Such a solid read! I always enjoy a book by Alex Finlay!

In this multi-character mystery/thriller, there is a lot to keep up with in the story line, but it all blends together in a seamless way. It definitely took me a while to piece some of the pieces together but I knew somehow the pieces had to fit. I just wasn't sure quite how. This was a clever book and I enjoyed each word. The characters were well developed and I could easily picture them. The setting felt idyllic which made it even more perfect for such a harsh scene.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio was really quite good with top notch narration that pulls the listener into the storyline and keeps them immersed. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

I absolutely loved all of the different family dynamics in this book! Each family had so many of their own secrets and problems and I loved how we got to hear from everyone’s point of view. It was a powerful story about grief and the extreme measures it can lead you to. Fantastic read!

Who Has Targeted These College Students?

I expected a complicated plot when I was introduced to countless characters after the first two chapters. The college students were similar socially with erratic behavior. The parents of these students, visiting on Parents Weekend, had an unexpected change of program when their children had gone missing. Before this weekend, a college student, Natasha, had drowned in a cave. Understandably, this was not a simple incident; however the Dean seemed to find it inconvenient rather than tragic.

The main characters, which included college students and their parents, were mostly unlikeable which doesn’t help the reader trying to latch on to a few promising heroes. Most of the kids are typical college students but there is an added layer of deceit and trouble. No surprise there; their families are rich enough but are layered with infidelity and abuse.

The murder mystery starts out when the arranged dinner for their families at the beginning of Parent’s Weekend becomes a frightful scare. None of the designated college students attend the dinner. There is no communication and, of course, no one is responding to the emergency texts sent by the parents. Hours turn into days and no one knows what has happened to these college students.

The main character is FBI agent Sarah Keller who is called to help the campus police find these students. The reader is subjected to the background of the families and the faults and good points of the parents mixed with tragedies and divorce. There were too many characters, too many plot lines. Revenge was a strong motive for the author’s story, but the sequence of
episodes and occurrences muddled the mystery.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this pre-published copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you so much @Minotaur_Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 06 May 2025)

SYNOPSIS | Five freshman students fail to show up for dinner alongside their parents at a small private Northern Californian college. Typically campus police would put this down to "kids being kids", however last week another student body was found washed up in the local beach caves.

WHAT I LIKED:
- fast pacing (once you get into the story)
- the return of FBI Agent Sarah Keller (+ introduction of Annie the intern)

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- there are a LOT of characters to keep track of (made for a slower start with lots of POV switching)
- ultimately I didn't feel particularly invested in any of the missing students or their families
- the timeline jumps were also difficult to keep straight
- the plot felt kind of unfinished
- the epilogue was waaaay too long

“The young will do nothing but make you feel your age.”

Parents Weekend, although enjoyable and entertaining, made me feel underwhelmed. There just wasn’t anything really fresh and new to keep me wanting more. I am writing this review a week after reading and I’ve already forgotten some of the plot points.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

While I have thoroughly enjoyed two previous books by this author, this one didn’t do it for me. All the characters were fairly detestable and plot was so implausible. Finished it but was left wanting so much more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay. This my second book by Alex Finlay and this one was not as enjoyable as the first on. There wasn't a lot of "meat on the bones" for me. Too many characters and sub plots to make it truly enjoyable. I am an outlier for this one as I am only giving it a 3 star rating. That might even be a bit high. Started out fun but soon got bogged down! Better luck with the next one!

I like mysteries and thrillers that have a collegiate setting and I‘ve enjoyed Alex Finlay’s previous books. So, I’ve been looking forward to reading Parents Weekend and, for the most part, I wasn’t disappointed.

When a group of parents arrive at a local restaurant at the start of Parents Weekend, they expect to meet their children who are members of a freshman capstone class. But, the five students never show up and search parties begin to comb the area for answers.

The story is told from various points of view – both parents and the five students. The plot not only revolves around the disappearances and subsequent investigation, but it also deals with dysfunctional families, parental expectations, and that first year of freedom after high school.

The characters are varied and interesting, although many aren’t very appealing. The pace of the story is good and I enjoyed the multiple POVs. Parents Weekend crams a lot into the story and a few times it felt a little jumbled.

I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as previous books written by Mr Finlay. But, even so, Parents Weekend was a strong 3.5 star read that I’ll bump up to an even 4 stars. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

I really enjoyed this read!! It was twisty and kept me at the edge of my seat right til the end. I loved reading about the kids and their families and oh boy were they MESSY. I’ll be reading more by this author in the future for sure.

I love Alex's books and how fast paced they are! Parents Weekend was a great thriller and kept me guessing. I struggled a little bit with the audio and keeping the characters straight, however once I figured them out i enjoyed this book.

I have listened to a few of Alex Finlay audiobooks and I always enjoy his books. This story was a little harder for me to follow because there was so many characters unfortunately. I still enjoyed the story since there was some twists and turns I didn't see coming. I did enjoy FBI Agent Sarah Keller. She was a really good character.

This was a fast paced book and did keep me entertained at times. So definitely give this a try. When everything comes together I definitely didn't see it coming so that was a big surprise for me. I wish I could say this was a favorite but this one was just slower to me. But I would still recommend this book. It could have been me this time and I just missed things.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for allowing me to read to this ARC for my honest opinion.

