initial thoughts: listened to the audio version and absolutely enjoyed Kate Mara narrating. like the two POVs and the flashback scenes, but other than that, I found the story a bit too unbelievable in many places.

was decent dog walking company, but I have enjoyed other books this author has written more than this one.

I enjoyed this story about a daughter who cares for her mother’s declining health. Catherine and Ruth are close, but I never got the sense that they were close, aside from obligation. The story was fast paced. I preferred Catherine’s chapters over Ruth’s. I felt the flashbacks in Ruth's were lengthy and even in skimming, I was still able to piece together Ruth’s past with ease. My favorite scene was probably the library! That gave me chills. Plenty of surprise twists to keep you guessing.

Great book full of suspense! It held my attention and kept me flipping through the pages long after I should have been asleep. If you like your heart pounding page turners, this one is for you.

I ended up really liking this book, despite a slow start. The story centers on mother and daughter Ruth and Catherine, whose dynamic changes when Catherine makes plans to move away. The chapters alternate between their POVs.

The first few chapters of the book move slowly and didn't seem to tie to what I thought the book was about. Once it's revealed that one or both women is keeping secrets and that there may be an ulterior motive for decisions they are making, the pace picks up greatly. The author did a good job in throwing in twists and then changing perspective yet again when you thought you were figuring it out. I enjoyed the fact that it went back and forth between both protagonists because it made it really easy to look at the same situation from both perspectives without getting too deep in one narrative. I had to suspend my disbelief a bit at some of the action- I enjoyed what I was reading but felt that it was just unrealistic. I liked the way it ended, and though everything wasn't tied up as cleanly as I normally want and there were some unanswered questions, it felt right for this particular story.

Overall, this was a great read and I recommend continuing even if those first few chapters are a bit slow. I have liked the other books I have read from this author and this was no exception. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gone Tonight was an unputdownable thriller. It read like a cat and mouse game between mother and daughter, with the mother Ruth trying desperately to protect her daughter and keep her secrets hidden, and her daughter Catherine, secretly trying to figure out who her mom really is and what she's been hiding.

The book goes back and forth between Ruth and Catherine's POV's. We are learning about Ruth's past, while Catherine is trying to discover more about her mother, but at first is wildly off track. At first, Ruth seems like an unreliable narrator. I think this was a result of what Catherine was discovering about her mom in her chapters. But, when Ruth's chapters reveal the truth, it is really quite shocking.

The story is a slow burn, but it hooks you because there is enough foreshadowing to sense that there is so much to come. And when it comes, it is heart-pounding fear for Ruth and Catherine.

But, if I had a criticism, the crescendo of it all left me a bit disappointed. Elements of it felt a bit unrealistic. However, given this book raised the question of what role nature and genetics play in if a child is born to be a murderer, I could understand why some of it needed to play out the way it did.

Overall, this was an interesting and unique thriller that kept me gripped, and I'd definitely recommend it to thriller lovers.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought this was my first read by this author but then when I looked at her GR Bio and Bibliography, I realized that I have actually read and enjoyed other books that she co-authored with Greer Hendricks - An Anonymous Girl (which I loved) and The Wife Between Us, which I enjoyed.

Ava, is a 16-year old Junior in High School and has a problematic family life, with an abusive drunk for a mother who wields an unfair and unkind influence over her father. Ava might have been popular once but THE popular girl in the class, Britney (PG), has turned on her and made Ava the object of ridicule. Although Ava doesn't have much going for her, she is the most talented dancer in the school and despite being only a Junior she is one of the school's chosen Varsity Dance/Cheerleaders. PG's mom is the influential parent who abuses her power by assisting her daughter in the ultimate humiliations heaped on the powerless Ava (don't you just love parents who set abysmal behavior examples for their children?).

