My second Alex Finley book but not my last. This one keeps going from the first page until the last. There is a huge cast of characters which felt confusing at first but was ultimately pretty easy to keep track of. Many red herrings, back story subplots, and twists that kept this story going strong. My only issue is that I figured out who was behind the disappearance of the students early on and didn't feel any surprise on that front. It was still an engaging and fun read though.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Solid 4 stars for keeping me guessing. I just found a little too much going on in this book.

Although I liked the storyline from all the other characters, especially the FBI agent, I found there to be alot of fluff in this book.

A really fast read about a group of college kids going missing. Good characters, especially Agent Keller. I enjoyed this!

This was a good read that hooked me from the beginning. I’ve read another Agent Sarah Keller book of Finlay’s, but this one stands alone perfectly.

The story is compelling, and there are some good twists. Overall a worthwhile read.

Alex Finley’s newest novel, Parents Weekend, follows the parents of five missing college students. Were the students kidnapped because of their parents’ sins?

I read this in 2 days. This author never disappoints. Trust me, pick this one up. I’ll be waiting on the next one.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

A great twisty thriller, that semi struggles in the end. Told from the viewpoint of different characters and their families gives a well rounded story and plot. However there are lots of side stories that sometimes feel like the author was trying too hard to with the red herrings. When all is said and done it was a gripping thriller with a decent twist!

Not bad! I appreciated the different side characters and plot twists, but was a little disappointed with the ending. I wished we got more time with The Five as they’re called in the book, but overall a solid thriller with short, easy to read chapters, from different perspectives!

I have read most of Alex Finlay books- and have enjoyed them enough that I don’t even read the description before immediately hitting request on NwretGalley. Luckily, I was quickly approved- this book follows the typical Finlay progression. Short chapters from multiple POVs, including recurring FBI agent Sarah Keller. I finished this book in less than 24 hours and it was a great distraction (I am writing this review on 11/5/24! Needed a distraction today)- I didn’t guess the twist/villian which is always good sign.

This book dives deep into the hidden secrets and complicated lives of a few families, each of whom is dealing with personal issues they’d rather keep under wraps. As the kids head off to college, they start finding their own paths, but a mysterious death pulls everyone back into each other’s lives in unexpected ways. With numerous interwoven storylines, secrets, and layers of drama, the plot thickens around a newly transferred FBI agent who’s assigned to investigate. Her warm relationship with her husband adds a nice touch to the narrative, and she forms strong bonds with others as she works to unravel the case.

The story is full of twists and turns, leading up to a surprising and explosive ending that will keep readers hooked. Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this fast-paced, engaging read!

I always enjoy books by Alex Finlay and Parents Weekend is no exception. I’d say this one is 4.5 rounded up to 5.

It was fast paced and I never got bored. I was happy to see Agent Keller back. She’s always fun as well as her husband Bob.

There were quite a few characters to keep track of, but as I went on, I started being able to keep them straight.

The twists were predictable. I have to admit. But it didn’t make me enjoy the book any less.

The end felt rushed, but I enjoyed the wrap up. No questions were left open. I appreciated that.

It was a nice thriller that was fast-paced and easy to read. Was it the twistiest thriller I’ve ever read? No. But Alex writes well, and I always enjoy his books.

Also, I have to praise the way he handled the very brief mention of politics and religion. It was basically one sentence each, but it was so refreshing considering it seems almost impossible to read a book after 2016 where you can’t tell exactly what the author's views on politics and religion are, even when it doesn’t further the plot.

Alex mentioned politics in the most nonbiased way I have seen in a book in a long time, and gosh, I appreciated it so much. Again, it was just a sentence, but I just wanted to say how much of a relief it was not to have the author's views shoved down my throat

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC

This book kept me up reading all night. It kept me engaged in the story the whole way through and I was sad to have it end. I had read this author before and like his books but this one really hit the nail on the head.

Five families come together to celebrate Parent’s Weekend at their children’s college. The only problem? None of the students don’t show up to the welcome dinner. At first, it’s written off as young adults being careless and forgetful, but when no one is able to make contact with any of the students for hours, the seriousness of the situation hits. Soon the parents and the police have to dig into their children’s lives to figure out who could be responsible for their disappearances and why.

