2-3 page chapters? Yes please. Campus thriller? Yes please. A million characters to keep track of? No thank you. Overall, this was easy to binge and kept me flipping the pages.

One student has died, 5 others are missing. What happened? How are their stories connected?

The only other Alex Fiat book I read was If Something Happens to Me. I was expecting this book to be as compelling as that one. I didn’tfind it as hard to put down.

You know a book is good when you start it before you get on a 5.5 hour flight and you are done by the time you land.

That was Parents Weekend for me. I was hooked from chapter one. I don’t usually like multiple points of view. The characters get lost and it’s hard to keep track of everyone. That was not the case for this book. The story is told from the parent’s and children’s perspectives, it made the book more thrilling. I couldn’t stop reading it. So many possibilities of what happened and who did it, but you don’t really know until the end.

I loved this. It’s a great thriller. So much going on but the flow of the story keeps everything interesting

I’m an unabashed fan of Alex Finlay, and I just loved this book. It kicks off with action immediately, all centered around Parents Weekend at a small college in California. It takes awhile to set up the story involving five different students who fail to show up to the dinner on Friday night and the ensuing alarm and search. The campus authorities, local officials, and the FBI are involved because the mother of one of the missing students is the Assistant Secretary of State. We meet the parents and everyone seems to have issues, secrets, problems, but we don’t figure out what happened until close to the end of the story. The FBI agent Keller is a great character as is her lovable husband Bob.

Lots of great action here!

Five stars from me! The author is most definitely one of my favorites.

I received a copy of the digital ARC via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Every year I look forward to a new Alex Finlay novel! They never disappoint, but Parents Weekend hits it out of the park! A great page turner that will have you trying to figure out what is happening & cringing with dread for what might happen! A great book to kick off your summer season!

Description
In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families gather over 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 to dinner.

At first, everyone thinks they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours tick 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 soon call them—come from very different families. What drew 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 from each family’s point of view—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 in the dorms when friends become family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this popcorn thriller by Alex Finlay. Others have commented that they knew what the twist was, and who was responsible, but I did not realize until the conclusion. I would continue to purchase or borrow books by this author because he knows how to build suspense, create characters and develop an excellent story. This was just what I wanted it to be - an entertaining suspense thriller that I could read in one day.

The premise certainly grabbed my attention. The execution fell a bit flat at times. I expected better character development, and there were just too many characters to fully flesh them out. It was strange that the parents didn't seem concerned about their missing children. There were some plot holes, and the ending didn't make a ton of sense. I really liked the short chapters. While I enjoyed this book while reading it, nothing has stuck with me since turning the final page.



Trigger Warnings: Abuse, Suicide, Missing Person’s, Infidelity, Profanity

It's Parents Weekend at California's Santa Clara University (SCU), and activities are planned for students and their folks. The freshman dorms break residents into small units, called capstone groups, and SCU plans a restaurant dinner for each capstone group and their parents. The five members of one of the capstone groups in Campisi Hall have become close friends who sometimes hang out together. Their out-of-town parents all make it to the group dinner, but the kids themselves are no-shows, and the five freshman are soon declared missing persons.

The missing students are:

Blane Roosevelt

Blane Roosevelt's parents are divorced. His mom Cynthia is the Assistant Secretary of State, and always travels with a security detail. His dad Hank is a writer.

*****

Mark Wong

Mark's mother is deceased and his father is an ex-convict predator who groomed and molested teenage girls on the swim team he coached. Mark and his father are estranged.

*****

Stella Maldonado

Stella's dad David - a serial philanderer - is a successful plastic surgeon and her mom Nina is a yoga instructor. David was recently caught canoodling with his anesthesiologist, and both Stella and Nina are furious with him.

*****

Libby Akana

Libby's dad Ken is the chief judge of the L.A. Superior Court and her mom Amy is a lawyer. Amy became a stay-at-home-mom when Libby's little brother Timmy got cancer.

*****

Felix Goffman

Felix's dad is out of the picture and his mom Alice works for SCU, as the secretary to Dean Pratt. Alice struggles financially, but her job allows Felix to attend school tuition-free.

