Being very familiar with Sarah Pekkanen from her co-written novels with Greer Hendricks, I was excited to get my hands on this solo write of Pekkanen's (and I was not disappointed)!

Mother and daughter Ruth and Catherine Sterling have only known their 28 years together as a unit: Ruth worked minimum-wage jobs and moved as needed to support Catherine as best she could while the latter attended nursing school. Therefore, imagine Catherine's heartbreak when, just after accepting her dream job at Johns Hopkins, Ruth is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's.

While the pace of the book was slow up through this point in the story, I thought I was going to be misled. Did Pekkanen really write a family drama, or is there more beneath the surface? As it turned out, things with Ruth weren't quite what they appeared to be, and through alternating chapters, hers and Catherine's stories unfolded into a hide-and-seek thriller. The more Catherine digs into her mother's past, the more questions she finds than answers, and the more danger she and Ruth barrel toward.

For personal reasons, I'm glad the plot strayed away from the Alzheimer's and focused more on the dynamic between Catherine and Ruth (although the beginning plot does masterfully fit with the plot as a whole). and how that changed from codependence into a functional adult relationship. Their relationship being at the heart of the story really resonated with me, and for that I'm glad. The thrill aspect of the plot was equally as enthralling; the more Catherine pulled at the threads of her mother's life, the closer to the edge of my seat I found myself, breathless until the very end.

I will say that the suspension of belief was a little more than usual for Pekkanen's thriller, although I didn't find that as surprising as I would have considering her's and Hendricks' previous books. Pekkanen toed the line between annoyingly unbelievable and just enough unbelievable to still be enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me where I didn't expect to go!! Told in chapters devoted to and told in the voice of Catherine (daughter) and Ruth (mother), the story unfolds in a way that the reader wonders what is the truth and where are we going? Catherine is a young nurse who is planning a new job and will be moving away from her mother. But then, her mother shows signs of Alzheimers that Catherine cannot ignore. And from there - the whirlwind takes us into the story of deceit, lies, and motherly love and protection --- but from what? As Catherine begins to really question her mother's past, Ruth begins to write a journal about her past. As the stories converge -Catherine unknowingly invites danger into their lives, and they must finally work together to escape. But as this happens - Ruth becomes more aware of Catherine's danger to herself - and vows to protect her at all cost. This book kept me wanting to read more and more until I could reach the end. For fans of mystery/thriller genre and Sarah Pekkanen, this is another must read. Would like to review at 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Pressfor the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #GoneTonight

if you like twisty, duel perspective thrillers this book is for you.

Gone Tonight alternates between Ruth and her daughter, Catherine. Ruth had to “disappear” following an incident with her then boyfriend. While running away, she discovered she was pregnant and now her life is devoted to keeping her daughter safe. There are mysteries surrounding both Ruth and Catherine that keep you guessing the whole time.

At the beginning, I wasn’t sure where this book was going because it didn’t really start out as a “thriller” more like just a story of a mother and daughter but it started to speed up and overall I enjoyed it.

A Mother’s Secrets

Ruth, a single mother, and her daughter Catherine have always been close. Now Catherine has graduated from nursing school and plans to take a prestigious job at Johns Hopkins necessitating a move away from her mother. Ruth will do anything to stop her. As Ruth tries to bind her daughter closer to her, Catherine wants to know why and begins to search for secrets in her mother’s past.

The author uses an effective technique to let us follow both Ruth’s and Catherine’s thoughts. The chapters are told first from one point of view then the other. I found this a very good way to bring out both women’s secrets without having to strain the progress of the plot.

The plot moves rather slowly as Catherine works to unravel her mother’s secrets. However, the continuing revelations keep the story moving. I wondered how the author would handle the ending. There didn’t seem to be much left, but the ending pulled the story together and explained each woman’s behavior.

The book is not an action packed thriller. It is more of a psychological drama. However, the twists in the plot keep you reading and the ending makes sense of the story. I thought it was well done.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Gallery for this review copy.

Good book, it was definitely psychological and suspenseful, but I wouldn’t say there were any major twists or anything like that. The plot was very good.

It took me until about the 25% mark to get into this book, but once the story started taking shape, I really enjoyed it. Told from the POV of both Ruth and her daughter, Catherine, we follow the duo as secrets begin to unravel. Through Ruth's journal entries, we get flashes of the past she's trying to keep hidden; while Catherine is secretly working to learn the truth.
I enjoyed following both characters as the pieces begin to fall into place. The story had a few twists and turns along the way that kept me engaged, and even saved a few for the very end. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the gifted copy of this book.

