One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to, Kate Mara is a fantastic narrator. . Excellent heartfelt novel about the bond between mother and daughter. Catherine is a nurse with plans to move away from her mothers house and start a new job at a large respected hospital. Catherine has always been extremely close to her mother and had no reason to doubt her mother’s story about her life before she was born. As Catherine tries to dig into her mothers past, she learns she has no idea about her mother’s past, or even her real name for that matter. What Catherine doesn’t know is that every choice her mother made was to keep her daughter safe from a looming threat that has finally reared its head. Fast paced, excellent novel that is not to be missed. One of the best books of the year! Would give way more than 5 stars if possible.

This is a slow burn mystery thriller told in two alternating perspectives - it begins with a mother with newly diagnosed Alzheimers, and her daughter who is working to become a nurse.

Nothing is as it seems in this book, and it has secrets, twists, manipulation, and betrayal. Although it is on the slow side, it’s an interesting character study that displays a complex and close relationship between a mother and daughter.

There are past memories that are revisited as more of the story is slowly revealed. It caused me to reflect on thoughts of how well does anyone truly know those closest to them? How far will a mother go to protect her child?

I enjoyed the audio and thought the narrator did a great job. I wish there had been two narrators to alternate between the dual POVs though. Sometimes I wasn’t sure which perspective it was and the switches were harder to keep up with having the same person narrate the entire book.

I liked the plot of this mystery along with the character development. The flashbacks were a good way to explain the reason behind all of the storyline. I was interested to see how it would play out in the end. Overall a decent mystery for the reader to solve.

4ish stars

I wish I would have know going into this book that it dealt with topics like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. I probably would have read it anyway, but it would have been a useful piece of information to have before beginning. Although I realize that the author often writes books on her own, this is the first of hers I’ve read where she wasn’t joined by her frequent co-author. I was expecting it to be fluffier (so to speak) and a bit faster-paced/more dramatic. Although it wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be like, I still mostly enjoyed this story.

Ohhh I really enjoyed this one!!! Such a complex story, with multiple layers that unraveled so intricately. I loved the pacing, both of the female MCs, and how I truly had no idea where the story was going. Kate Mara did an excellent job narrating.

If you're a fan of secrets surfacing, cat & mouse, and mother/daughter relationships, definitely pick this one up!

4.5 stars rounded up :)

I recently received an advanced copy of Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen. Let me start off by saying Sarah Pekkanen is one of my absolute favorite authors so I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy via audiobook. She did not disappoint. The story was told from two perspectives which I appreciated because you can sometimes get lost when there are multiple character perspectives. The story was told from the perspective of a mother and her daughter. The story transitioned wonderfully between both characters; it left me wondering how the story was going to unfold midway through each chapter. The character of Ruth went from what appeared to be a rigid and overprotective mother to one of great admiration for me. The narrator, Kate Mara, did an amazing job. I'd love to listen to more audiobooks read by her. She was spot on. Congratulations Ms. Pekkanen. I can't wait for your next one.

ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠs ᴏғ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ. ɪ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇʟʏ ʙʟɪɴᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴀᴍ ɢʟᴀᴅ ɪ ᴅɪᴅ. ᴛʜɪs ʜᴀᴅ ᴇʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴏғ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ , ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪᴛ sᴜᴄᴄᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴠs. ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ɪᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ sᴜʀᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ʜɪᴅɪɴɢ - ɪғ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ.

ɪ’ᴠᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅ sᴀʀᴀʜ ᴘᴇᴋᴋᴀɴᴇɴ’s ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs ᴛʜᴀᴛ sʜᴇ ᴄᴏ-ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴀs ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟ, sᴀᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀs ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ. sʜᴇ ʟᴇғᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴏᴘ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!

ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ʀᴇғᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴀ ɴɪᴄᴇ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴇ (ᴛᴀʀɢᴇᴛ, ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴇᴅɪᴛ, ᴇᴛᴄ ).

ɪ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴋᴀᴛᴇ ᴍᴀʀᴀ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ɪs ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ɢᴏʟᴅ. ʜᴇʀ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ɪs sᴍᴏᴏᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ sᴏғᴛ - ʏᴇᴛ ᴛᴀɴᴛᴀʟɪᴢɪɴɢ ᴀʟʟ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. ᴀ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴄᴀɴ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴏʀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ᴀɴ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴀ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ!

This was far more intriguing than I expected.
I thought this would be a run of the mill thriller, with some family drama, sooo much more!
There is a seedy background that gets revealed in bits and pieces adding drama for sure, but the characters are so rich and well developed that the emotions were what really stood out for me.
That's not usually a thing for me in psychological thrillers. Come for the mind messing, but stay for the vibrant and deep writing.
Well done Sarah Pekkanen!
Much love to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my DRC.

I was hook from the first chapter of these book and felt the need to keep reading to learn more about Ruth and Catherine. Pekkanen does a wonderful job timing out big revelations to keep readers hooked and on the edge of their seats. She also brings the story right up to the very end keeping you engaged until the very last page.

This was a fun, fast-paced, domestic thriller told in alternating chapters by secretive Ruth, and her adult daughter, Catherine who is desperate to find out what her mother is hiding.
Ruth’s backstory is slowly exposed, both revealing why she’s been lying to everyone for decades, and inadvertently putting herself and her daughter in danger.
There were a couple of “twists” that were easy to see coming, but that didn’t affect the enjoyment of the story.
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this #arc of #gonetonight in exchange for an honest review.

It has always been Catherine and her mother, Ruth, against the world. Catherine knows her mother to be a quiet, serious, and hardworking woman. They have always been together but now Catherine wants to advance her career and doing so means moving.

