It’s Parents Weekend, so everyone better be on their best behavior!

It’s the weekend both the kids and parents dread! Maybe that’s why a group of five college friends didn’t show up at the first dinner event? Why aren’t they answering their phones? It’s not like them to go silent like this!

This was yet another addictive and entertaining read by Alex Finlay. Featuring our favorite FBI special agent Sarah Keller, once again in the spotlight.

I enjoyed how the chapters each highlighted a family group. It helped immensely since the cast of characters was large and I needed the occasional reminder of which college student belonged to which parent. Short chapters keep the book rolling along at a quick pace, keeping me up late with the “just one more chapter” scenario. Which never fails to turn into a good 5-10 chapters!😅

I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read from this author and this one was no different! Another great read to add to the collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press

This book was okay. I feel like it carried on a little too long without any big climax. It was obvious pretty quickly who took the students and why. I feel like the story focused on a lot of little details that didn't play at all into the story (ie, the bounty on Ms. Roosevelt's head). The book had a lot more promise than what was delivered.

I love thrillers, and I will always read them all the way to the end (usually very quickly). But this was very underwhelming. Too many characters to keep track of — and a bunch that I didn't care at all about. The writer seemed too worried about trying to guarantee a surprising twist than writing real characters and putting them in remotely realistic/defensible situations. I gave it three stars because it takes a lot for me to give a book less than that.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was pretty fast paced, I enjoyed some of the characters and the story was good. I'm just getting familiar with this author.

Loved reading this!! A great read for suspenseful fans -- can't wait to add to my collection once it releases!

Alex Finlay cracked the code of storytelling! He does it amazingly well when he tells a story, which is why I enjoy reading his books.

His latest literary offering, PARENTS WEEKEND, hooked me immediately. It has intrigue, drama, and a crazy twist that will make you audibly gasp. What I like most about the book is how Finlay crafted the storyline. When you think you have figured out who was the murderer, Finlay throws in a curveball. You will never guess who did what.

I like how we've gotten to know and understand each character he introduces, leaving you feeling something for them.

I am satisfied with the book’s ending because there’s closure. There are no cliffhangers or any lingering sub-plots. He ended everything perfectly, and I love that.

Mr. Finlay’s work never ceases to amaze me. Each novel he puts out keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait to see what else his wicked ink spills!

Thank you, Netgalley and Minotaur Books, for the eARC. Fantastic storytelling!

Thank you to the author and publisher for this ARC!
I am a big Alex Finlay fan, and Parents’ Weekend did not disappoint!
This is a fast-moving mystery thriller that is told through the POV of 5 different college kids’ families. I have a tendency to get characters confused when there are so many such as this, but I didn’t have any trouble catching on and remembering who was who!
Although the ending/“twist” was not shocking to me, I enjoyed this read. 4 stars!

Secrets, lies, murder, rich kids and parents who would kill for them. This was a great read that I could not put down!

I was really into the multiple POVS, it was so well written and not at all confusing or jumping around. There are so many characters in this book that it would be easy to lose track but that didn’t happen! I could not wait to see how it all unfolded.

Great read, definitely recommend!

I actually really enjoyed this book! The plot and characters were mysterious enough to keep me thoroughly engaged until the end.

Parents Weekend was an interesting thriller about the disappearance of 5 freshmen at SCU during Parents' Weekend. The characters were well-developed. The short chapters and alternating points of view made for a quick pacing of the book. The plot development keeps the reader guessing as more information is revealed.

I've really enjoyed Alex Finlay's other books, so was excited to get my hands on this one early! Unfortunately, Parents Weekend fell a little flat for me. It hooked me immediately and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, but there were way, way too many characters to keep straight. I liked Keller, her husband, and a couple of the parents, but the rest of the characters were largely unlikeable. There were plenty of twists and it was a decent read, but something just didn't work for me - but I think I'm in the minority! Overall, it was an easy read that I enjoyed and I look forward to seeing what the author does next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Hooked me on from the very beginning! I was at the edge of my seat. The plot twist was perfect and kept me engaged and guessing all the way through! Highly recommend!

