Wow, clear your weekend, you won’t put this down!

I’m not sure how I haven’t discovered the author before, but I will certainly pick up his other works. Parents Weekend is a fast paced suspense thriller that had me hooked from the first page to the last. Told from multiple point of views, we meet and follow along several families visiting their college kids during - you guessed it - parents weekend. There is a large cast of characters, but it’s easy to follow along and the author does a wonderful job of introducing them on their own and telling their story. The characters were relatable in their individual family dramas. I loved every minute of the emotional rollercoaster!

When a group of students fails to meet their parents for a planned dinner, the hunt is on to find them. Did the group of friends take off for a last minute weekend getaway? Are they playing a prank on their parents? Or, are the students involved in something far more sinister?

Another winner! 5 students go missing and 1 is found dead. How is it all connected? A FBI agent races to figure that out and save the missing students.

Each chapter is action packed. The book takes place during parents weekend, so we learn all about the parents lives too and they are MESSY. A lot is going on and it makes you wonder what is the real reason they are missing and how it all ties together.

At first I thought I might not enjoy this, because there are a lot of characters involved and I thought it would be hard to connect to it or follow. But it all tied together well & at the beginning of each chapter it named who the chapter was about.

The ending was really good. This is a fast paced read.

Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Alex Finlay never ever disappoints. This is just another in a run of great books by him. Never a dull moment, great characters, and a story that keeps you guessing and flows perfectly.

I love Alex Finaly books, and was so excited to get this one early. And I was not disappointed!
I loved the characters in this book. There’s a lot of them, but it never felt confusing or like it was too many. The story centers around a group of 5 freshmen that go missing as they are supposed to meet their parents for dinner. The book is then broken up primarily from the parents pov’s and the students every once in a while. There are also chapters told by the FBI agent working the case.
The story sucked me in from the very beginning. It was fast paced and I finished it in a day. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will be recommending it when it is released.

It’s a parent’s weekend at a small college and while a group of parents show up, their children don’t. When it becomes obvious that there’s something sinister at play, the parents of the Five, as they come to be known, are viewed with increasing suspicion by the police, press, public, and each other

3.75 ⭐️

This felt like a Law & Order show and it was fun!! Super fast paced and complex enough that I wasn’t bored midway through. Keller was an awesome and super relatable protagonist and kept the story moving in my opinion. I usually figure out the entire plot before the end but I didn’t get everything right this time and that was refreshing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay
Publishing date - 05/06/25
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley , St. Martin’s Press , & Alex Finlay for this e-ARC. Alex Finlay is one of my favorite authors ; this is his BEST one yet! It centers on a group of families who gather for dinner at a college parents’ weekend, but none of the kids show up. Now the police are involved to find out what happened. The story is told in short chapters, alternating POVs between the families, the kids, and the FBI agent, Keller (to whom we were introduced to in previous books!).

I finished the book in less than 1 days. The characters are beautifully written and the pace is fast with so many twist and turns. It’s a great read! Highly recommend this one when it releases next May.

Well hello again Special Agent Keller! I love the way we get another look at a recurring character. She adds to the story without taking away from it. Jay and Annie were such delights and I'm really hoping to see them again in the future.
As for The Five. At first I had no idea who took them and why. The little peeps into each family and their dynamics was a nice curveball into my theories. That secret file and Alice really had me going in one direction for awhile. Even with a famed judge and high government person with their own issues. The infidelities. But before the reveal, I'd already figured the connections and who was behind it. The standoff though, now that was surprising. And the graduation was so so so very sweet.

Alex Finlay is one of my favorite authors and I devoured this book over the course of a few hours. It centers on a group of families who gather for dinner at a college parents’ weekend, but none of the kids show up. What is initially chalked up to irresponsible teenager behavior soon escalates into the sense that something is very wrong. The story is told in short chapters, alternating POVs between the families, the kids, and the FBI agent, Keller (to whom we were introduced in previous books!).

