I am an Alex Findlay fan. I have enjoyed all his books and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed the mix of characters. There were some I would have liked to know better. It feels as if each family could have had a book of their own but their stories were effectively woven together. Without giving anything away I wish the ending wasn’t so sad for one of the characters.

you can’t help but feel for the kids stuck in the emotional wreckage left by their dysfunctional parents. But true to Finlay’s style, the narrative quickly shifts focus to a whirlwind of missing persons, unnerving scenes, and a whole mess of parental drama that’s as chaotic as it is entertaining.
he tension builds nicely. It wasn’t until well into the latter half that I started piecing together who might be behind the abductions but I braced myself for one of Finlay’s trademark curveballs. I wasn’t completely wrong about the culprit, but when the real killer was revealed? I didn’t see that coming at all. The ending definitely delivered.

That said, I struggled to keep track of who belonged to which family. The college kids, in particular, felt underdeveloped they started to blur together, which made it harder to stay emotionally invested. A few more distinct voices or point-of-view chapters from the kids might’ve added much-needed depth and helped drive the emotional stakes higher. One late-stage twist left me wondering why it hadn’t been explored earlier it felt like a missed opportunity for even more tension. Still, I’ll give credit where it’s due: the story kept me flipping pages, and I blew through it in no time. Final verdict? A solid, speedy thriller with some sharp turns but compared to Finlay’s earlier hits, this one didn’t pack quite the same punch.

Alex Finlay’s Parents Weekend delivers a whirlwind of suspense, secrets, and high-stakes drama set against the backdrop of a college campus weekend that takes a dark and unexpected turn. Known for his twisty plots and sharp pacing, Finlay once again brings a gripping thriller to the table—but this time, with a narrative that can at times feel overwhelming due to its complex layers.

From the outset, the story hits the ground running, offering a multitude of characters, perspectives, and plot threads that demand close attention. While the fast pace and constant developments create a sense of urgency and intrigue, the sheer volume of action and shifting focus can make it a challenge to stay fully grounded in the storyline. That said, the mystery at its core is compelling, and the suspense builds steadily, keeping listeners engaged and eager to uncover the truth.

The audiobook format adds an extra layer of immersion, with the narrator effectively capturing the emotional highs and lows of the characters while maintaining momentum throughout the twists and turns. Still, some listeners may find themselves wishing for a bit more depth and character development to fully connect with the stakes at hand.

Despite its complexity, Parents Weekend is an entertaining and fast-paced listen that offers plenty of suspense and surprise. Fans of Finlay’s previous work will appreciate the high-energy style and signature misdirection. With just a touch more narrative clarity and character depth, this could have been a standout. As it stands, it’s a solid thriller that mystery lovers will still find enjoyable.

As a fan of author Alex Finlay, I've read just about all of his novels. So, I was excited to read his latest -- Parents Weekend. Sadly, the novel didn't quite live up to my expectations.

The story unfolds through multiple points of view, with Sarah Keller reprising her role as the FBI agent tasked with investigating the case. A case of five college students vanishing during Parents Weekend, a college campus event.

There are numerous characters in this novel and it makes me wonder if their development was hindered in any way. I mean, I lost track of who's who due to the overwhelming cast. And because of this, I seem to think that the character focus took away from the suspense that Finlay is known for.

Overall, Parents Weekend was a likeable read. Not Finlay's greatest achievement. And hopefully, his next novel will be just as good or better than his earlier works. Three stars.

I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. This review is my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

It's Parents Weekend at a small private college in California and the parents are all happy with plans to spend a weekend with their child -- the kids not so much. Once you are away from home, your friends become more important than your family and that was definitely the case with these 5 kids. Even though there were some issues between parents and kids, the parents were all surprised when not one of the five students showed up for dinner. Some of them were immediately concerned and the others weren't too worried until the next morning. Along with the missing students, there was a lot of dysfunction with their families. Blaine's parents were divorced.. The mother was with the State Department and surrounded by bodyguards at all times. Stella didn't get along with her parents and they were fighting all of the time to his infidelity. Libby's parents are grieving a lost son. Felix was being raised by a single mother and he was being bullied at school. Even though the main plot of the book was about the missing children, there were a lot of sub plots about the parents and their problems. I really can't say much more about the plot without possibly giving you a spoiler but I will say that this was a real page turner. The ending was a big surprise for me and some of the events that led up to the ending kept me turning pages until the end.

My main problem with this book was the extensive cast of characters. With five missing students, there were a lot of parents, school officials and police personnel. Many of them had their own chapters and it was difficult to keep up with which parents belonged to which kids and to which spouse. It got easier as I got further into the book but in the beginning I had to make a chart to keep up with characters.

