Alex Finlay’s Parent’s Weekend immediately captivated me with its fast-paced, engaging narrative. Despite my initial understanding, a surprising twist led to an unexpected journey. The ending, with its intricate plot, was satisfyingly concluded by Brittany Pressley’s exceptional narration.

I loved this! The different view points were sometimes hard to follow, especially on audio, but the story itself was great. I loved the conflict between the various family members, their different struggles and priorities.. The twists and turns kept going to the very end, and its always a nice surprise to not be able to see each one coming.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to listen to this early!

I found the first book to add to your beach bag for summer 2025!

Alex Finlay can tell a story. Parents Weekend featured interesting characters, setting and premise - and goes very quickly which is perfect for a summer read. Set at a fancy pants private school, five families arrive to spend time with their kids but the kids all go missing.

There is a lot to unfold and, on audio, keeping track of the characters, their families and a lot of messy drama was problematic. I imagine a paper copy of this one would be a better choice.

Highly recommend.

Fast-paced, twisty, and full of tension—Parents Weekend is exactly what a crime lover wants in a thriller. When a college campus turns into a crime scene, secrets unravel and nothing is as it seems. The narrating was perfect!

Thank you to the NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

A twisty, suspenseful mystery set at a private college in Northern California where five students go missing during Parents Weekend. What connects them? What secrets are their parents hiding? And will they make it back alive?

I loved unraveling each family's story—so many layers and secrets to uncover. My favorite character? Hands down, FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller. She was a total standout.

This was my first Alex Finlay novel, but definitely not my last. Solid, fast-paced mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Another fantastic performance by Brittany Pressley!! She is truly a shining star in audiobook world!!

This was one of those thrillers I couldn’t put down. The story keeps you guessing the entire time, with layers of secrets and twists that actually surprised me. I loved the pacing and how everything tied together in the end.
Big thanks to NetGalley for the chance to listen to this one!

Alex Finlay is by far one of my most favorite authors. And he did not disappoint in this fast-paced, unpredictable, and on-the-edge mystery. The novel kept me on the edge of my seat, and I listened to the whole thing in one sitting. I enjoyed it so much that I didn't even realize how much time had passed. I wasn't able to put it down. This mystery kept me engaged until the very last page.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC. #ParentsWeekend #NetGalley. #Macmillan Audio

I was so excited to read this book and I was not disappointed. Alex Finlay delivers another fantastic read!
The plot was intricate and complex. The pacing is pitch-perfect, ratcheting up the tension without losing the core of the story. Each chapter peels back another layer, revealing hidden motives, haunting memories, and unsettling truths.
This was a very enjoyable book and I highly recommend it! Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

"Parents Weekend" was a fairly enjoyable mystery that I binge-listened to in a single day. It's short and sweet, as mysteries go, and has a lot of characters to keep straight, but the premise and investigation into the backgrounds of each missing student kept my interest.

The narration was excellent (with the small exception of some really sharp "k" pronunciations that grated a little), and Brittany Pressley did a good job differentiating the characters.

One note: This book isn't listed as being part of a series, but there were lots of references to Agent Keller's past, and she turns out to be a character in another Alex Finlay book. I wish I had known that before starting this one so that I could have read it first, since this book seems to contain spoilers for the previous book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ALC and provide an unbiased review!

I do love books set in an academic setting. We are at beautiful Northern California on parents weekend when 5 kids are missing. The story is told in so many POV that I lost track of which parent belongs to which kid.

It was great to see Agent Sarah Keller from Night Shift back and my favorite POV. Unforgettable with so many POV, I lost interest in the story and wasn't vested in any of the characters and the story moved slowly.

Once you find out what happens, it was a bit unrealistic. Brittany Presley is one of my favorite narrators but I think with so many POV, it would have been more suitable to have multiple narrators.

Thank you @minotaur_books @macmillan.audio for a copy of the audiobook.

3.5 stars!

During Parents Weekend at a small private college in Northern California, five students from Campisi Hall go missing, causing panic among their families and the campus community. The podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths known as The Five come from different backgrounds, leaving many questions about what led to their disappearance. Through multiple perspectives, including FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller.

This book was a slow burn for me but thank goodness for the audiobook - it was a lifesaver! The narrator truly brought the story to life and helped me keep track of all the crazy families involved.

