Unpopular opinion, but I was not a big fan of this book. The characters annoyed me. The relationship between mother and daughter was so unrealistic to me. I could see through both women and their deception. I just found my mind wandering every time I listened to this book... yet when I came back to listen, it was as if I missed nothing at all. I just did not find it to be engaging. That being said, I did enjoy the dual perspectives of the book. And a little dual timeline from the mother. That part was well done and I was never confused about who was "talking" and what decade we were in.
Thank you netgalley for my advanced audio copy.

Narrated in alternating chapters by a mother and daughter, Gone Tonight is a suspenseful story in which both characters are keeping secrets, and even the reader, with access to both narratives, doesn't know the whole story until the very end. Ruth Sterling is a quiet, unassuming, middle-aged woman who lives with her 24-year old daughter and works as a waitress in a small cafe. Ruth has always been very reluctant to talk about her past, aside from saying that her religious parents kicked her out of the house when she became pregnant with Catherine. Daughter Catherine works as a nurse in an assisted living / memory care facility, but is eager to spread her wings and begin a more independent life. But just after she accepts a new position at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, her mother begins exhibiting worrying symptoms that may derail her plans.

This was a very well plotted novel, with deepening levels of suspense as secrets are slowly revealed, and it's challenging to compose a decent review without spoilers. Let me just say that if you enjoy suspenseful mysteries, this is one to grab. Published just yesterday, it's completely absorbing, a novel you won't want to put down until the last page.

We start off getting to know Catherine and her mother Ruth Sterling, and their relationship is starting to get a bit strained, mostly due to Ruth aging and Catherine wanting to know more about her past, but Ruth is not ready to share it. This is told in alternating POVs from Catherine and Ruth, and as more is revealed from each we learn that the story is not what you think it will be and in fact takes a crazy turn that had me on the edge of my seat wondering how this would end. Bottom line is a mother would do anything to protect her daughter, even if it means hiding most of her past from her most of her life. This was well done, suspenseful, entertaining, and had quite a bit of depth to it, more than I expected. I read it in one sitting and could not stop listening, I was hooked right from the beginning.

Kate Mara did a wonderful job narrating the audiobook, and I highly recommend you read it this way if you can. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one and

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this ARC

There are the constantly twisting thrillers with reveal after reveal, and while those can be fun, they can also make you dizzy. True thriller lovers also appreciate the slow burn, the building of story until it bursts into an inferno and all is unraveled. That is Sarah Pekkanen's Gone Tonight. Not only is the plot carefully crafted, building layer upon layer, but the characters are relatable and believable. Ruth would do anything to protect her daughter Catherine. As the tag line on the back of the book says, "Their bond runs deep. There les run dark." How could you not love it?

3.5⭐
Genre ~ domestic mystery
Publication date ~ August 1, 2023
Page Count ~ 337
Audio length ~ 10 hours 9 minutes
Narrator ~ Kate Mara
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ 3 act story, dual timeline, se*ual assault, secrets and lies, of course

Catherine is trying to leave the nest at 24, but her mother, Ruth, is doing everything she can to prevent that from happening. As a mother of a daughter I can say too that I never want my baby to leave me, but at some point I know I'll have to be okay with it. Does Ruth take it a little too far, though? Yep.

I see it's not in the blurb, so I'll be vague~ish ~ I did not like Ruth's lie that she told Catherine in order for her to not move away. This is something that scares me and I hope to never have to experience it in my life. I wish a different lie was told because I do see the reasoning of why she had to protect her.

Why Ruth tells all the lies is not a real mystery to us readers, but it's a mystery to Catherine as she tries to piece together Ruth's life. Ruth writes journal entries that give a glimpse into her past and why she had to hightail it. Is how she got away plausible? Nah, not really. A bit slow going at points with a couple of suspenseful moments. An overall decent thriller.

Narration notes:
I suppose Kate did a fine job, but I really could have went for a 2nd narrator. Kate has that younger sounding voice, which was fine for Catherine, but for Ruth she didn't even try to alter her voice to sound different at all. Luckily each chapter stated who was talking, so I wasn't super confused. She hardly gave much emotion at all either. Since it's dual 1st person, with different aged women, I would absolutely expect dual narrators. Honestly, this took me out of the story a little bit, so I'd recommend reading if this is something that might bother you.

I’ve read all of the books that Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen have written together. I hadn’t previously read anything off of Pekkanen’s solo. When I saw that I was approved for Gone Tonight audiobook I was pumped and finished it in less than 24 hours.

