I devoured this in one setting. I loved that this book was such a fun fast read. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. College campus was perfect. This is definitely a quick read, lots of twists and turns and overall just a great book!!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the copy of this ARC.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book felt a little scattered. I couldn’t quite tell what it wanted to be: Thriller focused on the college kids, FBI who-dun-it novel, or uncovering scandal. It also felt like there was too many POVs happening and it was extremely hard to keep track of. I think if the central theme had been presented and then started weaving in different POVs throughout the story rather than each chapter at the beginning being a different family, I would’ve had an easier time with this one. I appreciate the author trying something new though! I feel like this book was way more character based than action based which is interesting for a thriller. It was incredibly fast paced and made for a very quick read. I liked getting to see all the characters graduations at the end to wrap up the story. Overall, I just had a hard time sinking my teeth into this one.

5 out of 5 Stars!

When 5 families gather around Friday night for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend, they expect to meet up with their children. But as the night goes on, panic increases when they cannot get in touch with their kids. They are college students, so were they irresponsible and forgetting about the dinner? Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella all come from very different families. So, what drew them out together on that Friday night? Was it fate, or did one of their secrets come out?

I was so excited to see Alex Finaly’s new book come out, “Parents Weekend”. Last year, I was given an ARC of “If Something Happens to Me”, and I was HOOKED by that novel. To no surprise, I was equally hooked on “Parents Weekend”. This was a fast-paced mystery that constantly had me on my toes. We get MULTIPLE perspectives throughout this book, which quickened the pace I was reading. The end of every chapter left me wanting more and questioning what I really knew.

Not only are we figuring out what happened to the five college kids, but we are trying to figure out their family’s secrets. Every family had their own secrets they didn’t want to discover, which added another level of surprise. We got to hear perspectives from the parents, the kids, the detective, and more that I won’t spoil. I personally love books with dozens of perspectives, as I can never guess the ending with so many suspects. Which is what exactly happened in this book. The ending really threw me for a loop, and I did not see it coming. The ending felt like a full circle, which is one of my favorite ways to conclude a mystery.

Alex Finlay is turning out to be one of my favorite authors! I cannot wait to read more by him in the future and to read his past books. Pick up “Parents Weekend” by Alex Finlay on May 6th, 2025.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Emilia Hart, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was a solid/decent read.

Entertaining and suspenseful.

It was a slow start but then it began to pick up. Enjoyed how the story turned out to be about.

This was a bingeable thriller. I loved that Agent Keller made a reappearance. That being said, I didn’t feel truly invested in the story or characters. Due to the large number of characters and different POVs, they didn’t feel fully developed. But if you’re looking for a quick, twisty, entertaining read, this meets the criteria.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book!

Devoured this in just a couple of days! Agent Sarah Keller, featured in two of Finlay’s earlier five-star thrillers, is back and in California. She gets assigned a mysterious case at a small private college where five students go missing during Parents Weekend. The story alternates between her POV and that of the various families of the missing students, and man is it a tale of rich people behaving badly. That put me off a little bit, there was so much lying and infidelity going on, but overall it was a solid mystery that came together nicely in the end. I didn’t like it quite as much as the last two Keller books, but it kept my attention the whole time and I think it will be a great read for the beach bags this summer!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press Publishing for sending this DRC for review consideration.

Loved the college campus setting—it made the perfect backdrop for this twisty thriller! Parents Weekend adds tension as students go missing, and the flawed, distracted parents add an extra layer of intrigue. Loved the multiple POVs. Enjoyed seeing Agent Keller return from The Night Shift!

SO GOOD!

Another great book by Alex Finley!

It would have 5 stars from me if I didn’t guess the perps. But overall it was written so well, and the plot and story line were really enjoyable. I was actual able to keep straight the different couples / families, and that’s a win for me. Usually that means they’re described really well and different in distinct ways. 10/10 on that aspect for me.

Regarding me guessing, it clicked about halfway in. But there were still quite a few things I was surprised with. Would definitely recommend this to others!

I appreciated the opportunity to read Alex Finlay's latest novel.