Jimmy, hunky waiter at the popular pizza resto in town (famous for its lasagna pizza), watches as both PiG and PiG mom bully Ava at the table and quickly befriends her. Although several years older than Ava, the two fall in love. Jimmy is a bit of a bad boy, and totally devoted to Ava. Coach of the team and varsity dance squad follows PG Mom's cues and eventually cuts Ava from the squad. As if things weren't bad enough, he orders Ava to come to his office after practice and sexually abuses her. Jimmy and Ava are complicit in a crime and Ava flees, abandoning her life and family and taking to the road, changing her appearance and her identity.

Remembering the movie where a pregnant Natalie Portman took up residence and delivered her baby in a Walmart, the homeless, 16-year-old Ruth learns she is pregnant and takes up temporary residence in a different convenience store chain. She spends the next 25 years, running, looking over her shoulder, and raising her daughter Catherine as best as she can on a steady diet of lies and lasagna pizza.

Although most of this character driven novel is predictable, I devoured it with relish. Both characters of Ruth and Catherine were strong and fully developed. There is a suspenseful climax but no real twists, definitely nothing unexpected, yet I got off the ride 100% satisfied. There was absolutely no need for the epilogue. Once the story ended, I really had no further interest in the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for and ARC in exchange for my honest review. By the time I was able to start this novel it had already been published and an audio was available. I both read and listened to the novel and can say that the novel was brilliant, especially the ebook. The audio version was not as good, in particular because the narrator's inflection made little differentiation between the voices of the MC mother and daughter.

I loved this book so much! The back and forth and the overall development of the characters was something that made this book amazing! I liked the depth of each character.

GONE TONIGHT brings the emotion and the the thrills. Honestly, Pekkanen keeps getting better with every book I read by her. This domestic thriller has everything you could want.

Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks have made quite the name for themselves as the authors behind one of the buzziest duos in books. Their thrillers are always fast-paced and twisty, if not a little over the top. When I saw that Pekkanen was releasing a solo thriller, I was naturally intrigued. GONE TONIGHT
is a mother-daughter story infused with secrets, lies, and a life-changing betrayal. Catherine thinks she knows all there is to know about her mother Ruth.
She's a single mom who lives for her daughter, and doesn't require much. Just as Catherine prepares to move to Baltimore to start a dream nursing job, Ruth reveals a secret that threatens to thwart Catherine's plans. As cracks in Ruth's story begin to form, Catherine starts to question if she ever really knew her mother at all. I know I say that I fly through books all of the time (what can I say, I'm a fast reader!), but this was truly one where couldn't turn the pages (I mean, tapping your Kindle just doesn't have the same ring to it) fast enough. This is a book that's best to go into without knowing much at all, so it's a bit difficult to write about exactly why it worked so well for me. I found myself liking Catherine's POV far more than Ruth's (if we're being honest, Ruth really bothered me for about 90% of the novel), but if you're someone who's cool with unlikable characters, then I don't think you'll have a problem here. Some elements of the plot felt a little far-fetched, but this is a book where suspending your disbelief and just enjoying the wild narrative is key. A fun thriller that couldn't put down.

This was a fun, fast-paced, domestic thriller told in alternating chapters by secretive Ruth, and her adult daughter, Catherine who is desperate to find out what her mother is hiding.
Ruth’s backstory is slowly exposed, both revealing why she’s been lying to everyone for decades, and inadvertently putting herself and her daughter in danger.
There were a couple of “twists” that were easy to see coming, but that didn’t affect the enjoyment of the story.
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this #arc of #gonetonight in exchange for an honest review.

I’m glad I finally got around to picking up my first Sarah Pekkanen book. I’ve been meaning to try out her work for quite a while but the timing was never right.

I ended up liking this mother/daughter thriller. I thought the plot was engaging. It was very suspenseful quite a few times. I thought the concept of this mother and daughter finding out things about each other that they never knew was great. It definitely made me excited to pick up other books by her.

What didn’t work so well for me was that the twists were somewhat predictable. They almost felt a bit anticlimactic compared to the buildup. I’ve heard the some of her other books do a better job at evening this out.

This critique is solely about the audiobook version. Kate Mara is a wonderful narrator. However, it was hard to differentiate between the two characters alternating chapters. I wish that they either had two separate narrators or that Mara changed her voice a bit. The points of view ended up feeling very similar because of this oversight.

