This has to be one of the best narrations with multiple characters from a single narrator imo. I was so impressed how she had a distinct different voice for everyone. The face paced chapters with cliffhangers kept me invested. This is my first of this author, but I don’t think it’ll be my last. Recommend for anyone who likes a “who done it” mystery with thriller energy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

I find that Finlay always writes very binge-worthy stories. I’m totally entertained from start to finish and find his balance of characters lands perfectly for my style of reading. I loved that her brought Special Agent Sarah Keller back for this one, she’s a badass!

No surprise here, Britney Presley did a phenomenal job of narrating this one. Her ability to change her voice the embody different characters and emotions is always such a treat to listen to. I started with the ebook but the audio was so good that once I started it I never looked back.

If you’re a fan of Finlay you’ll enjoy this one!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc and Minotaur Books for the arc via Netgalley.

Format: Audio & Ebook
Rating: 4⭐️
Pub day: May 6

While this is not one of my favorites of Finlay, I still really enjoyed this book. While the beginning was difficult to follow with all the different characters introduced, and the ending left a little to be desired. The meat of the book was very enjoyable.

3.5 Rounded up. Parents Weekend is the latest entertaining thriller/mystery by Alex Finlay, who I can count on for a good entertaining read. Was this a plausible story that I can see happening? Probably not. Nor did I expect it to be. But I have come to expect Finlay to deliver a popcorn munching, twisty, dark read and that he did. We have a wide cast of characters that are freshmen at Santa Clara and their folks have all come to visit for Parents Weekend. Only problem is that the kids have all disappeared just before the welcome dinner. Twists and turns weave through the story and things wrap up rather well for the most part. I read Parents Weekend both as a physical digital copy as well as on audio and enjoyed both experiences. Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for advanced copies in exchange for my honest opinion. Parents Weekend will be available on 5/6/25.

2.5 Stars. Well, there was a lot going on in this one - dual timelines and SO many characters. When 5 students don't show up for a Parent's Weekend welcome dinner, we get a deep dive into their lives, the lives of their families and also, the lives of a new FBI agent in town and her family. There was a whole bunch of stuff to keep straight, and honestly, it was kind of tough.

The book did pull me in right from the start, and kept me engaged, but with so many characters and story lines happening at once, for me, there were things that just got lost in the shuffle. That being said, I didn't enjoy this Finlay work as much as I have some of his others. It was a quick listen and the narration was great on the audio book, but it required a higher level of attention and concentration than I typically like to give to my "fun" reading.

If you're a Finlay fan, don't count this one out - just be ready to really settle in and take notes.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC audio of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Parents Weekend
Alex Finlay
5/6/25
4☆

Another twisty tale by Finlay! This one sucked me in right away. Told in multiple POV’s and alternating between past and present timelines, there is A LOT going on here. However Finlay weaves everything together and fleshes out the characters just so that it all unravels at just the right pace into a thrilling and mysterious story that will keep you invested throughout.

What I enjoyed;
✨ Thriller/Mystery
✨ Family Drama
✨ Multiple POV
✨ Past/Present Timelines

Don’t miss the author’s note at the end.

I read this one as an immersive read with digital and audio formats and it was the perfect mix. I mostly listened cause um hello… it’s Brittany Pressley. She is one of my all time favorites and she was fantastic as always. She did a fantastic job bringing each characters story to life.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.

It's parents weekend at Santa Clara University in beautiful northern California. A student is missing, then found dead. Before the weekend can really get started, five students go missing. One of the missing students is the son of an important member of the federal government. Lots of cliffhangers adds to the very fast paced story. Sarah Keller, FBI agent, is investigating the kidnapping. The story is told through multiple point of views, each family's insights let the reader into their thoughts and actions. A very well put together suspense thriller.

4 stars

Thank you to St Martin's Press / Minataur Books / Macmillan Publishers for the ALC.

I was really excited for Alex Finlay's latest novel about parents getting together to celebrate their children starting at a private school. When the kids don't turn up to the planned dinner, the search begins to locate them.

With multiple POVs, this book started out with a bang. I was fully into it and while there were a lot of characters, I found myself able to keep up (just!) with who was who and doing what. Sadly though, the storyline didn't hold my attention from the middle onwards. I don't know what happened from the fab start to the drag midway. The ending was decent though and the audiobook narration fantastic so I'm glad I stuck with it throughout. Though this one wasn't my favorite, I still look forward to reading this author's work.

Parent’s weekend is a thriller which has multiple characters with complex backgrounds. We follow the parents as they try to figure out the disappearance of 5 students.

Alex Finley gets to the point fast and quickly shows different twists that surround the Parent’s Weekend.

Although I enjoyed the story, sometimes it felt like it was a little crowded and the characters were not all fully developed.

I really enjoyed the acting around the narration, Brittant Pressley did a fantastic job portraying the characters’ stories. I felt engaged and caring as I listened to the audiobook.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read and listen to the ARC and ALC.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio version. This was a really intriguing mystery. Fast paced and a large collection of characters. Each of whom are hiding big secrets.

Rating: story - 3 ★ | audiobook- 4 ★

I liked Parents’ Weekend, but I didn’t love it. The story had a lot going on, with multiple POVs and a huge cast of characters, sometimes it was hard to keep track of everyone, and I found myself a little lost and confused at times. It leans more into the police procedural side than I expected, which slowed the pacing for me.

That said, Brittany Pressley’s narration was a definite highlight. She did a great job bringing the characters to life and kept me engaged even when the plot got a bit muddled and the many characters got overwhelming. She’s one of my favorite narrators for a reason.

Overall, an entertaining listen, just not one that completely hooked me.

