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Parents Weekend
By Alex Finlay
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

This is a fast paced thriller about a group of kids who go missing on Parents Weekend at their college. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep your interest peaked. You follow each family as well as the FBI agent assigned to the case.
I enjoy Alex’s writing style. Short chapters really keep things moving.

Five groups of parents are visiting their children at their prestigious college. They set up a dinner reservation together, only none of their kids show up. The disappearance of “The Five” takes off on social media as police are called in to investigate. What have these kids gotten up to that will surely disappoint their affluent families?

This book had a promising premise, but I found the execution to be off. There was a big cast of characters that was hard to keep track of at times. I found it repetitive of some familiar tropes and I needed more of a twist. I did like reading about Agent Keller again from The Night Shift by him. I have read quite a few by this author and only one has really stood out to me, and it wasn’t this one. I think I will not be revisiting his writing again.

Parents Weekend was truly everything I could have asked for in a thriller. It went quick, was engaging, and I was ready to understand how it all unfolded. It wasn't a perfect thriller for me -- I thought the villain's motivation was underdeveloped, and I really didn't think we needed to kill Alice's kid. that felt a little unfair, even in a genre that is supposed to be a little unfair. Overall I really enjoyed this!

A terrifying weekend for 5 sets of parents and their college students. It's parents weekend at Santa Clara University and everyone is excited to finish off their first year with a group capstone dinner. However, none of the kids show and the parents are miffed. But, they remember what college was life, and figure the kids are just partying. This quickly becomes unlikely, once the parents realize that a student at Santa Clara recently lost her life. Could that have anything to do with the kids' disappearance? This will be definitely be one parents weekend no one will forget.
Narrated by Brittany Pressley

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*

NetGalley also "gifted" me with the audiobook. I was also able to listen to this story and I was able to catch things that I missed before. The narrator was AMAZING! Loved this book so much!

This was one of my most anticipated reads, so I’m bummed to say it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

There was a lot going on—like, a lot—and I found it hard to keep track of which kid belonged to which couple, along with all the individual issues within each family. It felt a bit overwhelming at times.

When the big reveal finally came, it was somewhat predictable and honestly a little underwhelming. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.

Thank you so much NetGalley & Macmillan audio for this ARC

I really enjoyed this book - much more than I thought I would, given that What Have We Done and Every Last Fear were middle of the road reads for me. Much like Every Last Fear, I really enjoyed the relationship between Sarah and Bob, and they continue to be adorable (although maybe veering into a little too good to be true). I found the story to be pretty engaging and despite a HUGE cast of characters, didn't have too much trouble keeping them all straight, which leads me to believe that the author did a pretty good job in allowing each a unique voice. The mystery itself was a little on the weak side, but it didn't detract from the experience. The behaviour of the students was pretty much what I expected but, wow, were those parents a hot mess.

Brittany Presley knocked it out the park again, and she is quickly becoming one of my top five narrators.

The premise was interesting, but I felt that more could have been done with it. The mystery was fast-paced and tense but didn't have any depth or twists. The relationship among the students was not well-established prior to the crime and the plot was somewhat predictable though still enjoyable.

Audiobook Review: Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and truly appreciate the opportunity to discover new authors and share my thoughts.

This was my first experience with Alex Finlay's work, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Parents Weekend is a gripping thriller that delves into every parent's worst nightmare: their college-aged children disappearing without a trace during a weekend meant for celebration. The story unfolds at a small private college in Northern California, where five families gather for Parents Weekend festivities. As the parents enjoy their evening, their children—five residents of Campisi Hall—fail to show up for dinner, setting off a frantic search and unraveling a web of secrets and lies. ​

Initially, I was concerned about keeping track of the multiple points of view as an audio listener. However, the narrative threads came together seamlessly, and the distinct perspectives added depth to the story. The audiobook is narrated by Brittany Pressley, who does an excellent job conveying the emotions and nuances of each character, making it easy to follow along and stay engaged. ​

Parents Weekend is a fast-paced, suspenseful read that kept me guessing until the end. The combination of family dynamics, college life, and a mysterious disappearance creates a compelling narrative that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Parents Weekend is the new book from Alex Finlay.

"Five families plan a dinner for the first night of Parents Weekend to celebrate the school year with their kids. But the kids never show up. Campus police think they're just being irresponsible but as time drags on, they don't answer calls or texts and no one has seen them. What is the common thread between the families? Where are the students?"

