The writing in this book is genuinely impressive. The author has a way of crafting sentences that feel smooth and purposeful, whether I was reading or listening to the audiobook. It’s the kind of writing that makes you want to keep going, just to enjoy how the words flow together.

However, I found the story itself a bit underwhelming. While I appreciated the quality of the prose, the plot didn’t quite have the impact I was hoping for. It moved along steadily, but it never really built up to anything memorable or surprising. I kept waiting for something to pull me in deeper, but that moment didn’t come.

Even so, the writing style itself made it a worthwhile experience. If you appreciate thoughtful, well-written storytelling and don’t mind a plot that’s more subdued, this book could still be a good fit.

When the families of a freshman capstone group arrive at dinner, they become increasingly annoyed, and then worried, when their kids never show up. When Special Agent Sarah Keller is brought in to find them, family secrets unravel. Where are “The Five” and will they be found alive?

A quick, surface level thriller that shows that every family has its drama. I recommend to anyone who wants a thriller that’s not too scary but will keep you flipping page after page!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I have read a few other Alex Finlay books and this one kind of sits where all his books sit with me - fun, entertaining, fast read that I will most likely forget. If you asked me what Night Shift or If Something Happens to Me were about - I couldn't tell you. I enjoyed reading them but I can't remember a thing about them. And I think that's how I will be with this one as well.

What I Loved:
College Campus Setting
Multiple Narrators/Families
Rich People Behaving Badly
Return of Detective Character from Previous Novels
Fast-Paced & Fun

What I Didn't Love:
Synopsis Didn't Really Match the Book
Took A Little Bit to Keep All the Characters Straight
The Reveal (I was like - really? This is where you decided to go with this?)

Again, it was worth reading - I enjoyed it but will probably forget about it pretty quickly.

This was my first book by Alex Finlay and it was quite enjoyable! It was very fast-paced and it left me second guessing every one of my suspicions! There were at times a lot going on but good read for the most part..

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchanger for my honest review!

Each of these five college freshmen unfortunately have plausible reasons in their backgrounds that could account for their collective disappearances; the problem becomes which lead is the actual answer, and if it can be solved in time…

FBI Agent Sarah Keller is back, & just transferred to the West Coast so she & her family can be close to her aging father-in-law. But shortly after her arrival, she’s called in by her new boss to a small college campus that is still in mourning from the death of one student & just had five more come up missing when they were supposed to be meeting their families for Parents Weekend dinner. With pressure from the mothers & fathers ramping up, the clock ticking, & skeletons coming out of more than one closet, Agent Keller’s first case in California might be more dangerous than she realizes…

This was an entertaining thriller with our beloved returning law enforcement character - it was fun to see how her life is going a few years down the road, & I hope she gets written into forthcoming novels from this author! There were a lot of salacious details in the family lives of these college students which were at times interesting, shocking, sad, or a combination of all three. Also the overall picture of modern college life (saturated with social media, among other things) was an intriguing setting. Some of this story was predictable, but there were also some developments that I didn’t anticipate - all in all another solid read from Alex Finlay, & I enjoyed the glimpse into the future we get at the very end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley & Minotaur for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC. I was super excited to read this, and I was in the mood for a good thriller. This book did not disappoint. The multiple perspectives and the storyline were incredible and provided a unique experience. The ONLY thing I wish was that the ending wasn't so rushed! It felt like we had so much buildup, and then it was over! It made me sad! Very well done!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book. All
Opinions are my own.

This was good! I enjoyed it. I read a lot of romance, but I always love new to me authors and this was one. I enjoyed the writing style and think this was super good! Definitely intrigued to read more.

Parents Weekend is a fun, fast paced thriller! Alex Finlay always writes such great mysteries. The multiple pov’s was a little confusing at first, but became so much easier to understand who is who the further into the book I got. This book didn’t have a crazy plot twists like the authors other books, but I still really enjoyed it!
Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this book

This was a very interesting plot, thought it was captivating and had me hooked from the beginning, pretty fast paced read, I didn't find the characters too despicable like other raters seemed to, but in my honest opinion it seemed pretty obvious from the beginning who had them, did it not?! I mean obviously the first part of the book was being mentioned for a reason so there was going to be a story there with the kids and a revenge plot?! I'm not sure why none of reviews i read said how predictable it was, but either way STILL a very enjoyable read, I could not get through the pages fast enough and I loved it.

Five college students are missing, and FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller returns to investigate the case. As always, Alex Finlay delivers a fast-paced, intricately plotted mystery full of suspects and red herrings. The Five, called by podcasters and TikTok sleuths, are missing. Secrets, suspicion, and motives come to light as the plot progresses. The story is told from different perspectives and time lines. Although there were many characters, they were distinct and somewhat easy to tell apart. There were plenty of twists along the way that kept me engaged. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy.

The book Parents Weekend takes place during a parents' weekend at a college in California. Five students go missing that weekend, and it is uncertain if they are just partying or worse. The book goes back and forth between the perspectives of their students and parents, all of whom have something to hide. Finlay also brings back Special Agent Sarah Keller, a welcome presence in the book as an investigator. Overall, I would recommend the book to fans of Finlay as well as fans of mysteries.

