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Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw that the co-author of An Anonymous Girl and other bestsellers had a new book out, I knew that I needed to add it to my TBR list right away! Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen is the brand-new, dual POV thriller full of twists and turns. The story revolves around Ruth and Catherine, a mother-daughter pair who seemingly live normal lives. But Catherine starts to suspect that her mother is hiding something. Why has she never met anyone else in their family? Why have they moved so frequently?

Here is a mysterious excerpt from Chapter 1:

"My mother is organized. Methodical. Detail oriented. Her purse isn’t a jumble of crumpled receipts and loose change. ...
She shakes her head and walks to the raincoat hanging on a hook by our front door, searching through its pockets.
Maybe her father is absentminded. Perhaps her cousins grew distracted when they approached middle age. It could be something our relatives tease each other about when they gather for holidays.
I don’t know. I’ve never met them."

Overall, Gone Tonight is a well-constructed, unputdownable thriller that you need to add to your TBR list right away. If you're a fan of the author like I am, then you already know that one of the highlights of this book is how well-thought-out it is. You can tell that the author has spent time carefully crafting the plot so that it makes sense. So many other books treat the readers like they're dumb, and I'm so happy that this book actually treats the reader like they're intelligent.

If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would have to say that I predicted some of the twists. However, I have read a lot of thrillers, and there were some surprises that I was not expecting. In the end, I am so happy that I was able to read this book, and I will definitely continue to read any book that the author writes. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in August!

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Ya’ll this was really good! Ava is growing up in an abusive family. She is a good student and is on the POMS team. Even though she is the best dancer she isn’t the queen bee and is constantly fighting to be recognized. One day at a team meeting at the local pizza restaurant she meets a beautiful boy who is a waiter there. He wants to protect her and seems like everything she ever wanted and needed. Something horrible happens in a meeting with her coach and it kicks off a series of events that she can’t reverse. Woooowwww! I don’t feel like I can say anything else because I don’t want to give anything away. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher and author for a advanced copy for my honest opinion.

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Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen will keep you on the edge of your seat up until the very last page.
A riveting story of psychological suspense.
Once again I loved the writing style.
She can pull a reader in so quick and has you so hooked on her unreliable narrators/interesting characters and their twisted secrets and dark lies it will have your head spinning. And not to mention the characters were developed very well and their story will had me flipping the pages and up till 12am eyes glued to my Kindle.
A fantastic, mind-bending thriller, with a perfect storyline.
This was a fascinating psychological suspense novel with a great tale, excellent characters, and twists and turns that kept me flipping pages at a rapid pace.
Literally blew me away… Another one-sitting book with tension and suspense, totally chilling and with plenty of heart-in-your-mouth moments. Yes this book is that good.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

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I liked this one. It has alternating POVs from a mother and daughter, Ruth and Catherine, and it is so difficult to tell what is going on. I like how the author brought it all together and wove in the past with the present story. There is also a lot about dementia and Alzheimer’s which are tough subjects. I cannot wait to read this author again!

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I loved this book! The mother daughter relationship, the dual pov, the secrets and lies… all the ingredients of perfect domestic suspense. Five big stars!! Well done! Thank you to the author, the publisher, and netgalley for the eARC.

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This review is based on an ARC provided by Macmillan and NetGalley. An intriguing story detailing the relationship between a mother (Ruth) and daughter (Christine). Ruth raised Christine as a single mother trying to make ends meet. They were each other’s rock for 24 years until Christine graduates from college and gets at job in another city. At this point, Christine begins to suspect that her mother may be sick and she will need to abandon her exciting new career or maybe things are not as they seem. Ruth’s behaviors and backstory unfold as she begins documenting the events of her life she never shared with her daughter. Before Ruth can share her story, Catherine digs up details about her mom that put her in danger and the final detail about Ruth’s life will make you question everything! This is a slow building suspense built around family drama. The first third of the book is a slow introduction of the two main characters and the life events that shape their behaviors and family dynamics. The story speeds up midway through and I could not put it down. I would recommend Ms. Pekkanen’s Gone Tonight to readers interested in family drama, suspense, and stories with twists. #GoneTonight #Macmillan #Netgalley #SarahPekkanen #ARC

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Told from both mother & daughter’s viewpoint, Gone Tonight unravels the mystery of why Catherine Sterling knows nothing about her mother Ruth’s past. Not knowing if she’s able to trust her mother, she dives into her own research, which adds to the mystery. Ruth is doing what she can to prevent Catherine from harm, but how far should a mother go to protect her daughter?

