Loved this book!!! This is a fast paced book! I sat down and finished this book in one sitting! Wish the ending was a little different. With that, I gave it 4 stars.

"Parents Weekend" by Alex Finlay is a sharp, engaging novel that explores the dynamics of family relationships against the backdrop of a college campus. The story delves into the lives of college students as they navigate the complexities of independence, identity, and the sometimes fraught interactions with their parents.

The narrative centers on a weekend event designed to foster connections between students and their families. Finley masterfully captures the excitement and tension that can arise during such occasions, illustrating how long-held family patterns and expectations can resurface. The characters are vividly drawn, each bringing their own unique struggles and perspectives, which adds depth to the story.

One of the strengths of the book lies in its humor and keen observations. Finlay uses wit to highlight the absurdities of parent-child interactions, making readers laugh while also prompting deeper reflection on familial bonds. The dialogue is sharp and realistic, effectively conveying the awkwardness and affection inherent in these relationships.

Additionally, the setting—a vibrant college atmosphere—serves as a perfect backdrop for the unfolding drama. Finlay paints a picture of campus life that resonates with anyone who has experienced the transition to adulthood. The juxtaposition of the students’ newfound independence with the expectations of their parents creates a tension that drives the plot.

Overall, "Parents Weekend" is a thought-provoking and entertaining read that resonates with themes of love, acceptance, and the challenges of growing up. Finlay’s ability to weave humor with poignant moments makes this novel a worthwhile exploration of the ties that bind families together, even amidst the inevitable conflicts that arise.

I absolutely adore Alex Finlay’s fast-paced, action-packed, and unputdownable writing style! Here are my top highlights of this book:

First off, I’m thrilled to see Every Last Fear’s Agent Sarah Keller back! She’s moved from New York to care for her father-in-law, now living with her loving husband Bob and their adorable twins.

The pacing is fantastic, with short, gripping chapters that make it hard not to keep turning pages. The mystery begins with five young adults disappearing during Parents’ Weekend—a case made even more intriguing when one parent is with the State Department, another a Superior Court judge, and the disappearance follows the recent, tragic death of Natasha Belov.

This family has plenty of secrets, from infidelity to betrayal and tragic losses, which hint at deeper connections to the disappearance.

What didn’t work as well for me: the high predictability of the mystery and the perpetrator, and an ending that left me a bit disappointed. While Agent Keller’s high-stakes race against time, sharp instincts, and her revealing of hidden family secrets were engaging, I wanted a twistier, more layered mystery. This one reminded me of a slower episode of a popular crime series—enjoyable yet predictable, with clues that felt easy to piece together from the start.

I also had some difficulty tracking the large cast of characters, needing to flip back a few times to keep the families straight. Here’s a quick recap of the key families:

The Roosevelts (Divorced parents: mother works in the State Department, father is a teacher and former writer, son Blaine was abducted as a child),
The Maldonados (David, a doctor with marital issues, and Nina, his fuming wife, have a daughter Stella with a rebellious streak),
The Goffmans (Alice, a divorced school administrator, is raising her bullied, introverted son Felix alone),
The Akanas (Ken, a Superior Court judge known for convicting a movie star, and Amy, his grieving wife, mourn the loss of their youngest son while raising their model daughter, Libby),
Mark Wong (Best friend of Blaine, with a troubled family background).
Keeping all these characters straight was a bit challenging, and finding out the resolution felt easier than remembering all the names!

Overall, it’s a lighter mystery for my taste, but I have high hopes for more complex and twisty cases featuring Agent Keller in the future. I’m rounding up my rating to 4 stars for the pacing, thrills, and, of course, the unstoppable Agent Keller! I’m excited to read more of Finlay’s work—hopefully with even more juicy twists!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for sharing this page-turner’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Parents Weekend is a thriller by Alex Findlay. The story centers on a group of families connected by their students’ capstone at Santa Clara University. When the parents arrive for parents weekend expecting to meet up at a large group dinner for the capstone, none of their children show. And to add further worry, another student was just found dead. Agent Sarah Keller, having recently transferred from New York is assigned to the case as it seems that there may be foul play involved.

The parents group reads like a modern Gilligans Island. The assistant Secretary of State, th high-profile judge and the plastic surgeon and wife (no professor or Mary Anne here however). Each has troubles that seem to follow them from their own lives making the case even more tricky.

I enjoyed this book. A solid thriller with plenty of twists and turns and well defined characters. Four stars for good action, fast moving and an interesting ending.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the copy of Parents’ Weekend by Alex Finlay. At first I was worried that there were so many characters and families I would get lost. Then I discovered my old friend Keller was back, and as a bonus, her twins! It goes without saying that the writing was great and I was immediately immersed in the story. College students disappear from campus on Parents' Weekend.
I loved how the college is local to me and I was familiar with some of the locations mentioned. I liked how the students felt like students (or at least how I imagine students are) and have different personalities. At first it felt like there was so much background nothing was happening so some readers will claim it’s slow, but learning more about the families is important to understand the crime and events. When the excitement picked up I couldn’t stop reading until the end. Once again, Finlay has created an amazing read. 5 enthusiastic stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I found this a page turner and read it in one sitting during a coach journey. A group of university students fail to turn up for a dinner with their parents at Parents' Weekend. These include the son of the dean's admin, and the son of someone who works for the State Department and has a security detail. Sarah Keller, an FBI agent who is literally in her first day at a new office, is part of the team investigating their disappearance. There are chapters from the perspectives of each parent and each child, as well as from the perspectives of the happily married Keller, who also manages not to have a tragic backstory or to be a borderline alcoholic, which is always refreshing.

The resolution to the mystery is slightly convoluted and a little unlikely, but nevertheless I would wholeheartedly recommend this.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Parents Weekend releases May 6, 2024

3.5

It’s Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University, yet none of their kids showed up to the group dinner on Friday night.
With the campus on edge after the news of a student death that very same day, the parents of Blane, Stella, Libby, and Felix are left in a state of concernment, wondering why their kids all went off-the-grid at the same time.
Does this have anything to do with the fact that two of them are the kids of a high-profile judge and the assistant Secretary of State? Or is this just typical student behaviour surrounding parties and fraternity pledges?

<i>Parents Weekend</I> sees the return of FBI Special Agent, Sarah Keller. In Finlay’s <I>The Night Shift</I>, Sarah was eight months pregnant and living in NYC. Now, having just moved to California to her husband’s hometown with their nine-year-old twins, she has been assigned to the case of the missing university students.

Short chapters and multiple perspectives made for an engaging read. The lives of these parents were more drama-filled than their kids, and I was fully living for their mess the same way I would be tuning in to an episode of reality TV.
While I found the ending to be predictable, I appreciated that there was a decent amount of time to catch up with the characters instead of the story abruptly ending once the case was solved.

cw: mentions of kidnapping, suicide + attempted suicide, infidelity, child sex offender, panic attacks