I am usually a fan of Alex Finlay … also a fan of the FBI agent Sarah Keller who has appeared in other books by Finlay … but this was a miss for me.
One issue was that there were a lot of characters to keep
Track of… it took a while to figure out who was who.
Also since there were so many characters, you don’t really get to know any in depth.
When you did learn about the characters … especially the parents were terrible people. The side stories (red herrings) were too much.
And honestly … a lot of people died so was the case successful?
Thanks to net galley for the opportunity to read this book

This book had a lot of ups and downs for me. I found it hard to connect with most characters- they were insufferable as a whole. The end was strong, but I still was left wanting more.

Parents Weekend is here at a small private college in Northern California, and five families are visiting their kids. This should be a fun night, but the students are missing. Are the families’ pasts involved, or has this new group of friends gotten into trouble?

While reading, I saw too many plot holes, too many characters, and the ending felt rushed. I didn’t really like most of the characters. However, I did enjoy seeing FBI Agent Sarah Keller again. Was it my favorite book? No

Enjoyed this one! Book was decently fast paced and story kept you hooked and wanting more. Quite the ride!

Alex Finlay’s Parents Weekend is a gripping, fast-paced thriller that masterfully blends suspense, nostalgia, and psychological tension. Set against the backdrop of a long-unsolved campus tragedy, the novel follows a group of former college friends as they reunite at their alma mater, only to find themselves entangled in a web of secrets, lies, and revenge. I enjoyed this but felt there could have been a better twist at the end.

Another Alex Finlay book that hooked me from the beginning! I enjoyed how this who-dunnit played out- I do however, think there were too many characters and story lines to actually keep track of who is who. I also think it could have been shorter seeing as the the twist was not at all shocking to me!
Overall, I did enjoy this one and would recommend it to others.

I really wanted to like this book, because I thought the premise was interesting, but I thought the writing was kind of chaotic and all over the place. In addition, the dialogue wasn’t very good. Most of the time I was rolling my eyes or groaning because I’m like “wow that’s cheesy” (and not in a good way), or I was like “people don’t talk like that!” Like what woman refers to her boobs as works of art? I didn’t enjoy this book at all, I’m sorry.

In this story, five families gather at a small private college in Northern California to celebrate their children's first year. As the parents enjoy the festivities, their children fail to appear for a scheduled dinner. Initially, this absence is dismissed as typical college behavior, but as time passes without any communication, concern escalates. Dubbed "The Five" by online communities, the missing students hail from diverse backgrounds, prompting questions about whether their disappearance is linked to their parents' past actions or internal group dynamics. Narrated through multiple perspectives and timelines, the novel also features the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Finlay's previous works, delving into themes of familial expectations, dysfunction, and the formative bonds of early college life.

This one didn’t work so well for me, I found that there were too many characters and because of that they weren’t well developed. Additionally, the mystery was extremely predictable, which didn’t make for a fun read. Finally, the ending was wrapped up too nicely and was kind of cheesy. That being said, I liked the writing style, and I have liked some of Alex Finlay’s previous works, so I would be willing to check out their works in the future.

RATING: 2/5

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 51%
Super disappointed in this anticipated read. Have loved every previous read from this author, but this one threw me for a bit of a loop.
This one was drawn out and yet somehow underdeveloped. Too many characters and none of which I cared for. Interesting call back to a previous but the plot didn't hold water.

Alex Finlay has fallen a bit short of his normally great character development in Parents Weekend. I enjoyed the various POVs of each family as they arrived for parents weekend at their child’s college campus in California. Quite frankly I felt the families could have had more of a backstory rather than a surface overview of who they were and how their children became part of “The Five”. Their disappearance and the culprits behind it was not very plausible either.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Alex Finlay, and Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s) for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this advance copy.

For anyone who has attended college away from home, you know the special bonds that form when students from different backgrounds come together to create a new community. Finlay’s story captures the emotion and excitement of that time—when new students meet, form friendships, and embark on the shared journey of college life.

The author skillfully weaves multiple character arcs into a single, compelling narrative centered around a common experience for five students. One of the most intriguing aspects of the novel is the contrast in family dynamics, offering a fascinating look at how each student's background influences their choices and interactions.

Tension builds early as Finlay introduces an intriguing development, revealing just enough details to keep the reader engaged and eager to uncover more. Much of the story’s momentum comes not just from the students’ experiences but from the behavior of their parents during a special weekend at the California college. Finlay excels in character development, crafting a diverse cast of both students and parents, each with distinct personalities and motivations.

This was a solid, engaging read that kept me turning the pages, eager to see how everything would unfold. A strong four-star novel—don’t hesitate to pick up a copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! This is my first Alex Finley book and I really enjoyed it. I read it in one sitting! Fun thriller with several twists and alternating points of view. Enjoyed the lead FBI Agent, Keller. Would have enjoyed some more character development of the students, but overall, a fun read.

