3.5 Sarah Keller and Alex Finlay, why yes stars

Alex Finlay is an author I automatically want to read, especially when the book features FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller.

This one centers around that oh-so-important weekend for freshmen and their parents, called Parents Weekend. Parents can see how their young adult children are settling into college, and students can show off their university, maybe taking in a football game.

However, it isn't the weekend any parents expect when the students don’t show up for the kickoff dinner (all five of them from Campisi Hall!). Is their disappearance connected to the recent tragic death of another student?

Did the students end up at a fraternity party? Or is something else going on? As the campus police and FBI get involved, we learn much more about what is happening at this small college in California.

As the book and investigation continue, we learn about the five students—Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—and their parents. Are the parents somehow responsible? There is an interesting mix of theories and possibilities! It took a while to set it all up, but I enjoyed figuring out the mystery this time. Different points of view added to the complexity of the story.

I rooted for Agent Keller to figure it all out and save the kids while staying safe herself.

I find Alex Finley books immensely engaging and enjoyable for the duration of the read, but absolutely forgettable upon conclusion.

Because of this, I did not recognize the dogged and beleaguered FBI agent Keller as a returning character from Every Last Fear. This is a bit of a shame because she's such an enjoyable and well-drawn character, but also good news for me because I get to return to the earlier book and enjoy her all over again.

Parents Weekend will keep you turning the pages. There are a lot of red herrings which makes the ultimate reveal at the end slightly anticlimactic, but who cares? You'll read it, you'll like it, and you'll be back for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!!

I absolutely could not put this book down and finished in 24 hours. I loved the multiple POVs. It doesn’t take away from the story or confuse you either. The twist at the end was not as exciting as it could have been, but still overall great.

A college student dies an accidental death while parents are visiting during parent’s weekend. In a seemingly separate incidence, five students are missing without explanation. Are they playing a prank, guilty of foul play, or in some kind of danger? As is common in this genre, the hero saves the day in a thrill packed ending. A nice finish, but not enough to save the story for this reader.

This book was okay as far as it goes, but there were a couple of issues. I was puzzled by two separate sets of parents experiencing similar episodes of cheating followed by the violent deaths of their respective ex-lovers. Why repeat the same storyline with only slightly different shades of grey? Or how about the suicide attempt on the Golden Gate Bridge wherein the threatening jumper, while on top of the bridge, tosses a belonging onto the nearby grass. Hunh??

I have liked other books by this author, but was disappointed in this one.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, like I do all of Alex Finlay's books. The characters are well written and I love Special Agent Sarah Keller and her husband - so glad she was back in the one. The multiple viewpoints keep the book moving along and the mystery is exciting but not gratuitous. Highly recommend!

First and foremost I have to say thank you to Alex Finlay, NetGalley and Macmillian Publishing for this awesome book. Alex Finlay books are all must reads for me. I’m working my way through them. Parents Weekend was in my top 2 books read. I totally felt each and every characters pain and fear through this book. At first I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep all of the characters straight but Mr. Finlay did a great job of character development. I can’t wait to see what he has coming next.

It’s Parent’s Weekend at a small private college in Northern California, and five families gather for dinner to celebrate their children’s first year. What begins as a festive gathering quickly turns into a tense mystery when their children do not show up at all; every parent’s worst nightmare. Not to mention - a student had just been found dead and the police have no suspects. Search parties are formed and Special Agent Sarah Keller is put on the case. Family secrets unfold throughout the story and some questionable people are revealed. What happened to the kids and will they return home safely?

I really enjoyed this thriller. The plot had me guessing and wanting to read more in order to figure out what happened to the students. Agent Keller was such a great character. I really enjoyed how she tackled the case. I also did not expect the twist in this story and I really enjoyed that. Although they were crucial, the only thing I did not enjoy so much was having too many POVs. There are POVs from the parent and kids. Overall, I really enjoyed this read. It would be a great thriller for young adults as well.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The best thing about this book for me was the short chapters and multiple perspectives. I love both of those things in a thriller but I do feel like this read more on the YA side of a thriller.

I wanted more depth, more explanation and more character development.

