Expect fun and games when dealing with college students. Only in this story, the fun is not fun and the games might just be a tragedy or many tragedies.

Five friends, five students and their parents are suppose to have a weekend together. All of them have issues including the parents so when the weekend turns to [possible tragedies. The police, campus as well as regular, plus Special Agent Sarah Keller are on the trail searching looking into anything suspicious and learning the background of each and every person along with their savory details. For the kids are missing and after last weeks' tragedy where a student was found dead, (a possible drowning), there is much concern and worry.

Perhaps, though, the kids are just pranking their parents being college kids and engaging in shenanigans. But worry persists and a search continues expecting the worst because of a treacherous cave the kids like to visit.

It was an interesting story but not up to the usual I thought, for an Alex Finlay story. There is a goodly amount of characters and that usually is an issue for me. However, I soon got into the groove and did overall enjoy the story.

I want all the books with Sarah Keller! This wasn’t my favorite Alex Finlay book, but still kept me in my toes.

Phew - this was a mental workout. 20+ characters made it challenging to keep track of who, what, when, where, why, how?!
While there was some level of suspense, it wasn't as enthralling and exciting as I was hoping for.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for access to this eARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 6, 2025
When five students attending an elite, private college disappear during Parents Weekend, everyone assumes the students are simply being flaky, choosing a party over commitments with their parents. But when “The Five”, as they become known, are still not heard from hours later, reinforcements are called in and the local area is searched. A young woman’s body is found, but she isn’t part of “The Five” and she was dead days before the group went missing. Is she connected to the disappearance? Where did the students go and, will they be found in time?
Alex Finlay, author of “The Night Shift”, “If Something Happens to Me” and many others returns with his newest high-octane thriller, “Parents Weekend”. I’m an avid fan of Finlay and have been blessed to have the oppourtunity to read four of his previous novels, so I was not missing out on his new work and, as usual, he impressed me.
Each chapter in “Weekend” is narrated by a different parent from “The Five”, as well as FBI Agent Sarah Keller (who made appearances in several other of Finlay’s novels), helping readers gain an understanding of the complex relationships between the students themselves. There are a lot of players in the mix, so it’s necessary to pay close attention, but Finlay knows how to craft a creatively addicting plot.
There are numerous twists and turns (did you expect anything less from Finlay?) and the conclusion is drawn out in full Finlay fashion, ending the novel with a power punch. The outcome was enjoyable, if not entirely unpredictable, but the journey to the finale was the best part. I devoured every page-turning plot twist, relished the young and entitled college students and their complicated family dynamics, and was satisfied by Finlay’s conclusion.
Alex Finlay is reliable in his ability to never let me down, which is one of the reasons he remains on my radar. I will read anything he writes and I hope he continues to provide me with goosebump-inducing who-dunnit’s in years to come.

I absolutely enjoyed this quick and thrilling read and having the return of Special Agent Sarah Keller! I enjoyed the fast-paced chapters and the diverse characters. I did feel like parts of the book were rushed, but overall, this was a fun read that I will be recommending!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

A great book full of twists that I don’t see coming. Multiple povs which got me a bit confused at times. Overall I loved this book.

3.5 rounded up to 4 for GR! prob my second fave of his (have read them all). if you are looking for a QUICK, popcorn thriller book with 2-3 page chapters, this is the one.

i wanted a quick binge and this delivered. his books are truly the definition of popcorn thrillers—they pull you in right away, are SO quick to fly through thanks to the short chapters and have tons of action. they’re not super unique or “WOW” as i don’t always remember his books 2-3+ months after finishing them, but i sure have a blast while reading!

it’s also a campus thriller trope! one of my faves. also follows a missing person case (or 5 missing people…).

my gripe with this one was there were SOOOO many characters. seriously, there are 20+ 🥲🤣 take notes. it follows a story of 5 missing kids but you also have the drama of all their parents/families (and boy is there TONS of family drama…🫣). it was a bit hard for me to truly feel connected/care about the missing kids (that sounds awful but bare with me) as we didn’t really get to know them before they were missing. the plot focused their parents and family drama much more closely which wasn’t a bad thing, just happened to be the focus.

there’s also character crossover in this one featuring the detective from some of his other books! it was giving the Will Trent series lol 🫶🏼

there wasn’t really a big twist in this either…the author kind of ruled everything out one by one so by the time you got to the twist you were like “oh yeah okay makes sense.” one part of the ending felt VERY quick to me (something with one of the 5…) and the final chapters left me wanting a bittttt more.

i always like my thrillers to have a jaw dropping / savage ending so this was a bit wrapped up for my taste.

all in all—a perfect binge, a quick read, interesting and action packed, lots of characters, overall a fun time!

