It's Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University, but when Stella, Felix, Mark, Blane, and Libby fail to show up for the dinner, the parents become overly worried. Not just because none of them are answering their phones, but because recently another student was found dead. Are the two events connected somehow? FBI Agent Sarah Keller has to figure it out before The Five end up dead as well.

Told from multiple points of view, including the students, the parents, and Agent Keller, it sometimes seems unclear how each thing fits into the puzzle of the missing teenagers. Everything slowly comes together with twists you didn't see coming.

All in all, this is a gripping mystery revolving around a disappearance, secrets, and complicated relationships. If you enjoy a story where you have to put the puzzle pieces together to get the full picture, then you'll enjoy this one.

Thank you to @Minotaur_Books and @NetGalley for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

LOVED this book! Alex Finlay honestly never disappoints and I think is completely underrated. To be honest, the multiple POVs were slightly confusing at the very beginning, though I quickly caught on to each of their stories. I really thought I had solved the mystery more than once, I was so wrong about every theory I had. It was so well written, kept me on the edge of my seat, and the descriptions were so perfect I felt like I was in every single setting and knew/could picture every single person. Definitely recommend this one, Alex Finlay does it again!

I am a fan of Alex Finlay’s previous thrillers. Although I read this book quickly, I was a bit underwhelmed with the overall plot. Although the book was ell written, I was just a bit disappointed with the ending and the build up - especially with so many characters involved.
I do look forward to Finlay’s next book.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press For this ARC!
2.5/5 rounded up

Parents Weekend was an interesting concept and I was eager to read it. I enjoyed the book but I wouldn’t say that it was the most spectacular.

I am grateful to NetGalley, the Author, and the Publisher for the ARC. Thank you!

This is a new author for me. I enjoyed the book. The characters were interesting and the plot was pretty good.

It’s Parents Weekend at a small West Coast university, and the families of five friends are gathering for a dinner. The only problem? The parents are left waiting after none of the students show up. No one can get in touch with them. A frantic search begins, and it emerges that these families have big secrets…and there are multiple people in their lives who might have had reason to hurt the students.

I found this book to be a real page-turner with a twisty plot. It was definitely a quick read with a straightforward writing style. The rich cast of characters was a blast to spend time with. Overall, if you’re a thriller fan looking for a great beach read, this will do the job!

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a fast-paced, twisty thriller that keeps readers guessing until the final pages. The plot masterfully blends campus suspense with emotional depth, centering on a mother’s desperate search for truth when her daughter is accused of a brutal crime. Finlay’s writing is sharp, cinematic, and full of red herrings that make for a compulsive read. The characters are well-drawn, especially the fiercely determined parents caught in a web of secrets and lies. A gripping, timely story that delivers both heart and high-stakes suspense—perfect for fans of domestic thrillers and true crime drama.

The twists and turns in this book! It lived up to the hype. I do always struggle with this type of story where everyone in a friend group has like the craziest secrets. Hard for that to be believable, but this was a one day binge read for me!

It’s Parents Weekend at Sata Clara University and five sets of parents are waiting for their freshman students at dinner, hours pass, and they never show up. The Five and their families are dysfunctional, most have salacious secrets, some are high-profile, and all of them are in danger.

I love that we got another FBI Agent Sarah Keller book! Interconnected standalones are my favorite sub-genre! Keller was in both The Night Shift and Every Last Fear, and she is an incredible character. In typical Finlay style, Parents Weekend is fast-moving and complex with a huge cast of characters. What makes Finlay’s complex stories so digestible are the unique characters and short punchy chapters. I will always pick up Alex Finlay's thrillers!

Thank you very much to Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I was intrigued by the premise of Parents' Weekend, but the execution lacked for me. A lot of the parents were unlikeable and I felt that I didn't get a chance to connect with their kids (college students). I didn't feel an urgency to find out what happened with the students. Also there was so much of Sarah Keller's chapters (FBI agent) that the other stories got lost. I can't remember her from Finlay's other novels so I can't remember if she was that much of a main character previously.

Thank you to Netgallery for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I tried hard to enjoy this book. The premise is unique. Why did the 5 kids go missing? Was it their parents past indiscretions that caused these series of events? It definitely sounds good as a movie script. However, I got bogged down in the multiple POVs and trying to keep up with the details that those characters were trying to convey. It was a great mystery, but left me feeling a little meh.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒓𝒖𝒏. 𝑹𝒖𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒆."

