Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the book #ParentsWeekend by #AlexFinlay. This book encompasses the first year of 5 college students, Libby, Blaine, Mark, Felix and Stella. Its parent weekend and these five students along with their parents are supposed to go out to dinner, but the students never arrive. In fact, they are missing and nobody seems to know why. As the parents desperately search for their children, time is running out. Can they find them before it’s too late?

I was expecting more. It was a quick, decent read but from reading other books from this author, I was expecting more.

Its Parents Weekend at the college where 5 students attend. But the kids never show up for the dinner. All the parents have lots of secrets or past mishaps and of course they all have to be resolved this weekend also. Very intitled, unlikable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy. Publication date is next week, May 6th.

𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙡𝙖𝙮 kicks off with an irresistible premise: five college freshmen vanish during a bustling campus event, and their families are thrown into chaos as secrets begin to surface. With multiple POVs and the return of FBI agent Sarah Keller, the story promises a web of hidden agendas, fractured relationships, and high-stakes mystery.

There’s no denying that Alex Finlay knows how to build tension. The short, punchy chapters and fast pace make it easy to race through, but the plot, while compelling in concept, unfolds along fairly predictable lines and the ending didn’t surprise me.

It’s not a bad book. It’s entertaining enough, especially if you’re in the mood for a quick popcorn thriller.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5-4 stars

This was my first book by this author. I have many of his books on my TBR and just haven't gotten around to reading them. This was a fast paced book with many characters which was hard to follow. Each family of the 5 kids each had their own drama so with all the characters and pieces to the puzzle to all fit in was an overwhelming task. I liked the setting of the book (on a college campus in Northern California), the thriller aspects and Detective Keller. I would definitely read another Alex Finlay book, especially the ones with Detective Keller.

thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur for the gifted eARC. All opinions are all my own.

I have read and really enjoyed several of Alex Finlay’s books, they are always an enjoyable, fast paced ride full of twists and turns. His newest release, Parents Weekend, did not disappoint and kept me guessing and second guessing just like his others! It is set on the Santa Clara University’s college campus on Parents Weekend. It is told through multiple POVs and has short chapters, which I love.

The story follows five families whose children are college freshmen and friends, they’re known as The Five. The parents come in for the weekend and the plan is for them all to meet for dinner, but the students never showed up. Like most popcorn thrillers, it has a complex plot and there were so many characters, even some with aliases, to keep straight, but once I had them figured out it was a heart pounding, action packed, wild ride all the way to the very end, I had a hard time putting this one down. I even found myself holding my breath a couple of times.

I enjoyed the unique premise and setting of this story. I was more invested in the parents POVs than the students, maybe that’s just because I could relate more with them. I thought the references to Scooby Doo and The Mystery Van were fun nostalgic touches! There is a return of a character from his last two books, but this one can definitely be read without reading the others.

I am a huge fan of Brittany Pressley’s work. Her tone and pacing are spot on and helped create a mysterious, suspenseful atmospheric setting and plot. As always, she delivered a flawless and entertaining performance from start to finish, bringing the story and characters to life.

Thank you @minotaur_books, @macmillan.audio, @alexfinlayauthor, and @netgalley for the #gifted ARC & ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love a book where the title actually tells you something about the novel! This is a quick, fun read about Parents weekend at a small California college. Five friends from disparate backgrounds, Libby, Stella, Mark, Felix and Blane are finishing their Freshman year, and all are supposed to attend a special dinner with their parents who have arrived for Parents weekend. The kids never show up. FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller returns in this fast-paced thriller, determined to find and save the kids from an uncertain fate. Unputdownable, with short chapters that will keep readers engaged.

I hope to never have a college visit like the one in Alex Finlay’s twisty new thriller Parents Weekend. I’m so grateful to @minotaurbooks for an e-arc and to @macmillan.audio for an ALC. Parents Weekend comes out May 6!

Four families plan a joint dinner over parents’ weekend at Bay Area hidden gem Santa Clara University for their kids (plus one without parents in town) in the same residence hall, and, at first, when none of the kids show up, they write it off. Maybe they lost track of time with friends. Maybe they got stuck at a party. But as the hours pass, and none of the kids so much as text their parents, campus security is alerted and soon the area is swarming with reporters trying to get the scoop on what happened to “The Five.”