This author has a very extensive backlog of books and this is my first book by him. I enjoyed Parents Weekend so much that I plan to order some of his earlier books.

It’s Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University and five students are notably absent when it’s time to join their parents for a scheduled dinner on Friday night. With the recent death of a student on everyone’s mind, the parents are torn between worry and annoyance. Is this just young people being inconsiderate or is there something more serious afoot?

As one day turns into two, and more time passes with no contact from their children, the campus police are called and then the FBI. The rumor mill runs amok as those that know the students as The Five speculate on where they’re at and possible motives for their disappearance.

I loved seeing FBI agent, Sarah Keller again! Not under the best circumstances but still, always a joy! Alex does multiple POV so well and intertwines it with the past and present in a skillful way – I was never confused by character or time, and that’s something I love in a multifaceted twisty tale such as this.

The push and pull with Sarah and the local police is a thing of beauty as we watch Sarah do what she does best and the final reveal just shows how bad I’d be if I were at the helm of a special investigation – despite the numerous thrillers/mysteries I’ve read!

Brittany Pressley narrates this one beautifully! She is such a talent and just knocked this out of the park! Well done and bravo!

Twisty, thrilling, engaging!

It’s Parents Weekend at an elite college in California. For this group of freshman and parents, it’s suppose to be a fun weekend of reconnecting and meeting friends and parents. But, unfortunately this weekend goes horribly wrong. It turns into everyone’s worst nightmare.

The author quickly has things going wrong so your senses are heightened. There are quite a few characters are mentioned in this book, but the author did a good job of identifying and separating parents and students, detailing family dynamics and how they were dealing with the situation. Sarah Keller is the FBI Agent on reassignment for family purposes and gets pulled into this case. Along with Sarah, I thoroughly enjoyed Bob, Sarah’s supportively funny husband; campus police chief Jay and intern Annie. I didn’t feel as connected with the parents and their students, maybe because they came all came off as entitled and somewhat cold. Short chapters made this book flow easily and heightened the suspense. This was my first book by this author, and I look forward to reading him again. I’ll be checking out his previous books, especially the ones with Agent Keller.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Five students go missing during parent’s weekend at their small private college in Northern California. While their parents all have secrets, so do their kids. It is up to Special Agent Sarah Keller, who has just relocated to the area, to untangle this massive web of secrets and lies.

This is Alex Finlay at his best, fast paced with quite a range of characters! Don’t worry about trying to keep everyone straight it all comes together and with so much action it flies by. I loved the return of Agent Keller and diving a bit deep into her family struggles. Also loved the author’s note at the end, it’s always so cool when writer’s draw from their own lives.

3.5 - This was a classic Alex Finlay book. Full of action, a boatload of characters, intense, fast-paced, and just gets the job done without leaving you too much to think about. This one wasn’t my favorite of his lineup, and it was simply because there was just too many characters. And while I was able to keep them straight since I read this one quickly and without taking a break, it was too many people. So many that I ultimately didn’t feel like I was pulling for anyone because I barely had any time to get to know a single person. I was just along for the ride, and the ride was certainly fun. I enjoyed the drama of the parents quite a bit; maybe more so than the kids, which is where my interest perhaps should have lied since they are the ones who were missing. Regardless, this one will scratch the easy thriller itch if you have it but may leave you a bit underwhelmed.

This is a fast-paced thriller about five college students who go missing during Parent's Weekend on campus. Their distraught parents and investigators are in a race against the clock, but everyone has secrets, especially the parents. FBI Agent Sarah Feller is back in this one, but it works as a stand-alone.

The writing is crisp, with multiple POVs and short chapters that propel the action forward. Each chapter ends with a little cliffhanger. I did figure out the culprit early, but I still enjoyed the drama and the parents' secrets, which kept me turning the pages. The impact of the parents' secrets on the missing kids was interesting, too. The story is a bit predictable, but I'm still a Finlay fan, and this popcorn thriller would make a fun beach or poolside read.

Brittany Pressley narrates the audiobook. She is one of my favorite narrators and fantastic, as usual! She brings all the characters to life and adds to the suspense. There are quite a few characters, but Pressley gave each of them a unique sound, which helped me keep everyone straight.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the gifted book and audiobook.

You might find yourself struggling a bit to keep everyone straight at first as this is the story of five college students-Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella-their parents, and FBI SA Sarah Keller who has been sent to find them. It's told from multiple POVs but know that eventually you'll be following along just fine. Yes the students have a secret but all of their parents do as well. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This takes multiple turns and twists. While you might not be surprised by all of them, it's still a page turner that will be great for travel or the beach.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this riveting novel. From page one, I was on campus with these parents and students. As the tangled web unraveled I couldn't put the book down. Finlay is a master story teller and creates twists that keep you in suspense until the very last page. A must read for anyone looking for an exciting page turner!

