Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller that centers around a group of parents visiting their children at a college for Parents Weekend—only to find themselves caught up in a deadly series of events. The story combines twists, humor, and mystery, as the parents, each with their own baggage, become unlikely players in a much larger and more dangerous scenario. Finlay’s writing is sharp and engaging, keeping the tension high while exploring themes of family, secrets, and the hidden dangers beneath seemingly ordinary events. With its clever plotting and unexpected turns, Parents Weekend is a gripping read that delivers both thrills and a satirical look at the pressures of modern life.

3.50✨ I've been a fan of Alex Finlay ever since I read “The Night Shift.” After reading and loving his last 2023 release, If “Something Happens To Me,” my anticipation for “Parents' Weekend” was high. Sadly, this one felt more like a missed opportunity than a home run. While I was captivated by the intriguing premise, the overall experience left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. The story had a brisk pace that kept me turning the pages, but the execution didn't hit the mark for me and didn’t resonate.
One of the most significant drawbacks was the many characters presented, which ultimately hampered my enjoyment. I typically relish multi-POV narratives, but the characters felt flat and one-dimensional here. While they weren't outright unlikable, they struck me as wholly unsympathetic. As a reader, I struggle to connect with young adults being excused for their behaviour simply because they're
'just kids.' We're talking about college students- legal adults!

I found myself losing interest quickly as I encountered a parade of archetypes: the wealthy bureaucrat, the affluent plastic surgeon, the privileged judge, and the beleaguered wife -but none resonated with me. By the end, I struggled to care about their fates or the risks they faced. Their personalities felt more like caricatures than real people. None of them resonated with me. By the end, I struggled to care about their fates or the risks they faced. Their personalities felt more like caricatures than real people.

On a brighter note, it was a pleasure to see Agent Sarah Keller make a return. She remains a compelling character amidst an otherwise forgettable cast. Despite my disappointment with the story, her presence added a spark that kept me flipping the pages.

Expected release date May 06,

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley, for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a gripping thriller that masterfully blends family drama, college life, and a chilling mystery. When five students go missing during a festive weekend, the story unfolds through multiple perspectives and timelines, keeping you hooked with its twists and secrets. The characters are compelling, and the tension builds beautifully as the mystery deepens. While some threads feel rushed, the book delivers an exciting and thought-provoking read. Perfect for fans of Finlay’s previous works or anyone who loves a suspenseful, emotional tale.

As a fan of Alex Finlay’s work, I knew I had to dive into Parents Weekend the moment it came out—and it did not disappoint! Just like Finlay’s other books, this one was packed with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. I found myself trying to figure out the ending several times, but the surprise reveal completely took me off guard in the best way possible.

This book is a fast-paced read that hooks you from the very first page. The suspenseful and unpredictable storyline makes it nearly impossible to put down. Whether you're already a fan of Alex Finlay or new to their work, Parents Weekend is a thrilling ride you don’t want to miss!

Finlay has once again created a fast paces thrilling read. 5 family arrive for the Parents Weekend celebration at their kids college. Nothing goes as planned. This book has it all, secrets, lies, missing students and death. Sarah Keller FBI Special Agent makes return in this one to help find the missing. I was sucked in this one right from the start and didn't see the end coming. It a fast paced read with nothing in the book to make the reader feel they are wasting time.
Absolutely loved this one !

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review

I enjoyed the multiple different view points for different characters. A fast paced mystery novel set on a college campus. So many different entangled characters, you never know what is going to come to light next.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC! *Parents Weekend* by Alex Finlay is a gripping and suspenseful thriller that expertly weaves together family secrets, college drama, and the mystery of five missing students. Finlay’s skillful use of multiple perspectives adds layers of intrigue and tension, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The blend of suspense, psychological depth, and the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller elevates the plot, making it impossible to put down. This novel is a perfect read for those who love fast-paced mysteries with twists that keep you guessing until the very end.

if there’s one thing alex finlay knows to do, it’s write a fast-paced, addicting, heart-pounding thriller 🤯 I love a good ol thriller that I can’t put down!!!

