This book was a great, slow burn thriller. Ruth has spent her whole adult life in hiding to protect herself and her daughter Catherine. The alternating points of view were interesting and I felt many times that Catherine was undermining Ruth’s efforts to stay hidden. Catherine wanted to jump at her new opportunity in Baltimore but Ruth tried to get her to stay put. I know a bit about nature vs nurture but I thought sometimes the inference that Catherine was a psychopath because her father was a murderer was maybe overdone.
I really enjoyed the ending and the freedom that both Ruth & Catherine attained to live the lives they wanted. My favourite was Ruth’s reunion with her family. That was lovely.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This story is a rollercoaster of emotions! Slow burn, tense, twisty, and explosive – it had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Thank you so much for this thrilling experience!

Ruth’s lifelong secrets start unraveling as her daughter Catherine reaches adulthood. Each secret reveals a new part of the mystery, making it a wild ride to follow. The book had me completely hooked, and I loved how little hints were dropped, keeping me in suspense until the very end.

The author beautifully depicted a mother’s unwavering love and the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship, especially in adulthood. Themes of identity and how our past shapes us were masterfully explored. The cleverly placed clues kept me engaged, and the unexpected twists pleasantly surprised me.

As an ardent fan of this author, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book. It was a gripping read that I couldn’t put down. The portrayal of a mother’s love is heartfelt, and the pacing was perfect. The ending provided excellent closure to the characters’ journeys. I adore this author, and she remains on my auto-purchase list!

This book was a great slow burning part mom/daughter drama part thriller with alternating narration between mother and daughter, Ruth and Caroline. I had not read the summary and actually did not know anything about this book going into it. I have read books by this author before, which is why I decided to read it. As I started reading the book, I discovered the mom, Ruth, appeared to have dementia symptoms while her daughter, Caroline, is about to leave for a full time nursing position in another city. This was compelling and kept me reading until I slowly started to see things are not as they initially appear and a lot more is going on below the surface. I am not spoiling anything else, since I think knowing nothing about the plot made this book that much better.

Once I started this book, I had to keep going. The book was paced very well so I was constantly left wanting to know what was going on and what the truth even was. There are plenty of twists and turns and half truths throughout. This is a multilayered story that never felt rushed, especially the ending.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Sarah Pekkanen, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced reader’s copy.

I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

Ruth is a single mother who has done her best to keep her daughter, Catherine, safe. Even if it includes not telling Catherine complete truths. Catherine catches her mother in a lie and begins to wonder, what else is her mom lying about? As she continues to dig, Catherine slowly starts to piece some pieces of the puzzle together.
Throughout the story, Ruth and Catherine take turns taking us through their present day life, and Ruth's past. What will Catherine discover about her mother and what consequences will that lead to?

I really enjoyed this book! This was a different type of thriller than I am normally used to, but I am so glad I gave it a shot! Sarah Pekkanen painted the picture of these two lives very carefully and you can tell the amount of research that went into this one; including the fact that libraries don't keep a record of the books you have returned- who knew?! I would definitely recommend this book if you want to be taken on an interesting ride!

Gone Tonight is an edgy, layered suspense novel where everything that Catherine thinks she knows about her mom starts to unravel. The more lies and secrets that Catherine uncovers, the more she has to know. But finding out the truth puts them both in danger. Told from Catherine and Ruth (mom) perspectives, this story shifts your focus and helps guide you through dropped clues toward the concussion!
Well done, Sarah Pekkanen! Definitely recommend, and hold on readers, it is going to be a wild ride!

This book kept me on my toes! It was told from different points of view which really added to the richness of the story. Appreciated the twist, it was totally unexpected. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed Gone Tonight- I tore through it on a trip stranded at the airport and found it to be a fantastic distraction. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and having the chapters alternate between mother and daughter worked exceptionally well with this storyline. Some of the twists and turns I didn't see coming, which always makes for a fun read.

It's not every day a book leaves me bawling, but this is one of the best thrillers I've read in awhile.

I was gripped from the start and there was not a dull moment. The plot was fast-paced and highly engaging, while the characters and dual timelines had me super invested. I thought I knew where things were going but boy, was I wrong!

I love mother-daughter stories and this was so incredibly written with so much heart and nuance. I could feel both women's motivations, love and conflicting emotions about each other so deeply. There was an extra element/subject being explored that I didn't see coming but thoroughly enjoyed.

The book is split into 3 parts, each brimming with tension and ending with a punch. I didn't want to put it and every time I had to, I found myself wishing I could get back to it. The ending/last 2 chapters are just pure perfection.

A compelling, well-crafted and emotional page-turner overall!

I looooooved this book. I was immediately hooked - I loved the short chapters and had no idea where this was going. I thought it was a super original and unique story. Highly recommend. 4.5-5 stars

Alternating povs, great twists & a crazy mother daughter relationship - this book had me hooked! I like that the story wasn’t dragged out too much or get slow in some chapters. It held my attention throughout the story & kept me wanting more! Definitely a great thriller!

Gone Tonight grabbed me from the beginning. A woman on the run. A daughter trying to find out who she is. Which is stronger-nature or nurture?

This is a mother daughter psychological thriller-Catherine is an adult and ready to branch out on her own and leave her mother, but Ruth is not ready to give her up. Or is that what's happening? Who is not telling the truth, who is making things up? Kept me reading, not a bad story.
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I was conflicted about this story of a mother and daughter - I love the concept of unreliable narrators so I was all in at first. Struggling through poverty, a daughter is preparing to leave home and be an adult, finally. But can she when mom appears to be dealing with health issues? Who can we believe?

