Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Format: ALC courtesy of MacMillan Audio and NetGalley

Having read and loved other books by Sarah Pekkanen with co-author Greer Hendricks, I was so excited to receive this ALC via NetGalley! My husband and I listened to this one together on a recent road trip, and we finished it in just two days. This was a fun story to listen to with a friend- we stopped to talk about the book every few chapters and make our predictions. There were enough breadcrumbs throughout the story that many of the plot developments were not surprising, but they were still satisfying to watch them play out.

This book focuses on themes of parenthood, the struggle to survive, and the lengths we will go to for those that we love. There is plenty to talk about while reading this and after, and I would recommend pitching this for buddy reads and book clubs. However, be cautioned that this book does contain scenes and descriptions of violence, physical abuse and CSA. That said, I really enjoyed this book and we both recommend it! Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of Goen Tonight, which publishes on August 1.

The fine print; things we did not like that keep this from being a 5 star read-
Kate Mara’s voice performance was good, but this audiobook would have really benefited from having two narrators instead of one.
We went into the book essentially blind, but after I finished I went back and read the blurb. I don’t think the blurb is a fair teaser of the book, and gives away too much information. It was better blind.
Intentionally vague to avoid spoilers, but this book is told from two POVs, and one character is very concerned with a trait of the other character’s personality- but this trait is not really reflected in the other POV. I would have suggested revision there.

I really enjoyed this book, a slow burn psychological thriller that takes you on a winding and twisting trip. When I thought I knew what was happening this author managed to twist the plot in surprising ways. I really never though what was coming, was left hanging and then relieved to then again left hanging.
I loved how Ruth told her story slowly, giving the reader the chance to understand what was happening and Katherine’s character is more impulsive and unpredictable. This makes the book have this back and forth energy to it that keeps you on your toes.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this gifted copy and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. I'm a big fan of Sarah Pekkanen's cowritten books with Greer Hendricks, so I was excited to try one of her solo novels.

This thriller was refreshingly unique. This review will be vague as I don't want to spoil anything, but I enjoyed unraveling the secrets between this mother and daughter. The plot unfurled at a perfect pace. I really enjoyed the audiobook production and Kate Mara's performance.

Pekkanen explores mother-daughter relationships in such an interesting way. I certainly recommend you add this book to your summer reading list.

Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. 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. Ruth Sterling thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother's past or background. But when Ruth's desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth's carefully-constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception. This was a great read from Sarah Pekkanen. The book is divided into three parts and has 2 POV's, one from Ruth and one from Catherine that switched back and forth. They both have hidden secrets that question everything they thought they knew about each other. It's a fast-paced plot that kept me reading until the very satisfying ending. There are things that happen that I did not see coming. I look forward to reading the next book by Pekkanen. If you like surprises with twists then you will love this book. The audiobook was an added treat to reading this book. The narrator did both Catherine and Ruth and was great. I love listening to audio and reading the book together. Gives the book a lift that you don't get with just reading a book.

I want to start off by saying that I received a complimentary audiobook. In return for my honest thoughts and review. I can’t believe that I haven’t read anything from this author before. After listening to this audiobook. I will be adding more books from this author to my tbr list. Yes this audiobook took me longer. I didn’t want it to end and I don’t like rushing through my audiobooks. The characters and the world this author created amazing. The narrator does amazing job. Keeping me listening. I am glad that this book touched on Alzheimer’s. Having family members with or have lost with this nasty disease.
If I were Ruth I would’ve done the same thing that Ruth did. A mother would do anything to protect their children. I has a mother would absolutely without a questioning do anything for my sons. Catherine I get a daughter wanting to know more about her mothers past and figure how the secrets her mother is keeping from her.
There is absolutely a lot of twists in this book that I definitely didn’t see coming. And definitely didn’t see that ending and the real hidden secrets that Ruth kept. I highly recommend this audiobook.
This book comes out July 31, 2023.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for allowing me the opportunity to listen early copy.
My review will be posted everywhere amazon, goodreads, bookbub.

I love the writing duo of Sarah Pekkanen / Greer Hendricks, and I equally love Pekkanen’s standalone novels, and this one, GONE TONIGHT, did not disappoint. 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 whether you do audiobooks or not, GONE TONIGHT needs to be on your list when released on 8/1.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the copies to review.

I'm such a fan of the writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen since their debut novel The Wife Between Us. Kata Mara phenomenally narrates this tense psychological thriller.

“Gone Tonight” is so full of twists and turns, it was hard to put down. The relationship between Catherine and Ruth grows from mothered to smothered, and the reader gets to experience the whole thing firsthand. The character development in this novel is spot on. I felt for Catherine right off the bat as she watched her mother struggle from what she thinks is Alzheimer’s. As the story plays out, the plot itself could go in several different directions, but Pekkanen pulls the right chord, and the tension develops slowly, then steams like a whistling teapot, leading to the final unexpected conclusion.

