What an intriguing ride this was! The two multilayered protagonists, Catherine and Ruth, surprised me at every turn. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, it would take yet another hairpin turn. The plot was masterful, and the two main characters compelling. Gone Tonight is packed with both heart and suspense, and I highly recommend it.

What a great book by Sarah Pekkanen! One of my favorite authors and this book does not disappoint! You definitely need to read this twisty novel! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Ruth Starling and her daughter Catherine live a quite life together. Catherine, at 24 yo, is ready to move out and start working as a nurse. It starts with Catherine dealing with Ruth's health and quickly moves to learning her mom is not the person she always thought she was. Several twists. Good thriller that keeps you guessing.

Excellent narration by Kate Mara. Funny coincidence but I was also binge watching Class of 09 with Kate Mara while listening to the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Gone Tonight.

This story is about a mother and daughter, told from their perspectives, about the choices we make and the consequences of those decisions.

There was nothing new or original about the premise; a woman with something to hide, running from a terrible secret in her past.

The writing was fine, though I didn't connect with Catherine or Ruth, so I didn't care about their fate.

The narrative lacked suspense or urgency, and the pacing dragged.

When Catherine is digging for clues into her mother's past, at the same time her mother keeps talking about how she's got a bug out bag and ready to run, these actions sounded repetitive after a few chapters.

There really is no plot; just Catherine playing Nancy Drew and catching her mom out in a series of lies and Ruth ruminating about her past and keeping up the charade that she has Alzheimer's.

There are no startling or shocking revelations, no thrills, and I found the ending a bit hard to suspend disbelief for.

Gone Tonight wasn't for me, it wasn't suspenseful as I had hoped, but I think some readers would enjoy it.

Catherine is about to start a job in a new city when she finds out her mother Ruth might be suffering from early onset Alzheimer's. When cracks in her story emerge, she discovers dangerous secrets about her mothers past and starts to question everything. This was super orginal comapred to a lot of mystery/thrillers I've read lately and I absolutely flew through it.

*Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my gifted copies. Pub date 8/1/23*

The chapters alternate between the mother Ruth and daughter Catherine. It's just been the two of them Catherine's whole life, they are best friends and do everything together. Catherine is studying to be a nurse and is about to move away to college but then Ruth is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Catherine's plans for college come to a hault because she wants to spend her time with her mom. Catherine knows absolutely nothing about her father and Ruth's past so she asks Ruth to tell her everything before she completely forgets. Catherine catches her mom in many lies and and starts to wonder if she is hiding something big from her.

I loved this book! It is a slow burn but in a good way and I did not want to put it down. The mother/daughter alternating POV'S was done perfectly and I loved the character development. Definitely add this one to your list for August! 4.5 stars

Gone Tonight is a tension filled, well-paced thriller told from two points of view. Ruth and her daughter Catherine work hard just to make ends meet but they are happy. Until one day Ruth's past comes back to haunt her. She will go to any length to protect Catherine. Catherine begins to slowly question her mother's decisions over the years and uncovers her own truths. In the end, who can you trust?

I love Sarah Pekkanen's work and highly recommend this thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Get ready to stay up half the night if you start reading this one! It’s a well-constructed thriller with lots of unexpected twists and two unforgettable main characters.

Ruth Sterling and her adult daughter Catherine are enmeshed in each other’s lives to an unhealthy degree, but there are good reasons for that. Ruth was a teenage single mom with no family support, and part of the novel is her memoir of how she earned enough money to support herself and her baby. It’s interesting reading.

The other part of the novel is in the present day, and alternates between Ruth’s and Catherine’s POV. Catherine is aware her Mom hides a lot of information about both her past and her present day activities, and she’s on a mission to discover her Mom’s secrets. She doesn’t anticipate that digging into Ruth’s past will be very dangerous for them both, and the suspense builds and builds as we readers see Catherine being oblivious to the information that Ruth is protecting her from.

The end of the novel was a little unsatisfying for me, but overall I really liked this book. Anyone who likes contemporary thrillers will women main characters would enjoy this book. I’m giving Gone Tonight a solid four stars.

