I'm a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen's books, especially the stories that she created with Greer Hendricks. Those are among the best thrillers I've read. Gone Tonight it right up there with them.

The story is told in the alternating voices of Catherine and her mother, Ruth. So the reader gets both sides of the story, a story that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. Why did they always move so much, why has it only been the two of them for as long as Catherine can remember, why is her mother doing the things she is doing right now that don't make any sense?

As Ruth pours out her past in a journal for Catherine to read someday, the reader starts to understand Ruth and what her life was like. And it explains so much. But is it all as it seems? Or is it just Ruth's version of the truth? At times, I wasn't sure what to believe.
I loved Gone Tonight, with all the drama, intensity, and twists. If you are a lover of thrillers, you are going to love this one. It will keep you one the edge of your seat and guessing until the very end.

With twists that I never saw coming and revelations that were surprising, this story of a mother and daughter’s relationship is so much more. It’s a mystery wrapped up in a family drama with secrets that are methodically revealed and in such an enticing way that I could not help but continue to read. The two points of view, Ruth and her daughter, made the story completely engaging. I wanted to know what both of them were keeping hidden from the other and why there is such a feeling of apprehension and anticipation as I read. I enjoyed the plot which was a slow burn but definitely burning hot as the story progressed. The characters were not totally reliable narrators since I didn’t know who was hiding what and why, but they were relatable and so well-developed that I felt that I needed to advise them at times. This book is so worth reading just to get to the ending! All I can say is that this novel had me enthralled and ready to discuss it when I got to the end.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complementary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

3.5 stars rounded up

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed a number of Sarah Pekkanen’s books that she cowrote with Greer Hendricks, so I was really excited to see a solo book from Pekkanen and give it a try. Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me.

I expected this to be more of a psychological thriller based on the synopsis I read of it at the time, back in maybe March or April. I just checked the Goodreads synopsis again, and it seems it has been changed to better fit was the book is actually about, which is a good thing. Of course I have no way of checking if it was ever actually changed and if I’m making this all up in my head, but I remember finishing this and thinking to myself “this isn’t at all what I was expecting” due to the synopsis. But maybe I’m crazy, who knows!

Instead of a psychological thriller like I was expecting and wanting, it was more like a slightly lower-stakes (and not quite as good) Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter.

My going in with completely different expectations is part of what made me struggle to like this one, I think. I wanted the mother’s potential Alzheimer’s to play a more significant role in the plot, but that ended up not being the case. I can’t say much due to spoilers, but it was misleading. It makes sense with the rest of the plot, but it was too heavily leaned into in the original synopsis that I’m sure I read.

I was really into this in the beginning, until I saw that the story was going in a completely different direction. We’re also misled in a couple others ways, as is usual for a thriller, but in a way that I didn’t think added to the story, provided any real twists or thrills, or kept me hooked.

Now having said all of that, I don’t actually think this was a bad book. I read it in just a few days and it flowed easily enough. I didn’t hate any of the characters, and I was still generally interested in what was going to happen in the end. As I said before, I think my main issue was that I had certain expectations that went unanswered and the actual plot of the book just wasn’t one I was all that interested in, especially after having read such a similar story (Pieces of Her) less than a year prior.

The current synopsis is a much better indicator as to what to expect from this book and if it peaks your interest, then you’ll most likely enjoy this one!

What a ride! This book started off slow with character intros about Ruth and Catherine but once bits of the past were revealed, there was no stopping! Ruth and Catherine had a special mother-daughter relationship-it was just the two of them with no other family. The book alternates between these two in dual timelines. Each chapter builds upon the past to the present full of suspense!

I thoroughly enjoyed this storyline with the shocking moments of the past that led to their way of life. I admire Ruth’s adamant desire to protect Catherine from the truth as well as Catherine’s insistent search into her mother’s secrets. This will definitely be in my top ten reads of 2023!

Ahhhh I have been so eager to read this book and it was just a good as I was hoping!