But I will say if you have a teenager who wants to read a thriller or you are just starting out on your thriller journey then this would be a wonderful read for you.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advance copy for an honest review.

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up at dinner.

At first, everyone thinks that they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours click by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon, the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths call them—come from five very different families. What led them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril or a threat to the friend group from within?

I was glad that FBI Agent Sarah Feller was back in this one.
There were way too many characters but I was able to keep track of all of them. I didn't have a strong connection to the characters so I didn't really care what happened to them. So I really wasn't on the edge of my seat are feel the suspense.

I loved the first half but I thought that the second half was too slow. This one is every parent's nightmare. Five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for parents weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids, five residents of Campisi Hall never show up at dinner. What happened to them?

The story was told through multiple points of view in past and present. I was on the edge of my seat at the end there was lots of action which I loved. I loved the short chapters. This was not a predictable read for me. I was not able to solve the mystery. I did enjoy the the conclusion. There were some twist and turns too.

This was a buddy read with Jayme and DeAnn! Check out their reviews.

I want to thank Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, for the copy of this book an exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I love all of Finlay's novels and this one was no exception. I especially enjoy the concise chapters that are easy to follow. I blazed though this book and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Alex Finlay is a wonderful suspense writer whose books always keep me on the edge of my seat. Parents' Weekend was another fast-paced, exciting read but not my favorite Finlay book.
The good: it was an exciting read that, at first, kept me guessing and wanting to read more. I loved seeing Agent Keller again. I thought the concept of the book was exciting and interesting and the way the chapters were structured, focusing on different families, gave depth to the characters and their missing children.
The no so good: The ending left me underwhelmed and a little disappointed. After looking for the missing students for 80% of the book the suspects were not surprising and I felt like the conclusion happened very abruptly.
Overall, a good suspense novel but Finlay has some better books in his catalog.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I binged this thriller in one evening. The short chapters, immediate action, and questionable characters all had me turning pages and desperate to find out the solution to the mystery. I really enjoy the character of Agent Keller and appreciate the glimpses of her family between moments of danger and sadness. Although many of these parents are dislikable, especially as their secrets are coming out, the unifying love and worry for their children felt like the truest thing of all through the story and pulled at my heart the entire time.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC on this book! Parents weekend was enjoyable and easy to follow. It had short chapters which I love! Definitely recommend picking this up if you enjoy crime thrillers based on college campus.

I want to love this book, but I don't. I'm going to try to read it again later on! I'm in a terrible book slump and I think it's preventing me from being able to read and review this accurately.

I think the premise of this one is super interesting, I loved having the perspectives of both the parents & the kids, I also loved the detective. Now I need to go back & read the other novel that follows her! This for sure won’t be the last book I read by this author. Thank you to net galley for the ARC!!

Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift is back in The Parents Weekend. Where, she is helping to solve the mysterious disappearance of five college kids who go missing during a parents' weekend.
An exciting and thrilling read from the parents and Keller's prospectives will leave you up all night not wanting to put this book down!

A solid 4 stars 🌟

I'm an early fan of Alex Finlay, I enjoy how Special Agent Sarah Keller keeps showing up in his books. I enjoyed the multiple points of view and see how each character is feeling. Only one thing bothered me and that's when Sarah was called Keller when mentioned with her family, I feel like at that point she should be called Sarah. As for the ending it was a little predictable for me but there was another twist I didn't see coming so it evened out. Another brilliant book from Finlay!

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is an intricate blend of suspense and family secrets. What begins as a festive gathering for five families quickly descends into a tense mystery when their college aged children vanish during parents weekend. This novel alternates between past and present, revealing hidden truths about the students and their families while the search intensifies. The story’s multiple POV’s creates both tension and intrigue, that will keep you guessing the whole time!

Another great thriller from Alex Finley. Fast paced keep you on your toes read. Did not see the ending coming.
Really enjoyed it.

I always read Finlay’s books. Some are hit or miss for me but I can always count on being engaged. This was a great book! It kept me interested and I loved the short chapters which makes it easier to stay engaged in the story.