Gone Tonight centers between the narratives of Ruth and her daughter Catherine. It has been just the two of them from day one and is all Catherine has ever known. Ruth keeps her past, including her family and Catherine’s father a complete secret. Catherine begins to catch her mother seemingly lying about having memory problems...to keep her around?…to not have to answer questions about her past? She decides to start digging into her mothers past. Meanwhile, Ruth will do anything to keep her daughter from learning about her past, including lying and whatever else it takes to keep her safe.

Ruth’s story begins to be told from the past as well as the present. And what is revealed both as told by Ruth in a diary and as clues discovered by Catherine is a shocking explanation of why the secrets have been kept for so long. Now that they’re out, they are both in danger.

This was a great thriller that had me constantly wondering where the story would lead up to the climax that had me on the edge of my seat. I will definitely continue reading anything Pekkanen releases in the future, whether with Hendricks or not.

Although Kate Mara did a great job narrating, I tend to like different narrators for different POV’s since sometimes it gets confusing knowing who is who. That’s just a personal preference though, not really a complaint.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC (ALC?) of this book.

Wow! What a wild ride. I have read all of Sarah Pekkanen's books. Most recently, I enjoyed the suspense and plot twists of The Golden Couple, The Wife Between Us, and An Anonymous Girl. When I first started Gone Tonight, I thought this book was heading in a different direction but Act II threw me through a loop. I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout, and the book kept me wondering "what will happen next?"

Both characters, Ruth and Catherine, were developed well. I could really picture Ruth as a Panther cheerleader and her struggle that resulted from not being born to an upper crust family. Her family dynamic and what she endured at her high school really pulled at my heartstrings. I also felt bad for Catherine, who was forced to move often, resulting in few steady relationships. Also, her meddling mother. Ah!

What Ruth endured throughout her life, as retold in her notebook, captivated my attention, leading me to finish the book in two days. It was quite a wild ride with many "I didn't see that coming" moments.

I wish we could give books ratings with 0.5s, because this book is a 4.5, in my opinion. But because I am feeling generous, and I am already looking forward to Ms. Pekkanen's next book, I will round up.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and Sarah Pekkanen for this ARC!

This book had me from page one! I had to keep listening because of it being so good. I loved how more and more truths kept coming out and not just all at once. It was great! I loved the characters abs I enjoyed the dual POV! This was my first Sarah Pekkanen book and it did not disappoint.

It took me until about the 25% mark to get into this book, but once the story started taking shape, I really enjoyed it. Told from the POV of both Ruth and her daughter, Catherine, we follow the duo as secrets begin to unravel. Through Ruth's journal entries, we get flashes of the past she's trying to keep hidden; while Catherine is secretly working to learn the truth.
I enjoyed following both characters as the pieces begin to fall into place. The story had a few twists and turns along the way that kept me engaged, and even saved a few for the very end. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the gifted copy of this book.

This thriller absolutely gutted me. A mother tries to protect her daughter from secrets from the past that could unravel their complete existence. I’m a big fan of Kate Mara and her narration of this book was brilliant. I completely sobbed and cried my eyes out at the end, which doesn’t usually happen to me when I read thrillers. This book will wreck you.

I was fortunate to receive this audiobook early (thank you Sarah Pekkanen, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley!) and binged this entire book in one day. I loved it!! Also, Kate Mara did a fantastic job narrating the audio. I think it would have been closer to a 5 star if I had read it physically - so go add it to your BOTM box for August!

I did the audio of Gone Tonight and I enjoyed the narrator. I thought it was really well done. However, the storyline of this book was such a slowwwww burn. It was an interesting plot, but it took so long to get through. I found parts of the book a bit unrealistic, but there is a good twist in the middle that I didn’t catch onto.

Catherine and her mother, Ruth, have always been close. It's always been just the two of them.

Catherine is finally ready to spread her wings and move away from her mother. A scary health diagnosis may stop her from doing so, however.

Told in multiple timelines by both Ruth and Catherine.

As the secrets are revealed little by little, will the mother/daughter relationship be threatened? Read it and find out.

I enjoyed both of the main characters and thought they were portrayed well. I didn't always agree with what they did but that's the fun of reading a book.

I switched between reading the print book and listening to the audio version. The narrator of the audio book did a great job. It was easy to tell which character was speaking. That is often difficult with only one narrator playing both parts.

Not as "thrilling" as some thrillers are, but a good read anyway. More emphasis on the psychological aspect in this one.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc.

This was such a fun read! Sarah Pekkanen truly knocked it out of the park with this one.

