Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen was a great slow-burn mystery. Interesting plot points and twisty secrets I enjoyed this book. I've always loved books by co-authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, and now I can't wait to see what Pekkanen publishes next. Fantastic audio and narration.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

The narration by Kate Mara was fantastic and matched the main genial characters perfectly! The story kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and I finished quickly because I just needed to know what happened next! I really enjoyed the Mother’s/daughter dynamic and how it changes throughout the book. The glimpses into Ruth’s past also helped to show how they got to be where they are in the present. If you like psychological thrillers, don’t miss out on this one!

I wanted to love this but unfortunately it was just too slow for me. I still love this author and will read anything else they write but this one wasn’t for me.

*4.5 stars*

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen is a compelling and thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Told through alternating POVs of Catherine and Ruth, a mother and daughter duo, the story delves into their lives with surprising twists and a gripping plot. The dynamic between the mother and daughter trio adds depth to the story, and the plot twists leave a lasting impact. While the beginning of the book may have started off a bit slow, the pace quickly picks up, immersing you in a riveting narrative that demands your attention. Sarah Pekkanen skillfully weaves a web of suspense and surprises, leaving you guessing and eager to uncover the truth. The narrator, Kata Mara, maintained a monotone voice throughout the story, lacking the use of varied tones and inflections. This made it slightly challenging to differentiate between the alternating POVs. Gone Tonight still captured my imagination and I highly recommend it.

A very special thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC.

2.75 - 3 stars
I was very excited to read GONE TONIGHT after really enjoying all of Sarah Pekkanen's books as her writing duo with Greer Hendricks. I had really high hopes for this but it wasn't really my style.

I felt like GONE TONIGHT was much more suspense than thriller and it was more about the story of the mother/daughter relationship than it was the thrill and mystery of it all. If I had gone into the book thinking of it like that, I probably would have liked it more (but then again, I probably wouldn't pick it up if it didn't have the thriller aspect going for it).

The beginning was pretty slow for me with lots of set-up. I kept waiting for some good twists or more thrills but like I said, it was more about the relationships. There was a decent part the ending (after an unbelievable moment) and I just wish things had *leaned into it* more throughout the book rather than leaving some stuff for the end.

Sadly, I didn't love this but I can see where others might.

Audiobook notes: This audiobook was narrated by Kate Mara, who I've seen as an actress in various TV shows and movies. I was surprised with two first person female POVs that they chose to only have one narrator. I didn't love her narration but it was very confusing switching between chapters with only one female voices. I think this REALLY could have used two narrators and that would have helped a lot. It's not a big deal when a book is in third person but it makes a difference in first person.

The bond between a mother and daughter is a special one. It has been just Ruth and her daughter Catherine for years. Now that Catherine is ready to finally move into her own place with a new job in a new city, she finds her mother is showing signs of a debilitating disease. Can she really leave her? When her family kicked her out for getting pregnant at such a young age, it was Ruth who always made sure there was a roof over her head and food in her belly. But Ruth’s behavior seems a little suspect to Catherine, and she is intent on figuring out why her mom is determined to keep them together.

Ruth has a past, one she is not willing to divulge to her daughter. Of course its for her own protection. As Catherine begins to ask more and more pointed questions, Ruth begins to panic, thinking maybe she can open up to her daughter. The reader gets glimpses into the past as Ruth writes her story in a journal to give to Catherine. Ruth would do anything to protect her daughter. She knows Catherine is feeling a bit suffocated, but she can’t give her any more freedom. It’s for her own good.

Told in three acts, this thriller is a page-turner for sure. Just when you think you have it figured out, you realize you don’t. Reading the alternating points of views, we find out just how dysfunctional this mother daughter duo really is. Their spiraling dissent is compulsively readable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and of course the author Sarah Pekkanen for the advanced copy of the audiobook. Gone Tonight is out on August 1st. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance listener's copy in exchange for my review.

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

Gone Tonight is the story of a mother and daughter, Ruth and Catherine, that begs another question: how well do you know the most important person in your life? I went into this book without knowing much except that I've enjoyed a few of the author's previous novels. I'm not going to reveal any more than the synopsis does.
I'm glad I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. Narrator Kate Mara did a fine job and kept me listening. I completed it in 24 hours.
Sarah Pekkanen's slow burn story built suspense by revealing tidbits that had me thinking "wait, what?!" Chapters alternate between Ruth and Catherine's perspective.
All in all, I found Gone Tonight a riveting, suspenseful story. 4.5 stars

Warning: There is a scene that was difficult to listen to (sexual assault).

