Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A thriller that once again will remind parents that they have no idea what types of secrets their children are hiding. In defence of the children above, their parents are not exactly citizens of the year either.

What I liked:

(1) FBI Special Agent Keller and her family. Keller is in California, on a special leave, while she and her husband, Bob, support his father during his cancer treatments.
(2) The early chapters and the multiple viewpoints had me flipping the pages. Some storylines take readers everywhere and present all sorts of different suspects. I like to be kept guessing.
(3) The Prologue created a great atmosphere for the novel.
(4) Annie, the intern, who works alongside Keller, wants to see more of her.

What I had mixed feelings about:
(5) The five college students are missing. None of them seemed likeable.
(6) The parents. None of them appeared likable, except for Alice.
(7) Epilogue... too darn long



What I didn't like:
(8) I didn't care for the reveal of whodunit.
(9) 60+ chapters seem like a lot of story, I felt a little impatient to find out where these kids were.


Maybe my expectations were too high, but I am not sure I would recommend this one.

Expected Publication Date 18/05/25
Goodreads Review Date 18/04/25

<u><b>Parents Weekend</b></u>
Alex Finlay
Narrator: Brittany Pressley
Release Date: May 6, 2025

ARC courtesy of St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley.
ALC courtesy of Macmillan Audio and NetGalley.

<i>Parents Weekend</i> is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller featuring a comeback by author Alex Finlay’s FBI agent Sarah Keller. It involves the disappearance of five friends, coeds at a Northern California university during Parents Weekend.

The narrative is brisk, with short chapters told from multiple shifting pov’s. I feel that this method also has the downside of making the story seem convoluted and confusing, and the multiple characters suffer from being two-dimensional and underdeveloped. Mainly because of the former, I shifted to reading the ARC midway through the novel, which helped me keep track of the narrative. Nonetheless, the story is exciting and compelling, and surely will appeal to readers of the mystery thriller genre.

3 stars
4 stars for the narration

3.5 rounded up. I love Alex Finlay's books and was so excited to get an ARC of Parents Weekend.

This book is bingeable! Short chapters and a plot that makes you want to know what is going to happen next makes for a quick read. I enjoyed the timelines and the multiple POV. At first the multiple POV was tricky until you got to know all of the families.

Red herrings definitely keep you on your toes wondering who did it. I did feel that the ending was kind of anti-climatic and predictable.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an ARC of Parents weekend for an honest review.

I've enjoyed other Alex Finlay books and that's what made me interested in his new book Parents Weekend.
Wow does this book have a lot of characters and a lot of POV's, so be prepared for that. All those people made it hard to remember what kids go with what parents and vice versa. I was lucky enough to have both the book and audiobook. I went back and forth a lot to try to figure out and remind myself who goes with whom. I was very happy to see that Agent Keller was back to do her thing and solve the mystery of where the college students disappeared to during Parents Weekend. Narrator Brittany Pressley is always great and gave life to this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copies of both the audiobook and the book.

5/5 stars: This is Finlay's Police Procedural Mystery that features an FBI Special Agent as she investigates the lives of five college freshman and their very different parents after the students fail to show up for a Parents Weekend dinner. Finlay's masterfully crafted a fast-faced non-stop police procedural with plenty of twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat. I really appreciate the deft way Finlay unfold the plot and investigation; this is an incredibly cinematic read. Written in multiple POV, Finlay's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. This book follows a lot of POVs (each of the five students, their parents and the FBI agent investigating the case) but Finlay manages to balance all these “voices” and weave them all together to tell a compelling story without losing the plot. It's also great to catch up with FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller (who also appears in Every Last Fear and The Night Shift) and her family. With tact and sensitivity, Finlay touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and CWs. Highly Recommend!

I received this eARC thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I liked this one! It's a good popcorn thriller that kept me engaged in wtf was going on.
There are a LOT of characters, but I didn't find it that difficult to keep track of everyone. More so at the beginning, but once I got it into it was much easier/better.

I am not a fan of domestic dramas. More times than not, I end up feeling sorry for all the messed up kids who got stuck with crappy parents. So why would I voluntarily choose to read a story about a bunch of missing college kids and their crappy parents who descend on their kids for parents’ weekend? Two words: Alex Finlay. This is only the third book of his that I have read, but it most certainly won’t be the last. I like Finlay’s work; he’s a good author and a really good storyteller.

The book summary basically just introduces the primary storyline of the missing students and their parents. However, there is so much more going on here. There are the Roosevelts, mother Cynthia, an Asst Sec of State with her own Secret Service detail, and father Hank, a failed writer and unemployed adjunct professor, and rebel son, Blane. Then there are the Akanas, father Judge Ken, and mother Amy, a former attorney turned caregiver and stay-at-home mom since their son was diagnosed with cancer and later died, and their forgotten and neglected daughter, Libby. There are the Maldonados, father David, a good-looking, successful plastic surgeon and perpetual philanderer, and mother Nina, a stay-at-home mom, who puts up with her husband’s cheating, and their rebel daughter, Stella. Then there is the Goffmans, single mother, Alice, the Dean’s assistant, and her son, Felix, who is a scholarship student. Lastly there is Mark Wong, whose father is a sexual offender, who was recently released from a 10yr sentence of sexual assault.

