Catherine’s mom, Ruth, just got diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s. She’s been showing all the signs: forgetting where her keys are, getting lost on the way home from the drugstore, and calling common objects the wrong names. Now, Catherine’s dreams of going to her dream medical school are on hold. While caring for her mother, Catherine discovers lies that Ruth has been telling her. She’s not sure if she even knows who her mother is at all. She starts questioning everything. Meanwhile, Ruth is worried for her daughter. She has been keeping things from her to keep her safe. Now she’s worried that the past is coming back to harm her.

I thought this one was a little slow. The overall story was great, and I loved how it was told from both Catherine’s and Ruth’s perspectives. I just wish the book had moved along a little quicker. There were times when I felt like it dragged. However, about halfway it really picked up and I was anxious to see how it would end. I liked the way the secrets unfolded and I thought the journal entries from Ruth were so interesting. If you enjoy a slow burn thriller, I think you’ll enjoy this one. It just wasn’t fast paced enough for me.

This book is for readers who really like a slow-burning mystery (I had to go back and re-read the synopsis because it was taking so long for something “suspenseful” to happen and I thought I was reading the wrong book). Once it picks up - around 100 pages in - it has lots of good twists and turns and some good character growth. Overall it was an OK read for me.

💕You might like this book if:
🔹 you want to explore the concepts of psychopaths vs sociopaths a bit
🔹 you want to read a book that explores characters with Alzheimer’s disease
🔹 you enjoy character’s with dysfunctional family relationships

I have been reading Pekkanen’s contemporary fiction since 2016 and have found her thrillers with Greer Hendricks to be mixed bag, but most have been enjoyable, so I was excited to read her standalone thriller Gone Tonight, which hits shelves on August 1, 2023.

Ruth is a hardworking waitress who suddenly at 42 starts to experience memory lapses. Her daughter, Catherine, who recently graduated from nursing school and works on the memory wing of a senior facility, knows exactly what this means. Ruth has always been a very private woman, so Catherine decides she wants to learn all she can about her mother’s past before it’s too late and her memories are gone. But there’s a reason Ruth has worked so hard to stay off the radar for the past twenty-four years, and Catherine’s digging might lead to trouble for this mother-daughter duo.

The book starts off completely differently from what I expected – at first, this seems like a work of contemporary fiction about a daughter struggling with her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, which to be honest was at times difficult to read. But around the 30% mark, we discover a huge secret about Ruth’s past and the story shifts to one that had me pleasantly surprised and kept me entertained until the end. I liked how the story was told through short alternating chapters from both Ruth and Catherine’s perspective, and found the journal entries revealing Ruth’s past to be especially captivating.

I did find Catherine’s character frustrating at times, and felt the plot relied a little too much on the miscommunication/secret keeping between the two characters. I get that if they would have been more honest with each other at any point, the plot wouldn’t have worked, but it was still a bit much at times.

Overall, I really enjoyed this standalone mystery from Pekkanen and would be interested to read more from her in the future. 4 stars for keeping me entertained and for writing an original plot

A special thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

Catherine Sterling’s personal and professional worlds are beginning to collide: she’s a nurse who cares for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and her mother is starting to show classic symptoms. The two live together, making the forgetfulness hard to miss, with Ruth Sterling looking very confused when recent events are discussed and forgetting words―calling ice cubes “water squares,” for example. Ruth is reluctant to get any scans that could confirm the likely diagnosis―her mother died of Alzheimer’s, she says, and she knows what’s ahead. But then Catherine makes a discovery that causes her to doubt that her mother’s problems are real. As the point of view shifts between the two women, readers get Ruth’s first-person point of view; her odd behavior is hiding an explosive past that Catherine knows nothing about. Readers are in for a wild cat-and-mouse game as this tight duo (boundaries, what are they?) faces terrible odds when Catherine delves into her mother’s past and Ruth hides the pair from an encroaching threat. There are some very sad moments here, related to dire poverty and child sexual abuse. Overall, it’s an eye-opening look at how “our minds…talk us out of things we don’t want to know.

When I started this book, I had no idea what to expect. It did start slightly slower than I’d have wanted, but then it kept getting better as it progressed. At the beginning of the book, I was thinking this was a general/women’s fiction book with a hint of mystery. That’s true, but by the end, this was a full-blown thriller.

A co-dependent single mother and her 24-year-old daughter dominate this story, and the book is written from their viewpoints. Catherine wants to move out of her mom’s house and move to pursue a new job. Her mother, Ruth, will do anything to stop that from happening. The reason why plays out throughout the book, as Ruth begins writing her life story for her daughter.

That’s it. That’s all I can say! I was pleasantly surprised and amused initially, then I was surprised again and again. I loved some of the pop culture references, like “Where the Heart Is” (complete with a stuffed puppy named Brownie) or having Towson, Maryland, in the story (where Elaine Benes from Seinfeld is from).

The whole book was great, but the ending was so fantastic that a final shocking epilogue wasn’t necessary, but was ALSO shocking and fantastic. This has an original plot, good writing and pretty funny yet sympathetic characters. 4.5 stars, rounded up!

(Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Sarah Pekkanen, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be published on August 1, 2023.)

I don’t know how to tell the book without spoilers so I’ll focus on the writing and characters. The writing style is excellent and kept me wanting the read. This is book that will keep you thinking about if after you close the last page. I loved the storyline and really enjoyed this book!