I’m grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me both the eARC and the audiobook ARC of Gone Tonight.

Gone Tonight" by Sarah Pekkanen is a thrilling and captivating novel that hooks you from the very beginning. The story follows Emily, a determined young woman whose life takes a drastic turn when she witnesses something traumatic during a late-night run. As Emily sets out to uncover the truth, she becomes entangled in a dangerous web of secrets and lies.

The characters in "Gone Tonight" feel real and relatable. Emily's strength and growth make her a protagonist you can't help but root for. The pacing is fantastic, keeping you on the edge of your seat with each twist and turn. Pekkanen's writing is smooth and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the story.

While the plot occasionally relies on convenient coincidences, it doesn't take away from the overall enjoyment. "Gone Tonight" is a suspenseful novel that explores themes of trust, friendship, and the consequences of our actions. It's a must-read for fans of gripping mysteries with well-crafted surprises.

Ruth Sterling is showing signs of Alzheimer's as her daughter watches helplessly - or has she? When her daughter Catherine notices that the memory issues are only at home, she knows something is off. She digs deeper into her mother's past only to discover that her mother seemed to come into existence when she was born. As bits & pieces of her mother's life come to light, Catherine wonders if she knows her at all. Little does she know her mother is keeping a secret so big that when it's discovered…it will be life-changing.

This was the best thriller I've read in a while. There are twists and turns around every corner. The chapters go back and forth between mother and daughter, as one discovers the story of her mother's life as Ruth slowly unfolds her story for the reader. The change of energy is palpable towards the end of the story where Ruth's true past becomes known and the duo must make the best decision for themselves. This was a novel that I devoured in one day and believe that others will do the same.

This was a very chilling book. The ending is a bit surprising. The writing is very good. It was an intriguing book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! That was a twisty turn ride. Without spoiling anything the story starts out as a simple story told by the alternating POV of a mother and her 24 year old daughter. The daughter is dealing with grief and fear as her mother has just been diagnosed with Alzheimers. The mother has been a single mother for her daughter’s entire life and has made protecting her daughter her number one priority. Seems pretty run of the mill- but at the 25% mark it starts twisting in to something else entirely.
Nothing is as it seems and there are some huge secrets here- first the mother’s we learn a bit about what the mother has been hiding. As the daughter becomes suspicious, more is revealed about exactly why the mother has been lying- the expression-“curiosity killed the cat” comes to mind. Recommend

I’ve read books co-authored by Pekkanen & Hendricks (with The Wife Between Us being an all-time fav), but this was my first read by Sarah Pekkanen alone. It was very interesting and attention-grabbing, I loved it! She has a way of writing that is almost poetic, and makes the story flow together that much better. The plot was well put together and the way the characters’ stories intertwined with different perspectives made you not want to put it down. Thank you to the author/publisher/NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy, can’t wait to recommend this to friends and see it out on the shelves!

This was definitely a different take on a thriller and one that I found pretty enjoyable. The story centers around Ruth, a 41 year-old, single mom who has always worked hard to provide a good life for her beloved daughter, Catherine. Catherine has just finished nursing school and is on the brink of moving to Maryland for her first job at the prestigious Johns Hopkins hospital when she begins noticing some odd behavior changes in her mom. Ruth's forgetfulness and new neurologic symptoms make Catherine concerned that she could have early onset dementia. Ruth has always been super secretive about her past and Catherine begins to realize that, with Ruth seemingly slipping away, if she doesn't start asking questions and finding answers, she may not have an other chance. The story unfolds to reveal secrets of Ruth's past and the lengths that she has gone to protect her daughter. This was a quick and entertaining read, although slightly predictable, it kept me turning the pages!

Thank you to the author, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to advance read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

What a great read this was! Single mom Ruth Sterling has raised her daughter, Catherine, all these years by herself. Catherine graduated from nursing school and wants to move away to further her education but mom seems hesitant to let her go. This is a very suspenseful story that kept me guessing what the outcome was going to finally be. Lots of surprises in this story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this very exciting read.