This is a book where having dual point of views really helped propel the storyline and suspense forward. Each perspective revealed just enough information where you weren't sure EXACTLY what was happening or what was the truth and so you had to keep reading to learn more. I saw one review describe it as a domestic cat and mouse game and that is exactly what it felt like at times. Probably my favorite part of the story was the way Ruth's past was woven into the story. I appreciate that her situation was JUST unique enough where I wasn't disappointed by it's reveal. That is always going to get bonus points from me as an avid reader of the genre.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Gone Tonight had me on the edge of my seat as the story unfolded both from Ruth’s perspective as she details the past and reacts to Catherine suspicions, and all the discoveries Catherine was making! I enjoyed this mother/daughter dynamic! This is one I was happy I made time to listen straight through as I had to know how it all turned out! There were parts I could predict, but also some surprises, especially at the end.

I alternately read an e-copy and listened to the audio version narrated by the actress Kate Mara. I’ve listened to her in the past and enjoyed her performance, as I did here. She has a pleasant voice that keeps you hooked. I will say that this was more like her reading the story than acting out the different voices, so there wasn’t any big change between characters. This wasn’t an issue because each chapter is labeled as either coming from Catherine or Ruth’s POV. I listened at my usual 1.5x and sometimes 1.75x normal speed. I’d recommend either version!

I became a fan of Sara Pekkanen when I heard her and her writing partner speak at the Indianapolis Book and Author Luncheon in 2018 when they introduced THE WIFE BETWEEN US. GONE TONIGHT is riveting with alternating chapters between Ruth, the mother who left her family and hometown when she became an out-of-wedlock mother who raised Catherine on her own. Her daughter, Catherine has just graduated with a nursing degree and is set to move to Baltimore and work at John Hopkins. Ruth has been forgetting a lot lately and they discover she has early onset dementia.
GONE TONIGHT is a riveting, fast paced tale. This reader did have difficulty at first having experienced my father’s and grandfather’s dementia. I think this is Pekkanen’s best book yet. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Sarah Pekkanen delivers another thriller and is quickly becoming a favorite author. Gone Tonight is written from two POVs with a mother/ daughter’s opposing viewpoints. This is a captivating story that will leave the reader anxiously reading until the end of the book. I highly recommend this book.

I flew through this book!! So good!! I couldn't help but be engrossed in this story. I just needed to know what was going to happen. Also, I listened to the audiobook in addition to reading along with the egalley, and the audiobook was so nicely done. I really enjoyed the narrator. Great read! Highly recommend!!

*Thank you @macmillanaudio and @stmartinspress for the #gifted audiobook and egalley in exchange for an honest review.*

4.5 stars!! I've loved Sarah Pekkanen's books that she wrote with Greer Hendrix. This was my first solo book by her, and YES YES YES! I cannot wait to read more! This was thrilling, mysterious, and nerve-racking. So good!!!

Catherine is ready to begin her life as a nurse at John's Hopkins Hospital. Her plans are derailed, however, when her mom, Ruth, starts to exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Catherine decides that she needs to stay close to her mom in order to spend as much time with her as possible before the disease takes her mother's mind. However, she starts to notice that her mother is also exhibiting other odd symptoms and seemingly only when she's around Catherine. Slowly Catherine realizes that she may not know her mother as well as she thinks and starts to peel back her mother's shady past, which proves to be darker than Catherine could imagine.

My only reason for not giving this 5 stars is that the end felt a little anti-climatic to me. I was gripped from the beginning and loved the entire story, but the ending was just little flat.

However, I loved the dual POVs told from both Ruth and Catherine's points of view. I think it helped get the full spectrum of the story that Sarah was trying to tell. There was good talk of Alzheimer's disease, as well as other mental health problems that I don't think are mentioned enough (I don't want to mention specifics as it may be spoilers).

There were enough twists to keep you guessing as to what would happen next with this mother/daughter duo. I also loved the underlying nature vs. nurture discussion. Does our biology really shape who we become or can outside circumstance change our future?

Thank you thank you thank you to #Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of this book! All opinions are my own!!!

