I loved this book! It was a page turner with multiple twists that kept me guessing. I also really enjoyed the chapters switching off between POVs. Great work Sarah Pekkanen!

After finishing House of Glass, I caught up with Sarah Pekkanen’s 2023 thriller, Gone Tonight. Out of the two of them, I found House of Glass to be the superior book, mainly because Gone Tonight protagonist Ruth makes what I felt to be some pretty dumb decisions.

Ruth is a single mom who will do anything for her daughter, Catherine. A lot of what she does is lie—she thinks she has Catherine’s best interests at heart, but as the young woman reaches her mid-20s, she begins to realize that much of what her overprotective parent has told her isn’t adding up. Determined to uncover Ruth’s secrets, Catherine goes digging, which (helped along by a whopper of a coincidence) inadvertently causes all of Ruth’s lies to catch up with her.

If Ruth hadn’t been so secretive, if she’d just been willing to give Catherine a few nuggets of truth about her real-life background, things might not have turned out the way they did. Eventually, your kid will notice that you’re always on the run and wonder why. For anyone hiding out under an assumed identity who wants to know what not to do, Gone Tonight may prove helpful.

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen is a gripping and intense thriller that delves deep into the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship built on secrets and survival. The novel takes us on a suspenseful journey as we unravel the past of Ruth Sterling, who fled an abusive home and an unsettling boyfriend in her youth. Pregnant and alone, Ruth's determination to provide a safe life for her daughter Catherine becomes the foundation of their existence.

For over two decades, Ruth has been the vigilant protector, always ready to uproot their lives at a moment’s notice. This nomadic lifestyle has created a unique bond between her and Catherine, yet it also raises the question: what is Ruth so afraid of, and what lengths will she go to keep her daughter close?

As Catherine grows older, her desire for independence clashes with Ruth’s overprotective nature, leading to a tension-filled dance of deception. Both women harbor secrets that threaten to unravel their lives. The story masterfully alternates between their perspectives, revealing layer after layer of their hidden truths.

Pekkanen's writing is taut and evocative, drawing readers into the emotional and psychological depths of her characters. The twists and turns keep you guessing until the very end, making it a page-turner that’s hard to put down.

4.5 stars!

I have to say I liked this book but I didn't love it. I couldn't wrap my head around the mother daughter relationship. I understand when Catherine decided not follow her dreams when she thought her mother had dementia. But, unfortunately that was the only part I could really wrap my head around. The tight grip Ruth had on Catherine was odd  IMO. Catherine never tried for independence to this point. She was 24 years old. The ending, even for me, was no surprise at all. If I can find it predictable, then y'all know it easy to figure out the ending.

I liked the dual POV and the short chapters!  The writing was easy to read, which is also a huge plus. I think if you're new to thrillers or you don't want a super twisty turny book, this would be one to look into adding your TBR.

Finally got around to reading/listening to this one. It’s pretty slow and I wish it had been a little more action packed. The ending was pretty predictable. Ready to read Sarah pekkans next novel though.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When this book started, it didn’t seem like it was going to be a mystery/thriller. The story developed, we learned there was more to it than just a relationship between a mother and daughter. I liked the characters and the story moved pretty well. There were a couple of glaring errors where the author mentioned something that couldn’t have happened when the book was set, but otherwise a pretty decent read.

Catherine Sterling was raised by her mother Ruth. Ruth worked hard to raise her, but often had to move from one place to another. Now it seems it is Catherine's turn to take care of Ruth. Just as she is ready to take a job at a hospital out of town, and start her career as a nurse, things start happening. Catherine has worked in the memory care unit at a nursing home, so knows the signs of early onset dementia. She can't leave her, and turns down the job, but things aren't what they seem. Ruth has kept her background secret and as the story progresses, we learn about her past and why she has kept things secret for so long. The one thing she doesn't want is for Catherine to leave and go somewhere that she can't protect her. Catherine suspects that her mother is not being truthful and what she finds out, brings danger to their door.

