This was not the typical Alex Finlay -it lacked the author's known writing style of fast paced, twists and turns and unpredictability unfortunately. The plot was very straight forward and easy to predict. I also hard a hard time keeping track of the large cast of characters, as some of the parents and kids were very similar. I did love Agent Keller though - her character is very well developed and I loved reading about her kicking butt once again!

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great thriller! Alex Finley does it again! Parents weekend at Santa Clara university should be a great time for parents to see their children. But when 5 students ( Stella, Libby, Felix, Mark, and one more) don’t show up for dinner things begin to go awry. Sara Keller with the FBI is called in to assist and is a recent transfer from DC. The story is told from different points of view….the five sets of parents and Keller the FBI agent. The author does a fantastic job of exploring the different points of view and brings it all together at the end. I love the prologue at the end and how well he wraps up the book

One parent’s weekend five students disappear from Santa Clara University is dead, and then a sixth is found dead. This is not a story so much of the students, but instead of the parents and their own backstories. Some come from high government jobs, and others eking a way a life.

I liked the concept, but I found the reading disjointed. What is very telling is that I finished this book last night, and while I remember the concept, the ending is a blur, which to me means nothing wow worthy.

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I have read a few of Alex Finlay's books and I think this is my new favourite! Parents weekend dives into multiple families coming together for their children at university only to have them not show for supper; what happened? I always love bite size chapters which Alex does well. The story was fast paced, kept me engaged, and although I did find the ending slightly predictable, I still enjoyed the story and the characters. It was nice to see the return of Sarah Keller. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Parents Weekend is out May 6, 2025!

Always a big fan! Not my favorite of his but a god read. I liked the characters and their interesting backgrounds. I liked unwinding the mystery as I went and felt like the story was believable. I would recommend.

Alex Finlay is back!!! I haven’t enjoyed one of his books this much, since the night shift!! I enjoyed the comeback of agent Keller and this story was just the right amount of thriller and suspense for me, without going over the top and getting to ridiculous.

I enjoyed the story arc and the cast of characters. I enjoyed the different points of view and how the timeline jumped back and forth. I didn’t expect the ending which is always a plus. I thought for sure it was going to be the professor.
This was a 5 star read for me. I liked the set up of the family weekend and all of the students not coming to dinner.

WOAH- what a rollercoaster! Five college students disappear the evening of the scheduled parents weekend at their small private college off the coast of Northern California. Initially, their parents aren't overly concerned, they are college kids, right? But as time goes on, it becomes more apparent that foul play was occurring, but why?

Enter FBI agent Sarah, recently relocated to California to be close to her husband's family. What is supposed to be a quick investigation ends up unfolding to a whole lot more.

The first half of this book had me HOOKED. The setting and characters were fabulous. As the plot developed, it did seem to slow down a bit, but overall a solid easily bingeable thriller!

This one is out May 6th, 2025- but not too early to add to your TBR now!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

*review posted on IG and Goodreads

𐙚 - Twisty, Multi-layered Mystery
𐙚 - Layered Perspectives
𐙚 - Character Drama/ Detective Work

Intriguing from the start, Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a gripping, multi-layered mystery set during a parents’ weekend at Santa Clara University, where a group of students goes missing.

What works for this book is the balance between the perspectives of FBI Agent Sarah Keller and the parents, with glimpses into the lives of the missing students. Agent Keller steals the spotlight, tying the threads of the mystery together with her sharp insight and methodical approach. While it starts a bit slow with character building, the story quickly picks up, keeping the pages turning. The layered perspectives add depth, creating a gripping mystery for readers to unravel. Readers who enjoy a mix of character drama and detective work will find plenty to like here.

This is a solid, entertaining thriller that’s worth picking up for a twisty and layered read.

Rating: ✰✰✰.5/5

Thank you Alex Finlay, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. ・❥・

This is the first Alex Finlay book I've read, but it won't be the last. The story follows several families whose children are missing in the aftermath of a student's death during parent weekend at their college. A super fast paced thriller, I read it in one sitting.

