Parents Weekend is the definition of a read-in-one-sitting kind of book! The story begins with five college students prepping for parents' weekend and failing to show up for dinner with their parents on the very first night. Some are unfazed, some know something is wrong. The twists and turns of this novel will have you turning pages late into the night to find out what happened.

I really enjoy books set on a school campus and revolving around a set of friends so I was hooked on this book from the start. There are quite a few characters involved in the plot and each point of view is explored. Although it was a lot to keep track of, the author does a great job keeping you invested. The plot of fast-paced and I read it quickly because I needed to know how the mystery would wrap up. The twists and ending were well done and I really enjoyed the storyline. I almost wish I had read this in the fall just for the creepy feelings it evoked and the dark academia theme but I could never have waited that long. I definitely recommend this book to mystery/thriller readers, they will not be disappointed! Thanks to Alex Finlay, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First, I absolutely love the cover of this book! The beach setting with a bonfire is perfection. Parents Weekend was a fast paced twisty thriller that kept my attention from the beginning to the end. There is a LARGE complicated cast of characters, each have their own secrets or traumas going on. I actually had to compile a list of characters and their connections. And the book is told from everyone’s perspectives. I was surprised by the depth of the characters since there are so many of them! We even get the perspective of the FBI Special Agent. I did not realize the Special Agent was a recurring character in Finlay’s books, but I plan to read Every Last Fear and The Night Shift soon to get more of Sarah’s story.

It’s parents weekend at a small college in California. The parents of 5 college kids are excited to see their children at college. They meet up and make plans to go out to dinner, except the kids never show up. The parents go about their business thinking the kids blew them off or are out partying. Soon no one can get in touch and it is determined that the 5 college students are missing. There is a race to find the missing students with so many leads that all come up empty.

This book is a lot! I mean a lot! So many clues, so many characters, so many directions. You really have to pay attention to understand the full extent of the story. I loved the way the author tied in the media and how they can really alter a case like this. There were some twists I figured out but some surprised me. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

I just finished Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay and these are my thoughts.

It’s parents weekend at a small private college in North Cali… 5 families get together for the first night dinner, only to find their kids don’t show up. They assume they just ditched out but when they don’t show up the next day… Things begin to heat up. Five seemingly very different kids all go missing at the same time… Will they be found alive?


Full disclosure… I love Alex Finlay.. This means I have very high expectations.

Let’s start with the fact it's set on a college campus… I love campus thrillers. I love the ominous feel of the storyline. I love the writing style and the short chapters that flicks between different POVs, meaning each family and it was gripping.

I couldn’t figure out what was going on, it totally kept me on my toes! There is a beautiful complexity to the characters which just shows the calibre of the writing because we have many many characters to follow along with.

It was fast paced and very engaging. I am so glad I read this one.

4.5 stars

Thank you to @netgalley @minotarur_books for my gifted copy!

Out now

From the first page of Parents Weekend, I was hooked—and Alex Finlay never let go. This is everything I love in a thriller: an ominous setting, complex characters, and secrets that unravel at just the right pace. The college campus backdrop layered with the emotional stakes of missing students and panicked parents adds an intense and relatable urgency.

The alternating points of view kept me on my toes, and just when I thought I had it figured out… plot twist! Finlay knows how to weave suspense and emotion masterfully, giving us characters we care about while pulling us deeper into the mystery.

It’s chilling, timely, and impossible to put down. Highly recommend for fans of smart, character-driven thrillers that make your heart race and your mind spin.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc

It’s Parents Weekend, so everyone better be on their best behavior!

It’s the weekend both the kids and parents dread! Maybe that’s why a group of five college friends didn’t show up at the first dinner event? Why aren’t they answering their phones? It’s not like them to go silent like this!

This was yet another addictive and entertaining read by Alex Finlay. Featuring our favorite FBI special agent Sarah Keller, once again in the spotlight.

I enjoyed how the chapters each highlighted a family group. It helped immensely since the cast of characters was large and I needed the occasional reminder of which college student belonged to which parent. Short chapters keep the book rolling along at a quick pace, keeping me up late with the “just one more chapter” scenario. Which never fails to turn into a good 5-10 chapters!😅

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 really enjoyed this one! It was fast paced, relatable, and engaging. I love dark academia, so I was immediately intrigued when I found out the setting was a college campus and it pulled me in from the start. The multiple POVs and short chapters also made it more addictive.
I loved how each chapter was set on a different family and we really got a deep understanding of each family’s scenario.
I think I would have enjoyed this even more if I read it because I’ll admit it was difficult to keep track of all the characters and which student belonged to which family when listening.
But even with the rewinding and piecing characters together, I thought it was very well done, had a good twist, and kept me guessing! Definitely recommend!

This is my first Alex Finlay novel and it won’t be the last. Such a thrilling story that is complex but when it comes together at the end is so good. You will not be disappointed.

Parents arrive on campus for Parents Weekend at a prestigious private college in California. Five families are meeting for dinner, but none of the students arrive. At first they assume they must have gotten sidetracked together, but it soon becomes clear that there's a lot more to the story. All of the families are hiding secrets and the only way to find their kids is to finally tell their truths.

