I'll be honest - not my favorite Alex Finlay thriller, but I still had a great time reading this book! If you are an AF fan, Parents Weekend is going to have most of what you've come to expect from his writing- fast-paced chapters, multiple POVs, and plenty of twists that are going to make you say "welp, didn't see that coming!". And while all of those things make for a super thrilling and suspenseful read, this book maybe had a few too many POVs and the twists and turns felt more random than shocking.

Parents Weekend had A LOT of characters, making it hard to connect with any of them and become super invested in their individual stories. My favorite character, as always in an AF book, is Agent Keller, the FBI agent who has proven herself capable of solving these gruesome and twisty murders. Truthfully, besides Agent Keller's lovable husband, Bob, I didn't really care for any of the other characters. That said, the pacing was on point, and I was entertained enough to read this one in just a couple of sittings.

Not every book needs to be a masterpiece—sometimes it’s just about the vibes. If you're just here for a good time and want a quick thriller that is going to keep you turning the pages, Parents Weekend might be what you're looking for. I'll continue to pick up anything that Alex Finlay writes simply because I like his style, and more often than not, his books are 10/10 IMO.

Wow!! What did I just read?! I couldn’t put this book down!! The characters were well developed and I found myself staying up way past my bedtime to finish it. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this incredible book! I will definitely be sharing it with all of my fellow book lovers!

A group of friends at a small private college in California are supposed to meet their parents for dinner during Parents Weekend, but none of the Five show up. Finley tells their story in alternating chapters and we find out what not only the students are hiding but the parents as well. As several days pass and the students are nowhere to be found, more secrets that the parents are hiding begin to surface. A quick read that will be a perfect beach book this summer.

A quick, short novel, set in a familiar (to anyone who has ever set foot on a collage campus) setting, with plenty of character details but without wading into the depths of character development. This is the perfect beach or travel read. It sucks you in, reads fast, but without needing the time commitment a more in depth or complicated plot needs. My only real complaint is language around apps/websites/cell phones that while current now, will eventually date this work.

At fist it appears four college students go missing during the parents weekend, but that turns into five. All are part of the same group. It certainly isn't a prank since all the parents present are expecting their child at the dinner they have planned to have together.

We learn the back story of each family and none of the parents are people we really want to root for or identify with. The students seem to be typical college students- nothing special, nothing bad either. Just like the story, it is nothing special and not really bad either. I just didn't care enough about any of them though I did finish.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and are freely given.

This novel was so much fun. Fantastic pacing, with short, gripping character arcs that kept me turning the pages. I finished this book in under two days! While there were quite a few red herrings, I did ultimately really enjoy the payoff at the end. Reading this somewhat reminded me of watching The Perfect Couple on Netflix (I sadly didn't get to read that book). Hoping this novel gets made into a television series, which I'm sure it likely will. Thank you NetGalley for the early copy.

I liked Keller a lot. I was surprised when the parents had so much of their past dredged up and made to seen part of the kids going missing. I like how it wrapped up and how we saw how e everyone was effected.

Wow! Feeling so grateful to have received Parents Weekend as an ARC, no way couod I have waited until May to read this.

I loved "If Something Happens to Me" and was not disappointed with Alex's new book. Both books scored 5 star ratings on my Goodreads page.

So the parents behavior isn't much better than their kid's, which just makes the book more juicy.

The plot does include Parents Weekend activities but at its core the book is a twisty mystery/thriller..

If you can s ore an early copy if this book, read it right away. If not, grab it on May 6th.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Parents Weekend. As a longtime fan of Alex Finlay, I was eager to dive into this book. While it may not be his strongest work, it still delivered an engaging mystery.
Set at a small private college in Northern California, the novel follows five families excited to celebrate their children’s first year at college. Parents Weekend kicks off with an evening of dinner and cocktails, but as the night stretches on, the students—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up. At first, their absence seems like typical college behavior, but as time passes without any word, worry turns to panic. The search for the missing students intensifies, drawing in the FBI, local and campus police, reporters, and a flurry of speculation.
Told through multiple points of view, the story is structured in a way that is easy to follow, a feat not all multi-perspective thrillers manage. However, while I found Parents Weekend enjoyable, it didn’t fully captivate me or keep me on the edge of my seat like some of Finlay’s previous works—The Night Shift remains my all-time favorite of his. That said, fans of Finlay’s style will likely appreciate the suspenseful atmosphere and the unraveling of events. While it didn’t completely grip me, it’s still a solid read for thriller enthusiasts.

I have loved all of Alex Finlay’s books and Parents weekend was no different. It immediately grabbed my attention from the beginning and I finished it in one sitting. The thrilling twists, and multiple POVs made it a quick and easy read for me. Would definitely recommend, and I also think it would be a great audio book! Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

I love Alex Finlay books so I couldn't wait to read Parent's Weekend! It did not disappoint. The action starts right at the beginning and goes all the way through. It's parent's weekend at the college. Five families show up to attend a dinner for their children and friends. When none of the 5 students show up to the dinner, they know something is wrong. At first, they think they are just college kids being irresponsible. As time goes on and they start digging for clues they know something went wrong. When FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller is called in to help she will not stop until every stone is turned. Will they get to the kids in time to save them? I loved reading the back stories on all five of the families revealing all the dysfunction and sin. This book is great and i would highly recommend it! Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Parents Weekend is a thrilling, fast-paced mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The suspenseful plot and relatable characters make it a must-read for mystery lovers.

3.75⭐️

A fast paced and engaging thriller that I read in one sitting. I enjoyed the family drama. However, the twists weren’t as surprising or unpredictable as I would have liked them to be.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Personally everything by Alex Finley is guaranteed great and this was no exception!! I enjoyed multiple POVs and fast paced/ action packed and unputdownable writing style! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for ARC of this book!

This is my first book by Finlay although I always hear great things. The multiple POVs, which I usually enjoyed, confused me in the beginning. Once I was able to separate them, this book became very intriguing. The college students were just as interesting as the parents. I was so invested I had to sit and read in one night because it kept me on the edge of my seat with all the twists and gossip!

I will read more by Finlay.

This was super pacy and fun, loved the students POV and campus setting, I was completely engrossed from the beginning, I really enjoy this authors books!

It’s parent’s weekend. The kids didn’t show up for diner with their parents. At first, they think their kids are just being normal college kids until they still don’t hear from their kids after a day. Where are the kids?

3.5 stars ⭐️ There are a lot of characters from which we hear their point of view, including the detective investigating. I didn’t feel as connected to the characters and not as on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to Alex Finlay, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When 5 freshmen go missing on Parent's Weekend, an all out search begins to find them. It's especially vital since on student was found dead the week before, and one of the missing students is the Asst. Secretary of State's son.

Told from the students POV and the current police detective's search, Parent's Weekend will keep you on your toes, guessing where the kids are, who killed the student the week before and detesting the parents of these students.

Parents Weekend at a small, private (aka WEALTHY) college takes a turn! The drama between students hardly compares to the drama between parents! Deaths, Missing Persons, & Mysteries galore. If you are a fan of Alex Finlay or looking for a new suspense read, pick this up!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Finlay, and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my review. I really enjoyed this book! This one was a quick paced page turner. The story line was easy to follow and entertaining. I wish there was more of backstory on the missing kids but it focused more on the parents. There was a LOT of characters to keep track of and they lacked appropriate development as a result. There was definitely some moments I did not anticipate. I would read more from this author in the future