Overall, I would give this audiobook 3 1/2 to 4 stars, but I absolutely hated the narrator! I do not like Kate Mara at all, and her voice annoys me like nails down a chalkboard. I wanted to quit so many times, but I kept on. With that being said, it was a pretty good story I didn’t much care for the ending, it was left way to open.

How far would you go to protect your daughter and yourself? Would you trade your life to protect hers by creating a false identity and staying away from family and friends for many years?

For many of us that is exactly what we would do, and in the case of Ruth Sterling that is what she does, shielding her daughter, Catherine. As time moves on and Catherine grows, she starts to suspect her mother whose overwhelming protection amounts to stalking, to be not what she seems to be. Then again, Ruth seems to be suffering from the onset of Alzheimer's later connecting her more so to Catherine.

As the truth emerges, we find that Ruth is not the only one with hidden secrets and as both women are in eminent danger from a man newly paroled from prison, the true elements of Ruth's (Ava) behavior are now front and center. Will the women triumph or will what Ruth fears come to fruition as the former killer tracks them down for a deadly showdown.

This thriller had me guessing along with my book buddy, Jan, as to what was true amidst a carefully crafted web of lies.

Thank you to Sarah Pekkanen, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this enjoyable thriller which publishes in August of 2023.

Ruth (mother) and Catherine (daughter) have always been very close. As Catherine prepares to leave for home for a new career, Ruth panics. She tells Catherine she has been diagnosed with alzheimers to get her to stay. Things aren't adding up for Catherine and as she begins looking into her mothers past, she realizes her whole life may be a lie.
I enjoyed the short chapters and two points of view. The narrator did a great job keeping me engaged to the audio. Parts were slow, but overall I enjoyed this book. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen, revolves around Catherine and her overprotective mother, Ruth Sterling. Catherine's desire for independence clashes with Ruth's desperate attempts to keep her daughter close, setting the stage for a supposed "dance of deception." However, what could have been an exciting and suspenseful plot is hindered by sluggish pacing and a lack of forward momentum.

The book suffers from a significant issue: it drags on without delivering on the promised twists and turns. The narrative fails to generate sufficient intrigue or suspense to maintain the reader's interest. Instead, the story meanders without a clear sense of purpose, making it difficult to stay engaged or invested in the characters' journeys.

Moreover, the characters themselves fail to make a lasting impact. Catherine and Ruth lack depth and development, leaving them feeling one-dimensional and unrelatable. Their actions and motivations are often predictable and uninspired, further contributing to the overall sense of boredom.

Additionally, Pekkanen's writing style does little to alleviate the tedium. The prose lacks energy and fails to evoke any sense of excitement or emotional resonance. The dialogue feels flat and unremarkable, failing to bring the characters to life or create compelling interactions.

While "Gone Tonight" attempts to explore themes of parental control and deception, these elements feel underdeveloped and lack the necessary tension to drive the plot forward. The potential for a gripping and suspenseful narrative is wasted, leaving readers disappointed and disengaged.

Narration: Throughout the narrative, it becomes evident that the same narrator is responsible for voicing both Catherine and Ruth. This stylistic choice creates significant confusion for readers, as it becomes challenging to discern who is speaking at any given moment. The lack of differentiation between the characters' voices hampers the understanding of their perspectives and weakens the overall storytelling.

In conclusion, "Gone Tonight" by Sarah Pekkanen is a lackluster and dragging read. The slow pace, lack of narrative momentum, and underdeveloped characters contribute to an overall sense of boredom. Readers looking for a captivating and thrilling story will likely find themselves unsatisfied with this book. However for those that loved The Wife Between Us May really enjoyed this story.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an ARC of this audiobook book in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: August 1, 2023. (Mystery & Thriller)

This supposed twisty psychological thriller really fell flat and dragged for me, but the biggest issue was Kate Mara’s narration. It was not possible to tell who she was speaking as between the different points of views, which made the reading experience confusing and frustrating, and was further harmed by her flat delivery.

4 ⭐️
This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it! I enjoyed the 2 POV’s from mother and daughter and felt like it added suspense to keep the story going in a different perspective. I listened to it, and I found myself staying focused and entertained! Fun suspense, although I do feel like there could’ve been a couple more twists throughout that created a wow factor. Overall, a good read and I will definitely read others by Sarah Pekkanen!

