pub date Aug 1, 2023.

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) How far would you go to protect the person you love most in the world? Ruth Sterling knows the answer to this almost on a daily basis. Little does her daughter Catherine know, that Ruth is not the person she has made herself out to be.

Told from both perspectives, we learn Ruth and Catherine are on their own in this world. Friends and family are not available or possible when they are moving around so often. When Catherine decides to move away after getting her degree, her mom is suddenly diagnosed with memory loss. Catherine starts researching her mom’s past because things are just not adding up. From here she is led on a path of surprises she never imagined. At the same time, Ruth is slowly writing down her history for Catherine. Having both sides of the story really brought it to life and I enjoyed putting the pieces together.


My favorite part was the end! Catherine surprised me and I liked that bit of question that is left about her. It was a steady-paced book that kept me entertained. I recommend this for psychological thriller lovers!

AUDIO REVIEW: Kate Mara as the narrator was great for me. I went back and forth between the book and audio but I loved that the audio kept my attention fully. I never was confused by her voices and loved the emphasis she put in the intense moments.

General content summary: little language, Alzheimer’s/memory loss (throughout book), teen bullying (emotional), alcohol (previous parent alcoholic, some underage), anti-anxiety meds, child physical abuse from parent (some details), m/f kisses, losing virginity (no details), sexual harassment and abuse (teacher to student, details), violence (baseball bat), death by injuries of being beaten with hard object (no details), a man was previously beaten to death (no details), intimacy (no details), gun threat, stabbing (blood), physical violence (few details, choking, stabbing, death), sexual abuse (previous, self harm).

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copies and MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

The book releases August 1, 2023.

Ruth and Catherine Sterling are a mother/daughter duo against the world. Catherine is ready to set out on her own, but mother-bird Ruth is not quite ready to let her go. The lengths she is willing to go to to prevent that from happening will be the beginning of the unraveling of their relationship. Many buried secrets will come to light as lies are exposed and the truth is revealed.

Wow. There is so much mother/daughter relationship trauma to unpack in this book. What seems like a touchingly deep bond and a heartbreaking medical condition turns into a dark and twisted tale. At some points of this story you will not know who is telling the truth and who should be trusted. Told in alternating POV from mother to daughter we get glimpses of young Ruth and what led to her fighting for her life and her fierce protectiveness over Catherine. Adding an ex-con father into the narrative only adds to the tension as you flip pages at warp speed to find out what happens next. I was not expecting the ending and am intrigued by the uncertain mental states of the characters where we leave off with them.

If you've spent any time on my social media, you've seen me blabbing about how amazing GONE TONIGHT is. I seriously think it will be my favorite book of 2023. I'm a huge fan of Pekkanen, but was a little unsure when I saw she was writing a thriller without Greer--but actually, this one's my favorite so far! I adored how deep into the mother-daughter relationship she took this book. It was unexpected, twisty, realistic in the relationships, and satisfying.

When Catherine is mourning the potential loss of her mother, Ruth, due to early onset Alzheimer's, she decides to quit the future she has planned out--moving to the nursing job of her dreams. But soon, she realizes it's all a ploy to get her to stay, and she becomes suspicious of her mother who's always been super closed-lipped about her past. The secrets pile up, and we see both Catherine and Ruth becoming increasingly suspicious of each other as the truth is kept hidden.

The ONLY issue I had with this book is I feel that Pekkanen either didn't research the difference between a CNA and a nurse well, or spoke to a nurse who worked 40 years ago--the progression with nursing school wasn't realistic to how the field works anymore, and as an RN, that really bugged me! I thankfully loved the rest of the book, so was totally willing to overlook it. 4.5 rounded up to 5!

WOW.

I've read several of the Pekkanen/Hendricks co-authored books and enjoyed them greatly, so I knew this was likely to be just as enjoyable. The slow burn of this story at first concerned me a bit that I had perhaps misremembered what the synopsis was, but when the drama really started hitting I realized that I had been lulled into a false sense of calm before one heck of a storm. I could not have loved this any more, as evidenced by the fact that I finished it in a day, nearly in a single sitting. Brava!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

She is a master innovative author of Psychological thriller. The author does an impressive job at delivering a story about the relationship of a mother and a daughter that there's nothing they wouldn't do to protect each other. There are twists and turns that give a mind-blowing punch to a sensational ending.