📚 E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

Parents Weekend By Alex Finlay
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
Publisher: St. Martin's Press| Minotaur Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded Up To 5⭐)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

I was so thrilled to receive an advanced e-copy of Parents Weekend, as I'd heard so many incredible things about it! This book was a suspenseful and thoroughly gripping thriller, with twists and turns that had me feeling seriously whiplashed -- and loving every minute of it!

It's Parents Weekend at a private college in Northern California, and it begins with five families gathering over dinner and cocktails with their kids, all of whom are freshman in the school. There's just one problem -- the kids never show up to dinner. Everybody blows it off at first, kids being kids and all, but as time goes on, panic sets in as everyone realizes something is wrong. And it certainly doesn't help that another freshman student's body was just discovered after an accidental drowning. Campus police, local police, and the FBI are all brought in to find the missing kids because of the high-profile status of some of these parents. Are the missing kids connected to the student who drowned, and can law enforcement find them before things get worse?

This book was told from multiple POVs in alternating chapters, which made for a fast read and cliff-hanging moments throughout the story. I loved that the POVs alternated between the FBI agent, the parents of the missing kids, and the missing kids themselves. This kind of storytelling gave me the sense that I was following a trail of breadcrumbs into a diabolically creepy and sinister place -- and it really upped the ante of tension as I followed the trail to the very end. This one kept me wondering for so long -- and I didn't see these twists coming!

This was my first read from Finlay, and I really loved his writing style -- I can't wait to read more of his books! This one is for you if you enjoy multi-layered mysteries filled with suspense, tension, and the feeling that time is running out. High recommendations for this gripping thrill ride -- Parents Weekend is available to read now!

#ParentsWeekend #AlexFinlay #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARCs #thrillerreads #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #psychologicalthriller #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

This is a fast paced, entertaining read! The story is told from multiple character points of view which keeps the story interesting, maintains momentum, highlights character information and tracks the investigation of the missing students. There isn’t really a lot of in-depth character development, which might be an issue for some readers, but if you’re looking for an entertaining thriller, Alex Finlay will certainly give you that!

Alex Finlay’s Parents Weekend is a fast-paced thriller that plunges readers into a suspenseful mystery set during a college event in Northern California. When five freshmen vanish during the festivities, the narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives, revealing a web of secrets among the students and their families.  

The story is driven by FBI Agent Sarah Keller, a returning character from Finlay’s previous works, who navigates the complex investigation with determination. While the plot is engaging and the pacing brisk, some characters may come across as underdeveloped or unlikable, which could detract from the overall experience for some readers. 

Despite these character challenges, the novel delivers an entertaining read with twists that keep the pages turning. It’s a suitable pick for those seeking a quick, suspenseful story that doesn’t require deep emotional investment in the characters.

Parents Weekend may not be Finlay’s most profound work, but it offers a compelling narrative that balances mystery and drama effectively.

Parents Weekend is another thriller by Alex Finlay. I enjoyed a story told from multiple POVs. The family dynamics were enjoyable to watch. Finlay is an author to add to your automatic buy list.

This book had me hooked from the prologue! I could not put this book down until I finished. I loved all the POVs & just seeing where this story was gonna take me. Alex Finlay does it again!

This is my fifth Alex Finlay novel - and I read that this one has already been slotted for the big screen, so we have that to look forward to! Finlay writes great thrillers and I do love a good thriller.

Description:
In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of 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 at dinner.

At first, everyone thinks that they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours click 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 call them—come from five very different families. What led 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 through multiple points of view in past and present—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 we all remember in the dorms when our friends become our family.

My Thoughts:
There's a lot going on in this book - it's complex. How in the world can five college students disappear at the same time. Then, multiple suspects because the parents have haters. I was glad to see FBI Agent Sarah Keller again in this book - I liked her from the other books and she really steps up in this one. Unravelling the disappearances was difficult and fascinating - lots of red herrings. If you like a good mystery or thriller, you will enjoy this book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books through Netgalley for an advance copy.

It’s Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University! The capstone group has invited their parents to join them at a sit down dinner, but when 5 of the students don’t show up, everyone is left worrying about where they are and what happened to them.

This was such a great read! Told from quite a few different POVs, which can sometimes be a bit confusing, but I was able to easily jump into each storyline with everything flowing smoothly. I loved reading about each family’s dynamics, and the FBI agent had me rooting for her the entire time! Definitely a page-turner; I needed to know what was going to happen! Will absolutely be recommending this book!

Fast-paced, suspenseful thriller featuring the return of Agent Sarah Keller. Several sets of parents descend on a private university in Northern California to visit their freshman students for Parents' Weekend. One student is already dead, and several more are missing after they don't show up for the initial dinner. The story moves fast, revealing secrets, betrayals, and red herrings as the parents' worst nightmare unfolds. I really liked the premise of the story, but found the number of characters a little overwhelming at first.

Recommended for fans of Agent Keller from Alex Finlay's The Night Shift, and fans of twisty mysteries in an academic setting, like In My Dreams I Hold a Knife.

This was a very enjoyable thriller! I appreciated the multiple viewpoints and the unique characters. The story was bingeable and full of interesting details and twists. This is my second book by the author and I really enjoy their writing.