Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the
E-ARC! Really enjoyed! Great plot twists & liked the setting. Will definitely read more from this author.

The pacing was great, shorter chapters that I found difficult to put down.
there are a lot of characters, so it took me a bit at the beginning, but once I was able to keep everyone straight in my head I really got into it.
it was filled with flawed characters and mystery.
would def recommend!

It’s Parents Weekend at college, but all 5 of the students missed the group dinner. Because some of the parents are high-profile, the FBI is called in to help find the kids.

High paced thriller with multiple POV between the parents, kids, and FBI agent. There are A TON of characters — sometimes it was a bit hard to keep up with which parent belonged to which kid and who was who, but overall the author did a great job of developing the characters uniqueness.

There’s no shortage of action at really any point of the story line, which made this a perfect quick read - would be great for beach trips coming up!

This is my third Alex Finlay book, and it’s by far my favorite! You get the usual…lots of characters and red herrings, but it seemed easier to follow than his others for me.

I also REALLY enjoyed the plot! Parents come visit their kids at college, their kids disappear, and secrets start flying off the pages! You mainly get the different parents’ POVs and the detective who is working to try and find them, but sprinkle in the kids’ POV too, and it was the perfect mixture!

The short chapters keep it fast paced, and this one kept me guessing the entire time. I kept going back and forth on all my theories! Andrea and I weren’t sure how it was going to end!

Definitely grab this one when it comes out if you’re in need of a gripping story!

Thank you to the publish and Net Galley for allowing me to read this early.

3 stars. The story revolves around five college students that go missing and the secrets and drama that lead up to it from multiple family POVs. It read fast- not a lot of fluff but it also read like a tv show with the dramatic lines ending chapters. You could almost visualize the actors saying the eye-rolling line before going to commercial break. After a while, I was ready for the story to wrap and debated ending it 88% through. Will this story stick with me? No. Was it my style? No, but if you like quick thrillers that have clean language, no gore and keep it simple, this could be your jam.

A masterclass in suspense. Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a twisty, fast-paced thriller that grips from page one. With missing students, dark secrets, and razor-sharp tension, it’s everything you want in a binge-worthy mystery.

I have loved all of the previous books by this author - but this one was way to predictable!

The students and their parents were stupid, selfish, self absorbed - totally unlikable!

Keller was the bright spot of the book (and Bob)
Tied up all the loose ends - except where they ended up. Perhaps I see a sequel....

Easy read - would make a good beach read.

I was pretty surprised when this was one was done because it was super quick and short. I listened to the audiobook and I did like the narration very much. I felt like there could have been a lot more fleshed out int his one and it wasn’t my favorite of his (although I was pleased to see agent Keller again). Parents weekend has come and before it can even get started a student who was missing is found dead. If that wasn’t bad enough 5 other students go missing the night of the big parents weekend dinner. One of those students has a mother with connections to Washington so a search is started almost immediately. Agent Keller has just moved on a temporary assignment so her husband can care for his aging father and she is quickly called out to the case. This one did move quickly, but I wanted more from the characters. I didn’t like any of them very much, but I did feel there was potential with them. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars because it was a quick read.

A very crazy parents weekend is ahead in this book. Multiple points of view and a lot of secrets. I enjoyed the setting and the concept behind the book. Didn’t love the characters. It’s sort of a thrill but by the end it really isn’t. I also listened to and enjoyed the audiobook version too.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!
I find this author to be hit or miss for me. I loved his last book, this one not as much. A lot of characters, confusing plot.
But I encourage you to decide yourself!

3.5 stars rounded up. This was an enjoyable fast paced thriller that kept me guessing. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a major letdown. While the fast pace and short, punchy chapters had potential, the story quickly got bogged down by too many underdeveloped characters and unresolved plotlines. At just 235 pages, it felt rushed and incomplete, with no clear explanation for how or why the central crimes unfolded.

The writing was basic, the characters flat, and the plot full of holes. There was no real twist, no suspense—just a loosely connected series of events that never came together in a satisfying way. Despite the multiple points of view, none of the characters felt fully formed or compelling.

This felt like a popcorn thriller in the worst way—light on substance and heavy on empty style. It read like something cranked out quickly, without much care or depth behind it.

