This was a quick college thriller. It kept me turning pages, but also racking my brain to keep straight the amount of characters involved. Each family has their own set of drama while intertwining “The Five.” Definitely pick this up for summer college vibes!

I found this book to be fun and enjoyable to read. I liked everything about the book: the storyline, the characters, the setting. It all blended together to create a book I couldn't put down.

This was a fast read for me. I liked the way each chapter was about one of the different families there for the parents weekend or the FBI agent, Keller. This kept the story moving. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and their flaws. The setting was interesting too.

I had never read a book by this author but I will definitely be looking for more. I like his writing style and the way he made this such an easy story to read. This is a book I highly recommend!

I absolutely love thrillers and this was nice and refreshing for one. I loved the insider perspective of the case and the setting was great too. This was a perfect summer thriller read for me. I do wish the ending had a little more to it, a little more of a twist moment but overall was still a great read and fast-paced mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I look forward to more from Alex Finlay.

A totally fine family suspense novel, with detective work thrown in for good measure. I like suspense novels that include police perspective, and the detectives are likable and somewhat well-drawn.

I didn't find this very exciting or care much what happened, and I think both of those qualities are important in a good thriller.

I will keep trying the author because i loved If Something Happens to Me, but I suggest giving this one a pass.

Thank you for the ARC. I purchased for my library and will share.

This story was right in the middle for me. There were some things I liked and others that made the story just ehh…
Likes:
• Short chapters, usually about one family/student at a time.
• Fast pacing and non-stop action (both related to the storyline and the personal lives of the characters)
• Reappearance of past characters: FBI agent Sarah Keller, who was in ‘Every Last Fear’ & ‘The Night Shift’.
• Setting: College campus near beach
Where it missed for me:
• Large cast of characters: hard to keep track of all the different characters and made it hard to really deep dive into their lives and connect with them.
• Ending: Less of a “wow” factor than previous his books.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and felt like it was an easy read, but missed the mark in some ways.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book!!

Parents Weekend had me on the edge of my seat for the first 75% of the story. It was a quick read (2.5 hours) because I was entirely invested in all the different families and the insane drama that followed their separate lives. I had a feeling I would be disappointed when I found out what really happened with “The Five”, and I was right. But overall, this was a fast paced thriller with some insufferable characters, but also some lovely ones (Keller is the best).

This was a DNF for me. It did not keep my attention. I did try finishing several times before I made this decision..

🌟🌟🌟🌟. Another suspenseful, quick raid by Alex Finlay!!!

It's the weekend both the kids and parents dread! Maybe that's why a group of five college friends didn't show up at the first dinner event? Why aren't they answering their phones? It's not like them to go silent like this!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! 🥰

I’m a big Alex Finlay fan, so Parents Weekend was a must-read for me—and it definitely delivered. Finlay is one of the best when it comes to psychological thrillers, and Parents Weekend had everything I love: suspense, twists, and a story that keeps me engaged.

Set on a college campus, the story kicks off when parents arrive for a weekend visit… only to discover that their children—five close friends—have mysteriously gone missing. The story unfolds through multiple points of view, which added a different perspectives! As secrets started come to light, it really made me think—how well do us parents really know our kids?

My only complaint was that the ending felt super rushed compared to the rest of the book! Overall, it was a good read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher providing me with an ARC.

Overall it was pretty good. It was hard to keep up with so many characters and parallel story lines in the beginning but then just as it started making sense, it turned up the suspense. The characters were mostly like-able, some just tolerable, no particularly big personalities taking all the focus. No crazy twists, and the ending was purposeful, if a little bland.

This was just okay. I have enjoyed previous books by this author but maybe this just wasn’t for me. I do think others will enjoy it.

I had such high hopes for this book at the beginning, but then the plot flopped. With the amount of characters and random information just thrown at you in the beginning, I expected more. The plot felt unfinished to me and the ended felt rushed. Overall, this book was very lackluster.

I really, really enjoyed this book.

It was a quick, fast-paced thriller that still kept a complicated story line intact — a hard balance to maintain.

I love a college setting, so this was really fun. The mixed POV was a great element of this book.

The characters were great, and I think in so many of them, we saw honest, messy people. (I did want a little more of the Akana issues, admittedly!)

But I really loved the turns and lightbulb moments in this book. Really enjoyed the experience of reading this book!

Very middle of the road for me. it's a quick read with short chapters but I found my mind wondered a bit because it didn't hold my interest throughout. it redeemed itself near the end with some unexpected events and a solid reveal and conclusion.

This was not for me. I think that I was having a hard time following along as there were so many POV's. Beyond that, I just had a hard time caring about the story and what was happening.

This was a bummer as I have really enjoyed the other books from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book so much, and I wouldn't expect anything less from Alex Finlay. I read this book in one sitting. I had to know how it was going to end. I loved the characters and the storyline! I would definitely recommend this book.

✔️ Multiple POVs
✔️ Fast Paced
✔️ Dark Academia
✔️ Family Drama

I enjoyed the fast pace of this one at the start, but unfortunately that’s where my excitement ended. This one was not one of my favorites by this author. It felt convoluted in places, a bit excessive in others, and the myriad of characters got confusing at times. With that said, I still will read Finlay’s next release.

I’ve enjoyed Alex Finlay’s work in the past, and Parents Weekend absolutely delivered. Told through multiple perspectives across past and present timelines, this fast-paced thriller delves deep into themes of family dysfunction, loyalty, and the long shadows cast by past choices.

Finlay weaves in layers of intrigue, secrets, the emotional weight of terminal illness, the complexity of revenge, and what love looks like under pressure. The subplots are rich and well-executed, making this feel bigger than a standalone. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these characters return in future books; there are plenty of stories left to tell.

If you love a twisty, action-packed thriller with strong emotional undercurrents, this one’s for you. I’ll be eagerly waiting for whatever Alex Finlay writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a multilayered thriller with so many perspectives in this short story. This book had me guessing throughout the book as to who took the college kids and why. The twists in this book were well done and left my jaw on the floor. This was a good summer thriller.

Another winner by Alex Finley. I’m always wildly impressed by his ability to weave together the most incredibly complex storylines that keep me turning pages late into the night but always keep me guessing. This is a great summer thriller and right up there as one of my favorites by this author!