I thought the author did a great job at differentiating the various families so it was easy for me to know who was who without having to remind myself at each new chapter. This is impressive in itself but especially so in short chapters. Some characters were more likable than others but all of them were believable. The mystery in the book was pretty good, though I didn’t necessarily feel shocked about any of the twists. Finlay tends to kill off people that I didn’t expect, so there was tension the whole way through about who may or may not make it to the end of the book. I thought the end of the story tied things up nicely, though it did leave me thinking (as all of his books do) how sad it is that things that seem like small decisions at the time end up having disastrous consequences. I hope that the introduction of a couple great characters means that we might see some more reoccurring characters in future books.

Overall, this is another winner from Finlay that made me neglect everything else in my house (including sleep) until I could finish it. Would recommend to those who enjoy mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! First, thanks to MacMillan Publishing and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy of Parents Weekend. Alex Finlay you’ve done it again. I could not put this book down. I keep telling myself just one more chapter. I finished the book in 2 days. The characters are beautifully written and the pace is fast with twist and turns. It’s a great read for a weekend snuggled by the fire or something to put in your carryon for the next vacation.

3.5

***Trigger Warning: mention of cancer and mention of suicide***

Parents Weekend follows five families who plan on a night of dinner and cocktails before the open festivities of parents weekend. All the parents show up to dinner but the kids don’t. At first they think the kids are just joking around. But then serval hours go by and no one shows up. Now the police are involved to find out what happened.

I thought this was a solid thriller but I did think it had a few flaws. There were a lot of characters and different perspectives to keep up with. That got confusing for me at times. I also didn’t really feel like we got a clear explanation for the motives behind what happened. I just wish things were wrapped up better. But this was a fast paced thriller that will keep your attention. This is fourth book I have read by this author and I will keep reading books by him.

Thank you Alex Finlay, St. Martins Press, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Parents Weekend was a fun read with the perfect mix of suspense and detective work! I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives and getting to see both the parents’ and students’ views. 90% of the characters are incredibly unlikable, but it was interesting to see how all their secrets came back to haunt them.

I loved the return of Agent Keller and getting a further glimpse into her relationship and family dynamics. She was easily my favorite part about the book! Jay McCray was a great addition - I loved how he deferred to Keller’s expertise and would love to see them partner up again in the future. I also have high hopes that Intern Annie could be a new recurring character.

Overall, Parents Weekend is a great read if you’re looking for an escape. The plot is incredibly fast-paced and all the different leads will keep you guessing. Another solid novel from Alex Finlay!

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay was such a fun book! It took me a little bit to get a grasp on all the characters. I knew who the culprit was almost immediately and o wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be that way or not. But it didn’t turn me off to the book. I found it thrilling and enjoyable!

I’m not normally a fan of multi-POV books, but this Alec Finley novel kept me guessing. Every time I thought I had my theory figured out, the next chapter and perspective had thrown that out the window. The characters are pretty much all insufferable, but aren’t we all to a degree? I couldn’t put the book down despite my disdain for the victims in this story. Read it in a few hours because the suspense was addicting. Alex Finley’s style of writing is addicting to read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
Parents Weekend releases May 6, 2025

Five students seemingly vanish into thin air during their freshman year at Santa Clara University. The bizarre timing of their disappearance happens during Parents Weekend shortly before they are supposed to meet for a group dinner. Their parents are left feeling “ghosted” and continue the dinner in their absence. With the no call, no show happening the same day another student is found to have tragically drowned, some parents are left feeling uneasy while others are enjoying shots.

The author does two of my favorite things in this thriller - short chapters and multiple POVs. This book is fast paced and each chapter left me wanting more causing me to abandon all responsibilities. Apologies to my husband who directly suffered from this! (Me, writing this after midnight because I couldn’t sleep until I finished)

The first 5 chapters introduce new characters in each one. Initially, I found myself saying “wait, who is this?” and flipping back to check. But I caught on quick! Mr. Finlay does a superb job at creating some really lovable characters which I don’t always find in thrillers. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of messy characters for your entertainment!