That being said, I’m so glad I read this. It was a solid introduction. I’m excited to read some of her other works to see if they can knock it out of the park for me.

In this gripping novel, the intricate bond between mothers and daughters takes center stage amidst a backdrop of suspense and intrigue. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River, we follow Ruth Sterling, a struggling single mother, and her daughter Catherine as they navigate the complexities of their relationship.

Catherine, a young woman on the brink of a promising career opportunity at John Hopkins Hospital, finds herself at odds with her mother's inexplicable reluctance to see her leave. As Catherine delves deeper into Ruth's past, she uncovers unsettling truths that challenge everything she thought she knew about her mother.

Tensions escalate as Catherine's suspicions grow, leading to a gripping tale of deception, betrayal, and the lengths one would go to protect their loved ones. While the title "Gone Tonight" captures the essence of the story, "Her Father's Eyes" might have offered an even more evocative title, hinting at the underlying themes of ancestry and identity.

Sarah Pekkanen masterfully crafts a suspenseful narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, exploring the intricate dynamics of parenting and the mother-daughter relationship with a fresh and compelling perspective. As secrets unravel and trust is tested, readers are left pondering a haunting question: How far would you go to shield the ones you love from harm?

Gone Tonight was an excellent read following two women as the cracks in their relationship become clear.

Catherine Sterling thinks she knows everything there is to know about her mother, after all it's always been just the two of them against the world. But when Catherine receives the opportunity of a lifetime that would have her moving across the country, her mother makes it clear she will do anything to keep Catherine from leaving. Ruth Sterling is desperate to keep Catherine by her side where it's safe. But when Catherine begins making plans that would take her away from Ruth, Ruth's world begins to fall apart. Ruth has not been honest with Catherine and now her past is coming back to haunt her.

I have enjoyed the books that Sarah Pekkanen co-wrote with Greer Hendricks so I was excited to pick up Gone Tonight to see if I would enjoy her solo work. I ended up loving this book and enjoyed it just as much as I did her co-written novels. Gone Tonight is told in alternating chapters between Catherine and Ruth's points of view with additional sections showing flashbacks to Ruth's past. I liked that we got flashbacks to Ruth's past as it proved to be quite interesting and had a number of impacts on the events in present day.

The relationship between Catherine and Ruth is incredibly complex and I enjoyed watching it evolve throughout the book. Ruth has always kept a close eye on Catherine and while she viewed it as a way to keep her safe, Catherine has begun to yearn for independence. The revelations about Ruth's past have a big impact on Catherine and I loved how the exposure of those secrets impacted the pair's relationship. The tension between these two increases as the book goes on leading to some great moments. I don't want to spoil the plot so I'll just say it went in several directions I wasn't expecting and the ending was a complete surprise but a perfect way to wrap up the book.

Overall Gone Tonight was an amazing read and I would highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book has many things I enjoy: twists, unreliable narrators, secrets between family members, and a mother who would do anything to protect her child. I read this in one sitting!

This is a story of a mother and daughter and all their dark secrets. The author explores this complexity well, while also adding in some suspenseful elements plus lots of deception. The main theme throughout is “How far would you go to protect the person you love most in the world?”

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. With their close relationship Catherine thinks she knows everything about her mother, but as the story unfolds Ruth’s complicated secret history comes out. 

I’ve read several books by this author, but the ones I’ve read was cowritten with Greer Hendricks. It was refreshing to read a solo book by her and I thought she did a stellar job!

This book is well structured, slow burning tension with a twisty narrative. If a mother with a dark backstory and a careful escape plan to protect her daughter sounds up your alley you should give this one a shot.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was very hopeful for this book, as the description and cover were intriguing but unfortunately this was a DNF for me.

"Gone Tonight" by Sarah Pekkanen delves into the complex and gripping story of Ruth Sterling and her daughter Catherine. Ruth has spent over two decades living a life on the run, fleeing from an abusive past and a troubled relationship. Despite her efforts to protect Catherine, her daughter now yearns for independence and a life of her own.

