Gone tonight by Sarah Pekkanen is an intriguing novel of two women, Catherine Sterling and her mother Ruth. Everytime they finally settle somewhere and Catherine starts to feel comfortable, Ruth has them up and moving again and it's been like that for Catherine's entire life. What secrets are in Ruth's past that keeps her on the move? The novel keeps you guessing!

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

I enjoyed this one it was a good thriller with enough character development and plot that keeps you engaged and wanting to read more . It was a good book and Would recommend it .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Wow, this book blew me away! When I say I couldn't put it down, I mean I couldn't put it down! A gripping story of the lengths a mom will go to to protect her daughter. I loved everything about this book!

Told in alternating POV’s, “Gone Tonight” is a well written, riveting story from start to finish, complete with twists and turns all the way through. Seriously, I couldn’t put this one down!

While shining a spotlight on the complicated mother-daughter relationship between the two main characters—Ruth and Catherine—the author cleverly develops a complex storyline comprised of lies, secrets, and deceitful intent. Revelations are doled out every step of the way, surprising the reader right up until the very end.

This is the first book I have read by Sarah Pekkanen that wasn’t co-written with Greer Hendricks, but it certainly won’t be my last. With “Gone Tonight,” she has clearly proven herself to be quite the consummate storyteller.

This book was the perfect kick off to the new year. Thrilling. Fast paced. I really loved this one. It's part Psychological thriller, part family drama, part sleuth. You kind of know the background from the beginning, but there's little details sprinkled throughout that make you think "ah, hah". Definitely recommend reading this in 2023!

I was thrilled with a chance to read Sarah Pekkanen’s latest effort, “Gone Tonight” as I knew her savvy writing would keep me on my toes.

The novel begins with daughter Catherine coming to the realization that her mother Ruth may have early onset Alzheimer’s. She had just finished nursing school with a job offer at John Hopkin’s, but puts it all on hold because of how much her mother means to her. Single mother Ruth has always put her daughter first since the day she found out she was pregnant and that bond may have kept Catherine from befriending many outsiders. Thinking I was reading a story of a daughter caring for and losing her mother, I was surprised (though I shouldn’t have been) when I discovered at the end of the first act that Ruth has reasons for keeping her daughter close to her and making sure Catherine would not have a reason to live outside of her mom’s shadow.

Told in dual narrations of mother and daughter (with a backstory into Ruth’s past), as each layer of the onion is removed, the reader discovers yet another reveal. What makes “Gone Tonight” stand out in a crowded market of domestic thrillers is just how well the characters are developed. You understand what Catherine is going through, but you also understand Ruth’s actions and motivations. I am very close to my mom, and this novel gave me plenty to reflect on. This is a novel that begs to be read a second time so that you can catch the clues that you missed the first time around.

Four and a half stars.

Thanks to Sarah Pekkanen, the publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced copy.

I do love a good psychological thriller, and Sarah Pekkanen did not disappoint. I know most mother/daughter duos have small secrets from each other – but this one’s huge. Chapter after chapter I kept thinking I kind of understood why some decisions were made, and the direction that Pekkanen was taking us. I was wrong a lot  Definitely an interesting read!

I love everything this author writes and this book was no exception. The story hooked me from the beginning. The ending was a little too quick and wrapped up but the book was still a great read.

Heckin heckballs of heckness. This was really good. Twists and turns and secrets to uncover abound. I raced through the pages - just one more chapter, just one more page, until I found myself breathless at the end. Sure, there are a lot of good books out there, but when I pick up a story by Sarah Pekkanen, I know I'm in for a treat. The writing is impeccable and it just feels like a warm snuggly author hug I can relax into knowing I'm going to be taken care of and come out on the other end thoroughly entertained.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s clever, and expertly plotted. The unreliable narrator with the journal entries was the creme de La creme. A perfect ending!!! Will be highly recommending this one on my page.

I’m a huge fan of all of Sarah Pekkanen’s books and I was thrilled to receive this advanced copy. Unfortunately, (spoiler alert) I didn’t know one of the main characters would be suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s. As someone who reads for pleasure and escape, this topic just hit far too close to home and I found myself growing more and more upset at the symptom discussion. I only DNF’d this one because of my fathers recent diagnosis. It was just too triggering for me at this time. I’m giving this one 4 stores based on what I read, but I just couldn’t finish for the reasons mentioned,

Whoosh. What a crazy ride! Mother and daughter hunting down a killer in a story where nobody truly ever is who they say they are. If you like psychopath thrillers you’ll love this.

Ruth and her grown daughter, Catherine, live together, but Ruth has Alzheimer’s. She is also covering something up and Catherine wants to find out what her mom is hiding before it’s too late. This was a book with some good twists and I really liked it. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Gone Tonight is Sarah Pekkanen's best work yet! I was immediately absorbed into the world of Catherine and Ruth Sterling and stayed up until I finished the book!