Ruth will do anything to keep Catherine with her. She wasn't expecting Catherine to want to move, to question things, or to dig into her past. What secrets will be uncovered?

How well do you really know someone? How well do you know your parent(s)?

This was a gripping and hard to put down book. I enjoyed how the book is told through the past and present timelines. As more is divulged, I found myself more immersed in the story. I felt for Catherine wanting to grow and move on with her life. She is an adult now and ready to spread her wings. Ruth is fearful and willing to do whatever it takes to keep Catherine close to her. I was intrigued with why she felt the need to keep her so close. As children, we only know our parents as parents, we don't know everything about them, their pasts, their experiences, only what they choose to share with us. Ruth has not shared much at all.

This was a well written and thrilling book. I enjoyed the mounting suspense, especially in the last half of the book. There are secrets and then there are secrets!!! Wowza! So good! What an enjoyable thriller that built into a thrilling second half. I enjoyed Catherine and Ruth's mother-daughter relationship, it's an interesting dynamic. I also enjoyed the role of secrets in this book.

Sarah Pekkanen has written another thrilling book that kept me on my toes. I had both the kindle and audiobook versions of this book and found myself listening to most of the book via audiobook as the narration was so terrific.

Gripping, suspenseful, thought provoking and hard to put down!

Thanks to Netgalley for this audiobook. I am a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen. I would describe this book like boiling water in a kettle. The pace picks up and hold steady and you that if you put the lid on that pot it’s going boil all over the place. I am not a huge fan of audiobooks (mostly because the pace is too slow for me to listen) but Kata Mara reads this and it was perfect.

3+1/2 ⭐️
This book was quite good but was just not a 4⭐️. It was about young love, abuse, alcoholism, neglect, murder and a mother that wants to have a different life for her daughter. There are a lot of struggles, emotional turmoil, and just deciding who to trust. I really did enjoy listening to this book and thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to listen to it early.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This review is for both the audio and ebook version
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and early listen! Wow what a story! Enjoyed listening/reading about the history behind Catherine Sterling thinks and her mother Ruth Sterling. Reading this was like solving a puzzle. All the characters were great since they were all essential to the story and how it would all unfold.
This story is definitely a thrill ride with a few twists and turns.
Highly recommend!
Narrated by Kate Mara: Did a great job telling the story! Did not want to stop listening!

Gone Tonight, by Sarah Pekkanen, is brought to thrilling life by Kate Mara voicing both Ruth and Katherine, a mother/daughter duo who hide many secrets from each other over the course of the novel, culminating in an explosive ending that took my breath away. SP creates fully realized characters and intricately twisted plots that I want to savor but can't help rushing through because I *need* to know what happens next. Highly recommend!!!!!!!!

Fabulous, fast paced and checks off all my wants in a great read! Mystery, death, lies, twists, complicated relationships and a strong female protagonist! A woman on the run from a past that’s always lurking and threatens to catch up with her. Almost better than a great a book is finding a new author to enjoy and the fabulous narrator Kate Mara.
Thanks so much for the first opportunity to review this audiobook
#NetGalley #Goodreads #MacMillanAudio

🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️

A mother daughter story full of secrets and deception. All Catherine knows is her life with her mother and one that has been on the move, but now it’s her turn to move away and start her new career. With this upcoming life change things start to unravel as the lies and secrets her mom has held began to unravel and they are in danger.

This is a story of a mother and daughter and how far a mother will go to protect her daughter.

Told in two point of views and a past and present narrative, the author combines them together well. My main issue with the story is that I thought it dragged out and the slow burn was more of a slow simmer, but in the end I’m glad I listened to it.

Themes: 🗣🗣🔀🔄🤫🤐🥸

My thoughts: 🙂🤓🧐🤔🤫

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With appreciation to St Martin's Press for the ebook copy and MacMillan Audiobook for the excellent audiobook: Gone Tonight is a great slow burn tension filled suspense read, filled with effective twists and an uneasy sense that Catherine is stepping into dangerous territory with all of her questions (main character, trying to uncover a past that's been withheld from her... to uncover how much she doesn't know about her mother and their past). I was really drawn into the author's moody writing and how she took care to time the placing of new reveals/twists throughout the story, it kept me engaged and wanting to know how the story was going to tie up.

I found this to really work well on audiobook in particular and want to say that Kate Mara's narration was fantastic (and I am a fan, watching her on Class of 09 right now), I hope she continues to do suspense audiobooks as she captured Sarah Pekkanen's style and pacing effectively. The ebook format was great as well as I appreciated being immersed in the moody writing (I alternated between both formats as I found Mara's narration to really engage me when I could not sit to read but wanted to keep up with the story!).

What a great read! The twists!!! Omg. I didn’t see this one coming. I really loved the mother daughter relationship even as they unfurl all the secrets and work through it. & The secrets! So delicious!

I loved the journal entries as Ruth writes and divulges everything. This is just a wild story full of twists. I love how they were slowly released continuously propelling the story forward.

The different perspectives & past/present telling of the story brought so much depth and layers.

And the final chapter… shook.


The narration was well done, the only thing i would say that would have made it better is two narrators. It was hard at times to remember which POV was being told.

Yessss! Yes Yes! Great book and fantastic narrator. I couldn’t put this one down because I kept thinking I knew exactly what was going to happen but I absolutely did not. I might’ve enjoyed some more context being added to the story to make the gap years/on the run seem more plausible (we get mostly, then and now) but that would’ve changed it altogether and I liked the book a lot just how it was!