This was a fun thriller with a lot of twists and turns. The plot focuses a lot on the parents and I wish we got to know some of the students a little bit better. Overall it's a good quick read that keeps you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Parents Weekend.

This was such an engaging book! I love how Finley takes you in, builds the suspense, and makes you want to know what was going to happen.

There were a lot of characters, so at times, that was hard to stay in to who was who.

Regardless, this was a quick and engaging read, and I really liked it.

What a great premise, parents weekend. Brought back memories of my own college times. Good mystery with a lot of red herrings.

This was impossible to put down. I was addicted to the way that Alex Findlay told the story. Each chapter pulled me in deeper.

This story is about parents visiting their kids at college but the weekend goes awry when a student goes missing and then is found dead. Lots of motives. Lots of secrets.

This brought me back to my college days in the best way possible.

Definitely recommend ◡̈

Parents Weekend is a thriller that takes place during a college parents weekend at Santa Clara. I have been to 2 parents weekends so far for my daughter and have never had anything like this happen at one! Basically a group of kids goes missing on their way to meet their parents for a group dinner. It’s twisted and intense. What I really liked was the way that each chapter was dedicated to the different families so we got a deep dive into each one. It added red herrings and made me get even more attached to the story and finding these kids. And one family was staying at Half Moon Bay so loved that since we go there every year. It was a fun, suspenseful thriller that kept me very entertained.

Talk about doing anything to avoid spending time with your parents... This is the basic premise of Finlay's new novel when a group of parents come to visit their children during Parent's Weekend at an elite college and then all five kids all disappear. These parents aren't like every other parent- each one has something to hide. As for the kids? They aren't so innocent either and are keeping secrets that may involve the death of a classmate. Whose secrets are threatening them- the offspring or the parents?

I like Finlay's books as they are typically a combination of whodunnits and police procedural, they are fast paced with short chapters, and they provide a thrilling read that keeps you on your toes.

This book provided us with here so many potential baddies and there was so much misdirection as to what actually happened to the kids and who was responsible, it was impossible to guess the ending. The deception and the family drama was real! Told from multiple POVs- several sets of parents and their children- I found myself quickly turning the pages to get to the end. I'm not sure how memorable this one will be, but it was a very enjoyable and quick read. Fun for the summer!

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a solid fast-paced thriller. The death of a student enrolled at Santa Clara University is discovered during parents weekend. Things intensify when four more students fail to show up to dinner with their parents. It is compelling, and the pacing is quick, which makes for an easy read.

However, the novel is bogged down by too many points of view. Instead of deepening the story, the shifting perspectives make it harder to connect with any one character. The characters themselves often feel more like plot devices than real people, making the story hard to relate to on a personal level.

While there are a few clever twists, they’re not quite enough to overcome the book’s scattered structure. Fans of Finlay might still enjoy the ride, but Parents Weekend didn’t quite earn top marks for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I really enjoyed Parents Weekend—it grabbed my attention right from the start and didn’t let go. Alex Finlay is one of my favorite thriller writers, and this book reminded me why. She keeps you guessing the whole time, and I love how she mixes suspense with strong characters and emotional depth.

The story takes place at a college Parents Weekend, where a group of students goes missing, and what starts as a celebration quickly turns into a nightmare. The twists kept coming, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened.

If you like fast-paced thrillers with family drama and unexpected turns, this one’s definitely worth a read. I can't wait to read more of Finlay’s books!

I really enjoy a good Finlay novel- they are always full of just the right amount of twists and turns. Parents Weekend is no exception. Woven between the perspective of the parents and students, a weekend of death, students missing, revenge and betrayal unravels. Providing a taste into high lives of the elite, comes a slow reveal of mistakes with serious consequences. I always enjoy Finlay's writing and character development. We also get a look into the FBI perspective of the case- books that do a good job at showcasing all angles are somewhat unicorns! Definitely worth the read. Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC.

Parents Weekend is the latest release from Alex Finlay, an auto-buy author for me. Five college students are scheduled to meet their parents for dinner during freshman year Parents Weekend, but none of them show up. Is it just college-kid antics or is something more sinister at play?

The answer is glaringly obvious from the beginning, but, inexplicably, the author expects us to pretend that it’s a huge mystery. There would’ve been a great deal of suspense to be had if Alex Finlay had just acknowledged what was going on and proceeded on the basis that we’re ‘in on it’ with him. Instead, he made a weird, uncharacteristically amateurish choice that ended up compromising any possible logic in the plot. I’ll suspend a lot of disbelief for a fun suspense/thriller, but not for a dumb one.

I rate this disappointing Parents Weekend 3 stars and I do not recommend it. If you want the real Alex Finlay, read the far superior If Something Happens to Me.

This was an okay thriller but lacked substance. It was a short and quick read that felt like it could have used more. 3 stars.

It is Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University. As the parents arrive for the parents dinner, their 5 kids are no-shows. Where are they? FBI agent Sarah Keller is in town on personal leave for her husband's father's illness but she gets called in to help. With help from the locals, she starts to realize there is more to the story than just 5 kids not showing up for dinner.

There are a few twists and turns that take us along for quite the ride. The kids are a diverse group that discover a lot about themselves. The parents are a mess! I guess they discovered a lot about themselves too.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Minotaur Books for a copy for review.