This is my first Alex Finlay novel and won't be my last. The Audiobook is fantastic. Brittany Pressley as narrator does an amazing job. I usually have trouble focusing during audio books with such a large cast of characters and also jumping timelines, but I honestly felt the flow of this novel was so well done, and the suspense just kept building. I particularly liked how the author almost left every chapter on a slight cliffhanger, then we were on to the next. Highly recommend the audiobook of Parents Weekend to anyone who wants an intense, can't stop listening, thriller. Thank you to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

Like the other Alex Finlay books I’ve had the pleasure of reading so far, Parents Weekend managed to grab and hold my attention from the beginning of the story through to the end. It was suspenseful and kept me guessing, while simultaneously weaving in elements of humor, emotion, and reality in a clever and captivating way. It’s a relatively short read, making it easy to binge!

When parents from very different backgrounds come to visit their first year collegiate students at the college’s annual “parents weekend,” most are consumed with their personal lives and dramas, not expecting a weekend that will change their lives and link them to strangers. But when their five students go missing, everything changes. Rumors abound and social media goes wild, but a determined FBI agent is set on getting to the bottom of things.

I will warn that there is a very large cast of characters here. I alternated between the audiobook and ebook versions when reading, and actually found it easier to keep everyone straight when reading the ebook version. There is a lot of POV shifting, which certainly adds to the story, but may take a little bit for the reader to get their bearings and keep straight who is who.

Huge thank you to Alex Finlay, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

BIG THANKS to my besties at Macmillan Audio for this approval! I have been a fan of the previous Alex Finlay I've read and this one is no different!
Anticipated pub is May 6th!

Audiobook notes: can we normalize having the author read their Acknowledgements!? (Maybe this is already a thing but the books I've listened to didn't do this). I LOVED THAT little touch. Also the Reader's Note where the author tells that he got the idea on his own kid's Parent's Weekend made me chuckle a little. The production of this was good and the narrator's voice is pleasing to listen to.

In his signature style, this is told in multi-POV. Normally we get seemingly unrelated characters that will eventually come together as the story progresses. In this one, the characters have in common that they go to the same school or are parents of the kids at the school. Said parents are visiting for Parent's Weekend so we know how they relate in that sense. I still loved that the author brings doubt and secrets to each family so the reader is left unsure which of the family's "issues" might be the cause of the kids going missing. I found it easy enough after a few chapters to keep the families straight but less so for the kids, specifically for the girls. I didn't feel enough time to connect to the student characters which, honestly, was fine in this story as the family dramas seem to push along the investigation way more than what comes of the kids lives at school.

The story progressed well for me, I was never bored, I read this super fast because I needed to know what happened here!

Surprisingly, of the novels I've read from this author, this is my first that features Agent Keller. I loved her character. Any time I get a BA woman FBI Agent, police, etc I'm super on board and excited. Bringing her family into the story really gave her character great depth and a second side than some of the single, loner agents I've read about. She was my favorite character in this.

Thank you Macmillan audio for my audiobook. Maybe I’d like it more if I read the physical copy, but as a reader I either need different POVs OR different timelines, but not both… had a hard time following who what where and when. Too much. Liked the idea but too much shuffling

4 1/2 stars (rounded down)

I just discovered this author a few months ago and listened to all of his audiobooks in the span of a few weeks.
Therefore I was really excited to receive an ARC of his latest novel. Like his previous novels, I was not disappointed. Even though the POVs switch quite frequently throughout the novel (similar to his previous books) I did not find it confusing and found that it enhances the story. I like how each character was showcased and the backstory behind each one. I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the novel and they kept me engaged and entertained. Also the audiobook narrator is Brittany Presley and I always enjoy audiobooks that she narrates!

The only reason that I did not provided a 5 star rating is because I wish that the author provided more of Natasha’s backstory. I felt the ending was a bit rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook.

This was such a quick and easy listen, I listen to it almost completely in one sitting! While there wasn't a huge thrill, I did really enjoy the mystery and being inside of the investigation. There were a lot of characters to keep up with and audio adds an extra hurdle to that, but each chapter began with the characters name and that really helped me keep everything straight. The narrator was nice to listen to and did a good job keeping me engaged and not zone out. Overall, it wasn't the best thriller ever but I was entertained and was able to finish it rather quickly on 2x.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much Macmillan for the gifted audiobook!

I always love a new Alex Finlay book! His book THE NIGHT SHIFT is one of the most memorable thrillers to me still to this day!

