This story helps us to appreciate our parents and our lives, all while putting this puzzle together. I like the dynamics and the relationships that we get to experience. It made me wonder what I would do in this situation. I wouldn’t call this a thriller, until the end , but definitely suspenseful and mysterious. The audiobook narrator does a great job of changing chapters so you know who’s voice she’s doing.

I like the past and present timelines and the way I was sucked in from the start! I couldn’t go to bed until I finished this one.

Wow. What a book! The mother daughter bond, the suspense, both POVs, everything about this kept me figuratively turning the pages, since I was listening to it as an audiobook. Which just added suspense, I think! I’ll definitely be recommending this to anyone who enjoys this genre. Such a twisting and captivating story set up in such a great way. I’ll be reading more of Sarah Pekkanen’s books ASAP.

So good! What would you do if you didn't know who your your mom truly was behind all the lies and faced a future of never knowing her? It took a minute to get into, because it was really sad at first getting into the headspace of what dementia can do to a family. But is that really what's going on? Ruth has dedicated her life to doing everything for and to protect her daughter Catherine. But when she starts asking too many questions and is preparing to move away, Ruth will stop at nothing to keep her daughter close.

If you liked Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter, you'll love this! It has that air of secrecy and slowly unraveling what's truly going on kind of vibe.

Thank you for the audio ARC!

24 year old Catherine receives devastating news that her mother, Ruth, is showing early signs of Alzheimer's. Ruth has raised Catherine alone, often moving from place to place when money was too tight to make the rent. But with this diagnosis, Catherine reconsiders her plans to move away for a new job to care for her mother. As Catherine scrutinizes her mother more closely, she notices that there are some contradictions and that things are not quite adding up. Ruth is definitely afraid of something from her past that could destroy the careful life she has constructed for herself and her daughter. What she doesn't know is that Catherine has caught on to this and is digging into her past to find the truth. And that could have dangerous consequences for both women.

Told from alternating POV of Catherine and Ruth, the reader is well aware of what's going on even though neither of the characters know what the other is doing. Some of Ruth's backstory was hard to believe for me but I was able to suspend my belief as the intensity of the story kept me flipping the pages. I listened to this on audio and Kate Mara's narration was fantastic.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an ALC of this thriller. It will be available in all formats on 8/1/2023.

How far would you go to protect the person you love most in the world?

Catherine’s world is turned upside down when her mother, Ruth, is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Catherine comes to terms with the fact that she will have to stay home to care for her mother, giving up her future career at Johns Hopkins. After Ruth’s diagnosis, Catherine starts digging into her mother’s past. She can’t find anything on her mother, and she finds her questions being evaded by Ruth. What is her mother hiding?

Ruth spirals as she realizes Catherine is trying to dig into her background. She will do anything she can to stop her daughter from revealing her true identity. Every choice Ruth has made in her life was for her and Catherine’s safety. But it may be too late.

What I liked:
- Pekkanen is such a descriptive author. The way she described the isolation and loneliness young Ruth felt was SO well done
- Amazing characters and character development! I felt for both women from start to finish
- The story unravelled from both Ruth and Catherine’s perspectives — I love a multi-perspective story
- Kata Mara’s narration for the audiobook was fantastic
- The sharp turn from a sort of mundane story of Ruth and Catherine’s day-to-day lives to a crazy, gripping thriller!

This was another 5 star read for me, and one of the best novels I have read in 2023. Gone Tonight is a refreshingly original, page-turning thriller. I burned through this book so quick!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reading copy!

Although this felt a lot more like a contemporary drama with some tension than a thriller, I still really enjoyed the emotional story and the darkly poetic prose.

I cannot deny that I found the reveals easy to predict, but I didn’t mind that. The character depth and intriguing development held the story together well, with or without surprises.

And, yes, I have seen the criticisms noting that this is a highly implausible scenario. I won’t argue with that, but don’t most books ask us to suspend some level of disbelief?

I found this wholly immersive from start to finish and that was enough for me. I finished in just a little over 24 hours. It was just that good.

I am immensely grateful to Macmillan Audio for my copy. All opinions are my own.

Kept me glued to the pages. Fabulously entertaining. Loved it! I switched between book and audio book. The narrator did a wonderful job and kept me engaged rather than drifting off. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

https://onereadingnurse.com/2023/07/13/gone-tonight-by-sarah-pekkanen-alc-audiobook-review/

Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the early listening copy of Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen! I’ve reviewed a record number of audiobooks recently and will always advocate for their accessibility and acceptance in the book world, so I’m really grateful for all of these opportunities 😍
...

I hate to say that although this is a solid story, overall I am less than impressed with Gone Tonight. I don’t know if it was sheer luck or the fact that I’ve read a TON of thrillers, but I guessed the first part of the deception right away which made the already boring first 25% of the book drag. I had no idea WHY the deceptions were occuring but the initial WHAT was pretty obvious.

As far as the first 25%, I thought I had misread and picked up some kind of general fiction novel until the first “OH HELLO” moment – around 30% the book got more interesting real quick. If you start and aren’t sure about continuing, I would recommend waiting for the first big thing to happen. After that it was pretty much all surprises and things I’d never see coming.

I did like the pacing. There was a slow escalation throughout that made it a little hard to get into, but by the end it was hard to stop reading. I liked how Pekkanen revealed each layer of deception slowly and let us think about it for a bit before going crazy with more twists.