This is a dual-timeline story - present day, looking for the kids and then the backstory that led to their disappearance. Special Agent Sarah Kellar is back (Every Last Fear, Night Shift) All of the parents have some issues so that you're never quite sure who it could be. There is a Brad character. He's a parent described as having a "meaty face and a paunch" with "a dark mat of chest hair" and does drugs on the way to the weekend. Brads can't catch a break. There's some intense moments before the final reveals.

Great audio performance from Brittany Pressley. Lots of characters, both male and female, but it's never difficult to keep up.

This is one of Finlay's best books so far. Look for it on the beach this summer.

This was a solid thriller/mystery for me! I enjoyed The Night Shift so I was thrilled when I received this audiobook in advance of the publication date for my honest feedback. This one was a really enthralling listen from start to finish. It had me hooked and I finished it in three days. There are a lot of characters but about 1/3 through I was able to keep everyone straight (only for more characters to be introduced). LOL. I really liked the way the author wrapped everything up in the end and I liked the overarching theme of the parent - child relationship.

The mysterious disappearance of several students during a university parent's weekend. Everyone is a suspect in this fast paced thriller. This had everything I love in a suspense novel. Practically every chapter ending you discover someone else was doing something shady, and those that you would least suspect. The police procedural aspects were not overwhelming and provided just enough information to further the story. The audiobook was really good and enhanced my immersive readying experience. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There are several different families in this book, all connected through their children. Because of this, I had a hard time keeping track of everyone at the beginning, but as we moved past the backstory and what was going on with the parents, I could better understand. I will say, because of the large amount of characters u had a hard time feeling connected to the characters. It did keep me entertained, but I feel like the ending wrapped up super quickly. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and quick chapters. I also really like this narrator and have listened to a ton of her books.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I have decided that rich people drama is officially my favourite genre. Throw in a campus and a murder mystery and you will have me on the first page. I loved the multiple points of view this was told in, the twist, and the messiness of the characters. A fun, fast read. I listened to the audio version. The narrator was excellent and made the book easy to follow, even with multiple perspectives.

It is parents' weekend at a small, elite private college, and five families arrange to have dinner together. As the night goes on, things get scary, when none of their college age children show up.

Alex Finlay is my go to author for popcorn thrillers. His books are so well written with great characters. He is so good at making you need one more chapter before putting down your book, or hitting pause.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc.

Alex Finlay is back with another fantastic thriller!! I really enjoyed this book and I finished it within a day or two. Furthermore, Brittany Pressley does a fabulous job as the audiobook narrator and I love how she brought the characters in the story to life. Yes, I may have preferred it if this book had multicast narration, but if there was only going to be one narrator for this book, I am very glad it was Brittany Pressley! I highly recommend picking up this thriller this summer, and I am looking forward to Alex's next book!

BOOK REVIEW: PARENTS WEEKEND

I loveeee thrillers set on college campuses and absolutely loved If Something Happens to me, so I knew I had to pick this one up! I went between my @netgalley copy and audio and enjoyed both!

Five families come into town for a Parents Weekend at a small private college in California. Their kids never show up to the welcome dinner, which turns the weekend into a tailspin as the search for the missing students commences, which unearths hidden truths from each family.

This one was pretty fast paced and with multiple POVs and timelines was a little hard to follow at times for me just bc there were so many characters to track. Overall I liked it but it wasn’t my fav from this author. I also didn’t feel super connected to the missing students as the story revolves much more around the families and their drama than it did the students themselves.

I’d recommend if you want a quick popcorn thriller!

Alex Finlay's books are always stellar. Loved Parents Weekend. It has twists and turns and great characters. So well done!

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella are students at the same college with vastly different backgrounds. All of the families come together for parents weekend but the students never showed up. The premise for the book was different and interesting to me however the twist wasn't all that great. Even with a more predictable ending, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

(3.5 stars rounded up to 4)

Upfront: I really enjoy Alex Finlay's books, so when I say this new title isn't my favorite? I still enjoyed it! I just know it can be better. Finlay's pacing remains on-point and despite my lack of overall care for the students whose disappearance is the catalyst for the storyline (they're not unlikable--they're just underdeveloped), I burned through the audiobook. I can see how other readers, particularly ones unused to Finlay's writing, feel as though too many characters (the parents) bogs down the plot a bit, or gets confusing, but part of the fun for me/others is trying to figure out the ties that bind them all together! The unraveling of the twist at the end wasn't as strongly done (motivated?) as other Finlay titles but I feel like this was a strong enough book to hold my attention and the perfect story to breeze through on my deck in the spring evenings.

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.