I have loved the previous books written by this author and her writing partner, and I did turn pages quickly in this one. I just had some issues with plot choices and character development.

Sometimes I feel like I want the author to just go there, to make a character nasty and irredeemable and vile, to not try and make us believe they are good people underneath. Sometimes people aren’t. Sometimes they’re just NOT good; that’s true in life as well. Or maybe I’m just a cynic:)

Regardless, it’s a fast read, a fine thriller, but ultimately, maybe a bit forgettable for me.

A pretty decent - if not thriller then - family drama. There were high stakes introduced from the very first, and the mistrust and the secrets helped hold the tension between mother and daughter throughout. The ending also left the reader a bit unsettled, and I actually really liked that. Well written and well executed. It definitely made me want to keep those pages turning!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

This one is hard to review, because I am still trying to decide if I really liked it or was just glad to FINALLY find out what was going on!! Told in alternate chapters by Ruth Sterling and her daughter Catherine, it starts out to be a simple story of a helicopter mom, but soon turns into something much different - and much deeper!

Catherine Sterling is twenty-four years old and knows nothing of her family except for her mother, Ruth, who says her own mother is dead (from Alzheimer's) and she has lost touch with the rest of the family because when she got pregnant as a teenager, her strict Catholic family kicked her out.. So it has always just been the two of them.

Now Catherine has completed her nursing degree and is getting ready to take a position at Johns Hopkins Hospital, but her mother is showing signs that something, something serious, may be wrong with her. Catherine has worked as a nurse's aide at a nursing home since high school, most recently in the Memory Care unit, so when her mother starts showing symptoms that would align with a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, Catherine cannot ignore them. She takes her mother to a neurologist, who indicates the diagnosis may be there, but needs further testing to make sure. But her mother, citing their lack of adequate health insurance, balks at the tests. So Catherine is ready to forego the job in Baltimore and stay here with her Mom. But is she getting the whole story?

Some things her mother has told her don't add up, like the dates and "girl's nights" she occasionally has with Melanie, a co-worker. When Catherine mentions the problems her mother is having with her memory, Melanie says she hasn't seen anything at work like that. And when she mentions that when they go out, maybe Melanie could keep on eye on her mother, Melanie says she only wishes they would go out and that she has asked several times, but they have NEVER had a "girls night out".

The two women are on a collision course and one is keeping a deadly secret that just could end in tragedy - for them both.

This book will make you question everything you think you know about the people closest to you. It will have you rooting for a murder and a sociopath. It is so twisted in a way that you won't be able to look away. I loved it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book about a mother and her adult daughter and the secrets between them. It is a case of deception on both sides. Who is telling the truth? I was not sure where this was going but I was not expecting the turn that it took. I found moments of just wanting to read and neglect everything else because I just wanted to know what was going to happen next. We have alternating points of view between Ruth, the mother, and Catherine, the daughter, who just wants to live her own life out from under her mom. It got very suspenseful toward the end but I felt that it wrapped up nicely and I was not left hanging. I have only read this author when she paired with Greer Hendricks but I think I will check out more of her books.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this advanced copy Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen.

I don’t know, this story was just okay for me. I really liked the flow of the story and the alternating POV. This was a page turner for me only because I really wanted to find out about Ruth’s past. As the story ends so does the excitement. I thought the ending, twists, etc were all predictable. The mother/daughter miscommunication is not my favorite, but I did enjoy the lengths Ruth went through for Catherine.

Overall I would recommend this to readers looking for a poolside fast paced popcorn thriller. I have a handful of her books on my bookshelf and will definitely check them out soon.

Ruth and her daughter Catherine have always shared a special bond. As Ruth gets older, she seems to be struggling with her memory. Catherine, her daughter was planning to move to a new job, but this change in Ruth’s memory has Catherine staying close to home and her mom. Suddenly, cracks in the story of her moms past start coming to light and Catherine is left wondering what is true and why some things may have been fabricated. Does she really know her mother?

Pekkanen is part of the writing duo that brought us the Golden couple and The Wife Between Us. I liked this one even more than those! Pekannen unveils new twists in a slow, yet deliberate and thrilling way. It’s a dual POV story, giving the reader insight into both Ruth and Catherine’s thoughts. I also enjoyed how Ruth retells her story In a journal for Catherine. The format was very well done. This book explores motherhood and the lengths one will go to in order to keep their children safe.

Pick this up for a slow burn thrill with unexpected plot twists.

I love a good mother/daughter story, and my gosh, did Sarah Pekkanen ever deliver with her latest, Gone Tonight! I binged the audiobook because the narrator, Kate Mara sucked me in immediately. I happily folded laundry, washed the floors, and organized a messy closet all afternoon. I COULD NOT STOP LISTENING!

WHAT I LOVED:

- Dual perspectives
- Past & present timelines
- Slow-burning mystery
- Highly character-driven
- Family-focused
- Complicated mother/daughter relationship
- Unique & captivating storyline
- Secrets and lies galore

My best advice is to go in completely blind, and enjoy the twists and turns as the story unfolds. There’s a lot of them—like right up to the very last chapter. Super impressive, and much appreciated. Gone Tonight is available now, and it gets 4.5/5 stars from me! Highly recommend!