It's parents weekend at the college. A group of parents attending the weekend are awaiting their children for dinner reservations, when their children don't show up. Instantly the parents begin to worry, each of them coming from different backgrounds and having different reasons for their fears.

I appreciated that this book was set on a college campus. I am a fan of an academia setting. I found the premise to be a bit predictable, but it was an enjoyable read overall.

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is another entertaining read by Alex Finlay, it follows FBI special agent Sarah Keller. In the new book Sarah Keller is investigating the disappearance of five college students during Parent’s Weekend.
Alex Finlay’s books are always very fast-paced and addicting and Parent Weekend was as good as the previous ones.
Overall, I thought this was a great read and I look forward to reading more of Finlay's work.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As always, a very heartfelt thank you to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the opportunity to read Alex Finlay’s newest thriller “Parents Weekend,” which releases May 6, 2025.

While it’s true that I read this over the course of an evening and enjoyed it, I found this one to be more of a popcorn thriller than some of his earlier work. There was a large ensemble cast and, while handled well by Finlay, made it feel as though the story lacked depth as time couldn’t really be spent getting to know the characters on the page as the plot needed to be moved along lest it stagnate.

I did enjoy the reappearance of Agent Sarah Keller from his earlier work, as well as her husband Bob and the twins. I also thoroughly enjoyed Chief Jay McCray, who is introduced early on and who shines throughout.

The loss of life in this one felt senseless and the character’s motivations were frustrating, but given it centers on a group of young college kids and their disappearance, it fits. The ending felt rushed, with a lot happening all at once, but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it as a nice little palette cleanser between heavier reads.

#netgalley #books #booksbooksbooks #bookrecs #arcreview #bookreview #bookgirly #bookstagram #thrillerrecs #stmartinspress #minotaurbooks

This is a compelling and energetic read. I very much liked the FBI agent, Sarah Keller, and her ingenuity and grit. And I loved getting a close-up view of a college campus, with all the dynamic combinations of relationships you can find there. The mystery itself is compelling enough to carry the reader through to the end, and the end is satisfying. I felt a little bit like the final few chapters didn't quite live up to the rest of the novel, but I know readers who come into the bookstore who I can recommend this to as a good summer read.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
It’s parent’s weekend at Santa Clara University in California. As the parents begin to arrive news of a missing student becomes known. Natasha Belov is missing and soon discovered to be dead of an accidental drowning.
Blane, Stella, Mark, Felix and Libby are five freshmen students from different walks of life all in a capstone project together, they have a welcome dinner with their parents but all five students fail to show up. When no one is able to get in touch with the students the FBI is called in due to the high profile of some of the families.
Agent Keller begins her investigation and discovers the students are linked by more than just their project and may be hiding something. A student intern helps Keller discover a social media platform where a student is posting scandals happening within the university. Keller discovers that Natasha’s death may not have been accidental. As more details come to light the parent’s secrets begin to spill out: affairs, stalkers, arrest records, theft, divorces. All the family drama leads to a ton of suspects that could be involved in the teen’s disappearances.

In the first few chapters there are more than twenty different characters introduced, that all play an intricate part of the story. It’s a chore to keep them all straight. I ended up keeping a cheat sheet in my notes app of who’s who in the story for reference. Most chapters are headed with the family name it’s centered around but I still found it confusing to keep track of all the different storylines. Overall the story is great and I read the book in mostly one sitting because I needed to know what happens!
If you like multiple POVs, alternate timelines and lots of dynamic characters this book is for you! Parents Weekend is out May 2025!
Thank you to NetGalley for this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review

This was a fast paced story that kept you guessing if parents really know their children.

Santa Clara University a prestigious private college in Northern California is hosting parents weekend and on the Friday evening for the welcome dinner on campus 4 students never show to meet their parents. Once they discover students are missing it turns into "The five" as one student did not have parents attending.

The case becomes higher profile the longer they are missing so the FBI is brought in and we get to see Agent Sarah Keller return and is put on the case.

The Five - Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella couldn't be more different and come from vastly different backgrounds and households and honestly all are pretty unlikable. We receive this popcorn thriller from multiple POV's as we go through the weekend they are missing.

