Parent’s Weekend is more of a police procedural than a thriller, though the ending is definitely very suspenseful. Five students go missing during parent’s weekend at a small private college on the CA coast. While we learn a little about the students the book is really more about their parents and how what they have done has affected not only their children but also others involved. I loved Sarah Keller’s role in the investigation, even though she was supposed to just be in a supporting role she soon showed that her instincts and ability to get people involved and talking were what was important.

After praising Alex Finlay's last novel as "one of the best mystery thrillers I have read", I could not wait to read his next one.

A quick overview: The story begins with parents traveling to their children’s college for "Parents Weekend." Along the way, we get introduced to their less than perfect lives. Upon arriving, things take a tense turn—their children are nowhere to be found, and there’s no communication from them. News circulates about a young student who drowned earlier, and now five more students are missing. Law enforcement steps in, and the frantic search begins.

It seems to me, to be a common thread in Finlay's novels to feature multiple characters and points of view. This approach works well when the writing is clear and engaging—which it is here, but to me it just seemed there were simply too many perspectives this time around for me to truly connect with any of the characters. The story is a slow burn, and unfortunately, the ending didn’t deliver the heart pounding payoff which happen in some slower paced books. If slow mysteries are your thing, this one might be for you.

Although this wasn’t my favourite of Finlay’s works, I still think he’s a talented author, and I will looking forward to future works of his.

Also, a quick note: I experienced the story both by reading at home and through the audiobook while driving. Brittany Pressley’s narration was exceptional—her distinct character voices and captivating tone were fabulous. I really love her voice.

Five college students disappear into thin air one night as their parents gather to celebrate their children’s first year of college. The story blows up on social media, with amateur detectives on all social media platforms speculating on what has happened to the five. After a slow start, the story really gets going in the last half, and it’s worth the wait

Im a huge fan of Alex Finlay so was so excited to get early access to his latest book. I listened to the audio version which may have impacted my review slightly. For the first 1/4 of the story I had a difficult time following characters storylines and connecting whose parents were connected to each kidnapped student. With that being said, once the plot started to really open up the story was captivating and kept me in suspense until the wrap up. I would categorize this as a strong read for the year.

This was a good one! After The Night Shift I was so excited to see the bad ass Special Agent Keller was back! I enjoyed the setting of the college/beach and the premise of the crime taking place at Parents Weekend. I felt that was a unique idea for a thriller. It gave it a domestic thriller feel which I loved. My only gripe is that there were a lot of characters to remember due to the 5 students and their families! Other than that I thought it was well paced, interesting and had a great ending I didn’t see coming. Brittany Pressley narrates (One of my faves) and she does a great job with it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy of this audiobook which publishes 5/6.

A domestic thriller involving multiple families, lots of secrets and motives as five college students disappear over the parents' weekend and the police race to figure out what happened. I thought this was just okay, I liked Brittany Pressley as the narrator (she's one of my favs) but I didn't especially get invested in the story. I also didn't guess the ending so if you like books by Shari Lapena or Mary Kubica you may enjoy this one too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!