WOW.

I've read several of the Pekkanen/Hendricks co-authored books and enjoyed them greatly, so I knew this was likely to be just as enjoyable. The slow burn of this story at first concerned me a bit that I had perhaps misremembered what the synopsis was, but when the drama really started hitting I realized that I had been lulled into a false sense of calm before one heck of a storm. I could not have loved this any more, as evidenced by the fact that I finished it in a day, nearly in a single sitting. Brava!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

She is a master innovative author of Psychological thriller. The author does an impressive job at delivering a story about the relationship of a mother and a daughter that there's nothing they wouldn't do to protect each other. There are twists and turns that give a mind-blowing punch to a sensational ending.

While I’ve read all of the novels Sarah Pekkanen has written with Greer Hendricks, this is the first of her solo novels I’ve read. While Gone Tonight starts out somewhat slowly, it definitely picks up as Catherine and Ruth dive deeper into Ruth’s past. I’m glad I went into this one mostly blind. I will definitely recommend this and look forward to reading more from Sarah Pekkanen.

Great way to tell the story! I loved the beginning where it is being told from two sides. I also love that we knew what was happening and waiting for the characters to catch up. Lots if twists and turns and surprising moments in this book.

Loved this one. It hooked me right from the beginning. I flew through the pages eager to find out the next secret. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for this e-copy. Pekkanen is a auto buy for me.

Who is a fan of twisty, slow burn thrillers with an unreliable narrator or two?⁣
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⁣Gone Tonight was a fun read! Catherine, a 24 year old new nurse, is just about to start off her new life working in Baltimore when she learns her mother, Ruth, is suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s. Catherine turns her whole life upside down to stay with Ruth, but also starts digging into their past. She soon realizes that her mother might be keeping some dark secrets! ⁣
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⁣This is a multiple POV story where we slowly learn what each character is hiding. It’s fun, twisty and addicting! I liked the cat and mouse feel of this book and all the juicy tension! ⁣
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⁣Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I recommend this one to fans of domestic thrillers! ⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in return for my honest review!

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

This alternating POV story had me turning pages and not wanting to stop. Ruth is trying to protect her daughter, even as an adult. Catherine is confused by her mom’s actions and needs to know what she’s hiding, not knowing that there could be danger around the corner.

Pekkanen writes a great suspense book and this one won’t disappoint. The history and current day character building will keep you on the edge of your seat.

4 stars

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This is a hard one to put down!

Ruth and her adult daughter, Catherine are each other’s worlds. As Catherine is finally ready to leave home and begin her own life, Ruth is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Catherine begins digging into her mother’s past to find out more about who she is, and what Catherine finds is nothing she ever would have suspected.

The beginning and middle of this book is amazing! I couldn’t stop reading and was dying to find out what had happened to Ruth and who she really was. I didn’t love the resolution, but I didn’t hate it either. 😂
This is definitely a great read for thriller fans.

Ruth is has lived her life for her daughter. Now she's showing signs of dementia and her daughter Catherine is beside herself. It's been just the two of them against the world since Catherine was born. But now, as Catherine is moving from home, and about to begin an exciting new career as a nurse little things just are starting to not make sense in her life. Her mother has always been secretive about her life before she came pregnant and never wanted to share any stories from her past. This book had a bit of a slow start for me, but then things really picked up and kept me turning pages to find out what happened.

this book was a page turner from the very beginning. Alternating chapters from Ruth and Catherine’s perspectives painted a very clear picture of their relationship and their secrets. A pretty algebraic thriller, and Pekkanen doesn’t try to fool the reader too much. You are right about many of the twists and turns, and a lot of the what the characters do makes logical sense - which I love.

Following this single mother and daughter relationship felt near and dear to my heart and my upbringing, although Catherine and Ruth definitely had some boundary issues. The cat and mouse of two people who know each other so well was riveting to read.

I enjoyed this one thru and thru!

Review of Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

Chances are you’ve been seeing this book all over bookstagram lately. I know I have. I listened to this book in one day. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop thinking about it after I finished it. I loved the main character Ruth. She was very mysterious, but overall just a fierce mother. I had mixed feelings about her daughter, Catherine but I found her an extremely interesting character who added a great deal to the story and mystery. This one has a lot of layers to it, and will keep you guessing until the end. I highly recommend the audiobook as well.

Synopsis:

Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking, and lives for her daughter. All her life, it's been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home, and begin a new career. And Ruth Sterling will do anything to prevent that from happening.

Ruth Sterling thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother's past or background. But when Ruth's desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth's carefully-constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception.

I have enjoyed previous books by Sarah Pekkanen that were co-written with Greer Hendricks, when St. Martin’s reached out to have me read Gone Tonight, I jumped at the chance.
This book is written in dual viewpoints, one from Ruth and the other from her adult daughter Catherine who is a nurse in the process of taking a job at John Hopkins Hospital. I enjoyed the book, but it did move a little slow in the beginning as I wasn’t sure how this was going to be a mystery/thriller. The beginning very much had me believing it was more women’s fiction. Ruth was having memory issues and her daughter was pushing for her to be seen and tested for early onset Alzheimer’s.
Things are not always as they appear and that is when the mystery really starts to unfold. There is tension and action in this novel, but you will have to suspend disbelief as some of the story is a bit convoluted. All in all, a good 4 star read.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Sara Pekkanen for providing me with an advanced readers copy.

