Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay
Pub Date: 5/6/25
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I am slowly but surely becoming quite the Alex Finlay fan and Parents Weekend made even more of a believer out of me! I could not put this book down! I was surprised to see some negative early reviews of this one, but I do understand. I don’t think this book will be for everyone but I ate it up.

First and foremost, let me say do NOT do this book in audio format (gasp!!!!) You know I’m an audiobook lover, but this thriller has a very wide cast of characters and I think I would have been utterly lost if I read via audio instead of an ebook copy. It did take me a minute to get everyone straight, but probably only about the first 10-15%.

Short chapters really set a breakneck pace and SO many messy characters and their soap opera dramas keep those pages turning. I was wildly impressed at how well the sheer amount of characters were developed. Yes, there’s a gazillion red herrings and I sort of guessed where it was going but the book was just SO dang fun.

I loved the twists and turns in this popcorn thriller, but really loved some of the characters even more. I found myself a little emotional when I got to the epilogue because I was proud of some of the characters’ growth arcs and I think that is pretty dang impressive!

Lastly, Finlay is an attorney who has argued over 40 cases in front of the Supreme Court and his understanding of legal systems really shine in this one. It wasn’t distracting, just tight.

Will this be for everyone? Probably not. Was it entertaining as hell and a total hit for me? You betcha! Specifically would really recommend this one if you’re in a slump and want something fast paced to help you out. Thanks to @netgalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I listened to the audio version of this as well as read the e-book. The audio version was narrated to Brittany Pressley. She did a great job with this story. I'll have to admit it helped me to have the digital version because I find it easier to go back and make sure I know who the characters are with that form. There were lots of characters to keep track of.

This mystery revolves around the disappearance of five college students. Their parents have arrived for Parents Weekend, only to not have any of the kids show up for a scheduled dinner. It's a mystery that the FBI is brought in to help solve because several of the parents are public figures. Agent Keller is a main character in the book who is brought in off of her vacation with her husband and twins. I loved her!

I devoured this book in two days. It is very fast paced and gives you no chance of being bored.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Mnotaor Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the copies. All thoughts are my own.

Fast paced mystery thriller.

The story centers on 5 students who go missing on Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University in California. Their parents wait for them at the restaurant but none of them show up. At first they aren’t too worried, but then tidbits and details start emerging. The parents of Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella have reason to be concerned.

This book marks the return of a character from previous books by this author: Special Agent Sarah Keller who has been transferred to the Bay Area while her husband, Bob, takes care of his ailing father. Sarah is immediately brought into the case by the local police. She takes point rather quickly and off goes the investigation.

Told from several different viewpoints, the reader learns about the issues in the families of the missing students. Eventually the pool of suspects dwindles. And this is where the book fell from a 4 + suspense thriller to a barely 3. I hated the ending and the explanation. How banal and predictable. All along I was hoping it wouldn’t go there but it did so I was very disappointed. No spoilers.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, did an OK job with the story but definitely struggled with the voices of so many characters trying to give them unique accents etc. This is definitely a book that would have benefitted from a much larger production cast, especially even at least one male voice.

Parents Weekend is the fourth book I’ve read by Alex Finlay and unfortunately, it was my least favorite.

As always, Finlay opens with a strong prologue that’s packed with just enough mystery to immediately draw you in. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives and dual timelines: one following the investigation, the other tracking what’s happening to the five missing students. This book also sees the return of FBI Agent Sarah Keller, this time with a new assistant eager to help crack the case.

The book weaves together fast pacing, red herrings, and emotional depth, especially as each of the five families is forced to confront not just where their children are, but why they may have vanished. Despite all that, the motive fell flat for me and even a late twist couldn’t make the ending feel satisfying.

This was a nice fast paced thriller! I have loved everything I've read by Alex Finlay!

There were many characters so it was hard to follow at times but I can deal with that. There were 5 missing kids and their families. So much family drama, which I loved. We didn't get to know much about the missing kids, I felt like it was more about their families.

There wasn't a big twist really in the end. And I was okay with that. The ending was okay not my favorite.

This was the perfect thriller. Fast paced binge, interesting and action packed, a fun time!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy of PARENTS WEEKEND by Alex Finlay!

PARENTS WEEKEND follows a group of freshmen and their parents during a parents' weekend at a small university in Northern California. The students are meant to meet up with their parents for a dinner, but they never show. With a few parents in positions that put them and their children at risk, and with the university having recently had a student death, tensions are high and the FBI is called in to assist.

This was a highly anticipated read for me and it did not disappoint. I wound up binge reading this in two sessions over the space of maybe twelve hours? Once I pushed play, it was so easy to just keep listening as I crocheted with a dog in my lap.

The book switches back and forth through many different POVs. We start the book hearing from the students who are in definite danger, but the main focus is on the parents and those running the investigation. The chapters are pretty short and switch around a lot, but I didn't have any issues with keeping up once I figured out who was who. I think the author did well at throwing in some red herrings and enough information to have me theorizing along the way.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I always love Finlay’s books, so I was beyond excited to get an eARC of this on netgalley. This book centers around a small Northern California college, a group of 5 missing students, and long buried secrets that are slowly reveled throughout. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and dual timelines, there is plenty of suspense, the characters are fun (however they lacked any amount of depth), and it was a fast paced read. However, the twists were predictable and the ending felt rushed, which ultimately left me wanting more and feeling a bit underwhelmed with this one. Was it fun? Yes. Was it worth the read? Yes. Was it fantastic? No. I think if you liked Finlay’s previous work then you should give this one a chance.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦A book with multiple POVs and dual timelines
✦A fast paced read with plenty of suspense
✦Fun characters, but they lack any depth
✦Predictable twists and a rushed ending

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️3/5

This is my first book by Alex Finlay and it definitely won't be my last! As someone who grew up near Santa Clara, this book hits close to home! I love the side characters in the story, specifically Jay McCray and Annie Hafeez. I'd love to see Annie in future books! I loved the plot but felt that sometimes it dragged. I predicted the plot twist towards the end which is a good feeling as a reader. But at the same time, I like to be kept guessing and love when I get a plot twist wrong. Overall, it was a solid read and it has me excited to read other books by this author in the future!