Whew! This book took me on a ride! The dynamics between Catherine and Ruth were interesting. What appeared as one way at first, soon morphed into something else. I enjoyed the way this story was told and how little by little the reader learns of Ruth’s history and how she became the woman she is today. This book kept twisting and I had no idea what was waiting for me on the next page! This book held my attention and kept me guessing.

I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for this one and I can understand why. I feel like this is one of those books that you're either going to love or hate. For me, it worked and I enjoyed it. It was what I was in the mood for so it hit the spot. The short chapters were perfect and kept me engaged and turning the pages.

This thriller was a bit of a slow burn. Usually I like my thrillers to be more fast paced, but it was ok here. It had just enough going on that it kept me intrigued and it did make me think about things a few times. That being said, there were no huge twists and at times, the plot was mildly predictable. As someone who reads a lot of thrillers, this was nothing new. I did really enjoy the unreliable characters and the premise of the story. While it wasn't mind blowing, it was a quick read for me which I always like. I was entertained while reading, so that's always a plus for me!

Catherine thinks she knows her mother Ruth. Ruth is quiet and hardworking and lives for her daughter. All their lives its been them against the world. Now Catherine is ready to spread her wings and begin a new career. Ruth will do everything she can to ensure that doesn’t happen.

When Catherine gets skeptical, she starts digging into her mom’s past and isn’t happy with what she finds. How could she hide all this for years? What else is she hiding?

I have absolutely loved this author’s prior works so was very excited to read this one. The style of this one is different than what I remember it being. Ruth and Catherine have so many secrets between them it’s hard to figure out what is real. Catherine thought she knew who her mom was but as secrets come out, she learns she has no idea who she is. As Catherine struggles with what she finds their relationship changes. I enjoyed this dynamic. It was very obvious that Ruth had made so many sacrifices to protect Catherine. It was not what I expected from a thriller though so for that I was disappointed. When the big reveal was made, it made sense and just flowed seamlessly into the story.

While I did enjoy this one, I again think that this is not a true thriller, it’s more of contemporary fiction. I did enjoy it, but just wanted more of the thriller aspect.

Thank you so much to St Martins Press, @stmartinspress, Netgalley, @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This one is out Aug 1st. Perfect for summer reading.

Gone Tonight is the perfect thriller for me. Throughout the book the author leaves breadcrumbs uncovering secrets and lies. I guessed a couple of the small reveals, but it seemed like the author wanted you to because then she sprung the twists. The last couple of chapters gave the reader big shocks!
The story is told from two POV!
Catherine is a nurse in a memory ward looking to move to Baltimore for a dream job when she finds out her mother at only 42 has early onset dementia.
Ruth tells her story of her past being shunned from her small town getting pregnant before eighteen and raising her daughter alone.
The dementia diagnosis leads Catherine to start trying to uncover parts of her past. The last thing Ruth wants is for Catherine to start poking around. What Catherine discovers is shocking!

Two questions to think about when reading this novel are:

How far would you go to save a loved one?
and
Does the apple fall far from the tree?

When Ruth begins to show signs of early Alzheimer's, her daughter is thrown into a sudden change in her life and realizes how little she truly knows about her mother. As she starts to try to unravel the truth, both women have to face up to facts and make decisions that could lead to deadly consequences.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this crime fiction book and will be thinking about it for days. This would make great book club discussion fodder as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

Catherine and her mother, Ruth, have always been close. It's always been just the two of them.

Catherine is finally ready to spread her wings and move away from her mother. A scary health diagnosis may stop her from doing so, however.

Told in multiple timelines by both Ruth and Catherine.

As the secrets are revealed little by little, will the mother/daughter relationship be threatened? Read it and find out.

I enjoyed both of the main characters and thought they were portrayed well. I didn't always agree with what they did but that's the fun of reading a book.

I switched between reading the print book and listening to the audio version. I would recommend either version, depending on your preference.

Not as "thrilling" as some thrillers are, but a good read anyway. More emphasis on the psychological aspect in this one.

Thanks to netgalley and ST. Martin's Press for the arc.