The description does indicate a recurring character. Regrettably, this is my first book by this author. Since I haven’t read the others I cannot guarantee that there isn’t a spoiler. However, I feel pretty confident that this absolutely can be read as a standalone and nothing will be spoiled if this is your first too! It seems to me that the recurring character is a thread that the author has woven into his books, which I love. Hands down, Alex Finlay has me hooked and I’ll be binging his other books.

Side note, unrelated to the book itself. I checked out the author’s social media. He is constantly supporting and shouting out other authors. It’s one thing to love a book but to see the author is a genuinely good person is a pleasant added bonus.

Thank you to Alex Finlay, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬."

Seeing an upcoming release from Alex Finlay available to request always makes my day better, but I was completely shocked and surprised to see a familiar character from EVERY LAST FEAR and THE NIGHT SHIFT! That's right, Agent Sarah Keller is back! She’s taken a temporary assignment in California so her husband can help care for his ailing father.

Sending a child off to college is often bittersweet, but for five families attending parents' weekend at a small, exclusive private college in northern California, it will become the stuff of nightmares. Five very different families arrive on campus to spend time with their child, who each reside in Campisi Hall and were brought together over a Capstone project. But when none of the kids show up for a planned dinner, the parents are annoyed but chalk the absence up to typical irresponsible college student behavior. But when hours pass and calls and texts go unanswered, the parents call in reinforcements.

It took me a minute to keep the families straight, but each one is hiding a secret, from the high powered woman who travels with an entourage because of her job to the Superior Court judge with a troubled past. There are SO many moving parts, and my attention was all over the place. I had no idea why the kids were missing, and I had no idea who was behind it and what their motive was. I appreciated the fact that this was a thrilled grounded in reality as I'm growing weary of thrillers touting their "shocking, unbelievable twists." This one made complete sense, and that's exactly what I needed!

Told in alternating points of view with varying timelines, PARENTS' WEEKEND will grip you from the opening pages, and if you're a parent, it will be a stark reminder that no matter how close you think your relationship is, you will never really know your child as well as you think. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books for this early copy. At the time this review was written, this book was expected to publish May 6, 2025.

2.5 stars This book was an ARC from NetGalley. This book was very similar to Every Last Fear in layout and pacing. It even features Agent Keller. The further development of her character and relationship with Bob where the best part of the story. There was a large cast of characters both on the parent and student side of the story. This did a disservice to character development. Additionally, it was difficult to keep track of the carousel of characters in the first third of the book. Due to the short chapters, the story moved along at a fever pace. Overall, I found I just wasn't invested in the story or the outcome. It was fairly predictable, and felt a little lazy in delivery. The plot felt very YA. As an Alex Finlay fan, I would have to this is my least favorite of his catalog. #netgalley #parentsweekend #collegewhodunit #mystery #thriller

I really liked this book! It was a unique setting ;college campus during Parents Weekend) and I loved the alternating chapters to get the different characters perspectives! I love the FBI agent Sarah Keller and was fascinated by the process of her trying to find the missing college kids. This book wasn’t quite as “twisty” as some other thrillers but I still really enjoyed it nonetheless. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC! It completely made my day when I received the approval notification! I hope Alex Finlay continues to write for many, many years!

This is a great cautionary tale about so many things: the gossip mill, psychedelic drugs, social media, and obsession. Five students at Santa Clara College go missing before Parents Weekend and FBI agent Sarah Keller is called in to investigate. One of the students--Natasha--is discovered dead in a cave on the beach and no one can understand why or where the others are. It's a complex and elaborate plot that reveals many things about colleges students and their desire to belong, their jealousies over "crushes," and the extent to which one will go to be popular and "fit in."
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

good mystery and loved the different point of views. Loved that the killer was still a mystery til the end. Loved meeting the different parents over the weekend and how the kidnapping affect their relationships with their kids and after.