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Great fast paced thriller. I loved having Agent Keller back again and really enjoyed this story focused on five missing college students. There are amazing side stories taking place during the entire search and it’s never ending twists and turns about who may or may not be involved and why. The perfect read for a thriller fanatic.

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Five college freshmen go missing the same Friday all their parents gather for dinner during Parents Weekend at their university. Special Agent Sarah Keller is back, this time on the west coast, to try and help solve the case.

As with all of Alex Finlay’s books, I loved this one! I’m a sucker for a college campus setting and this one didn’t disappoint.

The POVs jump from each family, including Keller’s, and I really think that made it easier to understand each family’s dynamic. Each of them have some shit going on and dark secrets hidden that affect the case. Getting a first hand account of that was much more interesting than just learning it from Keller’s POV.

Keller is a recurring character in Alex Finlay’s books but this is absolutely a stand alone! You do not need any prior knowledge at all and are able to enjoy the complete story without missing anything!

Overall I would definitely recommend this one! 5 stars from me and I can’t wait to see what Finlay has in store for us next!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

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Five college students fail to show up for dinner with their parents during Parents Weekend. These 5 students all come from different backgrounds and their parents start to worry when they can’t be reached.
This story is told from multiple POV’s and dual timelines. There is also a lot of characters to keep track of throughout the story and remembering them takes up a large part of the first half. There doesn’t seem to be much character development and the main story is very slow paced with a lot of side stories involved.
The actual reason the kids disappeared was pretty obvious also, not a big surprise in the ending.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

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Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the E-ARC of this book. Unfortunately, I could not get into this one and DNF around the 30% mark. There were too many characters to keep up with and I wasn’t a fan of the writing style.

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4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I love that each Alex Finlay book I read just solidifies my certainty that his writing is definitely my cup of tea. He writes imperfect but compelling characters whose secrets I’m always dying to find out. Parents Weekend had plenty of that, a bingeable factor plus it brought a return of one of my favorite FBI Agents, Sarah Keller.

It’s Parents Weekend at a small private collage in California. When parents show up to a pre-planned dinner but their kids don’t, initially no one is concerned but soon it’s obvious that it’s more than just kids being kids. Agent Keller just moved across country with her family and is thrown into the case before she even gets to meet her colleagues…

This was such a fun, entertaining read. Each family had plenty of secrets and of course the students had their share of them too! Even though I figured out “who” pretty early, it did not take away from my enjoyment whatsoever especially cause I loved following along as Sarah was putting things together. Finlay’s storytelling and pacing made me feel like I fell into this book and couldn’t get up!

A huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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A girl is found drowned in a cave when high tide traps her inside. Then on a parents weekend at school, 5 students disappear leaving family concerned and worried. After the FBI is called in because of some high profile parents, they begin to discover secrets about both parents and students.
I enjoyed the story and all the secrets, although a slow read it still kept me going. A few surprises along the way helped keep the story going. Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read this story.

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Review of Parents Weekend by Alex Finley

I have loved every book this author has written. I really liked this one a lot, but it’s probably my least favorite of his. This isn’t a bad thing because like I said, I have always loved his books. I would definitely still recommend it and I’m glad I read it. I really liked the different points of view for this book and that was my favorite part along with the quick chapters. I just found myself a little underwhelmed with the way it ended basically. But I’m always down for a good college setting.

Synopsis:

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids―five residents of Campisi Hall―never show up at dinner.

At first, everyone thinks that they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours click by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon, the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella―The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths call them―come from five very different families. What led them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril or a threat to the friend group from within?

Told through multiple points of view in past and present―and marking the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift―Parents Weekend explores the weight of expectation, family dysfunction, and those exhilarating first days we all remember in the dorms when our friends become our family.

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* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I keep requesting Finlay’s books on NetGalley, trying to feel the same excitement I did when I first read The Night Shift. Unfortunately, none of them have come close to it, including this book. I feel like we know nothing of substance about any of the characters in this book which just leads to a lack of any sort of connection to the story. Part of it is that there are way too many characters to keep track of who’s who, the other part is just that we get little information on any of the kids. I wasn’t impressed by the plot either. Again there wasn’t enough here to captivate me.

