Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay
.
It’s parents weekend and the parents of five private school kids are at a loss when none of their kids show up to the opening dinner. As time goes by with no word from the kids panic ensues and police and reporters become involved.
.
What I liked:
-Lots of secrets, lots of suspects. With multiple kids missing there were so many theories on what could have happened to them.
-The story went in a direction that I didn’t really anticipate.
-It definitely kept my attention and got me intrigued.
.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve read a few by this author now and if you are ever in need of a fun suspenseful story then you can’t go wrong with picking up one of his books!

This was a fantastic thriller! I was gripped from beginning to end and loved the writing style. If you enjoy thrillers that draw you in and keep you guessing I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Alex Finlay, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was just an eh for me, it jumped around a bit and had quite a few characters to follow. It was a quick read, just not my favorite.

At parents weekend or their freshman year of university, five students don’t show up to the planned dinner. Is something more sinister than ditching their parents for a party going on?

Told between each family’s story, and fbi Sarah Keller, we piece together the puzzle of where the kids are, and why. It was windy and a nice ride throughout.

Super quick and bingeable, but a little confusing as theres a lot of characters! It was fun to see Agent Sarah Keller again & I enjoyed the internet sleuths. The pacing of this book was great, and I appreciated the short chapters.

This bounced around so much it was a hit hard to follow. There was just so many timelines and characters that with all the bouncing around it made it a bit confusing.

This was a fast-paced and suspenseful read. The plot kept me guessing, and the twists were well-executed. The tension built steadily, making it hard to put down.

Overall, a solid thriller that I’d recommend to fans of the genre.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. The topic of the title grabbed me on this one. With the story told from several points of view, you hear from students and parents, but mostly the FBI agent working the case. Don't worry, it won't make you worried about sending your kid to college.

As a huge fan of Alex, I was high anticipating this new read, and I can say this is one of my favorite by the author! I love when an auto buy author keeps getting better. Filled with twists and turns, I figured out the “twist” fairly quickly but I did enjoy the ride getting there and the other plot twists thrown in!

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up at dinner.

Sounds like a winner, doesn't it?
But no....just....sorry, no.
I'm not sure what happened here, I usually enjoy Finlay.  But as good as the premise sounded, the story itself let me down big time.
So many important things were left unexplained  and had plot holes you could drive an 18-wheeler through.  As for the now standard plot twists...there were none. 
No surprises, no shocking revelation, nothing.  I was so surprised to read such a flat, predictable mystery by an author who has such a good reputation in the craft.
I moved back and forth between the book and the audio version.  While the narrator , Brittany Pressley,wasn't bad, there were a few issues that should have been caught in the editing process.  There were a few moments where a character would speak with what I can only describe as Pressley deepening her voice, theb when the same character speaks again, he has a british accent.  I have no idea why. No one in the story was British. This happened a few times with characters' voices.

Thanks to @netgalley ,Macmillian Audio, and St. Martin's Press,  for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I really wanted to enjoy this because I have liked Alex Findlay’s previous work but I just could not get into the story or care about the various characters.

The initial premise of this one sucked me in right away. The families were interesting. But then the focus shifted and the kids were missing but I was more invested in the parents and their issues. Unfortunately the sheer amount of characters led to me not caring much about them and the missing kids became less important.

"Parents Weekend" was a nice mystery for a summer vacation. The premise was engaging and I didn't mind the many different perspectives since it added to the complexity of the narrative. The story was easy to read while still being twisty and I liked watching the pieces slot into place at the end.

This was a little too slow for my liking which is unfortunate because I've absolutely devoured Finlays previous novels. I just didn't really enjoy this one.

I enjoyed how this book started with the points of view of the parents. It helped shape the characters of their children who are missing. I was actually surprised by who had kidnapped them, so I guess that aspect of the mystery was satisfying. I always love when a book gives a glimpse into the future through an epilogue, and this one drove home the big loss.

Ummmmm no....just no. I was bored out of my mind trying to get through this one. I've never read a "thriller" so dull with way too many characters, and all unlikable to boot. Wish I could get my three hours back. My thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Five college freshman are missing..last seen in a Mystery Machine van but, where are they now?

Its parents weekend at a college and all the parents arrive to spend the weekend with their freshman…however, the kids are nowhere to be seen at the dinner that night. So, where are they? Where did they go? Some of the parents are elite and therefore have their own entourage but, why would anyone want to kidnap these kids?

This story was developed well, the details were placed perfectly to give intrigue and interest. I enjoyed how each chapter delved into the thoughts of each family and what drama was going on with them. It kept me interested and wanting to find out what happened. I can count on one hand how many male authors I read, Alex is always an automatic because he knows how to write female characters and that’s something not a lot can accomplish. A definite 4️⃣⭐️ read, go grab it and tell me your thoughts!

Five college freshmen failed to show up at an event at their school. This wasn’t just a casual occurrence; it was Parents Weekend, and the opening event was supposed to be a sophisticated experience. Initially, the faculty assumed the kids were just being mischievous, and no one was alarmed. However, as the hours ticked by, it became increasingly apparent that something sinister was afoot. While the campus police had diligently investigated, they realized they needed more assistance. FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller was promptly called in, and an intensified search for these five young individuals began.

The young people are in this story Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix and Stella. They haven’t even had a chance to make their mark on the world, and it becomes eerily apparent that something dreadful has happened to them. The story of the missing college students gain traction quickly, attracting the attention of podcasters, bloggers as well as TikTokers. They are all keenly interested in this case. In fact, the missing group gain a new moniker—The Five.

While in some ways, although a dual timeline story, this is also a story with a very short time span. The more the reader immerses themselves in this thrilling story by Alex Finlay, the more the sense of urgency is realized. Not only is the safety of the students paramount, the reason behind their disappearance remains intriguing.

The narrative in this book is presented from multiple perspectives, adding an extra layer of intrigue. With a diverse cast of characters, each with their own unique stories, the powerful narrative unfolds, making it a fast-paced read. However, I must acknowledge that this story delves into some serious subjects, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that. As we’ve seen Keller in two of Finlay’s previous novels, Every Last Fear and The Night Shift, her personal life plays a more significant role in this story.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Broken into four parts (3 separate days in a row and then a 3 year gap). Told from 3rd person POV of multiple people. Takes place at Santa Clara University in California.

I really liked the characters and their POVs. Sometimes bored other times not. Was more of a dramatic thriller and not like his usual books.

No one does it quite the same as Alex Finlay. It's like every twist and turn is carefully calculated. Every time you feel like you've finally got a handle on what's happening, some new aspect pops up that changers your entire theory. It's not until the end that you can finally see the thread that is stringing all of these events together, how they're all related.