Reading Parents Weekend is like binge watching a fast paced, suspense filled movie! This fast paced book with short chapters keeps you reading, on the edge of your seat, to figure out what happens next.
Parents Weekend takes place at a small private college in Northern California. It follows five first year students and their families on Parents Weekend. Panic ensues when the five students of Campisi Hall don’t show up for the weekend’s opening dinner and hours pass with no word of them, The campus police call in reinforcements and what follows is a tale told from many points of view both past and present. The authorities explore how the five became friends and whether their own stories or their families past could be related to their disappearance.
I enjoyed the fast paced suspense of Parents Weekend. My only small criticism was wanting more development towards the end of the story. I would definitely recommend this book! Reading Parents Weekend has encouraged me to read Alex Finlay’s previous books.

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It took a bit to get into this one. There are a lot of people to keep straight initially, but once sorted, things move along at a good pace. The short chapters make this a quick read but make sure you’re paying attention!
It wasn’t my favourite by Alex Finlay but I enjoyed it.
(2.5/5 rounded up)
Thank You to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Alex Finlay for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is a popcorn thriller. Lots of big, flashy action scenes and dramatic moments, not a huge amount of depth. Honestly, I think this suffers from too many characters to delve into any of them deeply. The chapters from the students’ points of view seem YA in the writing and the switching between points of view can feel disjointed at times. I enjoyed reading this in the same way I would enjoy watching an episode of Criminal Minds, it was good if you don’t think about it too hard.

I want to start off by thanking NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The book had potential, but unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark. At times, the story felt confusing, with certain parts not making much sense. The ending, in particular, felt rushed, leaving many questions unanswered. The author spent too much time focusing on the parents' issues, which overshadowed the actual plot and took away from the core of the story. Additionally, there were numerous unnecessary storylines introduced that were never fully developed or resolved, which made the narrative feel disjointed. With more editing and a tighter focus on the main plot, this book could have been much stronger.

Wow... what a rollercoaster this was! I had no idea what was going on, but in a good way.
I wanted answers, and then when I got them I wanted more book. Very good book, with such captivating writing. I couldn't put it down and was so sad when it was over.

DNF at 50%

I was hopeful this would be a hit when I saw it featured the return of Agent Sarah Keller, but her presence alone couldn't keep me reading. There were too many characters, none of whom I could connect to, and the pace was sluggish.

So glad to see the return of Agent Keller! This was a non-stop action thriller and I loved it and was HOOKED from the first page! I loved how every character had a mysterious backstory and could have been the culprit AND it kept me guessing until the very end. I have been a Finlay stan since the beginning and I'm very pleased that he has returned to what he does best. I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to see what he has coming up next!

Alex Finlay’s books are hit or miss for me and I did not enjoy this one because there were too many points of view.

I was beyond excited to receive an ARC of Parents Weekend! I’ve devoured all of Alex Finlay’s books on release day, so getting an early copy was a thrill. The premise immediately hooked me—five freshmen, their parents visiting a stunning California campus, and then… things go horribly wrong.

As a college sophomore parent myself, I loved how easily I could slip into the story. The parents? Awful in all the best ways. And as secrets start unraveling and a student goes missing, the tension ratchets up. When the kids don’t show up to dinner, the real nightmare begins.

This was a fast-paced, wildly entertaining read full of twists and terrible people hiding even worse secrets. Finlay masterfully keeps the suspense high while delivering a satisfying conclusion. If you love dark, thrilling mysteries, Parents Weekend is a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A disappointment from his previous books for sure. Way too many families to follow with so little depth and explanation. Basically a snooze fest.

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for my eARC.

Parents Weekend is another solid addition to Alex Finlay’s fast-paced, non-stop, action-packed novels as the parents come together to be with their college students. There are lots of characters with separate swirls for each family involving crime, infidelity, abuse, and politics. Tension fills the book as the swirls blend together for the dramatic story.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

If Alex Finlay wrote the phone book, I’d read it!! All the stars for his latest book! I love how we have Agent Keller and her husband Bob again in this one. They’re my favorite characters. I found myself laughing out loud several times. I love Finlay’s writing. He draws you in and you either love or loathe the characters. I thought I had it figured out halfway through but of course, I was wrong. Can’t wait to read his next book!

Alex Finlay is a master of suspense and this entry in his catalog continues his streak. There were some points that I found a bit predictable, but I read so many thrillers that I have to write that off as a me thing.

Alex Finlay has a way of captivating his audience from the very beginning...so many turns and twists leading nowhere...just had to keep reading to find out what was happening next!! I also love how he mentions his other books, which if you have read it's thrilling and if you haven't, you wouldn't even know it. I loved seeing Agent Keller again.

THANK YOU!! Minotaur, Alex Finlay, and NetGalley for this ARC!!

PS will we be seeing Annie in a future book?!?!

The novel starts off strong as the parents of children attending a small, elite private college descend for parents’ weekend. The plan is to begin the weekend with dinner with their children, but when four children don’t show up (and it’s later determined a friend of theirs is also missing), the police and FBI agent Sarah Keller get involved. The campus is on high alert because of a drowning of a student earlier in the week. Most of these parents are prominent in their fields, so law enforcement looks into each family to see if that may have something to do with the disappearance.

I didn’t like the ending quite as much as what led up to it. There are a lot of parents to keep track of, so at the start of each chapter, which bounced around from various points of view, it would take me a moment to reorient myself as to who was who, but this is a mostly enjoyable mystery.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES MAY 6, 2025.

It's parents weekend at a private college in California. The families of five students show up to meet their children for a dinner party, but none of the students show up. FBI agent Sarah Keller has recently moved from NY to the area, so she is called in to investigate.

After I got the students and parents straight, I really enjoyed this story. The plot was fast-paced and unfolded through chapters told through the eyes of the parents, students, and FBI agent. Each set of parents had their own conflicts which kept me interested in the storyline. I kept trying to guess how it would play out, but I couldn't until almost the end. This was my first Alex Finlay novel, but I will definitely look into reading other ones.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC copy.

I received and ARC of Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay from Netgalley!

This book was pretty good. However, there were so many characters and so many different families to keep up with throughout the story, especially in the beginning. I did grow to enjoy reading about some of the characters but didn't care much for others. Unfortunately, it took me a while to push through the book and I kind of felt it was a little more on the YA side of a thriller. I usually do love Alex Finlay books, but this one just did not do it for me.

Parents Weekend has arrived. Parents from all over the country make their way to Northern California to celebrate their kids and see how their college experience is going. When their children don't arrive to the dinner event the parents begin to wonder. Could they be hiding and partying? Maybe their avoiding a chat with their families. The parents begin to worry that their kids have gone missing.

Soon "The Five" gain media attention as police join the search for the five teenagers. Everyone's secrets are aired out. Could the kids have been taken by the cheating spouse's lover? A kidnapping by a high up opposing government, an angry ex, running from their own actions? Soon special agent Sarah Keller is placed on the case, she will stop at nothing to bring these kids safely home.

Alex Finlay writes books that you can't put down. They are fast paced mystery you want to know how it ends. The characters are all placed well within the story and serve purpose. There are a lot of names though. Well worth the read. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

I thought the book was gripping, but at times, it felt a little complicated with all the characters and their intertwining storylines. It took some effort to keep track of who was who, which occasionally slowed the momentum. If you enjoy thrillers with multiple POVs and tangled mysteries, you'll enjoy this one.

Such a great thriller! Finlay captured unique family dynamics PERFECTLY. The short chapters helped moved the story along, as did the alternating points of view. Please excuse me while I go read all of Finlay's backlist!