This one was fun! 3.5stars! I could have done with a few more twists but I loved this take on a thriller. Spoiler, FBI agent Sarah Feller is back for this! For what is every parents worst nightmare, I felt like this one could have used more suspense/action. The last half was a little slow for me

It’s parents’ weekend at this California University and anxious moms and dads have arrived on campus to visit their freshmen.

At first, the absence of a small peer group to attend the welcome dinner is seen as a mild annoyance. The bizarre inability to reach any of the five by phone raises a collective parental alarm. Upon learning that this incident is preceded by a fellow student’s death and as time continues to pass without word from the freshmen . . . concern for their safety escalates exponentially.

Sarah Keller arrives from past Finlay novels as an experienced FBI agent assigned to the case. She is hot on the trail and has questions for all involved, including the campus police.

Each chapter is told from the alternating perspectives of parents and investigators. My older brain took a beat to sort out the cast of characters. Eventually, enough details start sliding into place to tell them apart.

I recommend this one to fans of psychological thrillers, Alex Finlay, and multiple POV suspense.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Parents Weekend for my unbiased evaluation.  3.5 stars

I think it's officially time for me to break up with Alex Finley.

Wow..... this was pretty bad not going to sugar coat it. The writing was so basic and I was rolling my eyes from the beginning. There was absolutely no plot twist.

Again, Finley has WAY too many characters and it's all over the place. I was left confused and honestly irritated by this. The ending felt completely rushed like his previous novel and again all over the place.

Finley is writing these novels to get them out but they're awful. I cannot recommend this one at all. I have read way too many thrillers and this was bad.

1.5 /5 stars

Thanks to the publisher for my copy.

the book started off not so great. there was too many perspectives going on at once: the Maldonaldos, Cynthia Roosevelt, the Kellers, the Akanas, Alice, the missing kids.... so hard to keep track. but by the time we hit around 1/3 or 1/2 in, the perspectives shift and it's basically just Sarah Keller and the missing kids. The characters are... well, some of them I loathed, like David Maldonaldo and Cynthia Roosevelt. but they all felt realistic. the murder was pretty interesting and made sense. 3.5 stars. tysm for the arc.

It's parents weekend at a small private college, and some students are less than thrilled about the event. Things really heat up when one student is found dead, and five others go missing. At first, everyone thinks that the kids skipped out on the festivities with their parents. But as time ticks on, concern mounts and the race to find the five kicks into high gear.

I have loved everything I've read by Alex Finlay, so I was super excited to start Parents Weekend. There's a large cast of characters, but it didn't take me long to keep the connections straight. I always love a story told by alternating points of view, and I also love when characters are hiding something and the truth slowly comes out. The return of Agent Keller was much appreciated - she's such a great character (and her husband is adorable - #relationshipgoals!). Overall, this was a solid mystery/suspense/thriller that kept me engaged and reading.

⭐️⭐️💫
Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay ultimately left me feeling disappointed. The premise had great potential, but the execution didn’t quite live up to expectations.
The plot revolved around five missing college students, but unfortunately, I never felt like I truly got to know them, which really detracted from the experience. I was hoping for more depth and a deeper exploration of their personalities and psyches. Instead, the story felt very plot-driven, focusing on events rather than character development. I wanted more 'show' than 'tell' throughout the narrative.

The story dragged on, and while each character had their own subplot, none of them were developed enough for me to form a real connection. It felt like the author included typical marital and family problems, but didn’t delve deep enough into them to make me care. I wanted more from these characters; the outlines of their lives were there, but we never got to really know them.

The chapters were short, which had a mixed effect. On one hand, they were easy to read and kept the pacing quick, but on the other hand, the brevity prevented the story from diving deep enough into the characters or their struggles.

Similarly with the writing, it was clear and straightforward, which I appreciated. But despite this, the story lacked the emotional weight and complexity I was hoping for. Overall, I was disappointed. It had potential, but it didn't fully deliver on any of the aspects that could have made it engaging.

By the time the ending came around, there were still plenty of unresolved questions. While the pacing did pick up toward the end, and I was surprised by the twist at the end of the book, I really just found myself waiting for the story to be over.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

I can't recommend it enough! I really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a couple of days!

At no point while reading this did I know what was going to happen. There weren’t many twists and turns and suspicious people. Throughout the course of the book you get little pieces of everyone’s backstories, both the five students and their families, and you learn more and more about what is happening.
While I liked how this book ended I felt like the payoff wasn’t quite there. There’s a lot of buildup and suspense and then the actual ending felt a little bit rushed, not so much in how well thought out it was but in how much we actually got to see. That being said I thought all the ends were tied up nicely and I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!