Catherine and her mother, Ruth, have been on their own for all of Catherine's life. She doesn't know anything about her father other than he denied that Ruth's baby was his. She knows even less about her mother's family, or her mother, for that fact. What she does know is that in a few weeks, she will be leaving for Baltimore to start a new job and she is so excited to begin a life on her own,

Her plans are thwarted when her mother is diagnosed with the beginnings of dementia and a memory disorder. She can't leave Ruth now. As much as it it pains her, Catherine will have to decline the job offer and continue working at Sunrise Assisted Living in the memory unit. Fearing that Ruth may forget the details of her life before she reveals then to her, Catherine begins to try subtle ways of getting information from her mother.

As she gets closer to finding out who her mother really is, Catherine opens the door to dangers she did not know existed, Mother and daughter both create worlds of deception that put them in great peril. Told from the point of view of both Catherine and Ruth, Sarah Pekkanen immerses you in their quest with her palpable story telling, She continues to be one of the best thriller authors out there!

My thanks to St Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Love, love, loved it! An intriguing tale of a mother and daughter. Told from alternating POV, the story of Ruth and her daughter Catherine is harrowing, heartbreaking and hopeful. Ruth ran away from a bad situation when she was just 16 years old. She discovers she’s pregnant and knows she must do whatever she can to protect her baby. Catherine has graduated from nursing school and at 24, will soon start a new career in geriatric nursing at a prestigious hospital, but her mother has been acting forgetful and is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Her mother has always been secretive about her past and Catherine starts digging, knowing she’ll need support.
Wonderfully complex string female characters and short chapters make this a quick read. This would make a great Netflix series! I love Sarah Pekkenan’s work!

Ruth and her adult daughter, Catherine, have a close relationship. Catherine is a nurse and has just accepted her dream job at a prestigious hospital. She is ready to spread her wings and move out on her own for the first time. These transitions can be hard on mothers, but this one is especially tricky. Nothing is as it seems and Ruth has powerful reasons for fearing Catherine’s departure.

This is a kaleidoscope of a story where as you read and discover new information, the entire picture changes! You’ll uncover secrets, fears, love, murder while the pattern keeps shifting and changing until the final page!

Catherine Sterling has been living alone with her mother, Ruth, her entire life. Her mother has always been a great supporter and Catherine and Ruth have had a very good relationship. It is finally time for Catherine to branch out and leave the nest, but Ruth is clearly not a fan of this decision. Even though Catherine has a new career and the timing seems appropriate for her to move out, Ruth will not allow this to happen and do everything possible to prevent it. Why is Ruth trying to prevent this? Catherine starts to question her and Ruth’s past and look for clues.

I'm a big fan of Sarah Pekkanen and I was so excited to be able to read her latest book. What a fantastic story, GONE TONIGHT is now my favorite book from this author! It is really a quite unique plot, which I always appreciate (as an avid reader). This is an excellent thriller that I highly recommend!

TW - Sexual Assault

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog @coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen
Just wow! This was a novel not to be put down. The story line, the twists and turns, the surprises! The story is very well done, the characters are well developed. Its like you are right there with them as you read.
The novel is told from two characters perspectives, Ruth (the mom) and Catherine ( the daughter). They live together in a small apartment, both working and just making ends meet. Ruth waitresses at a local restaurant and Catherine is working as a nurse in a care facility for the elderly. Catherine is preparing to move, but Ruth it seems has early stages of dementia, so Catherine has decided to change her plans to care for her mother. Then little things start to make Catherine wonder if her mother really is sick.

This is such a well written novel, Sarah Pekkanen has nailed this novel! Well done! Five plus stars! Every time you think you know where the story is headed, there is a twist! An amazingly addictive psychological thriller, a must read. Waiting on the edge of my seat for the next novel ❤️

Ruth Sterling will do whatever it takes to keep her daughter, Catherine, safe. Catherine loves her mother but is ready to venture out on her own and accept a job out of state. As Catherine's departure nears, Ruth starts showing signs of early-onset dementia. Catherine looks for ways to help her mother with her illness. Her research leads her to discoveries that don't seem to add up. Soon Catherine is questioning her mother's words and actions leading to an ultimate reveal that I did not see coming.

Great read! Thrilling to the last page! I expect nothing less from a Sarah Pekkanen novel. The twists and turns in this book are unreal. I want more. I want to know what happens next. I wonder if there will be a follow up perhaps, or maybe we are just meant to wonder how Catherine fares after everything that happened. Either way, this book is a must-read!


I received an e-arc from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an honest review.

Well written mystery/thriller with a fun plot and engaging characters

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61884937