In summary we have 5 families connected through the small private college in Northen California and the celebration of Parents Weekend. The celebration turns mysterious as their children do not show for a preplanned dinner. After not hearing from them for 24 hours panic and worry sets in and the FBI and campus security is called to assist to unravel the mystery behind what happened to them.
While we have 5 diffenet POV it became confusing at times and personally I would have liked more interaction between the 5 families. The chapters were short, and engaging which kept me engaged but the ending was a little abrupt for me. I would have liked a bit more character development as it felt it was a bit too “out of left field” for me.
Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Parents Weekend - Alex Finlay
Pub Date - May 6, 2025
Rating - 3/5
Trigger Warning(s) - kidnap, stalking

Summary - Five families plan a dinner with their kids in the same cohort at the start of Parents Weekend to get to know each other. Initially when the kids don't show up, the parents aren't overly concerned, thinking the kids rebelled and went to a party. After 24 hours of no contact with their children, the parents start worrying. The Five- Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella all come from different families and backgrounds. Could the sins of their parents be the reason they are missing? It's up to Detective Sarah Keller to find out.

Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I loved The Night Shift and Every Last Fear by this author, and was excited to review this book! It was a quick read with a very intriguing plot. I also really liked that detective Sarah Keller was back in this book to investigate the disappearances. I felt like the plot itself was predictable and didn't go very deep at all. The ending was a little....unsatisfying for me as a reader because I wanted it to be more. Overall, average book - didn't love it, didn't hate it.

Five families with their kids in a private California college, gather for dinner but the kids never show and what is thought to be college kids forgetfulness or lack of care turns into something more. I think? This book had the plot points to be wonderful and mind bending but it fell flat. struggling to stay focused and engaged with the characters/story line. This was one I wouldn’t recommend if you’re looking for the adrenaline rush of a thriller and mind binding twists to figure out what’s happened. I really wanted to like this one but it fell flat with pulling the reader in, was too confusing with information or pieces that did not feel like they added to the story in anyway.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Parents Weekend, A Novel, by Alex Finlay. Multiple POVs, returning character from previous books by this author,

I rate this book 2.75 stars. (3 stars)

Parents Weekend has arrived at a small private college in Northern California, and five families are visiting their children. This is suppose to be a fun evening together but as the celebration begins the kids are no where to be found. Five college students are missing, are family past histories involved or has this new friend group found trouble on their own.

Reading I felt like there were too many plot holes, too many characters, and a rushed ending. I also found most of the characters very unlikeable. I did enjoy seeing FBI Agent Sarah Keller again. Was it my favorite, no, would I still recommend it to others, maybe.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Alex Finlay never disappoints his readers and he does it again with his newest thriller. Fast paced and edge of your seat reading from page one until the end! Great book thanks for the advanced copy!

Review of Parents Weekend

3 Stars

Parents Weekend offers an intriguing mix of suspense, family secrets, and the complexities of college life, as five students mysteriously vanish during a festive parents’ weekend at a Northern California college. The story’s brisk pace and the return of fan-favorite FBI Agent Sarah Keller keep the tension high, making it a page-turner with plenty of twists and turns.

The story jumps between multiple perspectives, but some of the characters feel flat, and the parents often come across as stereotypes instead of unique individuals. That said, the book does a great job building tension, and the small-campus setting makes the mystery feel even more intense.

Though it leans toward a YA thriller tone at times, Parents Weekend is still an engaging mystery with enough intrigue to keep readers guessing until the end. Fans of Alex Finlay’s past work, as well as readers who enjoy multi-layered mysteries with a touch of family drama, will likely find it worth a read.

Thank you Netgalley for my e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dramatic and unpredictable thriller. Agent Sarah Keller is back along with a whole host of new characters.

When the parents show up to campus for Parents Weekend, they are hit with the distressing news that one of the students is missing and later found dead. So when their own children don’t show up for a Parents Weekend dinner, they all assume the worst. Once the police get involved, they decide to involve the FBI and Sarah Keller takes lead on the investigation.

Told from multiple points of view, both past and present, we get a glimpse into the lives of the missing students and their mostly dysfunctional families. There are a few surprising twists, especially at the end, to keep you on your toes. This is a solid 4-star read and I can highly recommend it. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

This was a quick read to finish up.

Several POVs were presented by way of six students, plus family members and their respective drama, so some readers may not find it easy to keep track of. I love multi POV books though and found this well labeled.

Having just finished If Something Happens to Me not long ago, and loving it, I was excited to read Parents Weekend. Comparing the two, If Something Happens to Me will remain my favorite.

Despite that, I was engaged through most of it and finished Parents Weekend in a day and overall, it’s a fairly enjoyable popcorn thriller.

I loved this line from the book:
As every parent knows, to a child, “you said” is an ironclad contract, an unbreakable vow, a blood oath that shan’t be broken.

With thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance digital copy.

The parents have arrived for “parents weekend” but when the 5 students don’t show up for the planned dinner things start to take a turn! are they pulling a prank on their parents or are they in danger? Special agent Keller has recently moved to town and gets called in to help find the students! With a lot of dead end leads they have to figure out what has happened to the five!
I really enjoyed this book There were a lot of characters to learn, but I quickly got them all straight.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Alex Finlay's Parents Weekend was one is his typical writing style. It was a thrilling ride that I couldn't put down. I read this one in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down and I was lucky it was a Saturday and I didn't have to! I think this is going to be a popular mystery/thriller this summer because it's a light, easy mystery.

