I am a huge fan of Finlay’s thrillers but this wasn’t my favorite of his works. There are lots of characters, many of which have similar backstories, and I had a very hard time keeping track of what set of parents went with what kid. I also like the chance to solve the mystery on my own but I felt like we were only given information as the FBI agent was (no dropped clues or hints along the way), so the reader doesn’t really have the opportunity to start solving on their own. Other than that, though, the thriller was a quick, engaging read that kept my attention. It wasn’t scary or overly tense (unlike his previous works) so it is a good option for the cautious thriller reader.

Overall, a quick read that was enjoyable although I personally prefer his previous books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced electronic copy. All opinions are my own.

This book kept me interested from the start. The plot is about a group of college students that disappear on parents weekend. The story keeps you hooked with with what happened to them.

It has lots of twists throughout and was well written. I love the short chapters! I would definitely recommend this book!

This was a page turner and suspenseful at every turn. There were a lot of characters and storylines but it was relatively easy to follow.. it wasn’t at all what I expected towards the end but all the secrets came out and made for a satisfying ending even though ot was sad as well. I love this author’s books and have read all of them so far and will continue to do so.

Absolutely loved this read! This is my first 5 star read of the year. Alex Finlay can do no wrong in my book. I read this is in less than 24 hours because he writes the kind of stories that catch your attention and hold it until the very last page. The only reason I didn't finish this sooner is because I value my sleep!

This was a fun one, honestly. I enjoy this type of writing.

Parents assume their kids don't show up because they're out doing good ole college partying, but learn it's much more than that. It's written from multiple points of view, and very fast paced. Each POV leaves you itching for the next little breadcrumb that will lead you to the conclusion.

I definitely recommend this as a fast paced popcorn thriller. A really nice change of pace from the overly long fleshed out stuff I've seen lately.

ARC review • pub date 05.06.25

I’ve loved Alex Finlay’s past books and was so happy to see a return of Agent Sarah Keller. In Parents Weekend, Sarah is sent to a college where five kids don’t show up for a dinner as their parents are visiting them at school. They’ve all just seen their parents, and yet it seems like they disappeared into thin air.

There are a LOT of people to keep up with, had to write it down and reference it the first half of the book! Lots going on, very fast paced, and kept me guessing I think the end! Definitely add to your list.

4⭐️

Thanks so much to NetGalley & Minotaur Books for my ARC!

I was thrilled to receive this book, because I am a Alex Finlay book. Unfortunately, I didn't love it the way I hoped I would. My final thought was "meh". It was...fine I guess? I loved the setting (my daughter almost went to Santa Clara) and the concept of college parents, but it was flat and unexciting and there was truly nothing thrilling about it. It was just...fine.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one. After loving Every Last Fear I have dutifully read every one of Finlay’s books, but I have no rediscovered the brilliance of the first one.

This book felt very formulaic, with lots of characters who didn’t add uniquely to the story in any way. I don’t enjoy giving a negative review, but I will always be honest. Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to read this one.

Alex Finlay is easily one of the best writers of this time. His stories this one included always grab my attention from the very first page. Parents Weekend has multiple points of view just like his other stories in the past. However, I feel like there was possible more POV's than usual. Parents Weekend takes place in California at a smaller university where you guessed it the parents are there for a weekend with their freshman kids. What could possibly go wrong? This story revolves around a group of five freshman students who mysteriously disappear on the night they are supposed to be meeting their parents for dinner. Unsure of where to turn they bring in FBI Special Agent Keller- from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift. Through out the story we are lead through the different POV's from the parents perspectives and lives past and present. I think with all the different perspectives it sometimes got confusing but come the end I really appreciated how much detail was put into telling their different stories. You could definitely relate to what they were going through or at least understand the day to day struggles. With each chapter I wanted more and the one thing I love most about his stories is I can never figure out the "who done it" he keeps you guessing till the very end. Which makes him the BEST!

Alex Finlay is one of the best thriller writers working today. "Parents Weekend" is an entertaining, lightning-paced thriller that floats between characters and perspectives while always keeping the reader engaged and wondering where he'll take us next. Those who liked his previous books will feel right at home here. Those who are new to him will enjoy starting with this one and then working their way back through his other books.

I enjoyed the different perspectives presented here, felt the terror from the diverse set of parents, the frustration the lead investigator balanced with her struggle to want to be with her family (nice to see Agent Keller again after enjoying her role in his book "The Night Shift"), the optimism Intern Annie (great character!) experienced as she found her calling, and the challenges of navigating college life–when you're not grown up yet, but the decisions you make will set you on a path to your future (for better or worse).

Like Finlay's other books, "Parents Weekend" works remarkably well by taking multiple points of view and storylines and lining them up together as one unified story despite its individual parts. If you've read books formatted like that from other authors and found them hard to follow, try Finlay's books. He writes the story's characters without ever losing sight of the plot, without overwhelming the reader, and continually grounding us in the characters' journeys so we're never lost. He makes it look easy, but it must be extremely hard to do.