With five different characters and families to follow, some were downright unlikable while others were surprisingly relatable. I didn't even bother reading the blurb before diving in, and boy was I in for a ride. The concept was intriguing, but the execution was a bit sluggish. Thank goodness for the audiobook, which picked up the pace and set the right tone.

I was definitely intrigued and managed to keep up with the plot twists, but man, did it take forever to get to the point. The big reveal wasn't as shocking as I had hoped, but hey, everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

If you're into wild young characters, messy family drama, and some heart-stopping moments, give this book a try. Just a heads up, there might be some triggers for some. Let me know your thoughts - I'm all ears!

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A private college in northern CA is thrown into chaos when a group of students goes missing on parents’ weekend. The story is narrated from the prospectives of the parents, the students and the FBI agent working the case. I liked the setting and the fast pace of this but it wasn’t my favorite of Finlay’s. The plot was a little out there and didn’t seem entirely plausible to me. With so many characters it was difficult to keep them all straight, especially when listening to this on audio. An ok read but Finlay has definitely done better.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC (Advanced Listening Copy) of Parents Weekend.

This started off strong and I was interested in the instructions of the parents and learning their backstories. I wish similar attention had been paid to the student’s backstories because I didn’t feel particularly connected to them which made me care less about their disappearance. Overall, way too many characters and not enough character development. It’s worth a read but I wouldn’t wholeheartedly recommend it.

I always enjoy Brittany Pressley’s narrating and this was no exception!

This book was such a fast-paced read! The setup is instantly intriguing—five college freshmen go missing during Parents Weekend, and the mystery only deepens from there. I loved how the story jumped between timelines and different points of view; it kept me hooked. The mix of family drama, college vibes, and true crime-style twists made it impossible to stop reading. And seeing FBI Agent Sarah Keller again was absolutely welcomed; love her! If you’re into thrillers that keep you guessing with multiple intriguing and twisty charcter arcs, definitely pick this one up.

Thank you Alex Finlay, Macmillan Audio, St. Martins Press, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I read some of this book and also listened to it on audiobook.

Feedback on the book.
This is my first Alex Finlay book and I’ll be back! It’s not a top thriller book for me but I still enjoyed the journey!
I will say I had it figured out before the end however there was a death I wasn’t expecting.

I liked how you got to know multiple characters and their families, which can sometimes get very confusing however it was done in a very simplified matter and was easy to follow!

I read this book fairly fast and was hooked to figure out how it was going to all play out.

Feedback on audibook

I really liked the narrator! It was super easy to listen to and appropriate tone was used throughout the whole book.

This was a great book with a fun plot line! It had many different characters and the character development was excellent. Loved the ending. Thanks so much for the ARC!

Thank you SMP and Macmillan for review copies.

This one was not a win for me. Excellent as always narration from favorite Brittany Pressley so I want to say the audiobook is just fine in terms of narration and production.

But this plot was just all over the place and never worked for me at all and I say that as a fan of previous Alex Finlay books. I think this is a case of too many characters/POVs, truly unlikable and underdeveloped characters, and never getting into a sense of suspense, dread, or real mystery vibe. The only part that was a big win for me was the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller, she is the only character that I felt at all interested in and that's because she is well developed, a returning character.

This was a twisty thriller. I appreciated the academic setting but just too many characters that I almost lost interest. This was just an okay popcorn thriller. I had quite a hard time trying to decipher which family went with which college kid it was just kind of a blend. I did enjoy the narrator but it was just hard to follow on audio.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to listen to this book
3 star

I loved this!! I think this is my favorite of Alex Finlay’s books since THE NIGHT SHIFT and it was fun to reunite with Agent Keller! While I guessed some of the mystery, there were several twists that surprised me and I loved the layers and different family perspectives. The atmosphere was also perfect between the academic college setting and the darkness of the caves nearby. Such a great thriller! Also, Brittany Pressley did an incredible job with the audiobook!

2-Star Review: A Parent’s Weekend by Alex Finlay

While A Parent’s Weekend was enjoyable in moments, it ultimately fell short of the gripping tension and layered twists I’ve come to expect from Alex Finlay. The pacing felt uneven, and the suspense never quite reached the intensity of his previous novels. For longtime fans, it may come across as more of a detour than a destination. A decent read, but lacking the punch Finlay usually delivers.