five students go missing during parents weekend, leaving their parents scrambling to cover up their own secrets while find out the truth about what happened 😮‍💨 and it definitely felt more like a true crime doc more than anything

there wasn’t much mystery to this one, as the detective (the same one from EVERY LAST FEAR and THE NIGHT SHIFT) methodically ruled out every red herring until they were only left with one solution - and while I thought it was obvious, I lived for the drama between all of the parents!! there’s something about a messy secret that just gets me going 😂

this was definitely a telling rather than showing type of story, and the cast of characters was so huge that it felt a bit overwhelming at times. even when the readers were supposed to connect with the missing kids, I felt like I didn’t really know them due to the lack of characterization and time spent with each character 🤷🏼‍♀️

a huge thank you to netgalley and minotaur for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: burgundy red blend

I enjoyed Alex Finlay's Parents Weekend. This was a fairly typical mystery, but taking place on a college campus during "parents weekend." The book focuses on a FBI agent, Sarah Keller, who appeared in a prior novel. The book is fast paced, but has a lot of characters with five different families, and goes from character to character for each chapter. At times this makes it hard to follow, without paying close attention. The mystery is interesting, but was not my favorite book. I appreciate the advanced readers copy and suspect the book will be of interest to folks as a summer beach read.

As a fan of Alex Finlay’s previous books, especially Night Shift, I went into Parents Weekend with high expectations. Unfortunately, this one fell short. The usual grit, tension, and intrigue that typically define Finlay’s writing were absent in this one.

While I still love Sarah and Bob Keller as characters and enjoy that the stories always involve Agent Keller, they couldn’t carry the weight of a slow and mostly dull plot. I fell asleep with my kindle falling on my face more often than I’d like to admit because it was just boring. It felt like I was waiting forever for something significant to happen, and by the time the story picked up, it was almost over. The ending, while decent, felt rushed and lacked the payoff I was hoping for.

I’ll always look forward to Finlay’s books because he’s shown he can deliver gripping thrillers, but Parents Weekend just didn’t live up to his usual standard. Here’s hoping his next release captures the magic of Night Shift and his other great stories. Special thanks to @netgalley for the ARC. I truly wish I enjoyed this one more 2.5/5 stars

From the bestselling author of If Something Happens to Me comes Parents Weekend, a masterfully crafted thriller that is both deeply unsettling and utterly addictive. The story begins with an air of normalcy, as five families gather at a small private college in Northern California to celebrate Parents Weekend. But when their children—the inseparable Five of Campisi Hall—fail to show up for dinner and remain unaccounted for, the evening spirals into a nightmare of unanswered questions and mounting dread.

The narrative's brilliance lies in its layered storytelling. Told through multiple perspectives and timelines, the novel deftly weaves the parents’ growing panic with the unfolding mystery of what happened to Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella. Each character is vividly drawn, their relationships brimming with tension and secrets. As the story unfolds, the weight of parental expectations, past mistakes, and hidden truths are revealed, adding emotional depth to the suspenseful plot.

The return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller adds another layer of intrigue. Keller’s calm demeanor and sharp investigative skills bring a welcome sense of steadiness amidst the chaos. Fans of Every Last Fear and The Night Shift will relish her role in unraveling the mystery, even as the story keeps readers guessing until the very end.

The book excels at capturing the nuances of family dynamics, the vulnerability of young adulthood, and the intoxicating yet perilous bonds of friendship. The vibrant campus setting and clever incorporation of true-crime podcasters and TikTok sleuths lend a modern, immersive feel to the story.

While the pacing is mostly taut, the alternating timelines occasionally slow the momentum, and some twists feel more predictable than others. However, the emotional payoff and relentless tension make these minor quibbles.

Parents Weekend is a gripping exploration of love, betrayal, and the lengths we go to protect those we care about. Whether you're a longtime fan of the author or new to their work, this thriller is sure to keep you reading late into the night.

I'm already fan of Alex Finlay other novels so I was thrilled to read Parents Weekend. This novel feels like your getting a behind the scenes intel from your favorite crime podcast.

Tensions are high during Parents' Weekend at Santa Clara University. After several students fail to show up for a family dinner and drinks event, their parents, with varying degrees of concern, begin to wonder if this is simply teens gone rouge after a night of hard partying, or is the disappearance a result of something more sinister. A recent death of another student raises new concerns and the the whereabouts of Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella, dubbed the The Five, named by the internet crime junkies, quickly become a news sensation.