I enjoyed this story. I read a lot of it in one sitting, and that was mainly because if I stopped reading I had to re orient myself to all of the characters. It was a bit much learning the students, their parents, and then people in each parent’s life, plus their last names.

Right before Parents Weekend a student dies. And the first night after the parents arrive for a dinner, five students go missing. Special Agent Keller, is put on the case to track down the missing five. However, she finds that most of the parents have secrets of their own. This leads her down several different paths to try and find where they went and if someone took them.

I did enjoy the story. It was fast paced and kept me invested. I’ve seen people say it was predictable, but it wasn’t to me. I had some issues with the number of characters, but overall, it did feel necessary to increase tension and suspicion with each different parent group.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I know what I'm expecting when I read an Alex Finlay book: multiple POV that tell a suspenseful and layered story. The premise of Parents Weekend was fantastic: a group gathers at a Northern California college to hang out with their kids, who have mysteriously vanished. While I did find the ending predictable, I think his fans will enjoy this one! P.S. I loved the return of a familiar face!

Blog review goes up May 6 and I will come back and link it!

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of Parents Weekend.

Five sets of parents are all headed to visit their children at college. All of the parents have secrets and issues going on in their lives and little do they know that their children also have secrets. When the parents are at dinner one night waiting for their kids none of them show up but they chalk it up to being in college. But when none of them have heard from their children the next day they are all worried.

This book was so confusing because it had way too many characters to try to keep track of. I also felt like that made the story difficult to follow. The ending was way too rushed. I was not a fan.

Solid mystery with lots of red herrings. The chapters were mostly told through the different parents who were visiting campus for Parents Weekend. I enjoyed this layout a lot. I also like the epilogue chapters that covered how each student and parents were doing three years later. I have not read this author before, but want to try more of his books now.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for this thoroughly enjoyable ARC

Good pacing, interesting premise and solid suspense. I can see this being a popular summer read.
Thanks for the chance to read and review.

This book has a great hook with the beginning with The Five and their realization that they have done something terrible but not knowing what and it drew me right in! I love the way this author writes his thrillers, nicely twisty with rotating view points with the parents (where you get to see how their actions might be the reason their kids have gone missing), to the students (ramping up the tension as you see what terrible mess they are in) and of course FBI Agent Keller whom I absolutely love and am glad she has made a reappearance in solving this current case. She is smart and knows how to use all the resources (including taking along local agents and one eager intern as they know the area and people) to solve the case. She really does shine and I hope we get to see her and her family in more of these thrilling books.

This was a fast and thrilling read and kept me on the edge of my seat as I urged Agent Keller and the other officers to find out the truth and where they missing students have gone, hopefully before they end up dead! Yes, there is sadness in this book, but I really enjoyed it and the ending was good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this awesome book. I love this author and look forward to reading all the novels her writes!

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay has an engaging premise: five college students go missing during their first Parents Weekend at a small school in Northern California, and the investigation unravels the tangled web of family secrets and campus dynamics. The setup promises intrigue, and Finlay delivers a suspenseful atmosphere, blending college life with a sense of growing dread as the missing students' fates remain uncertain.

The multiple points of view keep the story moving, with a range of characters who bring different perspectives on the case. However, while the mystery is compelling, the characters feel more like types than fully developed individuals. The family dysfunction and the idea of generational issues affecting the next generation is explored, but the depth doesn’t go far enough to make it truly resonate.

The return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller is a nice touch, but the narrative feels somewhat disjointed as it bounces between timelines and characters. While the tension builds and the reveal is satisfying enough, the pacing could have been tighter, and the payoff didn't quite live up to the intriguing setup.

Parents Weekend is a decent read, but it leaves you wanting more, particularly in character development and emotional depth. It’s a good choice for fans of suspenseful mysteries with a family drama twist, though it doesn’t quite stick the landing.

I'll start off by saying I like Alex Finlay as an author. I absolutely loved If Something Happens To Me and I think about it to this day. Unfortunately, this book, Parents Weekend, was not a hit for me. It just felt very flat, although I loved the idea of 5 college kids going missing while their parents are visiting for the weekend. Cool idea, but poor execution. I think it's due to there being so many characters in this story and not enough plot building. There are the 5 missing kids, their parents and extended family, FBI agents, school staff, other random kids.. it was a lot to keep up with. Sadly, this was a 2 star read for me.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Alex Finlay for this ARC.