I finished this thriller in a day, like many other if Pekkanen’s novels. The back and forth viewpoints had me captured and I needed to figure out if Catherine and Ruth were in danger or if Ruth was an over the top protective parent. Overall I enjoyed it and would recommend to a friend!

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Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: August 1, 2023
I know Sarah Pekkanen exclusively from her co-authored works with Greer Hendricks, so I was super excited to be able to experience Pekkanen’s solo writing prowess with new new novel, “Gone Tonight”.
Catherine Sterling is the only daughter of a single mother, and for Catherine’s entire life her, and her mother Ruth, have been the best of friends. But now, in her twenties, Catherine is ready to spread her wings and experience life for herself. Of course, Ruth is not going to let that happen and she will do whatever it takes to keep Catherine close to her, and away from Ruth’s secret truth.
“Gone Tonight” is so full of twists and turns, it was hard to put down. The relationship between Catherine and Ruth grows from mothered to smothered, and the reader gets to experience the whole thing firsthand. The story is told from the perspective of both Ruth and Catherine, so their individual stories slowly unfold, neither Catherine or Ruth revealing their deepest secrets to each other, eventually putting both of their lives at risk. Ruth’s viewpoint is interspersed with journal entries from her adolescent years, which flows well and naturally with the rest of the plot.
The character development in this novel is spot on. I felt for Catherine right off the bat as she watched her mother struggle from what she thinks is Alzheimer’s. It took a little longer to develop a kinship with Ruth, as her secrets were buried deeper under multiple disguises, but she, too, was likable and brave once her walls came down. Between the two protagonists, readers will develop a deep connection with one, if not both, of the Sterling women.
As the story plays out, the plot itself could go in a million different directions, but Pekkanen pulls the right chord, and the tension develops slowly, then steams like a whistling teapot, leading to the final unexpected conclusion. An emotional tale of a mother and a daughter, both coming to understand themselves as individual women separate from the other, but with an epic number of suspenseful twists weaved in. Although Pekkanen has other solo novels under her belt, I haven’t yet had a chance to read them but it won’t be a mistake I make twice. “Gone Tonight” started off as one thing, and ended up as a completely different thing entirely, but I loved all of it!

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I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Gone Tonight is a story about a relationship between a mother and daughter. A relationship that is based on lies and deception, leaving the daughter no choice but to dig deeper into her mother's murky past and find the truth. It is a quick paced thriller leaving you wondering how much of our personalities are really because of how we were raised or is it our genetics.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

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Wow!

This captured me right from the start and I am still thinking about it days after finishing.

Catherine grew up as the only child of Ruth. They lived pretty solitary lives, living at poverty levels and moving frequently. Catherine knew Ruth was rejected by Catherine's father and Ruth's strict Catholic family when Ruth got pregnant as a young girl.

When 24-year old Catherine finishes college and thinks she is about to start her own life in Baltimore, Ruth, at 42, started showing signs of Alzheimer's. The devastating realization changes everything. But after a little research by Catherine, she comes to the realization that everything Ruth has told her about her life is a lie. Catherine tries to track down Ruth's family and the results are deadly.

The story is told alternately by Catherine and Ruth. Catherine's voice sounds a little old for a 24-yr old, but she has had to mature a little faster than the average sorority girl.

Excellent read. I am glad to find a new author whose work I love and I will recommend this to many.

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This one got me in my feels. I have a strained relationship with my mother, so seeing the POV from the mother helped me put myself in my mom’s shoes. It helped me empathize in ways I hadn’t before. This was good, I really enjoyed it.

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I will always read a book by this author and she never disappoints. This book will pull you in from the beginning and you just want to keep going all the way until the end. I loved it.

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Wow....Gone Tonight was totally not what I was expecting! I've been a fan of Ms. Pekkanen's earlier books, as well as the thrillers she co-wrote with Greer Hendricks. She's one of those authors I'll always read, so I didn't even look at the description of the book before reading. I did, however, see a reference to it as a "wild ride".
Gone Tonight is the story of Ruth, and her daughter, Catherine. Catherine's 24, and for her entire life, her mother was her only family. Early in the book, Catherine describes her mother as the "co-architect of our existence" and that is an apt description.
But, things start to change when the book opens and Catherine has graduated from college and will shortly move to Baltimore to begin her adult life and a new career in nursing. Ruth and Catherine tell their stories, in alternating chapters, and it truly becomes a wild ride that will keep you reading late into the night.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read Gone Tonight in exchange for an honest review.