*****

Once the capstone group freshman become official missing persons, the campus police, Santa Clara police, and FBI all get involved. One of the FBI agents is Sarah Keller, who we first met in Alex Finlay's book, The Night Shift. Sarah was pregnant with twins at that time, and her kids are now nine years old.

Sadly, SCU recently experienced another misfortune, when a freshman called Natasha Belov got trapped in a cave near the beach and drowned. The missing capstone kids escalate the tension at SCU, and their vanishing really alarms the school community.

The book is composed of short chapters that detail the police investigation and sequentially highlight one family group at a time - so although there are a large number of characters - it's fairly easy to keep them straight.

As the narrative proceeds, many secrets emerge, including philandering; drug use; student pranks; student crushes; theft; etc. There are also rumors; assaults; frat parties; and internet trolling. So there's plenty going on, and an action-packed climax.

The story held my attention, and I was interested in the characters, and curious to see what the ultimate outcome would be. That said, there are implausible elements in the novel, and very few of the protagonists are actually likable.

Nonetheless, this is a passable mystery book, worth a few hours reading.

Thanks to Netgalley, Alex Finlay, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the book.

Ack! What a delight! I mean it is a creepy delight but still a Finlay delight! A group of parents descend upon campus for Parents Weekend only to be stood up for dinner. Five students disappear and what follows is the search for them and the tragedies that connect the families. Fantastic read thanks to NetGalley.

Just before Parent’s Weekend at a prestigious college, a student is found dead. Tensions rise when five more students don’t show up for dinner with their parents on parent's weekend. Is it just college kids being unpredictable—or something more serious? FBI Agent Sarah Keller returns to find out.

I love that Agent Sarah Keller was back in action. But overall, I give this 2 out of 5 stars. There were too many characters to keep track of and no real character development. The ending felt rushed, and the mystery just wasn’t there.

While I will certainly be reading more of Alex Finlay this one just didn't do it for me.

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

I thought this book was really unique. I really liked the writing of this book. It was done really well and the premise was unique enough as well.

You are following parents who show up at this end of the year party. But their lives are about to change. Buckle up and get ready to turn pages faster than you thought you could. Do you trust everyone you know? I hesitated to go into this book, but the synopsis hooked me. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. We can't forget about this beautiful cover either!!! I will be picking up more books from Alex Finley in the future.

Alex Finlay has, without a doubt, cemented his reputation as a titan of the thriller genre, and with Parents Weekend, he delivers another tour-de-force that is nothing short of a five-star masterpiece. Finlay consistently crafts narratives that are not just suspenseful but utterly captivating, and this latest offering is a brilliant testament to his unparalleled skill in keeping readers breathless from start to finish. If you're a fan of intricate plots, shocking twists, and characters who feel terrifyingly real, then prepare for a thrilling ride that will linger long after you've devoured the final page.

Parents Weekend plunges us into the seemingly idyllic (or perhaps, ominously so) setting of a prestigious university during one of its most anticipated events. But beneath the veneer of collegiate cheer and proud families, a chilling darkness quickly emerges. Finlay masterfully sets the stage, building an immediate sense of unease, pulling you into a world where trust is a luxury, and secrets are currency. The premise alone is enough to hook you: a missing student, a campus filled with potential suspects, and a ticking clock that ratchets up the tension with every passing moment.

What truly sets Parents Weekend apart is Finlay's remarkable ability to weave multiple perspectives into a cohesive and constantly evolving narrative. We are given glimpses into the lives of various parents, each with their own history, their own anxieties, and their own deeply buried secrets. This multi-faceted approach creates a rich tapestry of intrigue, forcing the reader to constantly question motivations and loyalties. Just when you think you have a handle on who's who and what's what, Finlay introduces a new piece of the puzzle, sending your theories spiraling and your heart racing. The shifting viewpoints are not just a stylistic choice; they are integral to the relentless build-up of suspense, keeping you off balance in the best possible way.