Trite. The fact that there’s an actual line that says I don’t want him, I only want you, should tell you all you need to know about this book. It’s like a soap opera. Affairs, security, abductions. Too many characters. Not only are they not likable, they are caricatures of villains. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around how poorly this is written in comparison to the authors last two books.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Parents Weekend. I'm always on the lookout for books that my juniors and seniors who are ready to start making the jump from YA to adult novels might enjoy, and given that this one takes place near a college campus, I thought it might fit the bill.

I read Parents Weekend fairly quickly, and I did enjoy it. However, there were so many perspectives that I can see my readers struggling to keep track of who goes with who and what their issues are. I was also able to discern who was behind the disappearance of The Five fairly quickly. Overall, this one was kind of lackluster for me.

Based on my ratings system (detailed below), Parents Weekend is a 3 star read.

Rating Scale:

1: I disliked this book with every fiber of my being.
2: I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it. It was fine.
3: I liked this, but I probably won't remember it in the future.
4: I liked this a lot, and I will remember it enough to recommend it moving forward.
5: I loved this book so much!

I was pleasantly surprised. I’d seen mixed reviews, so I was sure what to expect.

This turned out to because pretty fast paced thriller. Yes, there are a TON of characters and it can be difficult to keep them all straight in the beginning. After a bit, you figure out which parents go with which kid. And some of the flashbacks/time jumps were a bit confusing.

Overall, a good book. Interesting story. Quick read. Kept me guessing. I’d recommend it to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, I think it would be a great book to read during the summer time. I also was pleasantly surprised to read that FBI special Agent Sarah Keller was in this book. I also really liked that the chapters were quick, it made me get through the book really quickly. Alex Finlay never disappoints!

I’ve liked all of the books by this author that I’ve read. It’s a good police procedural, but I like how it includes the families’ and students’ perspectives. Short chapters are always good. I liked the college setting. I did feel as though the ending was a little rushed but overall I enjoyed it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Parents Weekend
By Alex Finlay
Publisher: St Martin’s Press

This is a fast paced thriller about a group of kids who go missing on Parents Weekend at their college. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep your interest peaked. You follow each family as well as the FBI agent assigned to the case.
I enjoy Alex’s writing style. Short chapters really keep things moving.

Every character was so well written I forgot I was reading and this whole suspenseful movie played! When 5 students go missing a lot of secrets become uncovered by the FBI and the ending will shock you

Alex Finlay has a talent for writing twisty thrillers that are quick reads and sometimes that’s exactly what I want. His upcoming book Parents Weekend is another shining example. I wouldn’t say I was on the edge of my seat but I was certainly invested and surprised plenty of times along the way! I also love thrillers with a college setting which is exactly what this was! I read the book as well as listened to the audiobook. The audiobook was narrated by one of my faves Brittany Presley so that was a treat as always!

I love Alex Finlay's books, and I enjoyed this one as well, though not as much as his others, it was still good. This story was a bit harder to follow at first because of all the families and characters, but after a few chapters, I got used to them. I didn’t really like any of the characters' personalities, they were all pretty messed up, which I know is the point, but I appreciated the way Finlay told the story and how he wrapped it up. I didn’t care much for the final chapters about what happened to the kids afterward, but I understand why they were included. Keep writing, Finlay! I love your books and the stories you come up with.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Five groups of parents are visiting their children at their prestigious college. They set up a dinner reservation together, only none of their kids show up. The disappearance of “The Five” takes off on social media as police are called in to investigate. What have these kids gotten up to that will surely disappoint their affluent families?

This book had a promising premise, but I found the execution to be off. There was a big cast of characters that was hard to keep track of at times. I found it repetitive of some familiar tropes and I needed more of a twist. I did like reading about Agent Keller again from The Night Shift by him. I have read quite a few by this author and only one has really stood out to me, and it wasn’t this one. I think I will not be revisiting his writing again.

Five Students and their parents are set for their freshman Parent's Weekend Dinner at this northern California college. Almost all from wealthy and somewhat dysfunctional families and one student whose mom works in the dean's office. But The Five, as they become known, never show up for the dinner and no one is answering their phone. All of this on the heels of another student found dead in one of the caves by the ocean.

Campus police are called and and when signs become disturbing as one student is the son of the Assistant Secretary of State, FBI agent Sarah Keller joins the search.

Is someone seeking revenge on one of the affluent parents? Is there a serial killer out there? Through individual looks at each of the families we get drawn in each families distinct stories. This was my first time reading Alex Finlay and I will be sure to find some other titles by this author. I could not put this one down. Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for the opportunity to read this Advance Reader's Copy.

5 very different students from a private northern California are missing, and it is parents’ weekend at the school. This isn’t good for a school that had a student die recently. Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths call them. This is a very fast-moving thriller. Perfect for the beach or pool!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books #ParentsWeekend #NetGalley