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillion Audio for my ALC!

I met Alex Finlay and his wife at Hamptons Whodunit and was so excited when I got home to have this on my bookshelf! I had the best time talking with them about his books as well as listening to the panel where he discussed how he got the idea for Parents Weekend.

Santa Clara University is hosting parents’ weekend for the freshmen class. These parents include a federal State Department official with her security detail, a plastic surgeon with his wife, a well-known Superior Court Judge and his wife, and a single mom that works at the university. Unfortunately, on day one, their kids fail to show up to the dinner. At first, everyone believes it’s just college kids being college kids; except these parents find that hard to believe, especially the same day that another student was found dead.

Immediately, the college security team and the police are notified of the five missing students. Also, the FBI is notified and Special Agent Sarah Keller, from Finlay’s previous books, is determined to find these kids. Once it is determined the kids are in danger, it becomes a race against time to get them home safely.

Finlay produced a fast-paced domestic thriller with a large cast of characters that was well-thought out and entertaining. I loved how there were so many reveals of hidden family secrets that had you guessing what truly happened. My biggest critique is the ending felt a bit rushed and left me wanting more. I listened to the audio book, narrated by Brittany Pressley (a fav!), and she did an excellent job of immersing me in the story.

I highly recommend grabbing a copy when it is released on May 6th!

Really good thriller with lots of twists and turns. Engaging characters and a fast pace. This book will satisfy all readers who enjoy a good thriller. It grabs you right from the first page and keeps you reading until the end. I have read many books by this author and this is one of his best ever.

I listened to an advance copy of the audio book, and enjoyed it. I typically just a mystery/thriller by whether I figure it out before they tell you. In this case, the author won - I did not figure it out in advance, but after learning what happened I was kicking myself for not having suspected what was going on. As a bonus, the author’s note was great - David Ellis will have to share the complaints and feedback he receives!

I think this is my new favorite Finlay novel! One of my favorite things about Finlay's writing is how he creates a web of individual storylines for each character, and then he somehow weaves them all together in a way that avoids plot holes and unanswered questions.

I really loved the plot of this story, and I loved even more that I couldn't predict the ending! This was a a truly entertaining read, and the narration was spectacular, as well.

Parent’s Weekend by Alex Finlay delivers a thriller with high tension, shifting timelines, and a mystery that keeps pages turning. Set at a small private college in Northern California, the story begins with five sets of parents gathering for a celebratory dinner, excited to reconnect with their college-age kids. But when the students never show, what begins as a night of cocktails quickly spirals into a frantic search—and a media circus. The dinner was a little had to buy into to because the students didn't seem particularly close and the parents aren't either. However, that plot hole didn't interfere with the development.

As hours turn into days with no word from their children, suspicions build and secrets unravel. The missing students—Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—are soon dubbed "The Five" by social media sleuths, and speculation runs rampant. Are the answers buried in the dark corners of their parents' pasts, or did something fracture the friend group from within?

FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller, is on the case as she tries to juggle the demands of the job with the demands of being a mother and wife. The college campus setting and generational dynamics add depth to the unfolding mystery, with themes of family dysfunction and the pressure of expectations bubbling beneath the surface. While the novel excels at keeping the pace brisk and the stakes high, not every character lands with the same emotional weight. With so many players in motion, it’s hard to fully connect with each voice, and some arcs feel a bit underdeveloped. That said, the overall energy and suspense never waver, and the lack of a deep bond with every character doesn’t detract from the book’s pulse-pounding momentum.

There are LOTS of characters in this book (college students, their parents, an FBI agent, etc.) and it takes a while to sort them out so you can relax and get into the story. I enjoyed the chapters that were focused on the parents and the FBI agent. The chapters focused on the college students felt a little misplaced and a little forced, for lack of a better word.

In terms of pacing: A+. Thanks to short chapters, things moved quickly. Never a dull moment!

This is the first Alex Finlay book I’ve read. I’ll definitely check out some of his others.

3.7 rounded up to 4.

This was a good one! I have liked all his books so far. This one had a far fetched ending for me but overall it was really good!

I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy of this audiobook!

Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University is definitely one no one will ever forget. The story kicks off with each family making their way to campus, excited for the weekend events. But when they arrive for cocktails and dinner, their kids are nowhere to be found. At first, the parents wonder — is this just typical college behavior, ditching the parents for a party? Or is something really wrong?

After the shocking news of a classmate’s death, things take a dark turn, and we find out that five students are missing.

Brittany Pressley did a fantastic job narrating and bringing the characters to life. That said, there are a lot of characters to keep track of — 20+! Between the five missing students, their families, a professor, an intern, FBI agents, and more, it did get a little tricky remembering who was connected to who. Each family also has their own underlying drama, which added another layer to keep up with.

Even with so many characters, this was a fast-paced listen with short chapters that kept the story moving. Overall, it’s a well-written, solid thriller with a good mystery at the heart of it.

I really enjoyed FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller and Annie the intern — I’m hoping we get to see them team up again in the next book!

4/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

This was a super solid thriller/suspense novel! Read like a domestic drama/suspense/mystery/thriller, which is my fav combination of genres. There were lots of different POV's which I love, and it never felt challenging to keep track of who was who. I wasn't sure where this was going for most of the story, and I was surprised by the reveal, if not a bit let down. I hadn't even considered that outcome as an option because it felt so obvious to me... so I guess it was so obvious that it surprised me??

Beyond that, this was a super fast-paced, intriguing and likeable story. This was great on audio; I love Brittany Pressley's narration and the atmosphere her voice exudes. I could not put this down once I started and finished it sooo quick. Highly recommend for anyone wanting an easy-to-read and entertaining mystery!