The pacing in Parents Weekend is nothing short of phenomenal. Finlay is a master of the short, sharp chapter, each ending with a hook that practically demands you read just one more. This propulsive rhythm creates an addictive reading experience, making it virtually impossible to put the book down. The suspense is layered with incredible precision, from the subtle hints of unease to the gut-wrenching revelations that punch you squarely in the gut. The twists are genuinely shocking, earned through meticulous plotting, rather than feeling gratuitous. You'll find yourself gasping aloud, rewinding through the plot in your mind, and marveling at Finlay's clever misdirection.
Beyond the thrilling plot, Finlay delves into the complex dynamics of family, the pressures of success, and the dark underbelly of ambition. The characters, even those who may be morally ambiguous, are rendered with a surprising depth that makes their plight feel impactful. The underlying themes resonate, adding an intellectual heft to the exhilarating ride.

Parents Weekend is a triumph for Alex Finlay, showcasing why he is one of the most exciting voices in contemporary thrillers. It's a meticulously crafted, intensely suspenseful, and utterly unputdownable novel that will satisfy even the most discerning fans of the genre. If you crave a book that will keep you guessing until the very last page, challenge your perceptions, and leave you reeling with its sheer brilliance, then look no further. This is a definite five-star read that demands to be experienced. Prepare for a weekend that's anything but ordinary.

I LOVE that Alex Finlay continued with Agent Keller! I have been craving more from Finlay, and this one did not disappoint. A MUST read! I loved the story from different points of view. If you are looking for a twisty, keep you guessing thriller, this one is for you!

This was entertaining, if fairly pedestrian. PARENTS WEEKEND involves six sets of parents who arrive in Northern California for a dinner with their collegiate children, none of whom show up for the dinner. One of the girls has been discovered dead, but the others seem to have simply disappeared. Two of the parents are high-profile government officials, so the police are on the case immediately. The book's focus moves from the investigator's perspective to that of each of the students, to that of each of the parents. This provides the reader with nearly 20 characters to follow. Admirably, Finlay imbues each with unique enough characteristics so that keeping track of them is not a challenge. Nonetheless, with so many characters and none playing a particularly central role, the characterization has little depth. Each of the characters serves mainly as a plot device for this plot-driven thriller.

The story line is complex, relying mainly on the students' shenanigans with a good deal of adult poor behavior included. It may be a statement about today's world that it does not take any suspension of disbelief the find the plot twists realistic. The chapters are short as each character has his or her time explaining what is going on, or what happened in the past to contribute to the kids' disappearance. This helps move the plot along. Because the reader knows the characters only on a surface level, however, it is hard to care much about any of them. After the plot reaches its resolution, the author provides a long epilogue-ish set of chapters telling us what happened to each student and family. For some readers this will provide the closure they long for at the end of the book, while for others it will be tedious.

The writing is straightforward and easy to read, making this a quick read. Most readers will have no trouble using the bare bones descriptions of setting to conjure an oceanside university to mind, so the lack of evocative language won't be a disappointment. With workmanlike writing, surface level characterization, and a somewhat predictable storyline, this plot-based thriller will appeal to those who enjoy escaping into the world of poor behavior of the rich and the consequences that behavior engenders.

I typically really enjoy Alex Finlay’s books, but this one didn’t hit for me. I found the multiple characters confusing and couldn’t get into the rhythm.

A solid mystery that I finished quickly! I kept wanting to read one more chapter. I kinda liked that it wasn’t extremely far fetched and felt solvable, when so many mysteries go for the shock value and the resolution is out of left field. I didn’t love that there was so much infidelity in this book. But overall a solid mystery that kept me turning the pages!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I can count on Alex Finlay to write an intriguing book. I enjoyed the resurgence of Detective Keller. It was nice to see her again. Thanks for the chance to read early.

Hooked until the last word! I thought I knew what was going on the whole time and the end threw me for a loop. Loved the mystery and all the potential theories. How does an entire group of college students go missing!?! I think you should find out!

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book really fell flat for me. There were way too many characters to the point where we didn’t get much time in each person’s POV so there was little to no development or personality. The plot was kind of all over the place, so many dead ends and red herrings that were honestly pointless.

The writing felt disjointed and clunky sometimes, it was hard to understand some of the acronyms of law enforcement that were used frequently with no explanation.

I didn’t find the ending satisfying, it was quite random and anticlimactic. I kept reading hoping that there would be a plot twist that would redeem things but it didn’t happen.

The premise was interesting and I enjoyed the fast pace and short chapters, but the execution wasn’t there.