Is 5 stars even enough for this one?

Oh, the author does such a good job! I spent the first portion of the book so very sad and completely convinced I knew everything that was going on. I definitely did NOT.

The author deftly weaves a tale in which the truth twists and turns so deviously that you simply don’t know what to believe anymore. The characters are complex and compelling and I never once wanted to slap them! (Yes, I sometimes want to slap characters. Sue me.)

The truth behind everything is so satisfying and at the end of the book, I just wanted more.

Very happy I read this and can’t wait for whatever the author does next.

• ARC via Publisher

𝑴𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝑴𝒂𝒎𝒂. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒉 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒌 𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄. 𝑾𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒕.

I have a difficult relationship with my mother, and this book was hard to read at times. As a parent, I know I made mistakes raising my two boys, just as I'm sure my mother is aware of the mistakes she made with me. You try to see past those shortcomings and understand why things were done the way they were. You try to have empathy, and you try to forgive, especially when you realize those things were done under the guise of having your best interest at heart.

Told in alternating points of view from Catherine, the daughter in her mid-twenties, and her mother Ruth, a woman full of secrets, GONE TONIGHT chronicles a life on the run, living in one cheap apartment after another, leaving behind friends and boyfriends. Catherine has always wondered about the secrecy but never really questioned her mother until the day she catches her in a lie so repulsive, so vile, that she quietly begins unraveling the truth about her mother's past, and what she finds out is more than she ever bargained for.

I've never read a book quite like this one, one that so perfectly captured the tenuous relationship between mother and daughter, the fierce love, the need to protect, the desire to break free. I loved getting to know Ruth through her chapters, and my heart broke for her and the things she endured. I was equally captivated with Catherine, who is holding on to some secrets of her own. I can't recommend this book enough, and when it publishes August 1, 2023, you need to get a copy. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my early read.

Wow! I have never been disappointed in a book by Sarah Pekkanen and that stands true again. This story of Ruth and Catherine kept me turning those pages as quickly as I could. I highly recommend this book!

Four solid stars, almost 5! I enjoyed this author’s previous works, especially the collaborations with Greer Hendricks. But this book clearly proves Mrs Pekkanen can pull off a fabulous thriller on her own, too. I enjoyed the two POVs the book was written from & the gradual telling of the backstory. This book was just so well written, it’s truly hard to put down! Hope y’all enjoy it as much as I did!!

Did I just finish another digital review copy from NetGalley that doesn’t release until August 2023? Why yes I did and I’m not one bit sorry.
Ruth Sterling loves her daughter Catherine. Actually she is rather over protective, the question is why. Ruth’s family disowned her when she became pregnant and it’s just been the two of them for Catherine‘s whole life. But now, Ruth fears Catherine moving away to start a new job and a new life. Why is Ruth so afraid of that happening and how far will she go to keep Catherine by her side?

Told in alternating chapters narrated by Ruth and Catherine, we learn what keeps Ruth always on high alert and what demons may live inside them both. It would be way too easy to venture into spoiler territory, so I’ll just say that very few of my guesses about the story were correct. The chapters just flew by and I enjoyed trying to figure out this twisty tale. So far the 2023 books are coming in hot!

Catherine is making a big change for herself when she graduates from nursing school. She gets hired by Johns Hopkins to work with geriatric patients in Baltimore. It offers her a stable space to live long term after jumping place to place while growing up with her mother, Ruth.

Ruth has secrets. Ruth has relied on her relationship with Catherine to keep a sense of stability in her own life after a rough upbringing of her own. They have been the sole source of family for each other since Ruth left home at 16, pregnant with Catherine.

When Ruth begins forgetting things or getting lost, Catherine suspects early onset dementia and pressures Ruth to see a neurologist. But as Catherine digs deeper, or as deep as she can dig based on lack of information from Ruth, she wonders what is really going on. Is she really suffering from Alzheimer’s or is she trying to maintain control over Catherine’s life?

If you are familiar with Sarah Pekkanen’s work with Greer Hendricks, you know you are in for one helluva ride. As the story unravels and you learn about Ruth’s past, you can see that Ruth is going to do whatever she can to keep Catherine in her life, by her side, for fear of what’s really out there. But there are some things you can’t see. Some things that are deep inside someone, festering, unknown in those around them until it is too late. Who is the victim and who is the predator? A delightful, deceitful read that is sure to please new readers of Pekkanen and those who are already enthralled with her storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on July 31, 2023. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #arc #sarahpekkanen #gonetonight #stmartinspress

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth is a single mother to Catherine. They have never had much money, and now Ruth is showing signs of early Alzheimer's at only 42 years old. Catherine had just graduated from a nursing program and is set to leave the nest but her mother's condition gives her pause and she starts to wonder if what she knows about her mother is accurate.

This was a very readable book. I read it in a day because I wanted to know what was happening and I felt engaged with the characters. I really liked this author's novels with Greer Hendricks and when I was offered this ARC by the publisher, I was happy to accept. This was a sold vacation read and I will look forward to this author's next solo offerings.

