Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have now read most of Alex Finlay’s books and unfortunately this one sort of just fell in the middle for me. I do love how Agent Keller is back again. I appreciate her character and the relationships she has with her husband and twins.

My problem with Parents Weekend, was just that there was way too many characters to keep track of. Since there was so many people introduced, I found most of them to be very one dimensional. The ending is also quite predictable and unfortunately lacked any real sense of a twist.

That aside, I will still pick up books from this author, as I have enjoyed mostly all of their backlist!

I have read Finlay's The Night Shift and If Something Happens to Me, and I enjoyed both of them. They were five-star reads. So, I was eager to read another book by the same author. However, this one didn't resonate with me. There were too many characters to keep track of, which made it confusing at times. You have The Five - Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella. Then there are their parents. Also included are FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller, SCU Campus Police Chief Jay McCray, and the intern. Among all these characters, only the FBI agent and the campus police chief were somewhat likable. The others felt flat and lacked depth. It was a flawed story that didn't capture my interest much.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Alex Finlay for an ARC of "Parents' Weekend" in exchange for an honest review.

i have read one of finlay's other books and really enjoyed it, so i was excited for this one. the setting and premise was fascinating and i really enjoyed all the reveals.

4 1/2 stars (rounded down)

I just discovered this author a few months ago and listened to all of his audiobooks in the span of a few weeks.
Therefore I was really excited to receive an ARC of his latest novel. Like his previous novels, I was not disappointed. Even though the POVs switch quite frequently throughout the novel (similar to his previous books) I did not find it confusing and found that it enhances the story. I like how each character was showcased and the backstory behind each one. I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the novel and they kept me engaged and entertained.

The only reason that I did not provided a 5 star rating is because I wish that the author provided more of Natasha’s backstory. I felt the ending was a bit rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin’s Publishing Groupfor an ARC of this novel.

Parents Weekend was exactly what I was looking for to get me through the reading slump I’ve been in. It was a fast-paced, straightforward plot with very little filler and while there were times I felt like things were happening TOO quickly, I enjoyed being able to fly through the book in only a day and a half. I couldn’t be bothered to care about anyone other than Agent Keller, but it almost made the book more enjoyable that way because the stakes were so low that I was able to keep rolling with each developing twist. The ending felt a little rushed and tied up a little too nicely for everyone considering how much trauma everyone experienced, but overall I enjoyed Parents Weekend and think Alex Finlay did a great job crafting a neat little thriller!

Parents Weekend was such a fun and engaging read that kept me smiling throughout. I loved the humor and the way the characters’ relationships felt authentic and relatable, especially the family dynamics and the awkward, heartfelt moments. A few plot points felt a little predictable, but the charm and warmth of the story more than made up for it. Overall, it was an enjoyable, heartfelt read that I’d happily recommend.

This was a good, quick read, but didn’t blow me away. There were a lot of characters, and none of them felt fully formed to me, except for maybe Special Agent Sara Keller and her family. I read another review that said at times this felt like a YA thriller, and I can definitely see that. I enjoyed it, but probably won’t read it again.

I love Alex Finlay books and was looking forward to this one; however, this one fell a little short for me. The chapters were short and kept me going. I love a good page turner, but there were a lot of characters to follow and I struggled to keep up with who was who and what was what.

I cannot wait for the next Alex Finlay book!

This was such a a classic Finlay book. Loved the mystery. The multiple POVs and the academic setting. And the same detective from
Other books was pretty awesome!!

3.5 rounded up for this murder mystery and police procedural. It kept my attention and there were some solid red herrings that led to dramatic scenes throughout. Pieces of the reveal became pretty clear ahead of time, but there was still a lot of drama and danger to unfold -- and an extra layer of twistiness at the end! Recommend for a quick and suspenseful read.

Like all Alex Finley books, this kept me on the edge of my seat! Great plot with a well-developed storyline. At times, it felt more Young Adult, but I was so invested in the WHODUNIT that this didn’t bother me as much as it normally would. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars. Recommend for fans of Finley’s other books and short timeline mysteries / thrillers.

I read anything by Alex Finlay. I don't think this was one of the best thrillers, but it was a nice, solid read. I enjoyed Agent Sarah Keller, as usual. I think that there were a few too many characters, which made it hard to keep track of each one and also hard to get emotionally invested in any of them. It had a solid premise, I just don't think the thrills were there compared to some of his earlier works. Still a great read overall, and I'll be reading Finlay's next adventure.

Parents Weekend is a short, bingeable read. There are a lot of characters (and family drama) introduced when the book opens as this story is told from many POVs. Many. Stick with it, they will all come together. I didn't find my interest in the story until FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller is brought into the case of the missing 5 college students. Their parents are on campus for Friday night parents weekend dinner only none of the students showed up. Is this kids being kids and enjoying a night out, or is something wrong? Sarah starts investigating the students disappearance and the case snowballs from there. I must say the FedEx distribution manager was a bright spot in the many characters that were introduced in this book! Also, Sarah's husband Bob. Their partnership reminded me of the married couple in The Incredibles. But I digress... I had the bulk of the plot figured out right away, but there was a twist at the end that surprised me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC! This was a short one, maybe even too short? It felt rushed and not as good as Finlay’s books usually are. It passed the time but wasn’t an enjoyable read

Alex Finlay is an auto-read author for me at this point. I enjoyed all of his previous twisty witty thrillers.

Parents Weekend followed a group of anxious parents looking for their missing children on parents weekend. To me, this book feels more like solving the mystery with the parents and the detectives than a thriller. While I enjoyed reading this book, and it was a really fast read, I found it less twisty than Finlay's previous books.

I can sort of guess where things are going and what the ending might be halfway through the book as more POVs unfold. I'd still recommend to anyone looking for a fun quick read but this is not my favorite Alex Finlay book.

I was not interested in the plot. There were too many characters, which made it feel messy. This one just didn't work for me.

This was a fun mystery story set on a college campus! I enjoyed trying to figure out where the missing students went and who did it! This definitely went in a direction I wasn’t expecting which is always a bonus!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Netgalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having a college student myself, this story caught my attention. These people are a mess!!! lol This is a mystery that involves kidnapped college kids, a dead girl and a lot of parents who have way too much time on their hands.

This is a fast paced thriller and no I couldn't figure this one out. I think there were TOO many characters to keep track of. Recommended to those that like thrillers.

This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. It was so good! This is an auto-read, auto-buy author for me! Highly recommend for the twists and turns.

What a binge worthy thriller that takes you back in time to your college days! I especially enjoyed the drama amongst all of the parents and some of their high profile personas.