A massive thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the copy!

Suspenseful, intriguing, well-written character study that deftly calls into question the things we may not know about our mothers' lives before us. I loved the writing and also the narration of this audiobook. Pekkanen does a commendable job with fully realized characters, an intriguing plot, and great narration. A must read from a very reliable thriller author!

3.5 stars rounded down because these characters kind of drove me nuts. The majority of this book didn’t have to happen if people had just been truthful and I started getting sick of all the secret keeping after the initial intrigue wore off.
Gone, Tonight is sad- heartbreaking, really. There are high school bullies, pedophiles, abusive alcoholic parents, murder (trigger warnings, Obvs)… and basically every horrible interaction is pushed down and kept secret, personally making my heart ache for these characters.
There are some good twists, though. Overall, I think this book is just entirely unbelievable, but interesting. It’s a unique take on a more slow burn, psychological thriller. I definitely recommend it, I just had to lower the rating because of certain things I couldn’t get over.
Also: TW for Alzheimer’s disease - definitely a tough topic.

Narrated by Kate Mara
Published: 08/01/23

Thank you Drew Kilman, Senior Publicity Manager, Macmillan Audio for offering me Gone Tonight to read and honestly review.

Gone Tonight is the book I want every time a cover catches my eye and reels me in. The combination of Pekkanen's writing and Mara's performance makes this a five star experience.

Right away the style (my absolute favorite) pulled me in, and immediately I was invested in both (mother and daughter) main characters. I paused at my usual 70%-ish spot and wished for a satisfying ending. The ending left me with no complaints, a sigh of relief and a gratifying grin.

I found this to be a well told story. There were emotional spikes. They were well written and thought out without the need for graphic details. There was never a time I needed to stop and redirect my brain from images placed for shock value. It is enough for me to know the weapon was a bat -- blood splatter, etc., is not wanted or necessary in this style of mystery.

The short chapters aided in moving the story along. Pekkanen's use of perspectives was impressive and skillfully done. The daughter is trying to piece together her mother's past working backwards (currently), while simultaneously the mother is writing to her daughter from the beginning. The two merge leaving a completely satisfying ending.

Well rounded mystery, without profanity -- there are a couple swear words tastefully written.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, please may I see more like this in your catalog.

I think this audiobook would have been easier to understand with two different narrators. Sometimes I lost track of who was speaking. I do like how the pace picked up at the end, which was very satisfying. I think this book is probably better in printed form. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Ruth Sterling and her 24-year old daughter Catherine have only known life as a unit so far. Ruth has always worked various low-wage jobs to provide, and the two have moved from place to place a lot, but their one constant is each other. That’s about to change, though, as Catherine is moving away soon to start a job as a nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

At least that was the plan.

Ruth is now showing worrying signs of memory loss … eggs placed in the cupboard, losing her way home from the drugstore, calling ice cubes “water squares”. What is happening? It doesn’t look good, especially when Ruth brings up a family history of early-onset Alzheimer’s. Suddenly Catherine’s plans for the future don’t look so clear. Until she makes a discovery one day …

Up to this point the story seemed like a family drama, and while I was enjoying it, I still wondered where the story was going. Boy did things take an unexpected turn! As Ruth and Catherine’s chapters alternate, the reader finds out that things aren’t quite as they appear, and maybe there’s a lot more to Ruth’s story than Catherine has ever been aware of. Things that Ruth has taken great pains to hide from her.

Imagine the plot like a game of hide-and-seek, only Ruth is hiding secrets from her past and unbeknownst to her, Catherine is seeking to uncover them. Unfortunately, Catherine doesn’t realize that uncovering these secrets will put both she and her mom in danger! Now, they may need each other more than ever.

I both read and listened to this, wonderfully narrated by actress Kate Mara, and really enjoyed it! It’s very character-driven, with the relationship between Ruth and Catherine taking center stage. Watching their dynamic change from one of dependence to a more functional adult relationship and getting to know each other, perhaps for the first time, was a nice change of pace from typical thrillers. The final third brings a satisfying amount of suspense, tension and action.

As with all thrillers, there’s some suspension of disbelief required, but honestly not much! It didn’t feel beyond the realm of possibility that it would play out this way. It also brings up some great questions about how much of our nature we inherit from our parents. I loved the ending and epilogue. No huge shockers, but just the right amount to make it fun!

★★★★ ½

A daughter wants to start her own life away from home. A mother wants to keep her daughter near. Sounds pretty normal. Reader, this is not your standard case of a mother not wanting to cut the apron strings. There is much, much more going on. I found this to be a compelling plot and there were quite a few thrilling scenes. Who will win? Will she be gone tonight? The audio production was done with just one narrator. While I do appreciate Kate Mara, I really wanted a second voice to more clearly differentiate between the mother and daughter POVs.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good mystery/suspense novel, but this one just fell flat for me.

