Nope. Officially giving up on Finlay. I've pushed through before but the stories just don't ever hit for me and I'm getting too old to finish books that don't hook me immediately.

Just when I thought Finlay couldn’t write another phenomenal thriller… here he comes with Parents Weekend and blew my expectations out of the water!
The premise immediately drew me in and I couldn’t predict where it would lead.
It was so well written and the characters were fantastic. I was interested from start to finish and read it quickly. The story was full of tons of unexpected twists and turns, which I loved.
The story just has so many twists and turns that the author takes you on a wonderfully written journey that you are sad when you are finished with the book. You will be surprised though along the way and that is what will keep you going to the next page. Excellent book along with wonderful characters.
If you need something fast-paced that will grab your attention from the start then this is the book for you.
“Parents Weekend” is a masterfully written thriller!

Parents Weekend is a fast-paced, twisty thriller that kept me hooked from the very beginning. Alex Finlay has a real talent for building suspense, and this book might be one of his most emotionally engaging yet. The story kicks off with a college student going missing during a seemingly normal parents weekend, and things spiral quickly from there. What starts as a mystery soon becomes a deeper exploration of family, trust, and how far people will go to protect those they love.
One of the things I appreciated most was how well Finlay develops his characters. Each parent has a unique voice and a compelling backstory, and their emotions feel raw and real. The multiple points of view added to the tension without ever feeling confusing or forced. And while the twists come often, they never feel cheap or unbelievable—instead, they make you want to keep turning pages to see what happens next.
This is the kind of thriller that makes you think as much as it entertains. If you enjoy domestic suspense with heart and plenty of surprises, Parents Weekend is well worth the read. Finlay delivers once again.

I’ve enjoyed many of Alex Finlay’s previous novels and was excited to dive into The Parents Weekend. I had both the audiobook and ebook, so I went back and forth between the two formats.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists that held my interest and kept me guessing as the author slowly built up the suspense.

The audiobook was a highlight for me. Brittany Pressley is one of my favorite narrators and they did an excellent job bringing the characters to life adding and excitement to the already gripping plot. The pacing was very good and I found myself listening well into the night.

While this wasn't my favorite book by the author, I still found it to be a highly enjoyable read. It’s a clever, suspense filled ride with enough twists and surprises that kept me hooked until the very end.

Parents Weekend is a suspenseful tale that dives deep into family secrets, campus drama, and the chilling disappearance of five college students. Told through multiple perspectives, the novel keeps readers on edge as FBI Special Agent Sarah unravels the mystery behind the missing students and the dark pasts of their families.

Finlay delivers fast-paced storytelling and unexpected twists, making it a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. If you love books that blend mystery, tension, and emotional depth, this one deserves a spot on your shelf!

#BookReview #ParentsWeekend #AlexFinlay #ThrillerReads #MustRead #MacmillanAudio 📖🔥

Thank you NetGalley, Alex Finlay and MacMillan Audio for the ALC of this book.

After about the first 100 pages, I was HOOKED. I loved the setting and the diversity of the cast of characters. This was a quick read/listen—faced paced, popcorn thriller. This was such a great premise for a book, but in my opinion, it wasn’t very thrilling. I felt it was a bit underwhelming and predictable.

While it did take me a while to keep all the characters straight with the audio, I did enjoy having a big cast of narrators to help differentiate between them.

Thank you to the author and Macmillan Audio for the early copy!

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

I have become a real fan of Alex Finlay, they know how to write a really engaging thriller. I kind of just let the books take me away,(a lot like Calgon!). A group of parents converge on a university for Parents Weekend that starts with a dead student and the sudden disappearance of a group of students.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Alex Finlay's latest Thriller novel, Parents Weekend, revolves around a group of families who each have a child attending a small Liberal Arts college in Northern California. For Parents Weekend, it's decided that the students in this particular Capstone group will all get together for a nice dinner, along with their parents, as a way to kick off the special weekend.