This story is told from multiple points of view. We get representation from all the—very different—families and the students in both past and present timelines. And everyone seems to have something to hide. This was a fun, quick read that I have no doubt Alex Finlay fans will enjoy. Even though some of my guesses about the main plot threads turned out to be right or right adjacent, there were so many reveals throughout that kept me glued to the book. And FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from his first two books is back to help solve this one. I really love her character and her relationship with her husband, which has some great moments in this book.

Five college kids go missing on parents weekend at a prestigious university in California as the weekend delves into chaos.

The first third or so of this book was hard to keep up with as it changed perspectives every chapter where you were introduced to at least three characters. It eventually got easier to keep up with when the focus became more about Special Agent Sarah Keller though.

While I enjoyed this story and felt myself becoming engrossed in it, I still thought it was predictable and I foresaw many of the twists and turns in this plot. The author has a good narrative voice though and I appreciate that a lot in a book.

Overall it was a solid read and a good mystery.

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay
Pub Date: 5/6/25
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I am slowly but surely becoming quite the Alex Finlay fan and Parents Weekend made even more of a believer out of me! I could not put this book down! I was surprised to see some negative early reviews of this one, but I do understand. I don’t think this book will be for everyone but I ate it up.

First and foremost, let me say do NOT do this book in audio format (gasp!!!!) You know I’m an audiobook lover, but this thriller has a very wide cast of characters and I think I would have been utterly lost if I read via audio instead of an ebook copy. It did take me a minute to get everyone straight, but probably only about the first 10-15%.

Short chapters really set a breakneck pace and SO many messy characters and their soap opera dramas keep those pages turning. I was wildly impressed at how well the sheer amount of characters were developed. Yes, there’s a gazillion red herrings and I sort of guessed where it was going but the book was just SO dang fun.

I loved the twists and turns in this popcorn thriller, but really loved some of the characters even more. I found myself a little emotional when I got to the epilogue because I was proud of some of the characters’ growth arcs and I think that is pretty dang impressive!

Lastly, Finlay is an attorney who has argued over 40 cases in front of the Supreme Court and his understanding of legal systems really shine in this one. It wasn’t distracting, just tight.

Will this be for everyone? Probably not. Was it entertaining as hell and a total hit for me? You betcha! Specifically would really recommend this one if you’re in a slump and want something fast paced to help you out. Thanks to @netgalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I listened to the audio version of this as well as read the e-book. The audio version was narrated to Brittany Pressley. She did a great job with this story. I'll have to admit it helped me to have the digital version because I find it easier to go back and make sure I know who the characters are with that form. There were lots of characters to keep track of.

This mystery revolves around the disappearance of five college students. Their parents have arrived for Parents Weekend, only to not have any of the kids show up for a scheduled dinner. It's a mystery that the FBI is brought in to help solve because several of the parents are public figures. Agent Keller is a main character in the book who is brought in off of her vacation with her husband and twins. I loved her!

I devoured this book in two days. It is very fast paced and gives you no chance of being bored.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Mnotaor Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the copies. All thoughts are my own.

Fast paced mystery thriller.

The story centers on 5 students who go missing on Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University in California. Their parents wait for them at the restaurant but none of them show up. At first they aren’t too worried, but then tidbits and details start emerging. The parents of Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella have reason to be concerned.

This book marks the return of a character from previous books by this author: Special Agent Sarah Keller who has been transferred to the Bay Area while her husband, Bob, takes care of his ailing father. Sarah is immediately brought into the case by the local police. She takes point rather quickly and off goes the investigation.

Told from several different viewpoints, the reader learns about the issues in the families of the missing students. Eventually the pool of suspects dwindles. And this is where the book fell from a 4 + suspense thriller to a barely 3. I hated the ending and the explanation. How banal and predictable. All along I was hoping it wouldn’t go there but it did so I was very disappointed. No spoilers.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, did an OK job with the story but definitely struggled with the voices of so many characters trying to give them unique accents etc. This is definitely a book that would have benefitted from a much larger production cast, especially even at least one male voice.

Parents Weekend is the fourth book I’ve read by Alex Finlay and unfortunately, it was my least favorite.

As always, Finlay opens with a strong prologue that’s packed with just enough mystery to immediately draw you in. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives and dual timelines: one following the investigation, the other tracking what’s happening to the five missing students. This book also sees the return of FBI Agent Sarah Keller, this time with a new assistant eager to help crack the case.