I loved that the story was set on a school campus over parents' weekend! That was such a unique and fun spin on a campus thriller, especially when the parents are as interesting and....toxic (lol) as they were here!

Overall, this was a quick and easy read that kept me guessing! I think this will be a big hit!

3.5 rounded up for Goodreads

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan audio for the free alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I enjoyed this way more then I expected. With so many suspects I definitely didn't see the twists and turns coming at all. I really enjoyed the narration and was enraptured by the narrator and story.

Definitely wanna give this a try if you enjoy thrillers

>3 Stars Full review in a bit (maybe? I’m trying to juggle) Not bad, I really liked the premise and thought it was fun, however the number of characters and how often the timelines change it makes it a little hard to easily follow along with.

I listen to my audio's at 2x speed, and I really had to pay close attention, and I still feel like I missed things.

Not sure how I feel about this author’s thrillers yet lol, but this one has an interesting premise. College kids go missing during parents' weekend. Hoping it delivers and the cast of characters in this doesn’t rival Fire and Blood (heard there’s a ton of them) 🤞

Expected Pub Date - 05/06/25

Multiple POV
Past and Present Timelines
Strong Friendships/Bonds
Family Dysfunction
California Setting
Night Shift Character Cameo?
Mystery/Thriller

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the advanced audio copy, all thought are my own. 💐💖

Parents Weekend is a thriller about a group of 5 college students that are supposed to meet their parents for dinner and none of the students show up as expected. It is first blamed on college student behavior and forgetfulness and later discovered the students are all missing. This thriller was a bit slow for me and I did find it a little confusing to keep track of all the characters since there were so many characters introduced in this book. Overall the storyline was interesting and still enjoyable read. It isn’t the most thrilling thriller novel I have read but it was still worth the read if you don’t mind a more slow paced thriller. There were parts of the book that had me very intrigued and did pick up sporadically throughout and I did enjoy the narrator as well I felt she did a great job narrating this book. This is my first Alex Finlay book and overall i enjoyed it and will try other books by this author. I do recommend this book and think it will be enjoyed by different audiences. Overall I gave this book 3.5 stars out of 5 stars more or less for pacing and too many characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First off I would like to say that I really enjoyed the narrator, Brittany Pressley. She made the story more interesting and her ability to change her voice made me be able to keep up with the characters.

This story is about 5 college students that disappear before a dinner with their parents during parents weekend. What made it more alarming was a student was found dead just shortly before.

I found that having so many characters made it difficult to follow at times. I would say the first half of the book I was confused most of the time. I did catch up and did enjoy the ending and how the author wrapped everything up.

This is the first book I have read by this author and am curious on reading more especially if FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller is in them. I really liked her character.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, Minotaur Books, and Alex Finlay for the eArc.

A missing college girl is found dead shortly before Parents Weekend, putting everyone on edge.

Then, at the first dinner of the weekend, several students - both girls and boys - don’t make it to the dinner they planned to eat with their family’s.

As the story unfolds, secrets from each family are exposed. And it seems everyone has wronged someone who may seek revenge on their children.

Where are the college students? Who is responsible for taking them? And will they be found before it’s too late?

I’ve read all the books by Alex Finlay so far and always enjoy them. This was a three and a half star read for me, that I’m rounding up to four stars.

I felt the story was a little less suspenseful than other books; and I would have preferred more storylines from the college students.

But I would still absolutely recommend checking out either the book or audiobook. The audiobook was fantastically narrated by the very talented voice actress Brittany Pressley.

Thank you NetGalley, Alex Finlay, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen and read the book ahead of its release date of May 6th in exchange for a review.

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? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers
•ngies and thes
come to cause them peril or a threat to the friend group from within?
I was glad that FBI Agent Sarah Feller was back in this one.
There were way too many characters but I was able to keep track of all of them. I didn't have a strong connection to the characters so I didn't really care what happened to them. So l really wasn't on the edge of my seat are feel the suspense.
I loved the first half but I thought that the second half was too slow. This one is every parent's nightmare. Five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for parents weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids, five residents of Campisi Hall never show up at dinner. What happened to them?
The story was told through multiple points of view in past and present. I was on the edge of my seat at the end there was lots of action which I loved. I loved the short chapters. This was not a predictable read for me. I was not able to solve the mystery. I did enjoy the the conclusion. There were some twist and turns too.