Everyone is hiding secret and telling lies so it's hard to figure how or why The Five disappeared? Clocking at 235 pages this was a quick fast paced enjoyable book. Only drawback to the story being short, the ending felt a bit rushed.

This was a quick, binge-able thriller. I love the short chapters because it feels like the story moves quickly. I did like the different POVs, but it did feel like there were so many characters, and it was honestly hard to keep track of everyone. There we so many different possible "suspects", but none of them ever felt right and I basically figured out the "twist" from the beginning. I also would have liked to see more of the story from the student's perspective, instead of the parents'.

The ending wrapped up the story nicely, but it did leave me wanting more. Overall, it was a solid "popcorn" thriller and I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

Parents Weekend is about the mysterious disappearance of five college kids the night their parents arrive for their campus' Parents Weekend celebration.

What unfolds for the first ~50% of the book is a fast-paced, multiple POV, chapter after chapter trying to weave these stories together. I was hooked.

...and then it kept going. Every time I thought maybe we were getting to some sort of resolution, it was just more twists and turns. And I like twists and turns, but introducing new characters and issues so far into the book didn't make it more interesting.

Then, as if in a lightbulb moment, Keller just figured it out? I don't find it particularly believable. It was spoon fed to us how it all clicked together instead of showing us.

Three stars instead of two because I love when an "innocent" doesn't make it.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by Alex Finlay, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Brittany Pressley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4 stars!

It's Parents’ Weekend at a small college in northern California. All the parents are gathered at dinner but none of their children show up. As time clicks by, panic sets in. The students are from very different backgrounds and all of the families have secrets.

I always look forward to Alex Finlay’s latest book. This one even has a returning character in FBI Agent Sarah Keller, although it’s definitely a stand-alone read. I loved having both the digital and audio files of this book to seamlessly go back and forth and any audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley is perfection. The story unfolds through multiple POVs and timelines. I found it a bit confusing with so many characters, but easily fell into the story and mystery.

This was my first Finlay book and I was not disappointed. I found the storyline interesting and characters developed. Certainly there were some more likable than others. This did not contain some giant, shocking twist but the mystery unfolded in a logical way. I think it would make a good limited series to watch.
I will be checking out If Something Happens to Me by the author next.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

💬:
Unfortunately, I’m behind in my reviews and my reading 📖. Life! 🤪

I actually read this back in December during my week stint in the ICU, I just haven’t gotten around to writing this review.

It’s been a few months and I still remember all the details about this book. That is how I know it was an impressive read.

I’d recommend going in blind and just keeping in mind that there are many characters to keep track of. It did take me a little while to commit them all to memory, but not so long that it took any enjoyment away.

I guess the positive side to multiple PoVs is that you do need to pay attention, and can’t easily breeze through the contents. This could lead to an enhanced experience if the story is good, which this book was!

𝕃𝕒 𝕗𝕚𝕟:
The last third of the book kept me flipping through the pages to get to the end. I also loved how everything came together in the end like the last few pieces to a puzzle (mystery).

🗒️:
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵. 𝘐 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘣𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢:
-𝙈𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙑𝙨
-𝙇𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨 🧅 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮
-𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 ✍️ 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜
-𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨
-𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙭 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙮𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙨
-𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 (𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙚)
-𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 (𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨)
-𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜

3.5 stars. I have always been a fan of Alex Finlay as he is always known to write a bingable, addicting thriller and while this was not my favorite from this author, it did get me out of a reading slump so for that I appreciate. In this latest thriller, five students go missing during parents weekend following the suspicious drowning death of their classmate. As their parents try and figure out what happened to them, they are also trying to cover up secrets of their own.

I have mixed feelings about this one. We are introduced to numerous characters in a short period of time (I even had to create a cheat sheet) and because of this, none of them were able to be fully developed. They all felt very two-dimensional and honestly not very likeable. The one character I really wanted more of was Sarah Keller, the FBI agent from Finlay's last two books.

Told through multiple POVs and dual timelines, this is a fast-paced mystery that I wanted to love more but ended up being too predictable for my tastes. I know that so many love Finlay, me included and while this one did not work for me, it may be a hit for so many and I will definitely be reading any future books by this author.