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!!

Five families show up to a dinner at a parents weekend at their kids college. The issue - none of the students make it to the dinner. At first, it is suspected that the kids have skipped to attend a party or something else more exciting on campus. But as time passes and none of the students appear or answer calls, the families and officials begin to worry that something more sinister has happened. Following multiple perspectives of the students (Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella), parents, and FBI operative, the reader is brought into their different lives to try to figure out what really happened.

Overall, this book was an okay read. I was nervous at the start when so many character perspectives were being introduced. But Finlay was able to write them in a way that you can quickly piece together all of the narratives. The first 75% or so of the book had me absorbed in trying to figure out what happened to the students, and who's family was targeted. But the ending and resolution of the book was a bit underwhelming. Additionally, when I finally made it to the end of the book, I felt like there could have been fewer narratives featured/subplots to be able to focus on the development of a smaller subset of characters.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Alex Finlay for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first Alex Finlay book I've read and I plan on reading more. I liked the premise of the book, parent's weekend at an elite college. Although there weren't many twists and turns along the way, it was enjoyable read. None of the adult characters in this book were likable, however, you couldn't help but get sucked into their dysfunctional stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mintaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the ALC/ARC! It’s parents’ weekend at a small, private college in California. When five kids don’t show up to a planned dinner, concern starts to grow. What happened to Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix and Stella?

I swear every one of Alex Finlay’s books is better than the one before it! His latest is a fast-paced, multilayered mystery involving people behaving badly. Questions swirled not only in the story but in my mind as bits and pieces of the missing students’ lives came to light. Told through multiple points of view, “Parents’ Weekend” is extremely character driven and full of some morally grey characters (which are my favorite kind!). I also loved seeing FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller and the additional perspective she brought to the story.

I found myself thinking “just one more chapter” many times throughout this story - thank goodness I had the audio because I simply couldn’t put it down! Captivating and entertaining, this was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time!

“Parents’ Weekend” is out NOW! This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I think this could have been way more interesting if it went deeper into the friend group dynamic of the five instead of basically all of the parents having affairs. everything just felt very anticlimactic and I honestly just don't think thrillers are for me anymore.

Alex Finlay knows how to write a character driven story. Parents Weekend is no exception. Taking place over one weekend on a college campus in California, Parents Weekend brings multiple groups of parents and students together in a race against the clock, suspense filled novel. When 5 students go missing with no explanation, it is up to temporarily reassigned FBI Agent Sarah Keller to work with multiple police jurisdictions in order to bring the children home safe.

I will say in the beginning, it is hard to keep all of the student/parent families straight, as each family has their own dirty laundry and disfunction to deal with. However as the story progresses readers will start to pick standout characters and hope for their safe return, etc. Alex Finlay is quickly becoming an "automatic buy" author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Publishing/St. Martin Press for the opportunity to read this novel.

Having enjoyed Alex Finlay’s previous books, I was excited to get an early look at his newest release.

Super enjoyable, liked the multiple POV’s and happy to see Agent Keller again. Hopefully there’s more of her to come in future works.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the advanced digital copy.

I think I’m done with Alex Finlay. I loved The Night Shift but I’ve been disappointed in each novel since. This one, just like the last two, has too many characters and too many distractions. It definitely could have been cut back.

⸻

Read If You Like:
• Multi-POV thrillers with layered timelines
• Family secrets and generational fallout
• Missing persons mysteries with emotional stakes
• Campus settings with a dark undercurrent
• Fast-paced Storytelling  

During Parents Weekend at a prestigious Northern California college, five students from Campisi Hall vanish without a trace. Initially dismissed as typical college antics, concern escalates as hours turn into days with no contact. The missing students—Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—each hail from distinct backgrounds, and their disappearance sends shockwaves through their families and the campus community.  

As the investigation unfolds, FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller returns to navigate the complex web of secrets, lies, and hidden connections. Told through multiple perspectives and shifting timelines, the narrative delves into the personal histories of the students and their families, revealing that the past may hold the key to the present mystery. 

What I Loved:
• The intricate narrative structure that maintains suspense while exploring character depth
• The realistic portrayal of parental fears and the complexities of family dynamics
• The atmospheric campus setting that adds tension and authenticity
• The return of Agent Sarah Keller, providing continuity and a strong investigative thread
• The exploration of how past decisions and secrets can reverberate through generations  

Thanks so much to the publisher for my gifted ALC and ARC!

I really enjoyed this. Interesting and diverse characters, and the plot had lots of twists and turns. I had a hard time putting it down!

I've read everything by the author and this is right up there at the top. I loved the little unexpected touch of connection between this story and Finlay's book The Night Shift with having Agent Keller in both stories.

This book was great. It lived up to all of the previous books by this author. Creepy, engaging, and fast paced.

📚Parents’ Weekend by Alex Finlay

⚠️CWs for murder, suicidal ideation, thwarted suicide attempt, infidelity, pedophilia, child abuse, sexual assault, and more

Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5

Yesssss give us nothinggggggggggg. This read more like a drafted outline than an actual published novel. The plot itself was obvious and there was no intrigue along the way. I liked the initial setup but hated that there was no big payoff.

I love had similar lukewarm feelings about his backlist, but I think this might be the end of the road for me and Alex Finlay.

💭This wasn’t my favorite Finley book, but he will forever be a go to author for me!

It’s parents weekend at college, the parents and kids are supposed to meet up for dinner together except the kids never show. No one can get ahold of them and the police are called.

This book has a ton of characters, but the chapters are broken up by family groups which helped me remember who everyone was. The story shifts from past and present, with short chapters to keep you turning pages. If you like campus thrillers and mysteries, you will enjoy this one!

Alex Finlay’s Parents Weekend delivers a suspenseful narrative centered on the sudden disappearance of five college freshmen during a celebratory weekend at a Northern California campus. Told through multiple perspectives—including those of the students' parents and returning FBI agent Sarah Keller—the novel explores themes of family dysfunction, generational secrets, and the pressures of modern parenting.

Finlay adeptly balances a fast-paced plot with character-driven storytelling, using alternating viewpoints to maintain suspense and deepen the emotional stakes. The integration of contemporary issues such as cyberbullying and social media's influence adds relevance without overshadowing the central mystery.

While the novel's structure and thematic depth are commendable, some readers may find the multitude of characters and backstories challenging to track, potentially diluting the impact of key revelations. Additionally, although the conclusion ties up the narrative threads, it may feel somewhat rushed compared to the meticulously built tension throughout the story.

Overall, Parents Weekend is a compelling addition to Finlay's body of work, offering a gripping exploration of parental fears and the complexities of family relationships. Fans of domestic thrillers and character-rich mysteries will find much to appreciate in this novel.

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.