Congratulations Sarah Pekkanen! Gone Tonight is sure to become the thriller of the year. I honestly could not put it down and it definitely kept me entranced and reading “just one more chapter” for hours. Ruth and her daughter Catherine have been inseparable for Catherine’s entire life. They only have each other and have moved frequently over the years. Catherine is now planning on starting her own life independently when Ruth seemingly becomes a victim of early onset Alzheimer’s.
The story is told by Ruth and Catherine, moving between the past and the present seamlessly and very successfully. Each revelation from the past brings understanding of the pair’s present. Cracks begin to form in their relationship.
Full of tension and suspense Gone Tonight is a captivating read that ultimately focuses on the theory that a mother will do anything to protect her child. Will a child do the same to protect its mother?
Many many thanks to Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for affording me the absolute pleasure of reading an arc of this engrossing read, published today. I definitely see a screenplay in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the new thriller by Sarah Pekkanen, wonderfully narrated by Kate Mara - 5 stars!

After finishing school, Catherine is set to begin her dream nursing job in Baltimore, when she discovers that her mother, Ruth, is suffering from Alzheimer's. She changes her plans and continues working at the nursing home nearby so she can help her mom. Ruth and Catherine have moved so many times and Ruth is estranged from her family. Catherine has no real clue about her past, and with Ruth's memory failing, becomes obsessed with finding more information about her past.

The story spools out in the past and present timelines and alternates between the POV of Ruth and Catherine. And wow - the twists and surprises kept coming! I started reading the digital copy but switched to the audio so I could continue listening all the time. I don't want to give anything away - it was so deliciously creepy and surprising in all the best ways - a great read!

Well, this one started off a bit slow. Not gonna lie, I did put it down a few times in favor of something else. This is me admitting I was WRONG!! This was SO GOOD!!! It all starts off as another typical Mother/Daughter-Strained-Relationship type of story, but we quickly realize it most certainly is NOT! I don't want to ruin it for anyone else so just let me say the characters were fantastic! 24 yr. old Catherine wants to move out of her mom's house for a new job. Mom is dead set against it. We soon start learning why and WOW! Great ending and even an Epilogue that just had to add even more! I highly recommend this one!

(Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Sarah Pekkanen, and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon the August 1, 2023 publishing date.

I received the audiobook & an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first time reading a book for this author, and I already can’t wait to read more. I thought this story was told in such a unique way that I haven’t seen before, and I really enjoyed it. The two main characters, a mother and daughter, Ruth and Catherine, were so interesting to learn about. There were so many times throughout the book that I thought I had figured out what was gonna happen by the end, but boy was I wrong. It’s amazing the things a mother will do to protect their child. I had the privilege of also listening to this on audio, and I really enjoyed the narrator. My only complaint about the audiobook is that there was only one narrator for both parts, Ruth and Catherine. And times it was really confusing to figure out if we were on Ruth's dialogue or on Catherine’s. I often had to backtrack and confirm who’s part I was actually on. If there were two narrators for this book, I think it would’ve been a little less confusing.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was well written, pretty twisty, and I had my anxiety through the roof at many points. If you’re looking for something original or a book you really won’t be able to put down then this is for you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every family has secrets, a few skeletons in the closet perhaps. But Sarah Pekkanen may make you question how well you know your own family.

Ruth Sterling loves her daughter Catherine with every fiber of her being. It’s always just been the two of them doing their best to get by. Ruth and Catherine. Catherine and Ruth. Ruth has shared very little information with her daughter about her family, about her life before Catherine, and with Ruth now exhibiting signs of forgetfulness, Catherine is determined to find out as much information as she can about her mother’s secretive past, while she still can.

When Catherine accepts a job as a nurse in a different city, Ruth realizes that she can’t let that happen. Any mother would have mixed feelings about their child leaving home. On one hand, you’re happy to see them making their way in the world, but on the other hand, you’re going to miss them dearly. Normal, right? Ruth’s interest in keeping her daughter close raised some very red flags.

Gone Tonight is told in alternating chapters between Ruth and Catherine. I loved this back and forth between mother and daughter. It was a gateway into each of their thoughts and lives.

As with any book in this genre, I didn’t trust any of the characters. My suspicions were always on high alert, I wasn’t sure who was reliable and who was being deceptive. That is the pull of these types of novels, though. I want to be uneasy, unsure, and try to figure out what is going on.