Some thriller authors write a book like they're playing the piano. It flows well and is entertaining with a single instrument. But Finlay's books are richer than most thrillers. He's more like the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring all the pieces fit together with a fuller sound that is still very easy to enjoy. I highly recommend "Parents Weekend" to anyone looking for the full experience of a high-velocity read from the thriller maestro.

I enjoy this author, with quick to consume material. This story wasn’t my favorite. There was far too many characters to keep up with, meaning not much character development and not much connection to any.

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up at dinner.

At first, everyone thinks that they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours click by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon, the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise. 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?

I enjoyed this one a lot. It was predictable (most are, once you've read a bunch of them), but the writing and the pacing were excellent, so I can forgive that. I felt like there were too many characters to keep track of. Overall, though, this was a quick enjoyable read that had me turning pages from the beginning. 4.5⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I'm a fan of Alex Finlay and absolutely loved his prior novel, If Something Happens to Me. Unfortunately, Parents' Weekend, fell flat for me. I felt so over with SO MANY CHARACTERS and didn't really feel connected to any of the them throughout the duration of the novel. When 5 students don't meet their parents for the scheduled "Parent's Night" dinner at their college, the FBI, campus police and the parents need to find their children (hopefully safe). I feel like this really lacked an action packed plot, was somewhat predictable and I just found myself skimming the last 25% to finish. Although this one fell short for me, I encourage those who enjoy a lighter suspense to give it a shot.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for offering this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

It's Parents' Weekend at a small college in California. But a group of 5 students never show up for dinner with their parents. The parents have a good time getting to know each other and return to their lodgings. But one by one, none of them are able to get in touch with their children. Panic ensue and the police are called. Where are the students? Has something happened? Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

3.5 Alex F was a new-to-me author as of last year. I really loved his previous books and was looking forward To his new release. I would say this was my least favourite of his but still an enjoyable read. I was surprised by and appreciated that I could keep so many characters straight College campus stories aren’t always my thing so maybe that has something to do with my lack of excitement over this novel.

I’m starting to realize that Alex Finlay is not for me. There are always way too many characters and storylines for my inattentive brain to follow. Yes he has some great twists and turns, and this book is no different; however it just takes too long for him to get there in my opinion

A Finlay story always delivers dark characters, darker secrets, a WOW twist or three, and an explosive ending. Parents Weekend is no exception, and while I had a difficult time liking any of the characters or their back stories, liking characters is never a requirement in a thriller, and the twisty revelations make this new Finlay story exciting and memorable.

4.5⭐️

Five families are set to come together for Parents Weekend at a small private college in Norther California. The families are set to meet the night before the big event for dinner and cocktails, but the students never show up. At first, the parent's think their kids are being reckless and irresponsible college students. But since most of the kids are from rich and important families who all have something to hide, it becomes clear that something bigger is at play.

I really liked this! I always love a group of college kids with a secret, especially the way their friendship either strengthens or crumbles when that secret might be revealed. I liked that The Five are from a variety of backgrounds but that in a lot of cases their parents put a target on their backs. The fact that at the beginning the only connection The Five had was being paired together for a capstone group made the investigation more interesting.

I loved that we got to see Agent Keller again and that she's still just as reckless as she's always been. Ultimately the story revolved around how far a parent will go to protect their kids, Keller included. My biggest complaint about this book was the stereotype of the Russian mob character. All around this was the definition of a popcorn thriller which is what I've come to expect with Alex Finlay!

Thanks Netgalley and Minotaur for providing this ARC to me!

What I liked:
This book follows the disappearance of five students from a small liberal arts college during Parents' Weekend. For me, the best sections feature FBI agent Sarah Keller (a character in two previous Finlay novels) as she investigates what happened, looking into the personal lives of students and their parents and finding all sorts of secrets and surprises. I love Keller's tenacious intelligence, as well as her efforts (not always successful) to balance her family and work life. In this book, Keller and her husband have moved with their twins to California to be close to her husband's sick father, and the pictures of their cozy family life, in the midst of Sarah's work on the case, were just delicious to me. I also like the campus aspects of the book, the students learning how to navigate college life, with humorous depictions of fraternity antics and college angst.
What I disliked:
The book follows the families of each of the five missing students, in addition to Agent Keller and her family. The set-up for all of these points of view was a bit long, and I struggled at first to remember all the characters. The twist at the end also fell a little flat for me.
Overall: After making it through the somewhat dull opening chapters, I really enjoyed the tension of figuring out what happened to the students, as well as the depiction of Agent Sarah Keller's investigation.
The book will be published on May 6. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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In true Alex Finlay fashion, beware of the amount of characters and story lines to follow. I loved the first couple releases by this author but have found myself DNFing the last few. They seem more YA. I think I will call it quits with this author.