Every one of these parents and their kids are harboring secrets about their pasts and current activities. Way too much to unpack in a book review. Once again, I have so many moments where I feel so sorry for the messed-up kids whose crappy parents have totally screwed them up. However, in typical Finlay fashion, there are just way too many other intriguing things going on with the missing kids and scary scenes playing out among all of the parents and their own ridiculous drama. It isn’t until deep into the second half that I start to suspect who the kidnapper is, but I’m also prepared for Finlay to blow me away with a shocking ending. While I wasn’t way off base about the kidnapper, I was so absolutely wrong about the killer, but I am not disappointed with the shocking end.

The character development of the parents and their kids was pretty good and even the continuing character development of the returning FBI agent, Sarah Keller, and her hubby and their twins was nice to see since we didn’t get much the last time back in Every Last Fear. The pacing was fast, and flipping back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook made for a pretty quick reading experience. The storyline was interesting and the writing typical Finlay, in other words, well written and shocking. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.3 that I will be rounding down to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for sending me these eARC’s in exchange for my honest review.

NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #ParentsWeekend

Alex Finlay with another book of twists! I really had no idea who the person behind everything was until the very end. I would recommend checking this author out if you are in the mood for some thrillers.


Thank you for this ARC!

4.25 rounded down.

Solid mystery surrounding one main incident and a proceeding incident involving the same characters. The story unravels and while that happens we get to meet a supporting cast of family member thanks to parents weekend. While the whole isn’t particularly surprising, the overall story is good, interesting and entertaining.

Advanced reader copy provided by Minotaur and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

Parents Weekend by Alex Finley, when five college students don’t show up for the parents weekend dinner the parents have different levels of alarm but soon they’re all worried and distraught over what happened to their children. It isn’t long before we meet Sarah Keller an FBI agent transferred from New York to the area to live with her sick father-in-law and instead of a staggered beginning she has to hit the ground running when one of the affluent parents gets assaulted. Before the weekend even started another student at the university was found dead and soon Keller knows the five students were in someway connected to her but who what when where and how is going to be a tricky thing to figure out. this is a lame review about an awesome book. I have yet to read an Alex Finley novel I did an absolutely love and this one is definitely included. There’s a lot to it including issues between the couples who are together in those not together coming to see their children at the school and I thought the author did a great job tying all plots up in a tidy bow that all made for a very entertaining read. I would’ve given a more detailed summary but there’s 1 million people who are characters in this book and it would’ve just been all too much. Do know if you want a great thriller then this is an awesome choice. also know the more you read the more you become acquainted and know what characters are who and what they’re up to I was about 1/3 of the way in when I finally got who was who etc but it is so worth it because Alex Finley is one of the best mystery thriller authors I’ve read. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #AlexFinley, #ParentsWeekend,#SaintMartin’sPress,

3.5⭐️

If there’s one thing I can count on when it comes to Alex Finlay’s books, it’s the fact that I can devour them in one day! Parents’ Weekend is packed full with characters. It was a bit overwhelming at first and I worried I wasn’t going to be able to keep track. There are 5 main character students, 1-2 parents for each, and agent Sarah Keller. The reader is shown each POV as the mystery comes together. I enjoyed it but found it difficult to connect with all the characters since there were so many. Sarah Keller was hands down my favorite!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date May 06 2025

I really loved this book and found it as difficult to put down as it was to get into! It took 3 tries for this book to grab my attention and it did! I loved how the book as multiple POVs and digs into each family dynamic. Without spoilers, I'll say that the plot was unique and as a reader I felt the bonds between the characters the author was trying to convey. And I did not guess twists. The only con to this book is the villain felt very generic and not a part of the storyline. But a very enjoyable read.

Proud parents gather for a weekend to celebrate their children’s first year on campus at a small private North Carolina college. But when a group of five students fail to show up for the dinner, following the suspicious drowning death of their classmate, all of their parents begin to panic. As a search ensues to find the five— Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella— each of the parents’ past activities will be called into question.

Whelp. This book is not for me, and has left me utterly confused as to my feelings on this author’s books. My favorite part of this story revolved around FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, I have not read either of the previous books that featured her, so most likely I will try one more time with Every Last Fear.

Here is where I struggle with his books— they feature way too many characters. While some thrillers have large casts of characters, Locust Lane, for example, they usually introduce them, and then slowly build up each character throughout the length of the book. In Finlay’s books, we are introduced to numerous characters, with little space in between, and then they sort of…fall flat. They all feel very two-dimensional. When this happens, I find myself unable to connect to any of them on any kind of emotional level, and therefore struggle to connect with the story. This was particularly so with the college students who felt very surface-level in their development. The only character who had true depth was Sarah.

