A review by shelleys_book_nook
Parents Weekend: A Novel by Alex Finlay

medium-paced

1.0

No, just no. This was just terrible. It was big on style but short on substance. This is what I would call a popcorn thriller, but not in a good way. I did not enjoy it. It got bogged down with too many characters and not enough information. The ending felt rushed, and a lot of the plot felt unfinished. The book was only 235 pages on my tablet, and it showed. There were no reasons given for how these actions and crimes played out. 

Finlay has had a few misses for me recently. I loved The Night Shift, and we see the same character, FBI agent Keller, in this one, so I thought I'd give this one a chance. He failed miserably. There were too many potholes, and I didn't like any of the characters. I liked the short, punchy chapters from different points of view—that's my favourite format—but it meant not getting fully fleshed-out, well-rounded characters.

The writing was very basic and amateurish and there was no plot twist. I usually complain about it when the details are too many but Finlay doesn't give me enough. My mind is boggled at all the four and five-star reviews of this one. I was left feeling very disappointed and Finlay is selling out in my opinion. He’s cranking books out without any thought behind them. I am done with him now, I have given him plenty of chances after enjoying The Night Shift.