As Catherine seeks to break free from her mother's grip, Ruth's desperate determination to keep her close leads to a web of deception and secrets. Both mother and daughter are harboring dark truths, and as their carefully constructed world begins to unravel, they find themselves locked in a dangerous dance of lies and betrayal.

With propulsive pacing and brilliant layers of intrigue, "Gone Tonight" explores the lengths people will go to for love and the darkness that lurks within. Sarah Pekkanen delivers a thrilling and emotionally charged narrative that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

Catherine and her mother Ruth are by all appearances one of those rare BBFs for life type mother/daughter. The duo have movie nights, and seem to have that ideal relationship that so many strive for. But, of course things aren't always what they seem. Ruth needs to keep Catherine close and she isn't afraid to use whatever she has within reach to do so.

This was a very interesting take on a thriller type novel. There were a couple of jaw-dropping moments that had me going "what?!" and re-reading a section to make sure that what happened, indeed just happened. It was fairly faced paced and alternated between chapters by Ruth and Catherine, with Ruth filling in some of the things that happened in the past as well as what was occurring in the present.

Sometimes the writing was a bit overworked, and there was too much detail that wasn't needed. It didn't add anything to the story and it often brought me out of it the story to wonder why this was being included. Like I don't need to know that a character has an iPhone. Just knowing that they were checking their cell phone would have sufficed. As well, some of the metaphors were a little cheesy, but that is my personal taste and doesn't represent all readers.

Overall, I feel that this was a solid Sarah Pekkanen, and feel that her loyal fans will really enjoy this read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this wonderfully enjoyable eARC.

In the literary world where thrillers often tread familiar paths, Sarah Pekkanen's "Gone Tonight" emerges as a refreshing narrative that delves deep into the complexities of a mother-daughter bond strained by secrets and lies. This novel is not just a psychological thriller; it's an exploration of the intricate dance of deception that can exist in the most intimate of relationships.

The story oscillates between Catherine and Ruth Sterling, a daughter and mother duo, who believe they know each other inside out. However, as the plot unfolds, it becomes evident that what they know is just the tip of the iceberg. Pekkanen masterfully crafts a tale that is as much about the unsaid and the unseen as it is about the overt tensions that drive the narrative forward.

The dual narrative structure is a clever device that Pekkanen employs to peel back layers of the characters' psyches. The chapters alternate between Catherine's perspective, filled with a youthful desire to spread her wings, and Ruth's, which is tinged with a desperate need to keep her daughter close. This pendulum swing of viewpoints adds a rich texture to the story, allowing readers to empathize with both characters even when their actions might not be entirely justifiable.

Pekkanen's writing is sharp and edgy, with a crispness that keeps the pages turning. The suspense is omnipresent, lurking in the shadows of Ruth's past and Catherine's burgeoning independence. The narrative is punctuated with flashbacks and letters, a storytelling choice that adds depth and urgency to the unfolding drama.

While "Gone Tonight" is a compelling read, it is not without its flaws. Some plot contrivances may stretch the reader's suspension of disbelief, and the absence of a more robust law enforcement presence in the storyline might raise eyebrows. Nonetheless, these are minor quibbles in what is otherwise a tightly woven tapestry of suspense and emotion.

The characters of Catherine and Ruth are the heart and soul of this book. Their journey is fraught with emotional landmines, and Pekkanen navigates this terrain with a deft hand. The ending is chilling and somewhat ambiguous, leaving readers to ponder the fate of the Sterlings long after the last page is turned.

In conclusion, "Gone Tonight" is a testament to Sarah Pekkanen's ability to craft a thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. It's a novel that will resonate with anyone who has ever grappled with the complexities of familial love.

This story was a slow-burner which is usually something that I struggle to keep reading but this is the exception. I found the idea of this to be really unique and different from other things I have read. There were some parts I felt were a little too easy to fit into the storyline (like the Facebook part) but I get why it has to be.