The entire build up of Catherine believing her mother has alzheimer’s and Ruth questioning if her daughter has violent tendencies just didn’t work for me.

To be honest, most of the book I was bored. Everything happened in the past, which is filled in so slowly it was painful at times, or in the climax of the book, which I admit, was pretty good!

What would have worked better for me would’ve been if we’d learned Ruth’s story in real time, and then time jumped to the present time to learn how it ends. The format the author chose just dragged for me. I also needed more about Catherine’s father, to really establish his character, I felt he was very glossed over. He felt one dimensional.

What I did enjoy was the background of Ruth and the secrets she’s hiding. The climax was very engaging and I didn’t want to stop listening to the audiobook at that point.

Overall, this was a good story that was executed in a way that I personally did not find as enjoyable as I would’ve liked.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars. This was a slow burn that started out less suspenseful, and more like a family drama. The end became very exciting and consuming. I loved how bits of the past were revealed slowly and changed my perception of the main characters. Great as an audiobook!

Well, I’m going to start off by saying that I’m a big Sarah Pekanen fan, so I really don’t think I’m capable of not liking something she wrote. This book was tough though, not because the story was bad but more because it was sad. A mother-daughter relationship full of lies and half-truths, and then a non-remorseful murder at the end. It left me feeling a bit depressed and a lot disturbed. I’m not saying that that’s a bad thing for a psychological thriller to do, and it’s definitely not the first that has left me feeling this way, but I just didn’t love this book. I do know several people that seek out this kind of story and will definitely be recommending it to them, but for me it was just, okay. I’m still love the author and I thought the narration was great. The story held my attention and kept me guessing – I’m not sorry I listened to it and can’t wait for Sarah’s next book!

Thank you for the advanced copy and the opportunity to be one of the first listeners!

This was a bit of a crazy thriller that switches POV between the mom and daughter about the mothers insane past.
Do want to warn you, the mom does have memory loss which is always a fun factor in a thriller when the characters mental state can’t be trusted.

This was a decently written story and I found it entertaining. Wasn’t anything out of the world but a fun read.

Highly enjoyed this. Super fast paced. Page turner. Loved the dual pov and can’t wait to pick up a physical copy of this one. Highly recommend

I’ve read several books that Sarah Pekkanen has coauthored but this was the first solo run I’ve read and boy oh boy it did not disappoint.

Gone Tonight is a skillfully crafted suspense thriller that delves into the bonds between a mother and daughter. It’s ingrained in us that a mother should do anything to protect her child, but when is it too far and at what cost. A lifetime of secrets and lies has finally begun to unravel but will mother and daughter be able to move beyond it all?

Ruth and her daughter Catherine are as close as a mother and daughter could be, in fact it’s always been just the two of them. Having Catherine at seventeen, they are estranged from Ruth’s strict family and through the years Ruth shared very little about her previous live. Life has been hard with Ruth jumping from job to job struggling to make ends meet. The two have had to move around quite a lot when things didn’t work out. Having recently completed her nursing education, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, but as she is preparing to leave, her mother begins to exhibit signs of early Alzheimer’s disease. Catherine postpones her plans so that she can spend as much time with her mother while she is still cognizant enough to share about her previous life the little she’s willing to share doesn’t quite make sense propelling Catherine forward on a quest of her own to learn more about her mother and what she’s been hiding all these years.

I really enjoyed the structure of the story. The alternating POV allowed me to be in the minds of both Catherine and Ruth as the story unfolded and their emotions were palpable. The short chapters made for a fast read, making this a perfect beach read. Packed with secrets and lies, I watched the foundation of the mother-daughter relationship fracture as the truth emerges and the lines between right and wrong begin to blur. This slow burn thriller held me hostage listening late into the night. Kate Mara’s narration was very well done, truly bringing the characters to life while building a tension filled listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen an advance audio copy of this addictive read that is due to publish August 1, 2023. This is my honest review and the opinions expressed are my own.

If you’re a thriller lover, highly recommend picking up Gone Tonight when it comes out this Tuesday (August 1st). Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Macmillan audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The audiobook was read by actress Kate Mara and her narration was really enjoyable to binge. I couldn’t stop listening to this book & finished it in under 24 hours.

This follows the story of Catherine and her mother Ruth. It’s always just been the two of them but Catherine is done school and going to be moving out on her own to start her career as a nurse at John Hopkins. She’s currently working at a facility with people who have dementia. So when Ruth starts to forget things and gets lost on her way home, Catherine recognizes the signs.

Ruth asks Catherine to stay with her since they can’t afford a facility like the one she works at. Catherine is ready to give up her dream job but starts to notice some things aren’t adding up. Catherine feels like it’s a race against time to learn things about Ruth’s past before it’s too late.

This for me took turn after turn and I did not see where it was going. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️




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