Sarah Pekkanen has written a fast-paced novel that is filled with suspense, shocking twists, and heart-pounding moments. Gone Tonight kept me riveted to the pages and wanting to discover every little detail about this mother-daughter duo.

*4 Stars

Ahh, I love a thriller with tons and tons of secrets. I thought I knew where this one was going but I was completely wrong and so happy that I was. It’s a slow start but once the mystery kicks in it really ramps up. I went between reading and listening for this one and Kate Mara does a great job with the narration, although it may have benefitted from a second person to distinguish between the POVs.

I've never read a solo Pekkanen book before, just those with Hendricks, but WOW am I impressed! She really knows how to tell a story and keep you on the edge of your seat. I love books where you think you've figured out the twist early on, but that turns out to just be a part of the story and things keep coming that you didn't even see. Highly recommend!

Wow. This was a wonderfully twisted, heart-racing read. I love getting the story from Ruth and Catherine - insights we wouldn't have if each one wasn't telling us their side. Even with those insights, I just couldn't put it down, I was dying to know where the story would take me next. (Does it count as cardio if your heart is racing while you're reading for hours? Asking for a friend). Ruth and Catherine were great narrators, and their characters are well-developed, making them feel very real, and the story all that more thrilling. If you're looking for a new read that will have chills running down your spine even in the summer heat, then you want to grab this one!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
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Gone tonight is a dual point of view story between a mother and daughter. It’s also partially a dual timeline, the past being written notes from Ruth to Catherine. Honestly, thats all I think you need to know about this - I highly recommend going in blind.
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This was such a fun read, it was so gripping, deceitful, thrilling, addicting and mysterious that I literally gobbled this one up in one day. Right from the start I was hooked on Ruth and Catherine’s story; then a bomb is dropped and all hell breaks loose. It was a wild ride and one I really enjoyed being on. The story flows perfectly between the two characters and the storyline bring everything full circle in the end. But like that ending though - talk about mind blownnnnnnn. Incredible..
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Not only was this a fun read but I really resonated with this one, and that makes this even more of a special read to me. As a new mom I really felt so much of Ruth’s journey. Also huge bonus, Pekkanen threw out so many fun references to my preteen/teen years that I found myself smiling from ear to ear in reminiscence - my favorite being “Where The Heart Is” (IYKYK).
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Kate Mara narrated this one and she was phenomenal. She transitioned between the two characters perfectly. I luckily had this one on audio and ebook so I was able to follow along very easily. I highly recommend the audiobook if you are an avid listener like myself.
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Gone Tonight releases tomorrow 8/1 and I am highly recommending this one to all my thriller lovers, this was a phenomenal read!
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Huge thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, St. Martins Press and Sarah Pekkanen for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Catherine has been noticing increasing incidents of her mother Ruth’s forgetfulness for the past month. A doctor’s visit reveals that Ruth has been having trouble for at least four months. A devastating diagnosis of Alzheimer’s has Catherine changing all of her plans for the future so that she can care for her. As a geriatric nurse she deals with this every day, but striking this close to home it is even more painful. She was scheduled to leave her job in a nursing home and move to Baltimore. Now she will be staying. Catherine was raised by Ruth, who has always dodged questions about her family background. When she begins to suspect that Ruth’s diagnosis may have been faked and that her mother was responsible for destroying her relationship with her boyfriend, she wonders what else she may be lying about.

Sarah Pekkanen alternates Catherine’s worry for her mother and search for the truth with Rut’s story. Ruth’s actual name was Ava. She was loved by her father and brother, but her mother was an alcoholic and abusive. When she met James he was attentive and caring. An incident at school leads to a violent confrontation and Ava is forced to run away. It was not until later that she realized that she was pregnant. Ava’s life has been one of running from the law and hiding from James. Her name has changed several times and she has had to move on short notice when she suspects that she has been recognized. Her first thoughts are always for Catherine and she has always had excuses for her behavior. Using her health scare this time may have been going too far. She will do anything to keep them safe, but Catherine’s enquiries may have called attention to them and put them in danger. It is time to be honest and run again, but is it too late? Pekkanen will keep you turning the pages as the tension rises and the truth finally comes out. I would like to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for providing this book for my review.