I also find Finlay’s books to start strong and then just go completely over the top, plot-wise. I felt similarly with What Have You Done. Characters who feel at a distance and a plot line that feels unreasonable lead to a not-great reading experience. Unfortunately, the audiobook, narrated by the fabulous Brittany Pressley, only served to enhance the elements I already struggled with, and even when I eventually paired it with the physical book, I still felt a) confused and 2) completely disengaged.

Read if you like:
▪️dark academia
▪️domestic suspense
▪️family melodrama
▪️teens behaving badly
▪️ensemble casts
▪️plot-heavy stories

📆 Pubs: May 6, 2025

Thank you Minotaur for the advanced copy.

Thank you for the advanced copy! This was a fun and quick thriller to read on a weekend. I enjoyed the multiple point of views. There were maybe a few too many characters which made my head spin. Lots of good twists!

I’ve only read one other Alex Finlay book, and the experience here felt really similar. He’s clearly good at building a thriller. The hook is strong. The twists are satisfying. The pacing moves.

But there are just so many characters. The perspectives jump around constantly. The timeline doesn’t stay put. I was always a little off balance trying to remember who was connected to who, and it pulled me out of the story more than once.

I even said in my TikTok review of the last one that I’d try another to see if it was just a mismatch. Now that I’ve read this too, I think Finlay just isn’t for me.

That said, if you like short chapters, shifting POVs, and big ensemble thrillers, this might work better for you than it did for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC!

This was my ideal thriller, multiple POVs with great backstories and something I love that I know not all do - shorter choppier chapters to switch between characters!

It kept me guessing until the end and I couldn’t put the book down!

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a highly recommended thriller centered around a small private college in Northern California.

Parents are arriving for Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University. Preceding the start of this event, the body of student Natasha Belov, daughter of a wealthy businessman, is found dead in a nearby sea cave. A group of five students who are residents of Campisi Hall, Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella, plan to have dinner with their parents the first night. When none of the students show up for dinner, the parents initially think they are just being irresponsible college students, but when they cannot reach any of them, they involve the campus police.

FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller is called in to assist due to the high profile parent of Blane. She, her husband Bob and their twins recently moved from NY to CA to care for Bob's father. It is a pleasure to see Agent Sarah Keller again and on the case. Even though she is a recurring character from two previous novels, this works as a stand alone.

There is a large cast of characters but if you pay attention they quickly sort themselves out. Libby Akana's parents are Ken, a well known Superior Court judge, and Amy. Blane Roosevelt's parents are divorced, his mother Cynthia works for the State Department and arrives with a security detail. Mark Wong is Blaine's best friend and comes from a troubled past. He has no parents at the event. Felix Goffman's single mother, Alice, works for the dean of the college. Stella Maldonado's parents are David, a plastic surgeon, and Nina.

The well-written narrative unfolds between the multiple points-of-view of students and parents. The multiple individuals involved open up the possibilities and suspects especially since they all, parents and students, have secrets, threats, and issues. Almost all of the parents are totally dysfunctional and the focus is more on their character development rather than that of the students. It was a wise and realistic choice to include the use of social media by students in the plot. The short chapters keep the pace moving briskly along.

Parents Weekend was engaging throughout and the twists at ending were surprising for me. Thanks to St. Martin's Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

This was an engaging, quick read that I overall enjoyed. I liked the mystery and variety of characters (even though they were almost all unlikable by design). I am always a fan of multiple points-of-view.

This wasn’t my favorite book by Finlay but still recommend as an entertaining popcorn thriller.

This felt like a good relevant thriller book especially after the Idaho murders.

I did feel like there were way too many characters and side plots that were irrelevant. I know they were meant to possibly be a referring but I never believed any of the parents or someone connected to them took The Five.

I also thought the perspective of the 5 while being gone wasn’t necessary or maybe even cutting some of that down. I think just hearing their side at the end woudlve been just as effective.

The ending was satisfying and I’m glad it wasn’t necessarily a full happy ending. Overall it was a good mystery book.

Five parents are at Parents weekend dinner waiting for their kids to show. When hours go by and they don't appear, some feel that kids are just being kids and are off having fun while others are concerned. As more time goes by and they still don't appear the parents get concerned and get a search party looking for them.

The Five as they are called are Stella, Blane Mark, Libby and Felix are missing and may be in trouble. What led to this dreadful night?

Fbi agent Sarah Feller is called in to assist in finding these children.

Told from various points of view, I found this a fascinating read, very exciting and a different plot that I have read before. I enjoyed this alot.
I want to thank Martin Press Publishing and Netgalley for this earley copy in exchange for my honest review.