Special thanks to @alexfinlay @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This is my third @alexfinlay book and i was so excited to get my hands on this one. It's been blowing up on booksta and I can't wait to read about all the hype.

The case itself stumps me with all the twisted info and the dead ends. Though I secretly love when Intern Annie shows up translating the hot gos from the online forums. I love the multiple POVS, it did take a bit to keep them straight, but i love how the kids POVs are sprinkled throughout the case. I expected this to be more about the kids and less the patents but im pleasantly surprised how much I love their adult drama.

Read this is you ❤️

📖 Fast paced
📖 Multiple characters
📖 Lingering suspense
📖 Academia setting

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
May 6, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Whats your favorite salty treat?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #alexfinlay #stmartinspresspartner #netgalley #parentsweekend
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I loved the vibe of this-college weekend but seen through the eyes of several sets of parents. It was a unique and intriguing premise. Although a little stressful as a reader with college-aged children! I think Finlay did a good job of setting the scene and differentiating many different characters. I found the college student with a political parent a unique premise - and actually would have liked more of that and less of some of the other characters.
I did not expect the ending and I am usually pretty good at guessing the twists!
Overall a fun read!

🎓 For my friends who want a college thriller with interesting characters.

PARENTS WEEKEND by Alex Finlay (Brittany Pressley, Narrator)

🎧 Thanks, @stmartinspress @minotaur_books, for the e-book review copy via #NetGalley and @Macmillan.audio, for the audiobook review copy. #macaudio2025 (Available now) 7 hours, 24 minutes

Five families descend on a small private California college for Parents Weekend, each with a full component of emotional baggage. When their students go missing, panic replaces the tone of pride and reunion, especially since a sixth student was found dead days prior.

The mystery storyline was solid, and the pacing was perfect, but the real fun came from watching the relationship dynamics and how the family members coped under stress. I especially enjoyed spending time with FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller and her family (from EVERY LAST FEAR and THE NIGHT SHIFT, also by this author). I liked her so much, I now have to find copies of those two books. She’s insightful (obviously), but also humble and thoughtful, with a grounded and respectful relationship with her husband and kids. And - unique to this genre - she doesn’t take unnecessary risks. Calculated risks? Yes, but not unwarranted. She resonated with me. I could read an entire book just about her.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur, and Alex Finlay for an ARC of this book!**

Ah, there's nothing like your freshman year of college: the first taste of freedom, complete with late nights, parties, and finding friends who will become your new family in this new home away from home. But what happens when you get a visit from mom and dad during the all-important Parents Weekend? Are you on your best behavior, putting on a carefully curated show to make them proud? Or could your family be walking into a COMPLETELY different version of your life...one replete with secrets, lies...and even danger?

The five sets of parents of students Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella are about to find out. Upon arrival at the small private school in North Carolina, they step off of their planes (some with a slight alcohol and pill induced buzz, mind you!) and discover that the kids are nowhere to be found and never show up to the dinner with their families. Police and search parties quickly get involved, but no one has seen a trace and the case quickly snowballs into dark and mysterious territory. What do these kids have in common...and could the actions of one have led to the demise of many? Or are these PARENTS entangled in a web of complex secrets and dirty deeds that have put their children in the middle of the crossfire...and potentially led to their collective downfall...or maybe even death?

It's been more than a bit of a roller coaster ride for me with Alex Finlay: I started off on the highest of highs with his first book, Every Last Fear, and had all but declared him a must-read author based on that book alone. His short chapters, engaging characters, and action-packed plot took my breath away and had me TEARING through pages. His next effort, the 90's nostalgia soaked The Night Shift, was more of the same: pulse-pounding, thrilling action from first page to last, with a cast of characters I quickly grew to care for and an ending I did NOT see coming. Throw in the indomitable, no-nonsense with a heart of gold female lead, better known as FBI Agent Sarah Keller, and I figured Finlay had truly converted me to the action thriller...permanently.

But when I say that this book reminded me of the sort of whiplash trauma I experienced going from two stone-cold stunners to "What Have I Done" AND left me wondering if THIS book was EVEN WORSE than that one...I honestly wish it was hyperbole.