4.5 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

This is definitely the most complex story from the author, with so many different POV's and at times was a bit overwhelming. You had the parents (sometimes both parents), the kids and the FBI agent. A lot of red herrings, single parents, creepy forums and a smart confident female lead. I don't want to say much else but I probably took a half star for what happened to a character I loved near the end. You know what you did Alex!

Alex Finlay’s suspenseful thrillers always keep me guessing until the very end, after all the evidence has been collected and the clues have been investigated. Fortunately for the missing college friends, FBI Agent Sarah Keller was on the case, with her relentless pursuit of the truth at all costs. Mr. Finlay’s fans will remember Agent Keller from his excellent book, “The Night Shift” which was my introduction into his book world.

As the story begins, we are introduced to the parents of the students involved, whose lives are full of enough drama to have their own book. They all have something to hide, and even though they love their children, they don’t try very hard to really understand them. I found myself disliking most of them because when it came down to helping Agent Keller and the local police, they really didn’t have anything useful to say. If it wasn’t for Agent Keller’s out-of-the-box investigative style we would have been left with many unanswered questions.

The longer the friends were missing, the more anxious I became. I could only imagine how distraught the parents were as they did their best to stay positive. It was hard to put the book down because as I became more involved with the story, my desire to get to the bottom of this surreal mystery took me away from everything else. As stated at the beginning, I had no idea how this book would end, but what I do know is that once again, Alex Finlay has created a game of cat and mouse, where only the strong would survive.

A slow burn mystery that speeds up to a stunning conclusion.

It's parents' weekend at SCU - a time for the parents to swoop in and see their kids, the campus - have nice dinners and feel good about their hard earned money paying for the school, food and board of their teenager. But when a group of kids don't arrive to meet their parents for dinner, it's just the beginning of the mystery - one that Agent Keller will need to untangle in order to try to save them.

I won't lie - I absolutely love this author, Alex Finlay. I always enjoy the mystery and the characters that Finlay builds. In this one, we have Agent Keller again! I didn't remember her from the first story the intern made mention and I gasped!

In this, we meet a really interesting group of parents. These aren't your average teens or parents and the tension ramps up quick once they go missing. There are a lot of red herrings in this one, but the mystery was compelling. I had no real guesses, just a few maybes, up until the very end. I was fooled and twisted and led astray and I loved every minute of it.

Another great mystery. I can't wait for the next!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This book was fine. I wanted to like it more than I did. The premise is interesting-the parents of a group of college freshman show up to dinner, but their kids never show up.

Unfortunately, it didn't deliver like I had hoped. It seems like there are too many characters. I enjoyed Agent Keller and her detective work. I just never felt connected to any of the parents or the kids. The development just wasn't there. Plus, it didn't really do anything exciting at the end. It just wasn't the best.

2.5 stars-Even though this wasn't my favorite, I still appreciate receiving the ARC

Alex Finlay has done it again! Whoop Whoop! He is easily one of my favorite authors. His book, Parents Weekend, was expertly written and had the best twists and turns throughout his chapters. I was happily surprised that the well-developed characters were also trying to solve the mystery of the missing college students in the same way I was...with panic! I am a mother of three so imagining that one of my children were one of the 5...my heartbeat definitely stopped a few times reading this fabulous thriller! Exceptionally written and a definite must-read for mystery/suspense lovers out there!

Thank you to Alex Finlay, St. Martins Press, and Netgalley for the e-arc of Parents Weekend! Suspenseful, action packed read with short chapters! Agent Keller is back at it again! Ending wrapped up nicely! Loved the night shift by the same author! This book publishes on 5/6/25!

It's Parents Weekend at a private college in Northern California. Five families gather for food and drinks, but their children never show. Everyone begins to panic, especially since a student was found dead on campus not long ago. The police and eventually the FBI are called in to investigate.

