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!

Five students are a part of a capstone group at their college, SCU. On Parents Weekend, all five do not show up to the scheduled dinner and the parents immediately suspect something is wrong. Previously that week, a student of the college went missing and was eventually found dead so alert is high. The story switches back and forth between the drama of each of the parent’s situations and the students point of views. It also switches between the present and past week as we learn what actually happened to cause this disappearance.

I loved the short chapters! It was so easy to fly through this book. I liked that Alex Finlay brought back Agent Sarah Feller to solve this case. She was great in a few of his other books as well.

There are a ton of characters. I was finding it hard to follow at first and even thought about writing down a list to keep track of who’s who. Once you get into the book a little more, it is easier to follow. I gave it 4 stars because although it was a good read, it didn’t top a few of his other books which I loved. As always, I’m willing to read more by Alex Finlay.

Parents Weekend is a fast, uncomplicated read, but it struggles with a predictable plot and an overload of characters. While it's great for passing the time, there’s little suspense or surprise, making it a good choice for those looking for a light, straightforward story without much depth.

"Parents Weekend" is an engaging and quick read that successfully weaves together elements of suspense and mystery. The plot centers around a group of parents during a weekend visit to their children's college, which provides a unique perspective that I found refreshing. However, one aspect that could be improved is the development of the teen characters; they lacked depth and individuality, making it harder to connect with their experiences.

While the focus on the parents offers fascinating insights into their lives and relationships, I would have loved to see a more balanced approach highlighting the teens' perspectives. This would have added further complexity to the story and allowed for a richer exploration of the dynamics between generations.

The book features a wide array of characters; at times, it can be challenging to keep track of everyone. Providing more distinct traits or backstories to differentiate them might have been helpful. Nonetheless, Alex Finlay has done a commendable job crafting a narrative that captures your attention from the first page to the last, with well-executed twists that keep you guessing.

Overall, I enjoyed "Parents Weekend" and would recommend it to readers looking for an entertaining and thought-provoking story, especially as a perfect choice for a relaxing beach read!

The story opens up with the parents of 5 college age children getting together for dinner but then the kids don't show up to dinner. Then we learn that recently another college student was found dead just a day earlier and now the pressure has heated up.

Our previous Alex Finlay's character, FBI special agent Sarah Keller, once again in the spotlight.

I enjoyed how the book highlights each family and tells a well rounded story not just focusing on one outlet. This was a great instance of how when you expect to only read one or two more chapters turns into staying up to finish the entire book. The start was a bit confusing in the sense that there were a lot of characters to keep straight but in the end I think it added to the pace of the book.

I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read from this author and this one was no different! Another great read to add to the collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press

I've been wanting to read some of Alex Finlay's previous books but hadn't gotten to them yet, so when I saw this book pop up I jumped on it. It didn't disappoint! It was twisty and turny and I will definitely be getting to those backlist books now!

Thank you Net Galley and Publisher for this ARC. I have enjoyed many books from this author, but this one was not my favorite. I really liked the short chapters but I felt that the twists were very predictable and there was too many characters to keep track of. I had a hard time getting through the book and connect long with each character. Even though I don’t enjoy this book , I will continue to read more from this author .

My 4th Finlay novel and this one was so much fun!

In true Finlay fashion, there were a lot of characters and a lot of POVs. It does take a little time to get to know everyone before you can really sit back and enjoy… but once you do, it moves fast.

I saw someone give this a 1-star reviewing describing it as a “popcorn thriller”. Why is that a bad thing? Personally, I love a popcorn thriller! Sign me up.

4⭐️

I was really excited for this one, I really enjoy this author. This book though it just had too many characters and the plot was entirely too silly. It didn't hold my attention and I felt myself loosing interest quickly and not wanting to pick it back up. It was hard for me to push through and finish it..

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

There's a lot going on in this book. You have five different families, parents and children. and the investigators. All with perspectives. Chapters are short, which I do like but they needed more substance, especially Agent Kellers viewpoint.

Overall, its a good read, kinda a slow burn until 50-60% through.

It was also an easy one to figure out for the reader.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this arc! This book was good. I liked that the chapters were short and made for quick reading. There were alot of characters and i wish they were more developed. I would recommend for a quick read.

Parents Weekend was a fast, engaging read with solid pacing, and I enjoyed reuniting with Agent Keller. I did figure out the big twist, but it didn’t take away from the ride. My biggest gripe? I wish the student characters had been more developed. Definitely plot-driven, but still a fun thriller!

Five college students disappear during Parent’s Weekend. Agent Keller takes over the case and uncovers hidden motives and secrets among these college students and their influential families.
This was an exciting story that had plenty of twists and turns. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC that will be released March 2025!

I did enjoy this thriller, however it seemed a little YA to me. Not a bad story but didn’t really hold my attention as well as I wanted it to. The chapters were so quick and constant change of POV. I have read another book of this authors and loved it but this one just wasn’t my favorite .

A very good thriller set at a parents weekend which I read while also on a parents weekend. Fortunately nobody died or disappeared in my iteration.

Seven families are involved when five students disappear at the start of parents weekend. I found that it was a lot of characters to keep track of, particularly as most of the parents and students have secrets that appear to be linked to the disappearance before petering out into a false trail. Though this rings a little false on the credibility-o-meter, the author just about keeps things reined in to at least the outskirts of believability.

As with the author’s previous books, the chapters are short and often end on a cliff hanger, keeping the novel zipping along. The perspective moves from parents to students to the FBI agent brought in to find the missing students. The resolution and dramatic final scenes are not quite fairly won but are satisfying nonetheless.

The closest I got to murder at my son’s parents weekend was a workshop on Vertigo, which is how I prefer it personally, but kudos to the author for making a fictional one an easy way to pass the time on the flights to and from.

Thanks to Minotaur and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for allowing me to have an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions. First of all, I enjoy this authors books, so I was excited to be chosen to read it. The book dives right into the heavy stuff, which allows the reader time to get back stories on the missing students, their parents and the university. I do feel like it was slightly predictable in a way, but it doesn't take away from the story. I found myself reading "Just one more chapter" when really I needed to go to bed or do chores because I had to know what was going to happen next! Overall, I think this book will be a hit with mystery/thriller readers!

This book had too many characters and the story wasn’t interesting at all. Hate that for this author when so many of his previous books were great.

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this e-arc early.Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths call them—come from five very different families. What led them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril or a threat to the friend group from within?The story was told through multiple points of view in past and present. I was on the edge of my seat at the end there was lots of action which I loved. I loved the short chapters.

Not for me. Too many characters, plot too silly. I really liked this author‘s first few books, but this one and the last one were not good for me. I understand the thrillers sometimes need to suspend reality to work, but this one just was too much.