I would not recommend this book. I also think I am going to stop reading this author moving forward.

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Students are in their first year of college and they are holding a night for all parents to meet then learn more about the school. During the weekend five kids don't show up for dinner and then investigation starts for where they are.

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3.75 🌟

Shocker of all shockers - I did not predict the ending of this (anyone who knows me isn't surprised by this).

This was such a fast thriller. It had multiple POVs and short chapters which made reading both easy... and hard. Keeping the characters straight proved to be difficult until I got into the book. There were plenty of twists in this book, which kept me engaged. Some (one) of them felt a bit repetitive but overall very enjoyable!

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

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Parents Weekend had me glued to the pages from the start. Having a child in college I knew going into this what Parents Weekend was about. I enjoyed the over all plot, fast pace and surprises throughout the book. Overall, this was a winner. Highly recommend!

This review will be shared to my account @coffee.break.book.reviews closer to pub date.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

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Very much enjoyed this book. Interesting story line and the characters are easy to either like or dislike. I could see the police lady (FBI? ) in the book being a character in a future book by Finlay.

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Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay has an interesting premise but fell a bit short in execution. What happens when five students disappear during parents weekend? Told from multiple points of view and timelines, the story had good potential. However, trying to develop five studients, five sets of parents, and the investigators resulted in all characters feeling underdeveloped. Normally I can forgive that in a thriller, but this didn't feel too thrilling. It was a fine novel but forgettable. In contrast to Finlay's last work, If Something Happens to Me, this one was disappointing.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for a free copy of #ParentsWeekend by Alex Finlay. All opinions are my own.

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Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a thrilling, cleverly written mystery that shines in both audiobook and print formats. Whether you’re listening or reading, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat with its gripping plot and unexpected twists.

In both versions, Finlay’s storytelling is sharp and engaging, weaving a web of secrets, lies, and family dynamics that will keep you hooked from start to finish. The characters are complex, and the suspense builds steadily, making it a true page-turner (or in the case of the audiobook, a “press-play-and-don’t-want-to-pause” experience).

The audiobook is wonderfully narrated, with the voice actors bringing the tension and emotional depth of the story to life. The pacing is spot-on, and the delivery of the twists is absolutely perfect. In print, the writing flows just as effortlessly, with the same captivating suspense and plot twists that make Finlay’s work so enjoyable.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, well-crafted mystery with a strong sense of tension and heart, Parents Weekend is a must-read/listen. Whether you prefer audio or print, this one delivers an unforgettable experience.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.25/5)

“How many worst days can one person have?”

So this one was alright but overall a miss for me. It wasn’t bad but just not my jam and here’s why…

🚫Dark Academia
🚫Too many characters without development (although I did like Agent Keller)
🚫Unnecessary characters (all of the cheating wasn’t necessary, well except the one)
🚫 Cohesiveness just didn’t get there for me. It was a bit all over the place.

I did think the audio narrator was an excellent choice and definitely added to holding my interest in the story.

I won’t go as far as to say Alex Finlay isn’t an author for me, because I do like some of his stuff. This book just wasn’t one that I was all that invested in. The only thing I remember about it was geofencing, going to the country club to meet up with the judge for the warrant and the cave details…which isn’t good bc I legit just finished the book.

All of that being said, you can tell the author really did his research in putting this one together. So kudos to him for that.

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Author of Every Last Fear, The Night Shift, and If Something Happens to Me, novelist Alex Finlay now gifts readers with yet another captivating thriller, Parents Weekend. Set in and near an exclusive California university, the story centers around five freshman—Blane Roosevelt, Stella Maldondo, Libby Arcana, Felix Guffman, and Mark Wong—and parents. Immediately following the drowning death of another student, Nastasha Belov, the university’s Parents Weekend is set to kick off with a student-parent dinner where the group of friends plan to reunite with their families. Instead, the unexpected happens: the students are all no-shows, leaving parents both frustrated and worried. Did their children suddenly decide a frat party would be more fun, or has something more worrisome happened to them?

As the hours and days pass, the story repeatedly shifts from family to family, bringing out diverse personalities, occupations, family relationships, and secrets. Campus police and the FBI enter the mix, and readers of Every Last Fear and The Night Shift will recognize Agent Sarah Keller, temporarily reassigned to the area. With the possibility that family members’ occupations or other backgrounds could have played a role in the students’ disappearance or that a campus prank may be behind it, campus police and FBI have their work cut out for them, eliminating one possibility after another. A student working in the campus police office also lends a hand following social media.