This book was a great, slow burn thriller. Ruth has spent her whole adult life in hiding to protect herself and her daughter Catherine. The alternating points of view were interesting and I felt many times that Catherine was undermining Ruth’s efforts to stay hidden. Catherine wanted to jump at her new opportunity in Baltimore but Ruth tried to get her to stay put. I know a bit about nature vs nurture but I thought sometimes the inference that Catherine was a psychopath because her father was a murderer was maybe overdone.
I really enjoyed the ending and the freedom that both Ruth & Catherine attained to live the lives they wanted. My favourite was Ruth’s reunion with her family. That was lovely.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This story is a rollercoaster of emotions! Slow burn, tense, twisty, and explosive – it had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Thank you so much for this thrilling experience!

Ruth’s lifelong secrets start unraveling as her daughter Catherine reaches adulthood. Each secret reveals a new part of the mystery, making it a wild ride to follow. The book had me completely hooked, and I loved how little hints were dropped, keeping me in suspense until the very end.

The author beautifully depicted a mother’s unwavering love and the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship, especially in adulthood. Themes of identity and how our past shapes us were masterfully explored. The cleverly placed clues kept me engaged, and the unexpected twists pleasantly surprised me.

As an ardent fan of this author, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book. It was a gripping read that I couldn’t put down. The portrayal of a mother’s love is heartfelt, and the pacing was perfect. The ending provided excellent closure to the characters’ journeys. I adore this author, and she remains on my auto-purchase list!

This book was a great slow burning part mom/daughter drama part thriller with alternating narration between mother and daughter, Ruth and Caroline. I had not read the summary and actually did not know anything about this book going into it. I have read books by this author before, which is why I decided to read it. As I started reading the book, I discovered the mom, Ruth, appeared to have dementia symptoms while her daughter, Caroline, is about to leave for a full time nursing position in another city. This was compelling and kept me reading until I slowly started to see things are not as they initially appear and a lot more is going on below the surface. I am not spoiling anything else, since I think knowing nothing about the plot made this book that much better.

Once I started this book, I had to keep going. The book was paced very well so I was constantly left wanting to know what was going on and what the truth even was. There are plenty of twists and turns and half truths throughout. This is a multilayered story that never felt rushed, especially the ending.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Sarah Pekkanen, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced reader’s copy.

I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

Ruth is a single mother who has done her best to keep her daughter, Catherine, safe. Even if it includes not telling Catherine complete truths. Catherine catches her mother in a lie and begins to wonder, what else is her mom lying about? As she continues to dig, Catherine slowly starts to piece some pieces of the puzzle together.
Throughout the story, Ruth and Catherine take turns taking us through their present day life, and Ruth's past. What will Catherine discover about her mother and what consequences will that lead to?

I really enjoyed this book! This was a different type of thriller than I am normally used to, but I am so glad I gave it a shot! Sarah Pekkanen painted the picture of these two lives very carefully and you can tell the amount of research that went into this one; including the fact that libraries don't keep a record of the books you have returned- who knew?! I would definitely recommend this book if you want to be taken on an interesting ride!

Gone Tonight is an edgy, layered suspense novel where everything that Catherine thinks she knows about her mom starts to unravel. The more lies and secrets that Catherine uncovers, the more she has to know. But finding out the truth puts them both in danger. Told from Catherine and Ruth (mom) perspectives, this story shifts your focus and helps guide you through dropped clues toward the concussion!
Well done, Sarah Pekkanen! Definitely recommend, and hold on readers, it is going to be a wild ride!

This book kept me on my toes! It was told from different points of view which really added to the richness of the story. Appreciated the twist, it was totally unexpected. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed Gone Tonight- I tore through it on a trip stranded at the airport and found it to be a fantastic distraction. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and having the chapters alternate between mother and daughter worked exceptionally well with this storyline. Some of the twists and turns I didn't see coming, which always makes for a fun read.

It's not every day a book leaves me bawling, but this is one of the best thrillers I've read in awhile.

I was gripped from the start and there was not a dull moment. The plot was fast-paced and highly engaging, while the characters and dual timelines had me super invested. I thought I knew where things were going but boy, was I wrong!

I love mother-daughter stories and this was so incredibly written with so much heart and nuance. I could feel both women's motivations, love and conflicting emotions about each other so deeply. There was an extra element/subject being explored that I didn't see coming but thoroughly enjoyed.

The book is split into 3 parts, each brimming with tension and ending with a punch. I didn't want to put it and every time I had to, I found myself wishing I could get back to it. The ending/last 2 chapters are just pure perfection.

A compelling, well-crafted and emotional page-turner overall!