Parents Weekend is a “modern” thriller set on a private college campus with an elite cast of characters. To me, it felt much more like a first book in a series revolving around the parent with a political career and/or the female cop than about the kids.

I struggled to find any reason to feel connected to any of the characters, especially because there are so many. It feels like if the same story had been written strictly from the point of view of the college kids, it would have been a much more successful story.

It seemed like the book wanted to be too many things at once, and that was a big downfall for me.

All in, if you don’t read many books, and you maybe get through 1-2 thrillers a year, this one may be one you’d enjoy after picking it up at the airport.

It’s Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University and for five freshman and their families, it is a weekend they didn’t anticipate. When five students from Campisi Hall fail to show up for dinner kicking off the annual family festivities, it sets off a race against the clock to find them and bring them back alive.

FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller returns from earlier Finlay books to head up the investigation into the disappearance of The Five, as they’ve come to be called. As she follows the clues, it’s clear that each family is hiding something.

PARENTS WEEKEND is a fast paced suspense that captures your attention from the opening pages. Finlay introduces many characters, but the well organized structure makes it easy to keep track of the action. There’s nothing ground breaking about this novel, but it is entertaining and a good way to lose yourself in the story. The audio is narrated by Brittany Pressley who brings the perfect amount of tension to the production.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur Books for the advance copies. All opinions are my own.

I don't think this thriller was for me. There were too many characters, and I spent most of my read trying to figure out who was who to be able to really follow the story. It also feel like it kept the author from going in depth enough with any of them for me to really care. My feeling, though? I've read that story many times before. Stupid teenagers making very poor decisions, families with secrets... I've enjoyed other books by this author, but this one was not it.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review volutarily.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Brittany Pressley does a great job narrating this one and makes the story come to life for the listener.

Its parents weekend for Santa Clara University but one student is dead and 5 others are missing. FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller is temporarily relocated to San Jose with her wonderful hubby Bob and twins Heather and Michael to help care for Bob’s ill father. Sarah and SCU Police Chief Jay McCray are on the hunt for the 5 missing kids. Will they find them before its too late?

I have read other books by this author and felt this one was just as good as the prior books. If you are new to Alex Finlay, pick up his other books!

This is a fast paced thriller that I really enjoyed listening to. I found I liked the adult characters batter than the college kids who were more shallow and a bit underdeveloped. I did figure out who the kidnappers were but really did not care as I wanted to see how the story played out. The ending was great and overall an entertaining read!

Parents Weekend by @alexfinlayauthor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝓣𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓰𝓻𝓸𝔀 𝓾𝓹 𝓼𝓸 𝓯𝓪𝓼𝓽… 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂’𝓻𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓷𝓮.

It’s parents weekend at college! What could go wrong?!🍻

Libby, Blane, Felix, Mark, and Stella are freshmen in the same capstone group, and all have gone missing on the evening when they’re supposed to be at dinner with their parents. Told from various points of view, we are introduced to many characters to help us discover what happened to the students—aka The Five—, and the dramatic tidbits from each family’s story add even more depth to the book. I really enjoyed the audiobook and the narrator, and thought the book was well-paced and compelling. The mystery kept me engaged and wanting to finish! I would recommend this one; it’s a quick read and was enjoyably easy to get through!

Release Date - May 6th ☀️

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio @minotaur_books for this advanced audio copy! 🎧💕

#netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreview #parentsweekend #alexfinlay #alexfinlayauthor #booknerd #bookstagram

I thought this audio was really well done! The multiple POV and short chapters made this a breeze to get through. There were a lot of characters, which made this a tad confusing at times to keep up with, but not complicated enough to take me out of the story. The diversity of the families really added to the drama and suspense aspect and helped keep my overall interest because I just knew there would be some craziness between them. The pacing was well done, and the mystery was compelling enough to keep me listening, so I would definitely recommend this one!

Synopsis: A group of students go missing during parents weekend at their small private college in Northern California.

Thoughts: My two favorite Alex Finlay books (Every Last Fear and The Night Shift) feature Agent Sarah Keller, so I was excited to see her back for another story! This is a fast-paced thriller with short, bingeable chapters. The ending wasn’t predictable (for me), and I really enjoyed the ride to get there! A note on the audio: Brittany Pressley can do no wrong. Her narration is fantastic, as always, and she makes it easy to differentiate between the many characters.

Read this if you like:
🏫 college setting
🏫 missing persons
🏫 multiple pov
🏫 police procedural
🏫 short chapters