I really enjoyed this one! It was fast paced, relatable, and engaging. I love dark academia, so I was immediately intrigued when I found out the setting was a college campus and it pulled me in from the start. The multiple POVs and short chapters also made it more addictive.
I loved how each chapter was set on a different family and we really got a deep understanding of each family’s scenario.
I think I would have enjoyed this even more if I read it because I’ll admit it was difficult to keep track of all the characters and which student belonged to which family when listening.
But even with the rewinding and piecing characters together, I thought it was very well done, had a good twist, and kept me guessing! Definitely recommend!

This is my first Alex Finlay novel and it won’t be the last. Such a thrilling story that is complex but when it comes together at the end is so good. You will not be disappointed.

Parents arrive on campus for Parents Weekend at a prestigious private college in California. Five families are meeting for dinner, but none of the students arrive. At first they assume they must have gotten sidetracked together, but it soon becomes clear that there's a lot more to the story. All of the families are hiding secrets and the only way to find their kids is to finally tell their truths.

This was a fun thriller with a lot of twists and turns. The plot focuses a lot on the parents and I wish we got to know some of the students a little bit better. Overall it's a good quick read that keeps you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Parents Weekend.

This was such an engaging book! I love how Finley takes you in, builds the suspense, and makes you want to know what was going to happen.

There were a lot of characters, so at times, that was hard to stay in to who was who.

Regardless, this was a quick and engaging read, and I really liked it.

What a great premise, parents weekend. Brought back memories of my own college times. Good mystery with a lot of red herrings.

This was impossible to put down. I was addicted to the way that Alex Findlay told the story. Each chapter pulled me in deeper.

This story is about parents visiting their kids at college but the weekend goes awry when a student goes missing and then is found dead. Lots of motives. Lots of secrets.

This brought me back to my college days in the best way possible.

Definitely recommend ◡̈

Parents Weekend is a thriller that takes place during a college parents weekend at Santa Clara. I have been to 2 parents weekends so far for my daughter and have never had anything like this happen at one! Basically a group of kids goes missing on their way to meet their parents for a group dinner. It’s twisted and intense. What I really liked was the way that each chapter was dedicated to the different families so we got a deep dive into each one. It added red herrings and made me get even more attached to the story and finding these kids. And one family was staying at Half Moon Bay so loved that since we go there every year. It was a fun, suspenseful thriller that kept me very entertained.

Talk about doing anything to avoid spending time with your parents... This is the basic premise of Finlay's new novel when a group of parents come to visit their children during Parent's Weekend at an elite college and then all five kids all disappear. These parents aren't like every other parent- each one has something to hide. As for the kids? They aren't so innocent either and are keeping secrets that may involve the death of a classmate. Whose secrets are threatening them- the offspring or the parents?

I like Finlay's books as they are typically a combination of whodunnits and police procedural, they are fast paced with short chapters, and they provide a thrilling read that keeps you on your toes.

This book provided us with here so many potential baddies and there was so much misdirection as to what actually happened to the kids and who was responsible, it was impossible to guess the ending. The deception and the family drama was real! Told from multiple POVs- several sets of parents and their children- I found myself quickly turning the pages to get to the end. I'm not sure how memorable this one will be, but it was a very enjoyable and quick read. Fun for the summer!

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a solid fast-paced thriller. The death of a student enrolled at Santa Clara University is discovered during parents weekend. Things intensify when four more students fail to show up to dinner with their parents. It is compelling, and the pacing is quick, which makes for an easy read.

However, the novel is bogged down by too many points of view. Instead of deepening the story, the shifting perspectives make it harder to connect with any one character. The characters themselves often feel more like plot devices than real people, making the story hard to relate to on a personal level.

While there are a few clever twists, they’re not quite enough to overcome the book’s scattered structure. Fans of Finlay might still enjoy the ride, but Parents Weekend didn’t quite earn top marks for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I really enjoyed Parents Weekend—it grabbed my attention right from the start and didn’t let go. Alex Finlay is one of my favorite thriller writers, and this book reminded me why. She keeps you guessing the whole time, and I love how she mixes suspense with strong characters and emotional depth.

The story takes place at a college Parents Weekend, where a group of students goes missing, and what starts as a celebration quickly turns into a nightmare. The twists kept coming, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened.

If you like fast-paced thrillers with family drama and unexpected turns, this one’s definitely worth a read. I can't wait to read more of Finlay’s books!

I really enjoy a good Finlay novel- they are always full of just the right amount of twists and turns. Parents Weekend is no exception. Woven between the perspective of the parents and students, a weekend of death, students missing, revenge and betrayal unravels. Providing a taste into high lives of the elite, comes a slow reveal of mistakes with serious consequences. I always enjoy Finlay's writing and character development. We also get a look into the FBI perspective of the case- books that do a good job at showcasing all angles are somewhat unicorns! Definitely worth the read. Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC.

Parents Weekend is the latest release from Alex Finlay, an auto-buy author for me. Five college students are scheduled to meet their parents for dinner during freshman year Parents Weekend, but none of them show up. Is it just college-kid antics or is something more sinister at play?