I’m honestly puzzled by the glowing reviews. For me, this was a frustrating and forgettable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

3.5 stars

Alex Finley is an author I discovered a number of years ago and have read his last three books, enjoying them all. This his latest Parents Weekend releases on May 6.

Taking place in Northern California parents gather at their children’s private school for a dinner together. However, five kids don’t show up and what follows is a twisty road as to what happened. The book starts with introductions so as you can imagine five older teens and their parents, that is a lot of who's who, and which parents belong to which teen. Once I finally got everything straight in my brain, the story took off.

I didn’t realize that a face from past books, FBI special agent Sarah Keller was going to make an appearance (and you don’t really need to read the other books to get her story) but I do remember her and hope that I see more of her in the future. It was Sarah‘s point of view that was my favorite.

Parents Weekend is a fast paced story with many layers, red herrings, and characters that I really couldn’t connect with or even like. With Sarah being the exception.. It was a quick read as I was intrigued as to what was taking place. The mystery itself kept me guess, trying to solve it, but Sarah beat me to the punch.

All in all a quick read, with chapters leaving me wanting to read just one more .

I thanks to Saint Martin’s Press for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review

4.5 stars! This was exactly what I expect from Alex Finlay. Gripping, engaging and always added drama. Fantastic!

The twist was a teeny tiny bit predictable and the thrill was slightly less intense than others but the writing was on point as always. There were a lot of characters, so it took a bit of time to make sure I knew who was who and it meant the build was a bit slow to start while we got introduced to everyone. But overall, there isn't much I would change and I definitely recommend anything Alex Finlay writes!

Excellent thriller! Fast paced and exciting story intertwining many lives into one story. I couldn't put this one down!

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay follows the mysterious disappearance of 5 college students on parents weekend.
.
I enjoyed the multiple POVs of each family. Everyone has a story and every family has their own drama! I especially liked the POV of Keller, the FBI agent. (I just read she’s in other books by this author as well).
.
I thought Finlay did a good job of planting suspicion and uncertainty. I was truly baffled about the disappearances and had several theories before the final twist was revealed. Now, did I love the final twist, not particularly, but I enjoyed the book and I think thriller readers will too!
.
Thank you netgalley and Minotaur books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I was pulled in immediately to this fast paced “where are they” and “whodunit” read. I hated anytime I had to stop reading. I thought it would be difficult to follow so many storylines and POVs, but Finlay writes it quite seamlessly. I definitely felt like I was taken on a wild ride and would suggest this to any thriller lover out there! The ending left just a little something to be desired which is truly the only reason it’s 4 star instead of 5 star! Definitely a great read!

I enjoyed Parents Weekend. It was a steady climb to the end. I wasn’t shocked by what happened, but I was entertained throughout. The families each have issues and given the size of the group and all that is happening I found the characters to be surface level and at times distracting. I didn’t feel that I really knew any or could relate to them. That missing depth affected my overall investment in the story. Still a good read.

Parents Weekend is another page turner by Alex Finlay. At a small California college one student has drowned and four students are missing. This all happens on Parents Weekend . FBI Agent Sarah Keller, with her family, is in California temporarily because her father-in-law is ill and needs help. She gets assigned the case since it is the weekend. What made these students targets. Are they kidnapped or did they just take a jaunt?

You will definitely be wondering what is going on at this college. This book is a quick read and exciting. If you like thrillers give this book a try.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #AlexFinlay, and #MinotaurBooks for a copy of this book.
#ParentsWeekend

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC of Parent’s Weekend by Alex Finlay. Having read and enjoyed one of his previous novels, Night Shift, I was looking forward to this new book.

This book, as the title suggests, is about a parent’s weekend for five college freshman at a small California university. The parents come from all walks of life from the dean’s administrative assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State. Soon after the parent arrive, all the five students go missing. Sarah Keller from the FBI (and Night Shift) has just relocated to California. She is called into action along with the campus police to find the missing students. Family secrets are revealed as the mystery surrounding the missing students unfolds.

My biggest complaint of the book is the number of characters. I had a tough time keeping all of the family members and related occupations and students strait. There were too many and I was constantly having to remind myself who was who.

Overall, not a bad book but not as good as Night Shift. The ending was predictable.