On the designated night though, while all the parents show up to the agreed upon location, the kids never do. At first, all assume, it's just kids being kids, but as the hours pass, and another night falls with no word from any of the students, panic ensues. What could have happened?

Due to the high profile nature of a couple of the families, the campus police are forced to call in reinforcements. Before long the disappearances are national news. FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller, who you may remember from her appearances in Every Last Fear and The Night Shift, is one of the reinforcements brought in to investigate the case. Can she find the five missing students before it's too late?

Parents Weekend is a quick and punchy, action-packed Thriller. I was fully entertained and curious about what had happened with the missing students, and why. Even though I felt the conclusion was a little simplistic, particularly in regards to the who and why, I still feel like it was well worth reading. I will admit though, I rounded up mainly for Sarah Keller. I love her and want Finlay to keep bringing her back.

I did really enjoy the drama of these families. As expected, there were a lot of messy dynamics and I'm always down for feeding on other people's drama. I would recommend this for Thriller Readers who are fine with more action than character work. While we do find out a lot about these characters, the action of the plot is what really drives this story. I always look forward to Alex Finlay's new releases. He never fails to pull me in and I tend to fly through his novels, unable to put them down once I start.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. This is a great pick for your Summer Reading List!

This book was an okay read for me. I absolutely loved The Night Shift, but I feel that was the height of this authors books for me. This story, I loved the premise, I loved the mystery. There were things that kept me from loving the book. I felt there were too many characters to keep up with. I found that I knew what the mystery was, who was missing, but... I couldn't remember which parent, which friend, and the other characters.
The timeline was a bit messy for me too, I found I often couldn't keep up with if it was in the past or in the now. The ending was a bit strange and rushed for me too. I felt it was forced, didn't fit, and ended abruptly,

The story did keep me interested enough to finish but took me a bit longer than most of reads due to all the confusion. The narration was great though.

Like all of Finlay’s books, this one has a fun and face paced start. I was hooked on what happened to these kids and definitely all over the place with trying to figure out whodunnit! His books at times, have too many characters and the plot gets a bit over complicated - losing me through the middle. But, I was satisfied with the ending here! I loved reconnecting with agent Keller, the FBI agent from two of his prior books - her character was the best part!

•Dark academia
•Unlikeable characters
•Family drama
•Coastal setting
•Suspense, not scary

🎧I enjoyed the narration by Brittany Pressley - she is a fave!!

Alex Finlay's Parents Weekend (audiobook), a highly anticipated thriller, plunges listeners into a parent's worst nightmare during what should be a celebratory college event. Five families gather for dinner and cocktails, excited for their children's first year at a small private school in Northern California. But as the parents enjoy their evening, their kids—Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella, residents of Campisi Hall—fail to show up for dinner.

Initially, everyone dismisses it as typical college behavior. However, as hours turn into days without a single text or sighting, panic sets in. Campus police call for reinforcements, search parties are organized, reporters descend, and the small enclave is consumed by rumors and unsettling questions.

Dubbed "The Five" by online sleuths, these students come from starkly different backgrounds. What led them out on that fateful night? Could it be the consequences of their parents' past misdeeds, or a threat festering within their own friend group? Told through multiple points of view across past and present, and featuring the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller, Parents Weekend is a gripping exploration of the immense weight of expectation, profound family dysfunction, and the bittersweet intensity of those early college days when friendships truly become family. This thriller promises a relentless pace and chilling revelations.

This was my very first book by Alex Finlay and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed the plot and storyline and felt that the majority of the characters were well written and well defined. I did, however, feel that there were certain portions of the book that were a little unbelievable. I also was able to solve the ending about 60% of the way into the book. Even with that being said, I did enjoy it and I do recommend it.

Author Alex Finlay is adept at taking mundane experiences parents with college-age children face and twisting it into our worst nightmare. Missing children, far from home, in a college environment - "Parents Weekend" enchants and terrifies.