Gone Tonight is a slow burn, building to it's crescendo brick by brick, keeping me wondering what Ruth was hiding. The story is told in alternating chapters with both Ruth's and Catherine's point of view. I was surprised to hear what happened in Ruth's past to bring her to this point and am shocked that she has survived and raised Catherine to be a wall-balanced young woman. I don't want to give anything else away, so will stop there. This was a well developed story with lots of twists that kept me listening well into the night. I was not expecting that ending, but it tied the story up nicely. I just wish it had moved a bit quicker.

Ruth has been on the run since she was 16 years old and has only had her daughter, Catherine. Now Catherine wants to move to Baltimore and Ruth finds out that she has dementia. Soon enough we will find out why Ruth has only had Catherine and why she had to run.

Sarah Pekkanen you never disappoint.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy.

For most of her life, Catherine has never been able to get her mother to talk about her past. Ruth has told her daughter that her parents forced her to leave home when she got pregnant as a teenager and together they have moved from place to place always just keeping their heads above water financially. Now Catherine has a job offer in Baltimore and Ruth has begun to display symptoms of Alzheimer's so Catherine's interest in her mother's past has become consuming to her. Everything she does not brings her closer to unlocking her mother's secrets and opening herself to danger she never expects.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I love Sarah Pekkanen’s writing, in particular her ability to shine light on complexities of certain relationships. Gone Tomorrow does a beautiful job of exploring a mother-daughter relationship full of love but also secrets!

Catherine is a geriatric nurse ready to venture into a new job, new city and a new life for the first time separating from her mother Ruth. Except Ruth is starting to misplace things, forget words and showing other concerning signs making Catherine reconsider her decision. It has always been just the two of them but now Catherine is starting to dig deeper into her mother’s past unaware of potential consequences of her actions.

Stories centered around deep dark secrets always hold such high appeal to me! This was a character driven slow burn suspense that I enjoyed so much. Though it wasn’t so focused on twists, the story still kept me on the edge of my seat and I loved every second of it. I loved Sarah’s books cowritten with Greer Hendricks and Gone Tonight just solidified her status as an auto-buy author for me!

A huge thank you to Goodreads & St. Martin’s Press for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first solo effort of Pekkanen's that I've read after devouring the thrillers that she's co-written with Greer Hendricks. I was very excited to see what she would be capable of on her own, and "Gone Tonight" did not disappoint. There were several points throughout the novel when I felt SURE that I had figured out where the plotline was leading. Still, I can honestly say that I continued to be surprised by the twists and new information introduced by Pekkanen. I found both Ruth and Catherine to be intriguing narrators and I was caught in the thrall of the carefully constructed facade Ruth had created around their life to keep both herself and Catherine "safe."

At its heart, "Gone Tonight" is a book that both illustrates the lengths to which a parent will go to protect their child and also that we can never really know even those that we feel closest to—an A+ thriller, perfect for summer book clubs. Readers will race to the conclusion and be left with plenty to ponder closing the back cover.

Special thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "Gone Tonight" in exchange for an unbiased review!

I've never once been disappointed by this author's books, so I had high expectations for this one, and they were ALL met. It's fast paced, secrets abound, and the revelations come one after another once you reach the last quarter or so of the book. Even the small details that could be easily set aside serve a true purpose here and are worth paying attention to as the clues all come together.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I went into this book completely blind, and I think that was the best way to do it. I tried to figure out the story as I went, reading the blurb much later on. I truly had no idea what to expect.

This psychological thriller shows the relationship and love between a mother and daughter. How far would you go to protect the ones you love?

This alternates between the two characters POV and it was done very well where I was able to follow along and not become confused on timeline or who was narrating. The climax of the book slowly built up as it when on, so by the time it happened you were on the edge of your seat waiting.

A great thriller with great narrators!