The book weaves together fast pacing, red herrings, and emotional depth, especially as each of the five families is forced to confront not just where their children are, but why they may have vanished. Despite all that, the motive fell flat for me and even a late twist couldn’t make the ending feel satisfying.

This was a nice fast paced thriller! I have loved everything I've read by Alex Finlay!

There were many characters so it was hard to follow at times but I can deal with that. There were 5 missing kids and their families. So much family drama, which I loved. We didn't get to know much about the missing kids, I felt like it was more about their families.

There wasn't a big twist really in the end. And I was okay with that. The ending was okay not my favorite.

This was the perfect thriller. Fast paced binge, interesting and action packed, a fun time!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy of PARENTS WEEKEND by Alex Finlay!

PARENTS WEEKEND follows a group of freshmen and their parents during a parents' weekend at a small university in Northern California. The students are meant to meet up with their parents for a dinner, but they never show. With a few parents in positions that put them and their children at risk, and with the university having recently had a student death, tensions are high and the FBI is called in to assist.

This was a highly anticipated read for me and it did not disappoint. I wound up binge reading this in two sessions over the space of maybe twelve hours? Once I pushed play, it was so easy to just keep listening as I crocheted with a dog in my lap.

The book switches back and forth through many different POVs. We start the book hearing from the students who are in definite danger, but the main focus is on the parents and those running the investigation. The chapters are pretty short and switch around a lot, but I didn't have any issues with keeping up once I figured out who was who. I think the author did well at throwing in some red herrings and enough information to have me theorizing along the way.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I always love Finlay’s books, so I was beyond excited to get an eARC of this on netgalley. This book centers around a small Northern California college, a group of 5 missing students, and long buried secrets that are slowly reveled throughout. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and dual timelines, there is plenty of suspense, the characters are fun (however they lacked any amount of depth), and it was a fast paced read. However, the twists were predictable and the ending felt rushed, which ultimately left me wanting more and feeling a bit underwhelmed with this one. Was it fun? Yes. Was it worth the read? Yes. Was it fantastic? No. I think if you liked Finlay’s previous work then you should give this one a chance.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦A book with multiple POVs and dual timelines
✦A fast paced read with plenty of suspense
✦Fun characters, but they lack any depth
✦Predictable twists and a rushed ending

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️3/5

This is my first book by Alex Finlay and it definitely won't be my last! As someone who grew up near Santa Clara, this book hits close to home! I love the side characters in the story, specifically Jay McCray and Annie Hafeez. I'd love to see Annie in future books! I loved the plot but felt that sometimes it dragged. I predicted the plot twist towards the end which is a good feeling as a reader. But at the same time, I like to be kept guessing and love when I get a plot twist wrong. Overall, it was a solid read and it has me excited to read other books by this author in the future!

Trite. The fact that there’s an actual line that says I don’t want him, I only want you, should tell you all you need to know about this book. It’s like a soap opera. Affairs, security, abductions. Too many characters. Not only are they not likable, they are caricatures of villains. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around how poorly this is written in comparison to the authors last two books.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Parents Weekend. I'm always on the lookout for books that my juniors and seniors who are ready to start making the jump from YA to adult novels might enjoy, and given that this one takes place near a college campus, I thought it might fit the bill.

I read Parents Weekend fairly quickly, and I did enjoy it. However, there were so many perspectives that I can see my readers struggling to keep track of who goes with who and what their issues are. I was also able to discern who was behind the disappearance of The Five fairly quickly. Overall, this one was kind of lackluster for me.

Based on my ratings system (detailed below), Parents Weekend is a 3 star read.

Rating Scale:

1: I disliked this book with every fiber of my being.
2: I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it. It was fine.
3: I liked this, but I probably won't remember it in the future.
4: I liked this a lot, and I will remember it enough to recommend it moving forward.
5: I loved this book so much!

I was pleasantly surprised. I’d seen mixed reviews, so I was sure what to expect.

This turned out to because pretty fast paced thriller. Yes, there are a TON of characters and it can be difficult to keep them all straight in the beginning. After a bit, you figure out which parents go with which kid. And some of the flashbacks/time jumps were a bit confusing.

Overall, a good book. Interesting story. Quick read. Kept me guessing. I’d recommend it to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, I think it would be a great book to read during the summer time. I also was pleasantly surprised to read that FBI special Agent Sarah Keller was in this book. I also really liked that the chapters were quick, it made me get through the book really quickly. Alex Finlay never disappoints!