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When I started reading Gone Tonight, the new thriller by Sarah Pekkanen, I thought that the story was going to be completely different than what it actually turned out to be.
I assumed it was going to be a mother/daughter story detailing a mother’s declining health, with maybe some psychological twists along the way.
What it was instead was a story resilience, deceit, and a little bit of farfetched mayhem.
All of it made for a good story that kept me guessing.
I particularly liked how the author took the reader along with Catherine through her journey with her mom, Ruth, before focusing more on Ruth’s point of view.
The switch is gradual, so it is not jarring. In fact, I really didn’t even register it until I began writing this review. It was sly and very effective.
I don’t want to give plot points away, because there are enough subtle twists (along with bigger ones) that could easily be identified, and that would ruin the carefully planned surprises.
The way Ruth’s story unfolds was realistic. If someone has a deep, dark secret they’ve held for many years, it isn’t easily revealed. The way the reader learns Ruth’s history leads to the gut-wrenching impact of a formative event.
It’s written in a way that totally takes the reader by surprise, both in its intensity and ferocity. It also lays a foundation for other reasons Ruth did not want her secret to be known – even by her own daughter.
While there were some moments that required a suspension of disbelief, I thought that it all wrapped up neatly. Well, not exactly. Because the author wisely leaves both Ruth and Catherine’s futures open to interpretation.
And that’s life. Even if one problem is solved, that doesn’t mean life is smooth sailing from there on. In fact, there may be more questions that arise.
That’s all I’m going to say about that (before I DO start to give things away). Sarah Pekkanen is one of my favorite authors and Gone Tonight is the kind of thriller that keeps me coming back for more of her work.

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Sarah Pekkanen is such a good writer! I have read all the books that she has co-authored with Greer Hendricks, and I have loved every one. The story is about two women: Ruth and her daughter Catherine. This is such a compelling story, full of twists and secrets. Highly recommended!

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How far would a mother go to protect her child? This is the question that comes up during this story. This book is scheduled to come out later this year so no spoilers from me. This is the first time I am reading a solo book from this author as I am used to her writing in duo. The story builds slowly and is told from two POVs. We the readers know what is going on or so we think. The main character was a little frustrating. I thank the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this story. All opinions are my own and freely given.

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I liked this book but didn't love it! The story was kind of slow and twists and turns were not exciting. Lots of good ideas but not well executed. Worth reading if you have nothing else to read but not a "must read". Thank you @netgalley for another opportunity to read and review this ARC!

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Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Ruth and Catherine Sterling are a close mother daughter duo, each holding their own secrets. Catherine just got her dream job and ready to leave her mother behind to go and start her new role in a new city. Ruth begins to exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer's which makes Catherine weary of leaving. This novel switches back and forth from each women's perspective and rationale of their actions. Each wants to keep things private from each other, but overlap starts to occur and causes Catherine to question her mother. Her past, her symptoms, even her name. Pekkanen's books always are a page turner and this one is no different! A psychological thriller!

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3.75 stars, rounded up to 4.*

I've read a few titles written by Sarah Pekkanen in collaboration with Greer Hendricks, and enjoyed the suspense so I was excited to see this title available on NetGalley.

As the story opened, I was initially intrigued but confused because I was fully 20% into the book before it became apparent that there was any mystery/thriller angle at all. That said, the book is well-written and Pekkanen does a great job introducing characters that are believable. The story is told in alternating voices between Ruth Sterling, a hardscrabble waitress/single mom, and her daughter Catherine. Catherine works at a Memory Care center and is on the verge of moving away to take her dream job at Johns Hopkins. When it becomes clear that Ruth is developing early-onset Alzheimers, Catherine has to reevaluate her plans.

At this point, Catherine begins to try to find out about her mother's past. When she discovers that her mother might be faking the memory loss symptoms, she. digs in to find out why.

I really liked this book and thought the twists and turns were great. I especially liked the final twist. I'd highly recommend this one to fans of domestic thrillers and contemporary mysteries.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

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Catherine and her mother, Ruth, have always been close due to growing up just the two of them facing many challenges together. Catherine has finished nursing school and she is getting ready to move and start her own life apart from her mom for the first time. However, Catherine becomes suspicious of her mother and secrets from their past start to emerge and impact their present.

Gone Tonight had some very intriguing plot lines. There were several twists throughout the book, some of which I guessed and some I didn’t. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

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