Thoughts 💭
This story has multiple points of view as each family has their own chapter. It's really hard to keep everyone and their stories straight, especially at first. Once you get past some initial confusion and backstories, I really enjoyed the mystery of how all the students are tied together. A few different scenarios are presented to you about the reason they disappeared, but nothing is really concrete until the end. I was wondering how the death of a student prior to these events was connected, and I wasn't disappointed. The FBI agent, Sarah Keller, is in other stories by this author, but you don't need to read them to understand what's going on. This is a solid thriller!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Alex Finlay is one of those authors whose books have been on my to-read list for a long time. I was excited to get the chance to read his latest book! This book was exactly what I was hoping for when I picked it up. It is a really quick read that I couldn't put down once I started. Each chapter is not only short but also action packed. Customers ask me for "a quick read" thriller ALL THE TIME. I'm excited to have something new to hand them!
I usually love stories told from multiple points of view, and I think it works especially well for thrillers. There were a lot of characters to keep track of in this story, and I can see some readers getting a little bit lost trying to keep everyone strait.
Overall, this is a really fun read, and I'm excited to check out more books by this author.

What starts as a routine college parents’ weekend turns into every parent’s worst nightmare—none of the kids show up for dinner. 😱 At first, it seems like typical college irresponsibility, but soon, the missing students become part of a much darker mystery. Add in a shocking student death announcement, and the tension skyrockets. 💥
If you’ve read Every Last Fear or The Night Shift, you’re in for a treat—FBI Agent Sarah Keller is back! 🕵️‍♀️ This time, she’s navigating a new case while balancing a temporary move to California for her family. The novel masterfully weaves together multiple POVs, giving us glimpses into the parents, the missing students, and Keller herself. Every chapter peels back another layer of secrets, betrayals, and hidden family drama, I found this one impossible to put down. 🔥
Finlay nails the psychological depth of both the parents and their kids, showing how family dysfunction trickles down through generations. 💭👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 And the pacing was flawless. The first chapter throws you straight into the action, and the short, fast-moving chapters keep the suspense razor-sharp. 📖✨
I loved the ending too! Without spoiling anything, it leaves the door open for more cases with Keller and her new protégé, Annie. 🔎 If you love thrillers with rich character dynamics, expertly layered suspense, and an unsettlingly real look at how families unravel under pressure, Parents Weekend is a must-read.
4.5 stars

Parents Weekend follows 5 families that come to an exclusive college to celebrate their children, but they have all gone missing. What has happened to them are they partying together or has something more sinister happened? This is a novel that I had a hard time putting down. So, if you are looking for a quick read this should go to the top of your TBR! Alex Finlay does not disappoint!

Thank you Net Galley, Alex Finlay and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to preview this title. The opinions shared are my own.
Parents Weekend is expected to be available May 6, 2025.

I absolutely adore Alex Finlay, and he is an auto buy Author for me.

His books are always so fast-paced, thrilling, and unputdownable. This one was just as action packed as all the others as well.

Some people hate short chapters, but I actually find them so much more gripping with a thriller. The twist and turns or a plenty but super predictable for me, but I didn’t mind that much.

Hopefully the next one in this series will be just as good as the last ones and oh yeah, I highly recommend!!!

Woah, I flew through this book!
What a twisty and unbelievable ride.
4.5 Stars!!

It’s parents weekend at SCU, and they are all to have a get together for a dinner when the 5 students go missing. Agent Keller is just settling in with her family in California she’s called to duty to help find the kids.
Is it a prank? Or are they missing? And they are missing who took them and why?!!

This book has multiple POV, which was confusing at first but once I got to know them all I was hooked. Each POV pulls you in!

Thanks so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the read!

Thank you so much to Alex Finlay and Minotaur Books for my copy of Parent’s Weekend. This book was about five students from a private university in Northern California who never show up for their parent’s weekend dinner. The parents are gathered, but all five students disappear before the dinner without a trace. Soon campus police are called in, search parties are formed, and rumors start to swirl. The Five, as the internet starts to call them, all come from different families and different situations. What caused them to go missing that night? Could it be a conspiracy, or something their parents did, that ends in their disappearance.

Thoughts: This premise caught my eye right away! I loved the idea of five students mysteriously disappearing all at the same time. It was intriguing to bring in the parents and each of their backstories in order to determine what happened. One of my favorite things was that Agent Sarah Keller was back! She is so much fun and I loved her in Finlay’s previous books.

I thought the story was dragging on a bit, despite lots of red herrings thrown in. The ending was rushed and extremely transparent, even though there were lots of ways the students could have been tied together. SPOILER: I really did not like the fact that the “bad guys” were the stereotypical Russian parents out for revenge. It felt very typecast and reductive, and that bothered me a lot. However it was a fun and quick thriller, 3-stars.