In her latest release, Sarah Pekkanen is back with a cat-and-mouse thriller featuring Ruth and her daughter Catherine. Moving around frequently growing up, Catherine has few close friends and her only family is her mother. She never questioned things and accepted her mother as the quiet, hardworking woman she knows. Ruth, fearful Catherine is leaving home, never thought Catherine would start digging into the past she has so carefully hidden. The two are on a collision course with more danger lurking outside than known. Gone Tonight's main characters are well-developed and the tension increases in every chapter-which readers will fly through. The journal entries by Ruth were some of my favorite parts as they really dug into Ruth's past and carefully illustrated the events that forever changed their lives and set Ruth and Catherine on this dangerous path. Pekkanen has another hit and I continue to look forward to her future releases.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

📖 Domestic Thriller
⭐ 3.5/5

➡ Just weeks shy of officially moving out on her own and beginning her dream nursing role at Johns Hopkins, Catherine Sterling's mother drops a bombshell on her shattering the sheltered world they've built together for the last 24 years. Soon after though, Catherine begins catching her mother in a series of elaborate lies and it becomes difficult to discern truth from deception and to get to the bottom of what's happening, she plots out a rouse of her own. Before long, they're caught in a game of back and forth half truths and in this game, lies can be deadly.
◾
🙏 Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy for Gone Tonight. All opinions are my own.
◾
🎯 What I loved: The psychological twists in this book got me good. Though it was a little more slow paced than many of the thrillers I read, it definitely left me feeling creeped out and with all sorts of questions- signs that the book did its job. A co-dependent mother/daughter relationship with a dual POV was central to the plot and felt like a creative character pair for something this dark. Pekkanen's writing (as always) transported me completely to the small Pennsylvania apartment where the story took place. It's easy to get lost in the world she creates through prose and I keep coming back for more with her writing!

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: Like I mentioned, the build-up in this book was pretty slow and it was a lot of layered details vs. action. My heart didn't really race until the final pivotal scene but I was definitely interested that I wanted to keep reading.
◾
Read if you love:
* domestic thrillers
* complicated mother/daughter relationships
* secret/hidden former lives
◾
See also: The Love of my Life, The Villa, The Girls in the Garden

My review of Gone Tonight was posted on Instagram (@manuscripts_and_margaritas) August 1st. I've also posted a review on Amazon and Goodreads to celebrate pub day!

Gone Tonight is the brainchild of one half of my favourite thriller duo, and it did not disappoint. One-third through the book there was such an unexpected twist that I knew I was in for a wild ride. The storyline really kept me glued to the page and I devoured this in one sitting. And the end- of the course the end had one last shocker! The parts that dragged for me however were the diary entries- while I understand how they related to the story they did feel quite juvenile at time and it took quite a bit to get to the actual meat. That is why I am knocking this down to a 4 star.

At twenty-four, Catherine Sterling is still living with her mother Ruth. It has always been the two of them, dependent on each other. But now Catherine is ready to spread her wings and start her new job in Baltimore. But the more plans she makes, the harder her mother clings to her. Ruth has always been secretive about her past but when she accidentally lets a small truth out one night, Catherine starts to doubt if her whole life isn't a lie.
I kept my description deliberately vague because I think it's best to go into the story blind. As the truth unfolds, I was frantically flipping pages to discover the next twist. This book is a wild ride! And the epilogue left me wondering what will happen long after the story ends.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s always been Catherine and her mother, Ruth against the world. But now that Catherine wants to move from home, it seems her mother may be hiding something. As Catherine delves into her mother’s secret past, she might uncover something she doesn’t want to know.

I’ve loved all of Sarah Pekkanen’s books that’s she co-wrote with Greer Hendricks so I was really excited to get advanced copies of Gone Tonight! Pekkanen did an amazing job of drawing me into the story and kept me guessing throughout. This psychological thriller delved into the mother/daughter relationship so well, and I was invested in both of these characters.

I was able to get an advanced listeners copy as well as the eARC, and listened along while reading. The chapters are labeled by whose story we’re getting, Catherine or Ruth, and I felt that the narrator, Kate Mara, was able to differentiate between the two POVs.

I loved the dual timelines of present day and Ruth’s past and thought writing her past as a journal entry was a really smart move. Pekkanen had me thinking throughout the book about the mother/daughter dynamic and what a mother would be willing to do to protect her daughter. I would have liked a little more from the ending, but overall I thought this was a great psychological thriller that I didn’t want to put down.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

ALL the twists! ALL the turns! And ALL the mystery! Absolutely impossible to put down!

A super fast-paced page turner that definitely had me on the edge of my seat. The plot was very unique, which is rare in thrillers, which typically fall into stereotypes. And the twist?? MIND = BLOWN!

Sarah Pekkanen's Gone Tonight is a thriller that had me hooked from the beginning. A seemingly steady and strong mother-daughter relationship begins to unravel as secrets are discovered. Both lead characters are smart and resourceful as they work to uncover truths and save themselves. This book is a bit of a slow burn at the beginning, but that is for the sake of character development and setting the scene. Once the story takes off, hold on! I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and the author for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, this one was so good! I loved the mother/daughter dynamic. It was fun to peel back the layers of the relationship throughout the book. There were so many secrets and twists and turns! Another hit from Pekkanen!