It's a pretty basic premise and the story is told from multiple points of view as everyone comes to grips with the situation. I’d probably have cared more if the parents weren’t almost all affluent and obnoxious. The detective is the most relatable and likable adult in the entire book. The students aren’t too bad, but the author chose to have fate favor the unlikeable which didn’t sit well with me. That’s not a spoiler, other readers may well feel differently about their personalities.

Parts of the ending were surprising to me which is always a good thing! I really enjoy this author’s work but this one wasn’t quite on the same level. It just didn’t have that extra ‘bang’ that I expected. Is it wrong that I hoped for more violence? Maybe it's because there wasn't too much thrilling or suspenseful really, just plenty of drama. It’s still a great book and I recommend it for anyone whether you’re a fan of his or not.

4 stars-It is always exciting to read a new Alex Finley book and this one was no exception! It’s parents weekend at SCU and five very different families are in town to visit their students. The students have planned to meet their parents at a capstone dinner (the five students have been assigned to group within their dorm.) The parents are waiting, and waiting, but the group never shows. The parents and students all have their issues, is one of them the reason the kids are missing? Or is it tied to a girl who died just days before parents weekend? I enjoyed the multiple POV’s in this story and the ultimate resolution. This was definitely a page turner! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. It was a pleasure to read and review this book.

It’s Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University. Parents have gathered for special events, meals and visits with their children. The parents of freshmen Blane, Stella, Libby, Mark and Felix have very different backgrounds and standards but they join together on opening night to share dinner with the students but as the hours go by, they realize that The Five, as they are soon called by the press, are missing. What follows is a desperate search that will lead through a maze of bad judgment and hidden secrets by both students and parents.

Parents Weekend by the talented Alex Finlay, is a mystery/thriller with multiple narrators. As each parent tells part of the story, the reasons for their behavior are shown. The students’ problems are revealed slowly, through the deliberately slow-paced plot. Sarah Keller is a particularly strong character and a recurring one. Her husband Bob is delightful. I look forward to seeing them again. 5 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Alex Finlay for this ARC.

Alex Finlay does it again, another thriller I couldn’t put down and didn’t see the end coming! At first it felt like too many characters to keep track of, but that turned out to be one of the best attributes to this novel. Highly recommend!

Alex Finlay has done it again in a twisty thriller where you don't know who to trust! In it, we find Special Agent Keller (who has appeared in a few other of Finlay's works) on the case as five college students have disappeared into thin air. This book goes between multiple points of view as the race is on to find out what happened and how to save the teens. I enjoyed getting the inside scoop on all the parents of the students as they have their own secrets coming to light in the pages.
Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy!

Alex Finlay does a really good job of writing a bingeable book and PARENTS WEEKEND was no exception.

I loved that we got to see the recurring character of Special Agent Keller who was in Finlays thriller THE NIGHT SHIFT (which I highly reco.) She and the short chapters were about the only redeeming things in thriller that was set on a college campus.

There were so many characters to keep track of and I felt it took away from the story. The twists didn’t pay off, imo and the ending was wrapped too tightly with a bow which just isn’t how I prefer my thrillers.

I'm so happy for Sarah Keller and Bob to be back on my pages. But more Bob I request! The absolute perfect husband. (Sorry if it means we'll have Sarah having to solve even more horrific crimes).

Was this one predictable? Sure it was. Did I still enjoy it? Absolutely. Well written, good characters and a heart and soul for parents and their bonds

Alex Finlay is one of my favorite thriller writers. I flew through this book.
Parents Weekend is about 5 college students that never show up to a dinner during Parents Weekend. This book is told in multiple POV's. We get the FBI agents view, as well as the parents and the missing kids point of view. This is a very fast paced read and I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book for review.

There were a LOT of characters in this book, but the plot was very interesting. It kept me intrigued throughout the book and I found myself not wanting to put it down. I thought it was a bit chaotic at times, but I did enjoy it! 4 stars! This was my second book by this author- I need to read more!