I am a big Sarah Pekkanen fan and this one did not disappoint! It definitely took a turn from the beginning, but I really enjoyed it. Perfect for a rainy summer night, would recommend to anyone who likes thrillers! 2 thumbs up!

3. 5 stars rounded down

Despite its rather bland title, this was an exciting and unusual psychological mystery from one half of the always must-read Hendricks-Pekkanen duo.

For 24 years, Ruth and her daughter have been as close as a mother and daughter can be. But even though she is still very young, Ruth is having serious memory issues and Catherine, who works in a care home, recognizes the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. But Ruth has a secret past which she hasn’t shared with Catherine and she is determined to write it out so that Catherine will know the truth.

So, hang on, you say, where’s the mystery here? Well that doesn’t come in till much later and enters spoiler territory so I’m not going there.

About three-quarters of the book rather depends on that frustrating trope of two people, despite being extremely close, not talking to each other and making the reader the only one who rather impotently knows what’s going on. Once that is finally resolved, the thriller elements pick up and rather quickly get resolved. There’s a queasy coda in which it appears mother and daughter are still not fully communicating and is a bit of a dot dot dot what’s going to happen next.

So, a slow misdirect burn to start with, a rather frustrating middle, and then a hasty resolution but, nonetheless, an enjoyable twisty read with a little something to say about mother-daughter relationships.

Thanks to St Martin's and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

I am a huge fan of the novels co-written by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks, but this is my first novel written by just one of them. It certainly didn't disappoint! This was a definite page-turner. I loved the dual perspectives which kept the pace moving quickly. The characters were well-written, the plot was engaging and the shocking conclusion was absolute perfection! I think this is going to be a huge hit and I highly recommend it!

Available August 1, 2023.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to review this ARC.

Sarah Pekkanen’s books, along with her co-author Greer Hendricks, have always been my go-to for a great thriller. While Gone Tonight was entertaining, Pekkanen’s solo release just didn’t have the same level of intrigue for me.

The book is told in two different timelines, from the POV of Ruth and her daughter, Catherine. Throughout Catherine’s entire life, Ruth has kept her past a secret. Now that Catherine is in her 20s and planning to spread her wings, she questions Ruth’s motivations to keep them inseparable.

In my opinion, Gone Tomorrow missed the mark. It was more of a domestic drama than a thriller. The ending was fairly predictable and there wasn’t too much “thrill,” since so much was revealed early in the book. I found the premise to be a bit contrived and there were too many plot holes. That Facebook search was quite absurd!!

As I said, the book was at least entertaining, but ultimately, it wasn’t up to the same level of perfection I expect from Pekkanens and Hendricks’ joint ventures.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This is Sarah Pekkanen’s first solo thriller and I’m here for it. I’ve been reading her books since her first was released in 2010 📚😊 and I’m happy to say she nailed this 🤩 - - I loved it!

Written with alternating POVs.. GONE TONIGHT follows the close-knit relationship between 24-year-old Catherine Sterling + her mother Ruth who has recently started having memory troubles, which has Catherine worried. Ruth absently? reveals one small thing.. that is how Cat learns her maternal grandmother died of early-onset Alzheimer’s. (A grandmother she’d never met.. or any other family for that matter)

Cat was supposed to move to Baltimore for her new job as a geriatric nurse👩🏻‍⚕️ but makes the choice to stay-put, for now, to help her mother - - and Ruth intends to keep it that way. 🏠👵🏻👩🏻 It’s at that point I questioned if Ruth was faking her memory loss.. if so.. why is she so set on her daughter never leaving her side? And whats up with Catherine never knowing any family.🤷🏼‍♀️🤨 Catherine thinks she never knew her mother at all.

This story explores mother/daughter family dynamics, hidden secrets, trauma, the frightening little tells Ruth sees in her daughter🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️.. and the consequences for Catherine secretly searching into her family background.💻 Catherine has unexpectedly opened up a dangerous can-of-worms regarding her mothers past.. and boy is it good! GONE TONIGHT is intense with fantastic suspense and will definitely keep you guessing.💥 4 stars — Pub. 8/1/23

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for kindly approving an arc. All opinions are my own.