While I’ve read all of the novels Sarah Pekkanen has written with Greer Hendricks, this is the first of her solo novels I’ve read. While Gone Tonight starts out somewhat slowly, it definitely picks up as Catherine and Ruth dive deeper into Ruth’s past. I’m glad I went into this one mostly blind. I will definitely recommend this and look forward to reading more from Sarah Pekkanen.

Great way to tell the story! I loved the beginning where it is being told from two sides. I also love that we knew what was happening and waiting for the characters to catch up. Lots if twists and turns and surprising moments in this book.

Loved this one. It hooked me right from the beginning. I flew through the pages eager to find out the next secret. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for this e-copy. Pekkanen is a auto buy for me.

Who is a fan of twisty, slow burn thrillers with an unreliable narrator or two?⁣
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⁣Gone Tonight was a fun read! Catherine, a 24 year old new nurse, is just about to start off her new life working in Baltimore when she learns her mother, Ruth, is suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s. Catherine turns her whole life upside down to stay with Ruth, but also starts digging into their past. She soon realizes that her mother might be keeping some dark secrets! ⁣
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⁣This is a multiple POV story where we slowly learn what each character is hiding. It’s fun, twisty and addicting! I liked the cat and mouse feel of this book and all the juicy tension! ⁣
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⁣Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I recommend this one to fans of domestic thrillers! ⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in return for my honest review!

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

This alternating POV story had me turning pages and not wanting to stop. Ruth is trying to protect her daughter, even as an adult. Catherine is confused by her mom’s actions and needs to know what she’s hiding, not knowing that there could be danger around the corner.

Pekkanen writes a great suspense book and this one won’t disappoint. The history and current day character building will keep you on the edge of your seat.

4 stars

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This is a hard one to put down!

Ruth and her adult daughter, Catherine are each other’s worlds. As Catherine is finally ready to leave home and begin her own life, Ruth is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Catherine begins digging into her mother’s past to find out more about who she is, and what Catherine finds is nothing she ever would have suspected.

The beginning and middle of this book is amazing! I couldn’t stop reading and was dying to find out what had happened to Ruth and who she really was. I didn’t love the resolution, but I didn’t hate it either. 😂
This is definitely a great read for thriller fans.

Ruth is has lived her life for her daughter. Now she's showing signs of dementia and her daughter Catherine is beside herself. It's been just the two of them against the world since Catherine was born. But now, as Catherine is moving from home, and about to begin an exciting new career as a nurse little things just are starting to not make sense in her life. Her mother has always been secretive about her life before she came pregnant and never wanted to share any stories from her past. This book had a bit of a slow start for me, but then things really picked up and kept me turning pages to find out what happened.

this book was a page turner from the very beginning. Alternating chapters from Ruth and Catherine’s perspectives painted a very clear picture of their relationship and their secrets. A pretty algebraic thriller, and Pekkanen doesn’t try to fool the reader too much. You are right about many of the twists and turns, and a lot of the what the characters do makes logical sense - which I love.

Following this single mother and daughter relationship felt near and dear to my heart and my upbringing, although Catherine and Ruth definitely had some boundary issues. The cat and mouse of two people who know each other so well was riveting to read.

I enjoyed this one thru and thru!

Review of Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

Chances are you’ve been seeing this book all over bookstagram lately. I know I have. I listened to this book in one day. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop thinking about it after I finished it. I loved the main character Ruth. She was very mysterious, but overall just a fierce mother. I had mixed feelings about her daughter, Catherine but I found her an extremely interesting character who added a great deal to the story and mystery. This one has a lot of layers to it, and will keep you guessing until the end. I highly recommend the audiobook as well.

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.

I have enjoyed previous books by Sarah Pekkanen that were co-written with Greer Hendricks, when St. Martin’s reached out to have me read Gone Tonight, I jumped at the chance.
This book is written in dual viewpoints, one from Ruth and the other from her adult daughter Catherine who is a nurse in the process of taking a job at John Hopkins Hospital. I enjoyed the book, but it did move a little slow in the beginning as I wasn’t sure how this was going to be a mystery/thriller. The beginning very much had me believing it was more women’s fiction. Ruth was having memory issues and her daughter was pushing for her to be seen and tested for early onset Alzheimer’s.
Things are not always as they appear and that is when the mystery really starts to unfold. There is tension and action in this novel, but you will have to suspend disbelief as some of the story is a bit convoluted. All in all, a good 4 star read.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Sara Pekkanen for providing me with an advanced readers copy.