Many chapters end with a cliffhanger, causing readers to keep turning pages to find out what will happen next. With chapters shifting from family to family, learning the outcome of each cliffhanger typically involves reading several chapters, each of which may add another cliffhanger. The result is a propulsive, page-turning experience likely to keep readers up late at night. I finished the book in two nights.


Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader egally of Alex Finlay’s latest thriller. I am looking forward to Finlay’s fifth.

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I have to start this review with a caveat: this is the fourth book of this author’s that I’ve read, and on the last review I wrote, I said I may not read this author again. So far, I’ve given them all a rating of 3.5, which to me means it was a good book, but not something I consider very memorable or mind-blowing. Then this book came out, the reviews I saw were great (everyone I know loves this author!), and the story sounded intriguing, so I went for it again…and I feel the same about it as the author’s other books.

I can’t say anything outside of the synopsis, but I will say the synopsis is true to the book. It’s Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University, and a handful of students in one dorm are set to have dinner with their parents on Friday night. The parents all get into town, see their kids, and plan on meeting them at the restaurant…but the students don’t show up. Half the parents are worried and irritated, and the other half figured the kids ended up at a frat party and started having a tequila-shot-based party of their own. It’s not until Saturday, when #TheFive (as they will soon be known on social media) still haven’t been seen, that all of the parents are on the same page with their panic.

There are a lot of variables and unique family dynamics at play here, and that made it pretty suspenseful. The FBI is called in, allowing us to meet an old character, and the hunt is on. All of them were seen heading to dinner, but none of them made it to the restaurant. Are they all still together? Are they all still alive? Are the police going to be able to find them in time?

I don’t know why this author doesn’t mesh with me, because the writing is good, the characters are usually alright, and the stories are interesting…but I think maybe they are too tame. They all seem to follow a typical and safe mystery formula, and I like my mysteries with a lot of unique shocks and crazy characters. That’s the only thing I can think of, because this author isn’t a bad writer, and his books aren’t bad. They just don’t excite me. This one is getting the same rating as most of the others, a 3.5 … and maybe this time I really am done?

(Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, Alex Finlay and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on May 6, 2025.)

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Well…Alex Finlay has done it again! Parents Weekend was a total blast! I love his short chapters & how he weaves the multiple POV’s together!

Parents Weekend follows, well, a group a parents after there kids go missing during…parents weekend! (Shall I say parents weekend again!)

This was super fun…I loved all the different family stories and drama. I was kinda underwhelmed by the outcome but I still totally enjoyed this book! File this under you’re best fun “popcorn thriller”.

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This novel has short, alternating chapters from multiple points of view, offering glimpses into the lives of the missing students, their families and the investigation. While the structure keeps the narrative brisk and engaging, it was challenging to connect deeply with the characters due to the rapid shifts and large cast.

I felt the mystery was predictable, with the resolution lacking the impactful twist I anticipated. Overall, Parents Weekend is an entertaining read for fans of Finlay's previous works and those who enjoy a quick mystery.

Clever, Chaotic, and Surprisingly Heartfelt! 3 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 5/6/25.

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The story starts off with 5 college students that are meeting up with their parents for dinner for the start of parents weekend, but things turn dicy quick when none of the 5 show up for dinner. Some parents are sure it's just the kids blowing them off and some are worried as they would never expect their kids to do this to them. Then none of the kids are answering their phones and it's time to get the authorities involved.

I absolutely loved the FBI Agent, Sara Keller, who is there on a temporary assignment. I loved the dynamic between her and her husband too! He calls her Agent Badass and it fits her character to a tee. The book is broken up in chapters by families, so you get a kid side and the parent's side of their background and story. It helps develop the characters so well and you start to either love or hate them.

This is another great story from Alex Finlay and you will find yourself sailing through the pages to see what happens. next. The only con I had with this story is using five families can make it a bit confusing at times and you have to really keep up with them to understand the story, there were a few times that I was like "Wait, which one is this?".

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC in return for an honest review.

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