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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
I have decided that rich people drama is officially my favourite genre. Throw in a campus and a murder mystery and you will have me on the first page. I loved the multiple points of view this was told in, the twist, and the messiness of the characters. A fun, fast read. I listened to the audio version. The narrator was excellent and made the book easy to follow, even with multiple perspectives.
It is parents' weekend at a small, elite private college, and five families arrange to have dinner together. As the night goes on, things get scary, when none of their college age children show up.
Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Minotaur for the advanced review copies.
It is parents' weekend at a small, elite private college, and five families arrange to have dinner together. As the night goes on, things get scary, when none of their college age children show up.
Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Minotaur for the advanced review copies.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sometimes plans take an abrupt turn in life. It happened to proud parents when they booked a trip from different parts of the US to be with their freshman kids at Santa Clara University. They went from feeling excited to agitated and nervous when they learned that five friends – their sons and daughters -- were now missing.
They could have just been on a camping trip away from their moms and dads but the high-powered, wealthy parents suspected differently. An FBI agent from DC was involved tracking down all sorts of clues.
The chapters were short and easy to follow with tons of family drama and current concerns over social media.
I really enjoyed Alex Finlay’s last book, “If Something Happens To Me” which kept me on my toes. This one was at a slower pace. I wasn't as engaged. I think this would be more entertaining for younger readers who love mysteries and college settings.
My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 6, 2025.
They could have just been on a camping trip away from their moms and dads but the high-powered, wealthy parents suspected differently. An FBI agent from DC was involved tracking down all sorts of clues.
The chapters were short and easy to follow with tons of family drama and current concerns over social media.
I really enjoyed Alex Finlay’s last book, “If Something Happens To Me” which kept me on my toes. This one was at a slower pace. I wasn't as engaged. I think this would be more entertaining for younger readers who love mysteries and college settings.
My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of May 6, 2025.
Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella are freshmen at a private school in Northern California. It is parents weekend and their families are arriving at their school for the festivities. The five, as they are known, are from all walks of life with families that are vastly different. The five are supposed to meet their families at dinner when oddly, none of them show up. Their parents aren't worried at first, maybe they went to a party instead or decided to ditch dinner. But, as the night drags on and then the morning comes with no response to texts/calls, their parents concern grows. Campus police are called and FBI agent Sarah Keller joins the investigation and quickly realizes something just isn't right.
Review:
4.25 stars
This was a super quick and fast paced popcorn thriller. I found myself not wanting to put this one down, which is exactly what I needed to get myself out of my current book slump. There are a lot of characters and storylines to follow, but Alex Finlay writes them in a way that reminds you who is who and they each have their own distinct voices. I never had an issue keeping the characters separated like I have in other books. There is a lot of drama between the parents and students and it kept me entertained throughout the entire book. The story lines all fit together perfectly at the end and I really enjoyed the puzzle pieces falling together. I did not predict the ending for a single second.
Parents Weekend publishes on May 6th and I highly suggest picking this one up for a fun and wild ride!
Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Finlay, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC of Parents Weekend in exchange for an honest review!
Review:
4.25 stars
This was a super quick and fast paced popcorn thriller. I found myself not wanting to put this one down, which is exactly what I needed to get myself out of my current book slump. There are a lot of characters and storylines to follow, but Alex Finlay writes them in a way that reminds you who is who and they each have their own distinct voices. I never had an issue keeping the characters separated like I have in other books. There is a lot of drama between the parents and students and it kept me entertained throughout the entire book. The story lines all fit together perfectly at the end and I really enjoyed the puzzle pieces falling together. I did not predict the ending for a single second.
Parents Weekend publishes on May 6th and I highly suggest picking this one up for a fun and wild ride!
Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Finlay, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC of Parents Weekend in exchange for an honest review!
Alex Finlay has done it again — Parents Weekend absolutely blew me away! As a thriller lover, I was hooked from the very first page. I especially love when a story drops you right into the action, about a third of the way into the plot, and then rewinds to show you how everything unraveled. That’s exactly what Finlay did here, and it worked so well. The book opens with a gut-wrenching scene: a group of kids trapped in a cave as the high tide creeps in, and we know things aren't looking good. From there, we rewind three days and piece together all the events leading up to that heart-pounding moment. The suspense was electric — I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!
What made this book stand out even more was the twist. I thought I had it all figured out, but nope — the final reveal completely caught me off guard in the best way. I love when a thriller truly shocks me, and Parents Weekend kept me guessing right up until the very end. Every time I thought I had the culprit pinned down, another clue would pop up and throw me off track. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, twisty thriller that will keep you second-guessing yourself the whole way through, this one needs to be at the top of your TBR list!
