This was a solid thriller read. I really loved the premise - that is what drew me to the book initially.
The initial twist was a little bit predictable but the story to get there was mysterious and well done. Overall a well done thriller read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this AARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this next installment of Alex Finlay's. The rampant list of suspects keeps you guessing til the end, love a good college thriller, and enjoyed the epilogue of "where are they now?" at the end. I'll always read this author's books cover to cover as fast as I can!

I thought I’d read Alex Finlay before, but according to my Goodreads profile, Parents Weekend is actually my first book by this author. After finishing it, I can definitely see why Finlay has such a loyal following. This thriller was more about the journey than the ending — which is probably for the best, because the ending felt a little predictable and, honestly, a bit of a letdown.

The story follows five sets of parents who travel to California for Parents Weekend, eager to spend time with their college freshman kids. All the students are part of the same capstone project, and plans are made for all the families to meet up for dinner. But when the time comes, the students never show.

FBI agent Sarah Keller (a recurring character in Finlay’s books) just happens to be in the right place at the right time and quickly becomes involved in solving the mystery of the students' disappearance.

Like I mentioned, I really enjoyed the journey — even if it took a little effort to keep all the characters straight, especially since almost every character has their own POV. In the end, the story fell a bit flat for me, but it was still an entertaining read that kept me engaged. I think fans of slow-burn thrillers will find it worth their time.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

When five college students don't show up to dinner at their school's 'Parent's Weekend,' their well-to-do families become concerned that this is more than just a case of playing hooky.

This was a good fast-paced read. I had both audio and ebook, but there is a pretty large cast of characters, so I found the ebook much easier to follow to occasionally flip back if I needed. I enjoyed how the story involved FBI agent Keller from some of the author's previous work (though this book is still a standalone) and she was my favourite character storyline. The tension built pretty well, and I had no idea what was going on. It was entertaining, with no real 'wow/twist' moment, but enjoyable and unpredictable. If you enjoy a good whodunit with a large cast, this would be a great book for you.

I loved that this didn’t go as I expected, with a lot of great twists (and bad people) along the way. Taking place over a weekend, things happen really fast and you’re rushed along at a fast pace needing to find out what happens next. A perfect classic thriller-y mystery with a dash of police procedural.

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is exactly what you want it to be. Page turning, propulsive, and just enough character development to keep you interested. The real winner of the story were Agent Keller, McCray, and a sidekick intern. Write me more books featuring them!

When a group of college kids goes missing, the search for answers begins. This was a book with a lot of different characters and personalities. I enjoyed following the clues until the culprit was finally revealed.

Parents Weekend sounded like the setup for a tense, twisty thriller. Five college students never show up for a campus event for their parents, and everyone is left wondering if they’re just kids being kids, or if something more sinister is taking place. And while the story had potential and kept me curious enough to keep reading, it fell a bit flat for me. The writing felt a little rough and lacked description, and the characters didn’t have much depth or growth and I wasn’t all that interested in any of them. I also didn’t find it all that thrilling, more of a basic mystery with very little suspense and a lackluster “plot twist”. Overall, not awful, but not great. One of those books that I’ll forget about in the next week.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had the opportunity to read Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay, and it was a fantastic, fast-paced thriller. The story follows the mysterious disappearance of five college students just as their parents arrive for Parents Weekend. The plot kept me hooked from the start, and I found the character development easy to follow and well-executed.

I really enjoyed Finlay’s writing style—his pacing was spot on, and there were moments of humor woven in that added a nice touch to the suspense. This was a well-developed, engaging read, and I’m definitely looking forward to picking up more of his work in the future.

Freshmen at a high-caliber California college are expected to meet their parents for dinner during Parents Weekend. However, they never arrive. Each child's parent(s) is from a different walk of life, so why would all five students in the group go missing? FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller has not even been on the West Coast for her new assignment for 48 hours when she gets brought into the search. Can she help save the students before it is too late?

Parents Weekend is a fast-paced thriller with lots of characters and a moving plot. Alex Finlay keeps you guessing right up to the end. You will not be disappointed with a great summer read!

Advanced reading copy provided by Netgalley, Minotaur, St Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

Reading in Between the Wines book review #40/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: Parents Weekend
Author: Alex Finlay
RELEASES on May 6, 2025!!!