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a gripping thriller that delves into the complexities of family dynamics and the weight of expectations. The story is set against the backdrop of a small private college in Northern California, where five families gather for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. However, the celebration takes a dark turn when their children, all residents of Campisi Hall, fail to show up for dinner and subsequently go missing.

The narration by Brittany Pressley is superb, capturing the tension and urgency of the unfolding mystery. Finlay's storytelling is compelling, with multiple points of view that add depth and intrigue to the plot. The characters are well-developed, each with their own secrets and motivations, which are gradually revealed as the story progresses.

The novel explores themes of family dysfunction, the pressures of parental expectations, and the exhilarating yet perilous freedom of college life. The return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Finlay's previous works adds an extra layer of excitement for fans of his earlier books.

Overall, Parents Weekend is a must-listen for thriller enthusiasts. Alex Finlay has crafted a suspenseful and emotionally charged story that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

This was a really enjoyable listen! I would say you might have to suspend some realism, especially for the ending. But it was a short and good book.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Alex Finlay returns following If Something Happens to Me with his latest sizzling suspense academia thriller, PARENTS WEEKEND, a title that holds a deeper meaning as it sets the stage for a series of events that unfold during a college's parents' weekend.

Five families gather for Parents' Weekend to visit their freshman children at college, which quickly turns into a gripping mystery when five students go missing. This high-stakes suspense thriller, blended with family dynamics, will keep you on the edge of your seat, eager to uncover the truth.

About...

It's the first year of college at a private school in Northern California. It is a night of opening festivities for Parents Weekend. The parents are there, but the five residents of Campisi Hall never show up for dinner.

Is this a joke, or did they ditch them for a party? But as time moves on and no texts or phone calls, panic begins to set in.

The FIVE: Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella. Soon, rumors began to circulate, and podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths all shared their suspicions and theories. All the students are from different backgrounds.

The campus cops are called, and everyone has their theory. Is it due to the parents' enemies? The sins of the fathers and mothers? A group targeting students, hazing, etc. Why take all five?

An ongoing mystery. Who and why DUNIT?

My thoughts...

PARENTS WEEKEND is an enthralling psychological page-turner thriller. Finlay is on a roll. Atmospheric, intense, chilling!

Finlay keeps you in suspense with plenty of twists, red herrings, and a unique storytelling technique that cleverly unfolds the plot through multiple points of view, from past to present. This technique will keep you engaged and eager to see how the different perspectives contribute to the story.

From well-developed characters, family dysfunction, and dark secrets, the author keeps the surprises coming. As a parent (now a grandparent), I recall the worries I had when my sons left for college. (Now my granddaughter starts this fall.) The fears for their safety, the drama, and the relationships they form, which can change the trajectory of their lives, are all too real.

As a massive fan of the author (have read all his books), this is another addition to his fine, must-read collection of thrillers.

Audiobook...

I highly recommend the audiobook performed by my favorite narrator, Brittany Pressley, and features an author's note and acknowledgments read by the author. The performance was award-winning and engaging, keeping you glued to your iPhone with distinct voices for all the characters, bringing the story to life.

Recs...

PARENTS WEEKEND is for fans of the author and those who enjoy works by Harlan Coben, David Ellis, Chris Whitaker, John Hart, Mary Kubica, and Lisa Unger.

Thanks to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing a gifted ARC and ALC (#MacAudio2025) in exchange for an honest review. Your support is invaluable in bringing these thrilling stories to readers.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
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This was a nice twisty thriller. When a group of parents gather at college to visit their children for parents weekend they aren’t expecting something more sinister to be at play. When none of their children show up to dinner and can’t be reached by phone an investigation ensues.

This was my first Alex Finlay book so I didn’t know what to expect but I enjoyed it overall. It was a solid thriller but a fair few twists that surprised me. There were a lot of characters to keep track of which was sometimes slightly confusing, but I think the narration really helped to keep track. The narration was also very well done and read at a good speed.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. When I usually love a lot of characters in a book this time for me it was too much. I was ready to dnf it at the 50% mark which is why it took me over a month to get through it. Its just wasn't great.