There are still vestiges of the Finlay I know and love, and let's start with the positive: his short, action-packed chapters are as reliable as the sun. (Okay, maybe not the greatest example with the overabundance of rain in the past 3 months....but you know what I mean). The upside to this aspect of his books is that no matter how painful a chapter feels, much like the shot at the doctor's office, you know it isn't going to last too long. Not only do his plots basically rely on this breakneck pacing, it also gives you the reader a little jolt of satisfaction when you can stop and say, "Wow. I've read 40 chapters!" (Well, until you remember there are 40 MORE, anyway.) Though this book STILL took far longer for me to get through than it should, when I got to the point of just trying to push through it, knowing I could knock out a few chapters in 5 minutes was somewhat of a relief.

There's also the TRIUMPHANT (and frankly, much needed) return of FBI Agent Sarah Keller, her husband Bob, and their kiddos. Not sure why this one character has become so iconic and feels so NECESSARY to Finlay's writing at this point, but it was a huge relief to see her. Unfortunately, though, all this managed to do was emphasize a couple of points for me:

Keller really needs her own spin off series, with her at the helm. Having such a memorable and unique character sort of have to play second fiddle to the plot itself (and a mediocre one at that) is just UNFAIR.

And one that may be a BIT more controversial - I wish Finlay was writing something OTHER than thrillers.

Yes, I know that seems out of left field, but let me explain. After watching the quality and originality of these thrillers sort of slowly veer downwards, I honestly get the sense that maybe Finlay just needs to try something new. Watching him develop a character like Agent Keller so thoroughly, and yet introduce no less than TWENTY NEW CHARACTERS in this one that I could hardly keep track of, tell apart, or tell you a thing about a few weeks later sort of points to the fact that I think he may be losing the forest for the trees. For instance, the first part of the book spends a SIGNIFICANT amount of time on all of the sets of parents and their less than savory behavior etc....only for this to not really matter at all by the end of the book. It's one thing to try to throw the reader off the scent in order to obstruct the truth, but to drop characters entirely once they no longer serve the narrative feels like sloppier writing than I expect from Finlay...and I honestly wonder how he'd fare by switching up genres a bit.

Another reason I feel like this might be a good move for Finlay is the way both of my last two reads from him have seemed to veer sharply from action thriller to YA thriller in the middle of the book..and this sort of transition rarely works well. Not only did it make the denouement feel sort of oversimplified and predictable, I struggled to feel any sort of connection to the younger characters. Thrillers that try to make use of the podcast or Tik Tok tropes feel a bit one note to me and like they are simply trying to appeal to what they believe is popular rather than what serves the story. The ending was a bit predictable and just didn't feel like it had been worth all of the buildup (and the eighty plus chapters) it took to get there...and frankly, the whole story felt like it could have taken place without ANY of the parent characters even involved whatsoever....which feels more than a BIT strange for a book with said parents MENTIONED IN THE TITLE.

And while the idea of a Parents Weekend SOUNDS wonderful in theory, I think the students in this tale would agree that with parents like these, they were more than ready to put the "END" in this particular weekend.

3 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the premise was interesting and once you get used to all the jumping around with the different characters the story is easy to follow and keeps you hooked. I definitely plan to check out the other books Agent Sarah Keller is in.

Another book by Alex Finlay you cannot put down. I read all his books in one sitting because they're that addictive. The multiple POV are short so you aren't having to do a lot of tracking and the flashbacks really captivate you.

Alex Finlay's thrillers are highly touted. I missed his debut(?) (considering this is a pen name/rebrand, I'm hesitant to call it a debut), I'd heard good things, but never found the time to get to it. Last year, I finally managed to check out his new release and found it... fine. It was a traditional thriller. Entertaining enough, but now, a year later, I don't think I can recall a single thing about it. It was like fast food. Decent going down, but gone from your memory within 24 hours. This one was better. And I say that because I feel like at least something about this will stick with me. I think it'll be the setting. The college campus feels gorgeous, and I'd be interested to spend more time digging through its secrets. However, the rest of it was as by-the-book (too cliche?) as the other one. Fun enough in the moment, but I don't think it'll make any top lists for me. Either way, I'll check out his next one. He's bound to get it right sometime.

This was a DNF for me. Too trite and try too hard. I really didn't like the characters, and I didn't find anything redeeming in the storyline. I was looking forward to reading this, because the premise sounded promising. Thank you, anyway, for the opportunity to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Parents Weekend is a fun, twisty thriller taking place at University parents weekend. 5 of the students seemingly disappear, and another was found deceased earlier in the week. How do these events tie into each other, if at all? Are the kids really in danger?

I loved the pacing, the different points of view, and the twists and turns throughout! Recommended