This was not the summer thriller I was hoping for!! The plot was SO expected, nothing exciting or unique happened at all. Every single "twist" was so predictable and seemed so disjointed. The characters felt so flat and didn't come together at all. There were SO many moments in the book where it seemed like the author brought up random things (affairs, furry conventions, war role playing) just so they could make fun of them. I'm annoyed I read this whole thing, definitely don't recommend.

Alex Finlay knows how to write thrillers about students, if you take Parents Weekend and If Something Happens to Me into account.

When 5 students don't show up to dinner with their parents to celebrate the beginning of parents weekend, it's written off as irresponsible kids being irresponsible. However, when the next day arrives and the "The Five" still haven't shown up, the search for them begins.

This novel is full of suspense. I liked that the POVs were mostly from the parents' perspectives. I enjoyed being given the information at the same time the characters are, and being able to solve it alongside them, while still being surprised by twists and turns in the story.

🏫What a great book! From Page 1, I KNEW I would love this book. The first thing I liked about it was the format. Each chapter is titled with each family’s name in which the author was speaking of. There are quite a few characters but it was much easier to keep them straight and get to know them with this format. I looked forward to what the next family was going to experience because I knew it would come back around to their chapter again.

🏫A group of parents arrived at their children’s college but when it was time for dinner, none of the students arrived. The parents were concerned but collectively assumed they were just being teenagers and were out doing other things. They soon learned that was not the case.

🏫Let’s talk characters. Although some of the characters were a bit unlikable, on purpose by the author, I got to know them! This is the most important thing to me when reading a book. They were all interesting in their own right. We got a nice blend of careers, personalities, and family histories with this story.

🏫Chock-full of suspense, mystery, and messy family dynamics, this book was a win for me! It was interesting to me that I was so engaged and something felt familiar about the style of writing. In the acknowledgments, Finlay mentions many fabulous authors and I read all of their books too. I obviously have a particular reading style. So good!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the copy of this book.

During Parents Weekend at a prestigious California university, a group of students go missing, sparking a tense investigation that exposes dark secrets and fractured relationships. Told through multiple viewpoints, the story reveals how everyone’s truth is complicated by lies and hidden motives.

Parents Weekend is a fast-paced thriller featuring morally gray characters and multiple POVs that maintain high suspense throughout. The lush California campus setting perfectly contrasts the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface. With cliffhangers at nearly every chapter’s end and a surprising twist, this book is a compelling read. Alex Finlay is quickly becoming one of my must-read authors.

Read this if you like…
• Multiple points of view
• Morally gray characters
• Fast-paced, twisty thrillers
• Lush academic settings
• Seeing a glimpse of the lives of the wealthy and elite
• Books by Megan Miranda or Riley Sager
• Themes of privilege, secrets, moral ambiguity, trust and betrayal, identity, and the pressure of high expectations

Rating: 4.5/5 – An addictive thriller full of secrets and surprises.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the eARC which will be published May 6 2025.

This book is the epitome of a popcorn thriller - addictive, fun, realistic characters, and lots of twists. I couldn't put it down, and the author skillfully pulled the characters and plots together to keep the surprises coming. The ending felt a little rushed, but overall I thought this was suspenseful and entertaining.

First and foremost, I love Finlay.

That being said, Parents Weekend was not for me. I’d say it was a slow burn but the burn never ever came. The overall plot was intriguing, but unfortunately it fell short. There could have been fewer characters, and those characters could have been a bit more developed. Was I entertained? Sure. But I felt like there was no real payoff.

If you enjoy fast-paced reads and complex characters, this one may not be for you.

The premise was interesting, college setting, parents weekend, 5 distinct families who are dealing with their own issues when their children disappear. I enjoyed the multiple points of views from the students to the parents. The parents were the most unlikable but they were interesting to follow. The FBI agent was the most likable and her storyline is the one that had the fastest pace. However, the students, who the story was centered around, were forgettable and they were not on page enough for the reader to care about their fates. The plot was meh, it made sense but there was no build-up, no twists, and overall felt uneventful .

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was such an interesting story as all of the parts came together to reveal what was really going on.

Five families show up for parent’s weekend at their children’s college. Five students fail to show up for dinner. And in the wake of finding the body of another missing student, the level of concern quickly rises.

Some criticism I read for this book was that it was difficult to follow so many characters. There are chapters about each of the 5 sets of parents, as well as POV from the missing children, and that of an investigator. Maybe it’s my ADHD brain, but I loved it and never felt lost about who was who. Each child and their family were very distinct and easy to follow, even while living through the same traumatic event.

The ending was rather predictable, by the time you got to it, it was satisfying to see if all come together and resolve. Definitely an enjoyable summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

It is Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University, an expensive private college in California. Four sets of parents - including a successful plastic surgeon, a high-ranking State Department official, a well-known judge, and the admin to the SCU dean - face their worst nightmare when their children abruptly go missing. Secrets surface and rumors swirl as the FBI and Santa Clara Police Department investigate.

This was a quick, readable, purely plot-based popcorn thriller. With a large cast of characters and a plot that jumps around in time, this book is best read quickly in order to keep everything straight in your head. While not necessarily super memorable or inventive, this makes a great page-turner for an airport or a vacation.

Read this if: you are in the mood for a plot-based popcorn thriller.

Skip this if: you prefer a more literary mystery with robust character development.