It took me a few chapters to figure out who was who in the large cast of characters, but once I figured out the chapters were set-up by each of the families it read a lot easier.

Bonus points for the appearance of the Mystery Machine. As always with a good thriller, I'd love to see this made into a streaming series.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this early e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Alex Finlay and it definitely won’t be my last. The writing style I really vibed with and it made it that much easier and just a pleasant experience overall getting through the book. Also, I would say that this could be read as a stand alone since it doesn’t have any spoilers from the previous books featuring FBI agent Sarah Keller, it just mentions her past cases a few times. At least if memory serves me right.

Even though the mystery in this book wasn’t the most mind blowing or unique, it was nice to read a book in a college setting since it brought back some pleasant memories of my own time in college. I didn’t guess the bad guy but even with that said, I could have because it was a pretty standard bad guy trope that I’ve seen in many thrillers before. Even with that though, it was a very intriguing book and I couldn’t put it down. I do wish it moved a little faster at some points but that’s just my regular preference in thrillers. Also, it could have been cut down a bit but I still enjoyed it regardless.

All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good, heart felt thriller about missing kids that goes by pretty quickly and will keep your attention. It’s nothing mind bending but it’s pretty good nonetheless.

I absolutely loved reading Parents Weekend.
The way these parents are so worried about themselves but instantly flip the switch into finding their children.
So many underlying stories that no one knows about but that come to light. Ah just perfection.

This was my first Alex Finlay book I will definitely be adding more to my TBR. I found this book keeped me hooked from the beginning learning all of the different families and how they were connected. I loved the short chapters it was fast paced and kept me engaged.
At times did find it hard to remember who was who and their connection to the story as their was so many character rotating in and out of the story.
Overall a good read and would recommend. Thank you to netgalley for the advanced reader copies.

I’ve really enjoyed some of Alex Finlay’s other books, but this one was just not it.

The plot itself had the potential to be decent - five students at Santa Clara are meeting up with their parents for the school’s parents weekend when all five of them mysteriously go missing. Special Agent Keller (from Finlay’s other books) is called in to solve the case, figuring out if the kidnapping has to do with the parents and their dirty secrets or the students and their dirty secrets.

But the execution fell totally flat for me - there are way too many characters. To clarify: five students, all of their parents, and Agent Keller each get multiple chapters and backstories and plot arcs! It’s simultaneously too many threads to follow without going meaningfully deep into any of them. The writing is notably poorer than Finlay’s other books, with this one taking on the norms of some of the pulpy mass market thrillers that I try to avoid these days. He employs one of my least favorite trends in thriller writing: short chapters with punchy, “mic drop” final lines that feel cringey and overly dramatic. Even Agent Keller, who has been a compelling protagonist in prior works, is almost painted a girl Friday who comes in and saves the day on an almost unbelievable number of situations in this book.

The ending and wrap-up was good, but didn’t feel worth it after slogging through the rest.

Alex Finlay does it again. I thoroughly enjoy this author. The books are binge-worthy. I particularly enjoyed the short chapters. It keeps me flipping the pages, craving more!

Five missing college students, a parents weekend at said college, and the return of Agent Sarah Keller - yes, this is a standalone.

There are a LOT of characters to keep track of and I found myself struggling to keep them straight. Reading on my Kindle made it nearly impossible to flip back. My suggestion, create a character guide as you go, or read a physical copy when this pubs :)

Hands up for the all the references to my favourite movie, Tommy Boy!! Man I miss Chris Farley!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this gifted e-copy.

This is my fourth novel by Alex Finlay
In order of favourites:
Every Last Fear
The Night Shift
Parents Weekend
What Have We Done

Another four-star read that delivers fast-paced suspense, making it impossible to put down. The novel explores the lengths parents will go to for their children, presenting various intense and thrilling scenarios. It's an adrenaline-fueled ride from start to finish!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, a fast paced thriller. The plot starts at a very slow build, and roughly 1/4 way in starts to pick up and then never slows down. I did think there were a few too many characters, made things confusing at times, and some were very unlikable.
Had some nice twists in the plot and an ending that wrapped things up, which I always like. Anyone who likes a good thriller will certainly enjoy this one.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.