This one does have a larger cast of characters because this one centers on the 5 kids (or young adults) that go missing. I think the reason I was able to keep everyone straight is because I read this one so quickly and had them all fresh in my mind. If you slow read books, you may need to keep the character list handy. I grabbed this from a friend's page:

he Roosevelts (Divorced parents: mother works in the State Department, father is a teacher and former writer, son Blaine was abducted as a child),
The Maldonados (David, a doctor with marital issues, and Nina, his fuming wife, have a daughter Stella with a rebellious streak),
The Goffmans (Alice, a divorced school administrator, is raising her bullied, introverted son Felix alone),
The Akanas (Ken, a Superior Court judge known for convicting a movie star, and Amy, his grieving wife, mourn the loss of their youngest son while raising their model daughter, Libby),
Mark Wong (Best friend of Blaine, with a troubled family background).

And of course we see Agent Sarah Keller return in this one. She had recently made a move to help care for her husband's father. I did like their little bits of the story as well.

This is told in multiple points of view and it's told in the past and present so the story comes together nicely. There were a few twists and I can't say that it was totally predictable, but some things were a bit predictable, but sometimes I wonder if that is because of how many mysteries I have read. I liked that this one was easy to read and just a little mystery that wasn't too dark. I would say this is an entertaining mystery and it was just what I needed at the time.

I’ve enjoyed Alex Finley books and this one was no different. I appreciated the short chapters and that each chapter highlighted a family. I thought it would be hard to follow the book because there are so many characters but the way the chapters are organized helped with that, and everything tied together well. This is a fact paced read and the ending was really good!

Thank you so much for my advanced copy of this book.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this book.

This book was a mess. I didn't like any of the characters, and it was obvious halfway through the book who was responsible for the kids missing. None of the characters were fleshed out, too many inane little details. I just was not a fan at all.

I've read several other books by Alex Finlay and I loved seeing familiar characters in the newest edition, Parents Weekend. This book has A LOT going on, and doesn't slow down one bit! Highly recommend keeping track of all the people, but once you get the gist of who is who and what is what- it's a real showstopper!

Alex Finlay's Parents Weekend offers an intriguing premise, set in a small Northern California college town where five families come together for Parents Weekend, only to face every parent's nightmare when their children mysteriously vanish. The book's brisk pace and compelling return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller are highlights, keeping the tension alive. However, the story falters with its overcrowded cast of characters, many of whom come across as flat, unsympathetic, or caricatured rather than fully realized individuals. While the multi-POV format has potential, it feels underutilized here, leaving the narrative emotionally disconnected. Despite these shortcomings, the layered mystery and exploration of family dynamics offer moments of intrigue. For fans of Finlay's previous works, this may not be his strongest, but it’s worth a read for the suspenseful twists and Sarah Keller’s enduring charm. Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected release date: May 6.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Alex Finlay for an advance copy of Parents Weekend in exchange for an honest review!

I guess one good thing about insomnia is being able to finish an absolutely amazing book. Finlay can do no wrong and his latest book was no exception to this. I was captivated and sucked in within the first 5 minutes of reading. Finlay has a great way of keeping you hooked through his details, different POVs, and short chapters.
When you start this one, it may seem like a lot of POVs to keep up with but keep going because you get to know and love the different characters. All the characters and their families played a fantastic role in the storyline & can we please get another book with Agent Keller & Bob!!

Put this one on your radar & do yourself a favor by preordering it!

This thriller finds four sets of parents (and returning FBI agent Keller!) trying to figure out what happened to five college kids when they fail to show for dinner during Parent’s Weekend at their university. While I loved the premise of this one, as well as the return of a character I’ve enjoyed before, I struggled with the plot and pacing. I felt like there were too many characters given the length of the book, making character development lacking despite having chapters told from each character’s point of view. Unfortunately, many of these characters were stereotypes (such as the arrogant doctor) and relied on fairly predictable premises to create tension amongst the parents. That being said, the book is a quick read and perfect for the beach. It’s nice to learn about bit more about Agent Keller’s family. Unfortunately, the conclusion of this one was a bit outlandish. I wasn’t invested enough in the characters to really care who lived or died. I’ve enjoyed other books by this author but this one wasn’t my favorite.

I tried to like this, but I just couldn’t.
Too many characters, and none of them were fleshed out enough or had enough depth to care about them.
Too many small subplots added in for dramatic effect that lasted for a page or two and just served to be distracting.
The writing was awkward and the author was trying so hard to sound like he was “in touch” with youth culture, that it showcased how out of touch he is.
I will try another book by this author in the future, but this book was not for me.

I was excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley because I loved If Something Happens to Me. Parents Weekend is another solid book from Alex Finlay. I will say that I normally enjoy multiple POV books, but having five POVs got confusing at times.

Parents Weekend kept me in suspense. Overall, it felt like it had too many characters to develop any of them fully.

A fast-paced thriller with lots of twists and turns. I really enjoyed all of the different characters and the juxtaposition between them all. It was not necessarily a surprise ending but it was still good. Everything wrapped up nicely and had a satisfying conclusion. Definitely a good read!