I have definitely been in a thriller slump and this got me right out of it!
I loved this book from start to finish.
First off, it doesn’t have the normal plots most thrillers have that I don’t care for: alcoholism, marital conflicts, etc.
Next, it was so psychological that even the ending was unsettling—-which was amazing.
Last, I love Pekkanen’s writing style. While still suspenseful, she has beautiful, lyrical descriptions.

I would totally recommend this book!

A good easy thriller, but it felt a bit repetitive and could have been shorter. No big twists or shocks, had things figured out pretty early.

This was so well written. I was engrossed from the first page and it ticked all the boxes of my expectations . I would definitely recommend to others.

Nothing is as it seems in a mother's desperate attempt to protect her daughter. This thrilling novel explores the consequences when long-held secrets begin to unravel, leading to a dangerous dance of deception between mother and daughter.
Catherine Sterling has always believed she knows her mother, Ruth Sterling, inside and out. Ruth is a quiet, hardworking woman who has dedicated her life to her daughter. Together, they have faced the world as a team. However, as Catherine prepares to embark on a new chapter in her life, Ruth becomes determined to prevent her from leaving home.
On the other hand, Ruth believes she knows her daughter, confident that Catherine would never rebel or question her mother's past. But as Ruth's desperate efforts to keep Catherine by her side start to expose cracks in her carefully constructed world, both mother and daughter find themselves entangled in a web of deception.
Ruth has a dark history that she has kept hidden, constantly moving from place to place and always ready to disappear at a moment's notice. The question arises: is the danger coming from Ruth's past, or is Ruth herself reaching a breaking point? Could the darkness lurking within Catherine be the source of the impending danger?
Sarah Pekkanen at the top of her game with her ability to build suspense while keeping you on the edge of your seat as you navigate the twists and turns of the story. Also drawing you into the complex dynamics between mother and daughter and the secrets they hold. Gone Tonight is a captivating and suspenseful thriller that will leave you guessing until the final pages.

4 Stars!

If you enjoyed The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, you'll like Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen.

Told in dual POVs while slowly uncovering secret pasts while creating a sense of tension.

Gone Tonight introduces us to Catherine Sterling, a nurse at a memory care facility who is about to move to another state. But Catherine's mother Ruth seems like she's willing to do anything to stop her. Ruth's past has always been a secret to Catherine, so when Catherine catches Ruth in a shocking lie, she decides to dig further into her mother's past.

The beginning is a slow build, letting us get to know Catherine and Ruth, both in the present and the past, but from about the halfway point on, it's fast-paced action. If you read a lot of thrillers and mysteries, I wouldn't expect to be surprised at most of the twists and turns, but the quick paced writing style and sense of urgency did make this a fun and enjoyable read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’ve read An Anonymous Girl, which the author co-wrote, and I thought it was okay. But I’m always willing to read more from an author unless I just flat-out hated their other book. And this one started rough, but I’m glad I kept going because it ended up being better than it started out.

Ruth Sterling is showing early signs of dementia, and her daughter, Catherine, is about to leave home for the first time to take a new job. Ruth is really struggling with this fact for reasons she hasn’t been completely honest about. As Catherine starts to dig into her mother’s past, she begins to realize her mother has been keeping a lot of secrets about herself and Catherine’s history.

This book was good. I can’t say it’s one I’ll remember down the line because it’s like many other mystery books, but it kept me reading and I will recommend it to others who like the genre.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A mother and daughter have only each other. It's always just been the two of them, moving from place to place for as long as Catherine can remember. Catherine is getting ready to start her life as a nurse after graduation, she has a job all lined up and moves in a few short weeks. Her plans are about to change when her mother starts showing symptoms of dementia. How can she leave at a time when her mother, Ruth, needs her more than ever.
Slowly facts about Ruth's past come to light and things just don't add up for Catherine. She starts to investigate her mother's past, putting 'both their lives in jeopardy. What is Ruth's truth and just what is she hiding.

This is a slow burn beginning leading up to a full blast explosion of action, reveals that are shocking, heartbreaking and life changing.