The answer is glaringly obvious from the beginning, but, inexplicably, the author expects us to pretend that it’s a huge mystery. There would’ve been a great deal of suspense to be had if Alex Finlay had just acknowledged what was going on and proceeded on the basis that we’re ‘in on it’ with him. Instead, he made a weird, uncharacteristically amateurish choice that ended up compromising any possible logic in the plot. I’ll suspend a lot of disbelief for a fun suspense/thriller, but not for a dumb one.

I rate this disappointing Parents Weekend 3 stars and I do not recommend it. If you want the real Alex Finlay, read the far superior If Something Happens to Me.

This was an okay thriller but lacked substance. It was a short and quick read that felt like it could have used more. 3 stars.

It is Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University. As the parents arrive for the parents dinner, their 5 kids are no-shows. Where are they? FBI agent Sarah Keller is in town on personal leave for her husband's father's illness but she gets called in to help. With help from the locals, she starts to realize there is more to the story than just 5 kids not showing up for dinner.

There are a few twists and turns that take us along for quite the ride. The kids are a diverse group that discover a lot about themselves. The parents are a mess! I guess they discovered a lot about themselves too.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Minotaur Books for a copy for review.

Alex Finlay's Parents Weekend delivers a serviceable thriller, but ultimately falls short of being truly memorable. The premise, setting five families on edge when their college freshmen vanish during parents weekend, certainly holds initial intrigue. The tension builds effectively as hours turn into a desperate search, and the introduction of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller adds a familiar and welcome element for fans of Finlay's previous work.
However, the central storyline itself felt somewhat conventional. While the novel attempts to weave together the individual family dramas and potential secrets as possible motives for the students' disappearance, the underlying mystery never quite reaches a level of unique suspense. I found myself anticipating plot points rather than being genuinely surprised.
Furthermore, the narrative structure, jumping between the perspectives of each of the five families, occasionally made the timeline feel a bit convoluted. Keeping track of each family's specific anxieties and their connection to the unfolding events sometimes proved a bit of a mental juggling act, hindering the overall flow of the story.
While Finlay excels at creating a palpable sense of unease and the exploration of family dynamics is interesting, Parents Weekend ultimately feels like a solid but not exceptional thriller. It offers a diverting read, but don't expect a groundbreaking or particularly easy-to-follow mystery.

I absolutely love this author’s books! They keep me on the edge of my seat and scare me just enough that I’m on edge… Without the nightmares, the other books give me! His mysteries are so well written, and I will always tune in when I see, he has a new book coming out. Definitely recommend!

Finlay is a great storyteller. This plot if full of drama and twists. Five families arrive at a small private college for parents weekend. But, none of the children show up for the dinner. One parent is a judge, another has a high profile job in DC. Is this why the kids have disappeared or is there another reason. Every parent is harboring a secret, as well as the kids.. FBI agent Sarah Keller is on the case. You think you know who is kidnapper, but you might just be surprised.

Alex Finlay might be my favorite thriller writer I’ve read in the past few years. "Every Last Fear" was just incredible, a devastating thriller that sticks with you, especially because it’s so tragic and shocking, with a plot that’s perfectly laid out. The Night Shift was another stunner. Very hard to forget. If you haven’t read his stuff yet, Parent's Weekend is a great starting point; it’s a bit lighter and easier to get into since the catastrophes happening here are equally divided among several families. While it might not hit you as hard as his earlier works, he still knows how to deliver those gut-punch twists. This book is super snappy, like a script that would have Hollywood buzzing. It has that perfect elevator pitch and goes down like a refreshing honey-infused summer drink. With a twist.

We’re thrust into a nerve-wracking and chaotic scene in the dead of night, where five students find themselves being pursued. Then, just like that, we shift back to the sunlit lawns of this gorgeous campus, brimming with the excitement of Parents Weekend. This annual event draws in the wealthy moms and dads of those five students, including a senator, a judge, and several high-profile figures. Among them, the most sympathetic one is the mother of one student who manages to get her son enrolled by working as a secretary at the university.

It’s through her eyes that I truly connect with the story. As she preps for dinner with the other parents, nervously donning a dress she hopes will help her blend in, the tension builds. When the parents gather, and the kids fail to show up, the unsettling realization begins to sink in that something may be seriously wrong. We’re then reintroduced to one of my favorite heroines, FBI agent Sarah Keller, and her charming husband, Bob.

What’s skillfully crafted in this book is that each chapter zeroes in on different families, and oh, do they have their fair share of troubles, almost as many as their kids face. We hop from one troubled family to another to read about cheating spouses, stalkers, fraudsters, and a teacher embroiled in accusations of inappropriate relationships with students, along with bullying, pranks, and all the riveting elements that make this story so captivating. This novel is not only really juicy but also elevated, much like a classic Mint Julep served at the Oak Room, to be specific about that drink.
Once you finish it, and if you haven't had the chance to read them before, I highly recommend diving into the two books mentioned earlier. They tend to be a bit grittier and more unyielding. You’ll truly be impressed by Alex Finlay's remarkable talent for crafting perfect mysteries that will really get under your skin.

This book hits the ground running and has you wondering what's going on. I enjoyed the popcorn thriller and it was a fast paced book to read. It's perfect for summer reading and one I'd definitely recommend to fans of thrillers.

Alex Finley NEVER disappoints!! What a fantastic read! I couldn’t put it down. Each new Finley book becomes my new favorite. I loved this book!!