The novel follows Catherine Sterling and her mother, Ruth. It has only ever been the two of them but Catherine is ready to venture out on her own and start a new life. When Ruth receives an unexpected diagnosis, those plans must be put on hold and the life Catherine hoped for starts to crumble. As time goes on, Catherine realizes that not all is as it seems and she may not have really known her mother, at all.

I loved this story. Sarah did an impeccable job of weaving a twisted web of lies and deception that was both complex and riveting! This was my first novel by this author and will definitely not be my last. I love listening to Thrillers on Audio and this one was no exception.

It’s always been Catherine and her mother, Ruth against the world. But now that Catherine wants to move from home, it seems her mother may be hiding something. As Catherine delves into her mother’s secret past, she might uncover something she doesn’t want to know.

I’ve loved all of Sarah Pekkanen’s books that’s she co-wrote with Greer Hendricks so I was really excited to get advanced copies of Gone Tonight! Pekkanen did an amazing job of drawing me into the story and kept me guessing throughout. This psychological thriller delved into the mother/daughter relationship so well, and I was invested in both of these characters.

I was able to get an advanced listeners copy as well as the eARC, and listened along while reading. The chapters are labeled by whose story we’re getting, Catherine or Ruth, and I felt that the narrator, Kate Mara, was able to differentiate between the two POVs.

I loved the dual timelines of present day and Ruth’s past and thought writing her past as a journal entry was a really smart move. Pekkanen had me thinking throughout the book about the mother/daughter dynamic and what a mother would be willing to do to protect her daughter. I would have liked a little more from the ending, but overall I thought this was a great psychological thriller that I didn’t want to put down.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah Pekkanen's Gone Tonight is a thriller that had me hooked from the beginning. A seemingly steady and strong mother-daughter relationship begins to unravel as secrets are discovered. Both lead characters are smart and resourceful as they work to uncover truths and save themselves. The audiobook narration is easy to listen to, and it held my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan audio, and the author for the opportunity to review this book.

A page-turner of a thriller that will keep you guessing. Are you with mother or daughter, Ruth or Catherine? They are close, but do they really know one another? So many questions and so much deception makes for an interesting read that certainly kept my attention. The first I have read by this author but I will definitely be seeking out more books by her. The narration was excellent.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a near perfect thriller! Right from the start it kept me gripped to the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next, and the characters were fantastically flawed and conflicted! It's hard to say too much about the story without giving anything away, but it's told from 2 points of view: Catherine, a young nurse, and her mother Ruth. Both of them are quiet, hardworking, alone together in the world, and harboring some dark secrets.

The story just kept surprising me with where it was going.. I thought I had it figured out at a few points only to learn that no, this wasn't the twist, in fact Sarah Pekkanen led me down this path and now.. there's more! I loved the ending and also that it asked a lot of interesting, controversial questions, like every good book does! Sarah Pekkanen is an author to watch - for me each of her books has been better than the last but this one will be hard to top.

Kate Mara was a fantastic narrator, she just became the characters so completely that I didn't even notice it had a narrator, it was just Catherine and Ruth telling me all their secrets.

This story drew me in and never let me go. I had to keep reading because of the way it was structured with alternating viewpoints between Ruth and Catherine. I liked how more and more truths kept coming to the surface until the full picture developed in the end. This was an intriguing thriller with lots of twists.

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC

Sarah Pekkanen's new novel is Gone Tonight.
Catherine and her mother Ruth have lived a quiet, under the radar life together. But Catherine is ready to spread her wings. And her mother is determined to have that not happen. But Catherine is just as determined to live a larger life. Why won't her mother be happy for her? And why do they have to move again...?

Well, you might have an idea as to why they often move and why Ruth is so adamant about keeping Catherine close to her. But, you'd only be partially right. Pekkanen puts her twist on the plot, taking the narrative down a twisty tale.

Gone Tonight is told from two points of view and a past and present timeline from both Catherine and Ruth. As listeners we know are privy to what Catherine and Ruth both know. The supense kicks in as the secrets fall one by one...

I chose to listen to Gone Tonight. I've said it before, but I'll say it again - I often become more immersed in a book when I listen to the audio format. And that was definitely true for Gone Tonight. The narrator was Kate Mara. She has very unique, somewhat husky, tone to her voice, that is so pleasant to listen to. It just draws in the listener. Mara speaks clearly and enunciates well. She captures the emotions, dialogue, actions and more with her voice. A wonderful presentation of a really good book!

You'll have to listen to the name at the start of the chapter to know who is speaking. But on the flip side the narrative goes back and forth and it's not to hard to determine. I do wonder if a secondary voice would have worked in this case?