Sipping thoughts: Parents Weekend was a near dear idea for me as I gear up to my daughter going to college in just a few short years. It is a parent’s nightmare for their child to go missing. But can you imagine 5 missing children?! This was a mystery that had a LOT of suspects and moving pieces. Be prepared to take notes if you are anything like me. It was initially hard to keep up with the characters, but I finally was able to keep them in order. The reveal was not far-fetched and made a lot of sense. I was surprised with one of the ending deaths, and it was very sad. I enjoyed this one from Finlay and look forward to his next release.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @StMartinsPress for an advanced copy of @ParentsWeekend.

#ParentsWeekend #AlexFinlay #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bokreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Fast-paced, twisty, and full of tension—Parents Weekend is exactly what a crime lover wants in a thriller. When a college campus turns into a crime scene, secrets unravel and nothing is as it seems.

This is a twisty, suspenseful mystery set at a private college in Northern California. Five students go missing during Parents Weekend. What connects them? What secrets are their parents hiding? And will they make it back alive?

I loved unraveling each family's story—so many layers and secrets to uncover. My favorite character? Hands down, FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller. She was a total standout.

This was my first Alex Finlay novel, but definitely not my last. Solid, fast-paced mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This was a quick fun read. Alex Finlay is becoming one of my favorite authors. I love stories set in college campuses, but this one also had family drama and FBI investigators. Can’t go wrong with any of those but to have all three in one - fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ”Parents Weekend” in exchange for my honest opinion. I was definitely hooked from the very beginning. It does a nice job of slowly building suspense and sharing just enough from each of the families to keep the reader guessing. There are likable characters with enough conflict to keep you interested from beginning to end. I never felt like I truly had it figured out and enjoyed the suspense. I would recommend this book and plan to read his other books this summer.

Five friends in the same college cohort go missing on the night they’re supposed to meet their parents for dinner. The parents, who don’t know each other, awkwardly sit and wonder if their kids stood them up on purpose or if they are all just running late. Soon it is apparent the students are missing, but why? Another student’s death earlier in the week has everyone on edge as Agent Keller and the campus police chief are left to finite our where the students are and why they might all be missing.

I do love books set in an academic setting. We are at beautiful Northern California on parents weekend when 5 kids are missing. The story is told in so many POV that I lost track of which parent belongs to which kid.

It was great to see Agent Sarah Keller from Night Shift back and my favorite POV. Unforgettable with so many POV, I lost interest in the story and wasn't vested in any of the characters and the story moved slowly.

Once you find out what happens, it was a bit unrealistic. Brittany Presley is one of my favorite narrators but I think with so many POV, it would have been more suitable to have multiple narrators.

Thank you @minotaur_books @macmillan.audio for a copy of the audiobook.

A private college in northern CA is thrown into chaos when a group of students goes missing on parents’ weekend. The story is narrated from the prospectives of the parents, the students and the FBI agent working the case. I liked the setting and the fast pace of this but it wasn’t my favorite of Finlay’s. The plot was a little out there and didn’t seem entirely plausible to me. With so many characters it was difficult to keep them all straight. An ok read but Finlay has definitely done better.

This book was such a fast-paced read! The setup is instantly intriguing—five college freshmen go missing during Parents Weekend, and the mystery only deepens from there. I loved how the story jumped between timelines and different points of view; it kept me hooked. The mix of family drama, college vibes, and true crime-style twists made it impossible to stop reading. And seeing FBI Agent Sarah Keller again was absolutely welcomed; love her! If you’re into thrillers that keep you guessing with multiple intriguing and twisty charcter arcs, definitely pick this one up.

Thank you Alex Finlay, Macmillan Audio, St. Martins Press, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This is my second book by Finlay, and I’m quickly learning his books are bingeable, fast reads, perfect for a free Saturday afternoon. As the title suggests, this takes place over a college’s Parents Weekend, starting with the disappearance of five college freshman who fail to show up to the family dinner. While the twist and culprits were fairly obvious from early on, I enjoyed the quick pace and few sensationalist side stories this offered.

I think the number of point of views and the lack of character development may be an issue for some, but if you are a fan of Finlay’s or looking for a few hours of escape, then I think you’ll enjoy this.