A mystery going back and forth between recent and present times, and points of view, that contain a mystery where 5 college students go missing when their parents are in town for Parents Weekend.
As someone whose recent past, present and future entails many college Parents Weekends, this premise was intriguing. There is definitely foul play.
The female FBI agent was my favorite character, and I would love to see her in a series on future books. The parents all had a lot of problems. Are they red herrings, or relevant?
This was a quick easy read. I was actually kind of sad about one of the characters in the end (just like I was with Alex Finlay's previous book that I read called The Night Shift).
3.75 stars
~Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher

It’s parents weekend at SCU and a group of 5 students are meeting their parents for a welcome dinner. However the students don’t show up, whom doesn’t alarm many people immediately. But as time goes on without a word from any of them, their parents start to panic.

I would say this was good, but don’t wow me. I have loved the 2 other Finlay books I’ve read in the past. This one by comparison didn’t measure up those at all. I did think the beginning had a great setup and it was an easy read. I liked the short chapters and the different POVs. But there were entirely too many characters. You never really get to know much about any of them, so it leaves you not caring too much what is happening to them.

I do remember the Keller character from another book and I like her, so I was pleased to see she is the character you get the most info about. I think with less characters this could have been so much better. *3.5 stars*

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books for the advanced copy of this book!

Yet another hit from Finlay. It took me a while to get all of the characters straight, but I eventually got there. It starts off with a bang and things just keep going from there. There are a few plot holes and unexplored/underdeveloped side plots but honestly, it didn’t really bother me. This book was a whirlwind of chaos…in a fun way. The climax was incredibly intense and a certain death really hit me in the feelings. Keller was an endearing Agent and I loved going along on this ride with her.

Suspend disbelief and just enjoy the unraveling of Parents’ Weekend.

I have read most of this author's books as ARCs and have enjoyed them all to varying degrees. This one was no exception. There was tension and suspense. Told from different points of view, the chapter endings were often cliffhangers until the next time that character "talked". Overall I thought it was a good ready although the big reveal fell a little flat for me.

Alex Finlay never disappoints, Parents Weekend was another action pack novel that I could not put down. I loved the return of some characters from previous books, but it is not necessary to read them in order. Parents Weekend has multiple families with multiple POV's so I did have to get out a sheet of paper to keep everyone straight. I loved all of the dark secrets that slowly got unraveled as I moved through the book. I will always recommend Alex Finlay's books including this one.

Big on style and short on any substance for the story.. maybe it was the story line of the four parents but I felt it couldn’t engage me

Wow. I couldn’t put this book down! It’s an easy 24-hour read that will keep your head spinning from start to finish.

While the multiple points of view were a bit confusing at first, I quickly got the hang of it, and by the middle, I was completely hooked. This is my favorite book from this author. Each perspective added layers to the story, making it both complex and deeply impactful.

If you love a good thriller that’s intense but not scary—you know, the kind you can read at night and still sleep peacefully—this one’s for you. Highly recommend!

Alex Finley never disappoints! I feel like his story lines are always unique. Oh and guess who is back!? Agent Keller, badass G-woman! She’s there to help find 5 missing students that disappear the first night of parents weekend.

Thank you #netgalley for an early copy of this fun thrilling read.

Parents Weekend reads like a movie, or more likely another limited series on a streaming service. The parents and their kids are all hiding secrets and it's not until the very end that you find out the worst of them. I read through this pretty quickly as it kept me hooked. I usually don't do well with a ton of characters but this one was well written. I enjoyed it and will recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up. A different kind of book from Alex Finlay, but addicting, page turner, and at the 70% mark I couldn’t believe I was almost done. I needed more.Full review here: https://youtu.be/Jj-DcBeSfvA?si=skast...
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good, solid read. Nothing extraordinary, but okay. I really liked the first half of the book, but the second half lagged a bit. I also felt that a little more time could have been spent developing the characters a little. They were a little flat and one dimensional to me. It kept me on the edge of my seat at the end, but the ending seemed rushed and a little anticlimactic. Again, good, solid suspense, but not quite my cup of tea.