*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to give this a read ahead of its publication date!*

GONE TONIGHT is a cat/mouse story surrounding a complicated mother-daughter relationship.
The pacing was a bit slower than I anticipated with the plot really languishing in the middle portion of the story. I enjoyed the mother-daughter dynamics and the secrets that emerged past but this was an extremely slow go. There's something to be said about a slow burn mystery, but the payoff at the end just wasn't there for me. It lacked the fun twists and turns that kept me entertained in Pekkanen's previous books. It's been two days since I completed the book and it already feels forgettable.

The audiobook left much to be desired which may have impacted my enjoyment. Kate Mara's intonation came across as quite flat. Additionally, the audiobook would really have benefited from two distinct narrators. I found it was easy to lose track of which POV I was listening to (distracted mom of young boys!) so listeners with more focused time may not have this issue. Readers who appreciate a character-driven story without a big reveal moment may enjoy this one a bit more than I did.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Prior to Gone Tonight, I read 4 books by the author: Anonymous Girl (an extremely rare 5-stars), The Wife Between Us (a rare 4-stars), The Golden Couple (3+ stars) and I DNF'd You Are Note Alone.

This book started off very slow and very boring. I was on the edge of DNF for 25%, pushing on because of my past experience with SP.

An interesting thing (see below summary) happened at 25% that hooked me in... but then my interest started to wane around 40% again but I still pushed on... at 53% the book became a blatant copy of Where the Heart Is. The MC in this story even "stole" the same items from Target. After a few pages SP notes the MC is "inspired" by that film/book but it still felt like a ripoff/plagiarism to me. It didn't help that I already thought the plot thus far was a little too similar to a movie that (ironically?) stars the narrators sister actress Rooney Mara (the film is called "Side Effects").

Overall, I found the book "fine I guess" and underwhelming; I'm not going to recommend it.

Lastly, although I think the actress Kate Mara is cute as a button (and she was a huge reason I chose this book) I found it very difficult to tell the mother from the daughter chapters, which maybe was intentional? She (KM) was also emotionless/flat with her reading which made the audio dull. If I hadn't been using 3x I'd have fallen asleep.

I will keep reading this author, however, and I did like how the mother's backstory was told through writing in a journal.

This mystery starts off so differently that I was wondering how it qualified as a psychological thriller. But give it time and all becomes clear.
Ruth is a hardworking, low income woman who suddenly starts to suffer with memory issues. Her daughter, Catherine, recently graduated from nursing school and working at a memory care unit, knows all too well what this might mean. And she’s determined to learn about her mother’s past before it’s too late. Her mother has worked hard to hide her past from Catherine, including the identity of her parents or Catherine’s father. Both of the main characters were fully formed with lots of shades of gray in their makeup.
The book alternates between the two women, and the reader gets to see the past through their memories. There’s a great sense of tension as these two have vastly different views. There were moments when I would begin to doubt the plausibility of a scene, but then it was like the author could see my doubt and would provide a reasonable explanation. The ending does get a little too OTT but by then I was really curious how it would all play out.
I also want to say Pekkanen really did her research when it came to Alzheimer’s and I even learned a few things.
I listened to this and Kate Mara did a great job as the narrator.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this book.

Gone Tonight was an incredible book with fascinating characters. The narrator was top notch. I am now a Sarah Pekkanen fan.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the arc! This felt disjointed and didn’t balance the thriller and mother/daughter relationship aspects very well. It starts off very slow and I found myself having trouble focusing because the past and present storylines felt disconnected for the majority of the book. As the end approaches things pick up and more started to happen that kept me engaged. However, I found this to be fairly predictable and didn’t particularly like the ending. Overall, this wasn’t the thriller for me but I did find part of the ending to be very touching. Kate Mara was a fine narrator but the characters were still difficult to latch onto. 2.75 stars.

Solid thriller/mystery. Good pacing and held my interest throughout. Would recommend. The portions about hiding away at Target seemed implausible as most stores have a night crew that stocks the shelves. The narrator was capable but did not add any vocal nuance to the characters to differentiate them from each other as great narrators can do.

This book was incredibly slow. It was also confusing at times since there was only one narrator using the same voice for two POVs. There aren’t many thrilling things that happen to keep my interest.