To touch on the characters, Ruth and Catherine, it’s hard not to root for a fiercely protective mom and a graduate nurse to happens to be a bit of a pyro 🥹. Ruth’s got a lot of trauma and walls to work through and it’s interesting to watch her realize how much damage she might have done to Catherine as well.

I’ve worked in nursing home/memory care settings and she did a good job describing the dementia/sundowning. That part was quite real feeling but at any place I have ever worked, it would be impossible to hide there like Catherine and Ruth were doing 🤷‍♀️ it made for a good story but with the cameras and security there’s no way?

Now to talk about the audio book specifically. I like Kate Mara’s voice and enunciation but there was hardly any differentiation between the two main characters. They had the same voice and inflection and it sometimes took a few minutes to remember who was speaking. I just want a little more variation with dual POV books and I think I would have enjoyed the book more just on page. That said, it was not bad and I’d listen to more by Mara, it was just a little monotone throughout.

TL:DR
Overall Gone Tonight is a good mystery with some terse and dangerous moments. I wasn’t feeling the wow factor though. It was a solid story and I think I’d have enjoyed it more via the physical book than the audio, but I will definitely try another book by Pekkanen

This one grabbed me from the start and didn't let me go. Told from alternating POVs, Gone Tonight follows Ruth and her daughter, Catherine. Getting both sides of the story you navigate Ruth's new illness with this mother, daughter duo. But when Catherine begins helping her mother, secrets start uncovering themselves. Do I think some of this was maybe a bit improbable? Yes. But was it an entertaining listen that had me listening non stop? Also yes. This is a great psychological thriller to grab on audio, if you can. Kate Mara narrates and does a phenomenal job! A big thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for an early audio copy!

This book started off a bit slow for me, but once it picked up it I didn’t want to put it down! Loved the plot twists that kept me guessing. Will look for other books by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advance reader copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy of Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen Narrated by Kate Mara in exchange for an honest review. It publishes August 1, 2023.
First off, I think Kate Mara did an excellent job narrating this book, very well done! I would definitely listen to anything by this narrator!
Secondly, this was my first book that was a solo book by Sarah Pekkanen, and she definitely holds her own! Just when I would think I was onto something, I realized that was exactly what she wanted me to do! She is a master of this genre, and I applaud her work! The characters were so interesting, I wanted to know so much more, and she delivered! You can also tell the depths of research that was done on the topics important to this story! If you like thrillers, definitely give this a go!

I love a story about a mother and daughter relationship and bonus points if the story is a thriller. The author did such a great job at examining the oftentimes fraught bond a mother and daughter can have and Catherine and Ruth have a very complex dynamic. These two are very close, basically on a dysfunctional level and the unraveling of years of secrets between them was both fascinating and sad. This is mostly a slow burn leading up to an intense conclusion with pace picking up in the last bit. The audio narration by Kate Mara was excellent and she delivered a solid performance that captured the characters emotions perfectly.

This was very clever. I listen to so many books that a lot seem derivative, but this felt fresh.


Review copy provided by publisher.

I am in LOVE with Srah Pekkanen's writing. I love when she writes with Greer Hendricks but I am also in love with her own writing. I listened to this book as I was driving and dang there were a few times I didn't realize I was gripping the steering wheel so hard! It is such a twisty ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat!!

Sarah's writing style is so engaging that you're immediately engulfed in the story she's created and the world that she's built for these characters. It is unputdownable and so incredibly good!!!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

I loved this storyline, I wish it had "fooled" us longer with the mother's secret. I also love love love Kate Mara as an actress and her voice is so easy to listen to. I do wish there had been more difference in her narration between the two main characters, though.
Thanks to Netgalley for the prerelease audiobook.

Kate Mara is a marvelous narrator in this twister thriller about a mother's secret past and the lengths she'll go to protect her daughter. My only gripe is that the chapters alternate POV and Mara narrates both female characters. So I had a hard time distinguishing who the narrator was when I began listening midchapter. Other than that, I really enjoyed it.

This is the only thriller that was able to bring me to tears more than once. I was invested in the lives of Catherine and Ruth instantly. Their complicated mother-daughter relationship propelled this emotional thriller that was filled with deception, betrayal, and breathtaking suspense. It's a slow burn that is unquestionably worth the wait. Catherine and Ruth are multi-dimensional, full of flaws, and undying love and devotion to each other. The narration beautifully portrays the intricate and intriguing dynamic between mother and daughter. The narrator also brought the characters to life with realistic emotion and complexity. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.

I received an advanced audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for this review.

I’ve been loyal to the Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks since The Wife Between Us, but this is my first solo Sarah title. I must say, I’m impressed! While I wouldn’t call this a thriller since the story comes together early with limited twists and surprises, it was a truly suspenseful story with well thought out characters.

I found myself excited to fold laundry or do dishes so I could have this playing! When it comes out in August, I’ll definitely look to add a copy to my personal library.

If you like suspenseful family dramas, don’t pass this one up!

This was excellent! I was hooked from the beginning and it really didn’t let up! I will also say the pacing with this novel was really nice (I’ve read a few thrillers lately where it just kind of drug on and that wasn’t a good time.) def recommend this one!

Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

The story was definitely thrilling with quite a few twists. Each chapter you are going back and forth between the mother (Ruth) and daughter (Catherine) slowly piecing together the past vs. the present. Catherine lays done some serious detective skills to start piecing together Ruth current situation and her past. I can't say much else without spoiling something....

Kate Mara did an incredible job reading through this one.

4.5 stars rounded to 5.