Solid 3 stars. The pacing in this wasn’t quite right for me. I was invested in both POVs and I liked the initial twist, but the pacing to the climax felt a bit dull and drawn out. The ending was a bit predictable as it was quite obviously teased throughout the book. Still, this had a more original story than many thrillers these days so I can’t complain.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read of Sarah Pekkanen which was not co-authored with Greer Hendricks. What can I say? Sarah is one of the most talented authors. Gone Tonight tells the cat and mouse story of mother and daughter Ruth and Catherine. Ruth will do everything to protect Catherine, even lying to her. Catherine has no reason to doubt her mother until things just start not adding up. As Catherine tries hard to learn more about her mother's past, her mother will do everything to keep her from finding out the truth. The book is written with each chapter alternating between Catherine's story and Ruth's story. Both characters were so likable. The stories take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. This is one book you do no want to miss. I just could not put it down, even when I wanted to. Thank you #netgalley, #smp and #sarapekkanen for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

I began this book with trepidation - I’m a huge Sarah Pekkanen fan but this book felt different in the first chapter? By a chapter 3 I was hooked and couldn’t put this book down! Pekkanen had me guessing up until the very last page! Nothing in this book is quite what it seems - taking a plot I was sure I knew in the first chapter and twisting and turning! Every character is an antagonist, a hero and a villain! Can’t wait to recommend this book to friends and really appreciate the advanced copy!!!

Wow! Awesome could not put down, full of twists and turns, suspense galore, great characters, amazing ending. Definitely ticked off all my boxes for a 5 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley & St Martins Press for an ARC copy of Gone Tonight in exchange for my honest review. Great book to cozy up to over the holidays! A tale of murder, secrets, and identity told from the alternating viewpoints of mother and daughter, with glimpses of the past sprinkled in throughout. Ruth and Catherine are on the run - unbeknownst to Catherine, the daughter, until she becomes suspicious of who her mother really is and what she is hiding later in life. There weren’t too many twists you couldn’t see coming or that were very shocking, but this book really had me hooked into wanting to see how the dots connected and how the mother/daughter duo came to be where they are and how they confronted everything when their past finally catches up to them.

Sarah Pekkanen's Gone Tonight is terrifying which, combined with its intensity, makes it impossible to put down ... or get a good night's sleep. The characters are extraordinarily well developed and the reader becomes more and more vested in their story. The details of the plot are very well thought out and impressively realistic. This is not a relaxing beach read. This is a "sit on the edge of your seat with your fingers gripping tightly and your body coiled" ride. Definitely 6 out of 5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the copy of Gone Tonight. I have read and enjoyed books by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks but I think this is the first one I have read that is solely written by Pekkanen. I was not disappointed! Catherine and Ruth were both well-developed characters and I liked slowly learning about Ruth’s past.The relationship between Catherine and Ruth was interesting as were Ruth’s efforts to protect Catherine. The pace of the book was great and I had a hard time putting it down because I couldn’t wait to see how everything would turn out. This was a great read, but I’m conflicted about the ending and whether the epilogue was even needed.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
All her life Ruth has lived and protected her daughter Catherine, When Catherine wants to move and begin her career her mother does everything she can to stop her. Catherine tries to find out more about her mother- why were they always moving.? Why would she never let anyone get close?
But the more Catherine finds out the more dangerous their life becomes!

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

An intense read that I couldn’t put down. Kept you glued to your seat as you read each word.

I am always appreciative to be offered advance reader copies by publishers. When I started this book, I was not enthralled but since I had made the commitment to read it, I wanted to fulfill that obligation. I did not enjoy this novel at all. It was a laborious read for me. The characters are lackluster and unlikeable. I could not wait for it to end and the ending did not redeem it for me. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #GoneTonight,#StMartinsPress,#NetGalley.

I received an ARC of this upcoming novel through NetGalley.

This is about a mother and her daughter. The mother has her daughter out of wedlock when she was a teenager. She leaves her family and her hometown while still pregnant and creates a new false identity for herself, leaving her past completely behind. The reason she does this is nor known immediately, but soon becomes evident.

The story is told when the daughter is 24 years old, with the mother flashing back to the events that caused her to become pregnant and leave home. The book is structure with the mother (Ruth) and daughter (Catherine) serving as narrators in alternating chapters.
About halfway through the book, the story evolves into a thriller.

To enjoy this book, the reader needs to be able to suspend disbelief. The story is filled with numerous twists and turns, most of which seem unfathomable and unrealistic. The author painstakingly explains why these wild events are possible, almost as if she knows that the reader doubts whether what is happening is possible.

A very well-written, suspenseful novel.

Ruth and Catherine Sterling have always been a team. Since Ruth’s religious parents forced her to leave home when she became pregnant at sixteen, through dead end jobs, sudden unexplained moves and losing friends, Catherine has never questioned her mother’s decisions. But now, when she’s ready to move to a new apartment and a much desired nursing job, her mother is diagnosed with a serious disease, one that will require Catherine’s constant care. A search for other family members who might be able to help leads Catherine to an unsettling discovery. That discovery will lead to many others, none of them good.

With Gone Tonight, Sarah Pekkanen has written another sure fire best seller. Ruth and Catherine are strong, well described characters, either good or evil depending on the situation. Ruth is a survivor and some of her experiences are heartbreaking. Themes of abuse, violence and desperation weave together to make this domestic thriller a 5 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sarah Pekkanen for this ARC.

Wow! I just love Sarah Pekkanen’s writing style. Totally loved this new thriller. Tension, twists and awesome reveals. Characters were crazy great! I stayed completely invested in this story. Very well written and expertly executed.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book