I am typically a fan of Alex Finlay but this one did not work for me. I didn't find the store compelling, most of the characters were unlikeable. I think it started out good, but it just never materialized into a story that kept me on the edge of my seat.

When five students fail to show up at dinner for parent’s weekend at their university, the search is on to find out what happened to them and unravel the secrets of their past.

This was fast paced and an interesting read. I loved the varying perspectives showing each family’s inner workings, but I could’ve used a little less from Keller’s perspective if I’m being honest.

The twists were interesting and well written. I would give this three stars. A fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars from me! I loved this book. I was guessing up until the very end. I loved Keller and would love to see her featured in future books!

The one thing I can always count on when reading an Alex Finlay novel is that I will be terribly tired the following morning from pulling an all-nighter reading his story. Once you start, it’s near impossible to put it down with short chapters with cliffhanging endings that make it easy to justify one more chapter…

PARENTS WEEKEND was no different. Usually writing multiple POVs can be tricky, but Finlay writes them seamlessly and with feeling, so as the reader, I connect to (and remember!) each one. This story was fast paced and had enough twists and turns to keep me second guessing my detective work. I loved the setting - I almost went to SCU, so it was fun living vicariously through The Five and their college experiences, except for when they go missing, of course.

Highly recommend to anyone looking to get out of a reading slump, or looking for their next great read. First rec of 2025!

I'd like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Five families travel to Northern California for Parents Weekend, a weekend where parents visit their children at college. Parents Weekend starts off with a dinner for the parents and their children, but the parents are confused and slightly concerned when all of their children don't show up and aren't able to be reached. All five children from their capstone group. Are they just being college kids and blew off their parents to go party? Or did something more sinister happen?

Two of the parents have high profile careers, Libby's dad, who is a judge that took on a large case and received a lot of public outrage due to the verdict. And Blane's mom, who is high up in the State Department. Campus police quickly call in reinforcements to help with the case because of the potential of the missing students being linked to these parents careers.

The missing students soon become "The Five" in the eyes of the media, podcasters, bloggers, internet sleuths, and bloggers. Blane, Felix, Libby, Mark, and Stella are these five missing students.

FBI agent Sarah Keller and an entire local police force and FBI task force are on the case trying to figure out how five college students just vanished overnight. Will they find the students out camping with no cellphone reception? Or will they find the students too late?

This story is told through multiple points of view going from Agent Keller, to each of the families, to the students themselves. I was on the edge of my seat and this book had quite a few twists and turns. I enjoy when a book has multiple POV's without being overwhelming, and this was well executed by the author.

Woo boy, so many characters in this one. Five college students and five families all connected by their sudden disappearance, the kids, not the parents.

The story is told individually through the lens of the five families, which helped build the background but also made it seem like nothing was happening.

It was kind of like watching a new show on Netflix where they have to take the first one or two episodes to establish characters before going full throttle into the plot. The first third of the book felt like that.

However, soon after, the plot goes 0 to 100 with the fast action and suspense of a police procedural with FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller (a character from previous Finlay novels) at the helm.

A LOT was going on, some I didn’t care about only because some of the family members were vapid and annoying, but I finished the book in a couple of sittings and felt a resolution in the end.

Give me all the Alex Finlay books. They never disappoint. I was a little worried that the 5 families would be hard to differentiate between but the author did a great job making sure you knew what the storyline was in every chapter. I liked the suspense, the back and forth of chapters, the little dramas in each family. This did take me over a month to read since I was in a slump but I finished the last 30% in 2 days.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book fell slightly flat for me. A lot of build up for a let down. The first half of this book was fun and kept me engaged while the second half struggled to hold my attention. Overall it was an easy read and still a decent thriller to read but don't expect much depth, details, or character development.