I enjoyed this novel… I like the fact it wasn’t rushed through and had an in depth storyline. I thought it more entertaining than thrilling though, but definitely kept my attention.

I could not put this down. I read it straight through in one setting. Well developed characters, lots of intriguing secrets, and a well paced plot made this a thriller I can highly recommend. Told from two perspectives with some flashback sequences, it grabbed my interest from the first page and never let go. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy.

Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother but now that she’s ready to move out and start her life, her mother is holding her back from some reason. Her mother, Ruth Sterling, has secrets she’s kept but for good reason.

This is a perfect summer read; entertaining and fast paced. I loved the alternating chapters from the two different women’s perspective. They are individual chapters with separate motives but as the story and suspense builds, their chapters merge. I also really enjoyed the looks back at Ruth’s past through her journal entries. It was during the time period I went to high school and I found it very compelling. Another bonus for me was that my college town, Towson, Maryland, played a huge role in the story also!

“I’m not writing my journals simply to reveal my true story to my daughter. It’s also intended to teach her how to run.”

Gone Tonight comes out 8/1.

I am sad to admit that this was kind of a let down for me! I went in with high expectations and I love this authors other books but this book lacked any sort of twist or edge of your seat feeling that I was hoping for.

Gone Tonight started slightly slow, but soon I couldn’t put it down. The story goes in a different direction than I expected, with a unique plot. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

This book is a mix of mystery suspense and family drama. Catherine is devastated to learn that her mother is developing Alzheimer's. She decides to give up a job opportunity that would have her move away to stay with her mother and take care of her. She doesn't know that her mother has more secrets than Catherine could ever imagine.

Ruth never wavered on keeping all her secrets from her daughter but she also never imagined that Catherine would begin to suspect that things are not as they first appear. As Catherine begins to unfold more of her mother's backstory, her distrust of Ruth grows more and more.

Mother-daughter relationships have their own challenges but what Ruth and Catherine need to overcome is far more complex than most. The way the story unfolds between Catherine and Ruth each having their own points of view from one chapter to the next worked really well in this book. I wavered between which person I trusted more and sided with. I felt for both women as more of the truth came out and was captivated by the story enough to want to know what would happen in the end. This smartly written story has fully formed characters and a good suspense plot. This can act as a great beach read as well as one to cozy up on the couch with during a stormy day. Either way, I highly recommend you pick this one up and get to know what the power of a mother's love might lead you to do.

A super thriller! Sarah Pekkanen’s Gone Tonight speeds through secrets, lies, deceptions and drama to a shocking end. A fast, exhilarating read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have been a fan of this author since her early days. Then, she teamed up with Greer Hendricks for a couple of collaborative efforts. They worked for me.

I'm not sure what happened with this book. The premise is good. Mother/daughter living together. Daughter is about to embark on a promising medical career. Mother has developed early-onset dementia.

The story is told in alternating voices. Sadly, I couldn't warm up to either one of them. It's not that they were not likeable. They just seemed flat, one-dimensional.

The pace is sluggish. While the chapters are short, which I usually like, the story does not advance at a good pace. My mind would wander as I was reading it.

I will fall back on my mantra. Not every book is for every reader. This book is not for me.

I will not be posting this review anywhere else. There are lots of positive reviews already on Goodreads, I don't want my opinion to influence other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher fior the Advance Readers Copy.

Book was not what I expected. Slow paced, but then it picked up in a way that it was depicted; as a ‘psychological thriller’.
A daughter has an opportunity to spread her wings and move away from her unknown protector, her mother. But her mother will do anything to not let that happen…..anything.

Gone Tonight may possibly be in my top five favorites of the year. I had a copy of the audio to go along with the digital copy and it was amazing. Loved the alternating POVs. A very entertaining read and can’t wait to see what the author comes out with next.

Catherine Sterling is struggling to come to grips with her mother’s early onset Alzheimer’s. As Catherine tries to force her mother to tell her about her mysterious past, Catherine quickly discovers that her mother is not at all who she is pretending to be.
Great read! Couldn’t put it down!

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.

I think I may have overdone it with the thrillers!! Oh no! The intense curiosity of Ruth’s daughter, Catherine, and the deception that is orchestrated to keep Ruth’s story from being uncovered, is very well done. However, when I reached the end, my first thought was, “Cool reveal, but my mind isn’t blown.” I think it’s just a “me” issue, though!

This story had several twists and turns. When it began, I had mixed emotions since I had a very much-loved aunt that had the disease the story references and I couldn’t figure out where the storyline was going. I can’t really explain why I was never fully drawn in; I think it was because of the writing style. It seemed elementary, not sure that is a good word for describing, but it is the best I can come with. Her mother certainly had issues.

I did find the twist in the ending was a great touch and it left me with a satisfied feeling. I love when a book can give you the creepers. Giving this one 4 stars.

I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my unbiased review – This one comes in with high 4 stars.

This was a twists-and-turns mystery. I did not know what was next. I was desperate to know Ruth’s story and how James was involved. I need like a 5 years later update on Ruth and Catherine. I wanted more Timmy and her dad, as they seemed like they were the reason she did all this - to protect them.

I really enjoyed this story and made me love reading Sarah Pekkanen even more.