What made this book stand out even more was the twist. I thought I had it all figured out, but nope — the final reveal completely caught me off guard in the best way. I love when a thriller truly shocks me, and Parents Weekend kept me guessing right up until the very end. Every time I thought I had the culprit pinned down, another clue would pop up and throw me off track. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, twisty thriller that will keep you second-guessing yourself the whole way through, this one needs to be at the top of your TBR list!
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Alex Finlay has a formula for his thrillers - lots of characters and lots of backstories. Sometimes it works for me (Every Last Fear), sometimes it doesn’t. This time it didn’t.
The story had so much promise! The plot sounded sooo good that I couldn’t wait to dive into the audiobook, ℅ netgalley (many thanks)
But, within the first 5 chapters I was introduced to about 15 characters and it completely shattered my excitement and interest in the story. I appreciated the short chapters that made for a fast-paced plot. Yet, It was hard to stay engaged when new characters were constantly introduced and I just lost the momentum for seeing how all of these stories and characters would connect.
I would really love to read a book with this same plot, with maybe 30 less characters. The narration was pretty good. I liked her tones and flows throughout the story.
The story had so much promise! The plot sounded sooo good that I couldn’t wait to dive into the audiobook, ℅ netgalley (many thanks)
But, within the first 5 chapters I was introduced to about 15 characters and it completely shattered my excitement and interest in the story. I appreciated the short chapters that made for a fast-paced plot. Yet, It was hard to stay engaged when new characters were constantly introduced and I just lost the momentum for seeing how all of these stories and characters would connect.
I would really love to read a book with this same plot, with maybe 30 less characters. The narration was pretty good. I liked her tones and flows throughout the story.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Loved the college campus setting of this thriller! Parents weekend was the perfect setting for a group of college kids to go missing. Most of the parents had their own issues going on which made them slightly unlikeable. We learn more about the kids through the adults. It was great seeing Agent Keller again from The Night Shift! Overall really enjoyed this one!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Parents' Weekend was a quick and entertaining thriller, perfect for those seeking a twisty and fast-paced book to get them out of a reading slump.
We are introduced to five different families, comprised of parents and their college students, at the start of the annual parents' weekend at Santa Clara University. The story is told from these alternating POVs, as well as that of an FBI agent (Sarah Keller).
Mystery and chaos ensues when the parents congregate for the opening night dinner and their five students do not show up to the event, nor are they responding to calls or texts. Given that one of the parents is a VIP, the FBI is called to investigate and track down these missing students.
While I enjoyed the large cast of characters, the length of the story ended up being a bit too short for my preference, as it did not really dive deep enough into the background and motivations of each person. That being said, the very short chapters kept me reading and listening, to the point that I devoured this one in just a day!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook and ebook copies in exchange for my honest review.
We are introduced to five different families, comprised of parents and their college students, at the start of the annual parents' weekend at Santa Clara University. The story is told from these alternating POVs, as well as that of an FBI agent (Sarah Keller).
Mystery and chaos ensues when the parents congregate for the opening night dinner and their five students do not show up to the event, nor are they responding to calls or texts. Given that one of the parents is a VIP, the FBI is called to investigate and track down these missing students.
While I enjoyed the large cast of characters, the length of the story ended up being a bit too short for my preference, as it did not really dive deep enough into the background and motivations of each person. That being said, the very short chapters kept me reading and listening, to the point that I devoured this one in just a day!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook and ebook copies in exchange for my honest review.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Five college freshman are about to embark on parents' weekend. The parents are planned to have dinner with each other and their students. However, none of the students show up.
The same evening, a sixth student who had been missing, is found dead.
The FBI is called in and the parents jump into motion to find their children. Almost all of the parents seem to have their own complicated baggage to deal with in the process, all serving as more for the FBI to sort through in order to find their kids.
This book was a quick read and kept my interest. It was a good detective mystery, as long as you aren't looking for any deep connection to the characters. I think there were too many characters for that. But Agent Keller makes up for it - she's always great!
This book is told by telling the story from the POV of each family, so it is a little hard to follow at first. But once I got through each family once, it was fine.
I would recommend this book to fans of "light" thrillers and of Alex Finlay.
The same evening, a sixth student who had been missing, is found dead.
The FBI is called in and the parents jump into motion to find their children. Almost all of the parents seem to have their own complicated baggage to deal with in the process, all serving as more for the FBI to sort through in order to find their kids.
This book was a quick read and kept my interest. It was a good detective mystery, as long as you aren't looking for any deep connection to the characters. I think there were too many characters for that. But Agent Keller makes up for it - she's always great!
This book is told by telling the story from the POV of each family, so it is a little hard to follow at first. But once I got through each family once, it was fine.
I would recommend this book to fans of "light" thrillers and of Alex Finlay.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Stalking