3 ⭐️

PARENTS WEEKEND by Alex Finlay brings together the parents of four students at a private college in Northern California. One mother is a high D.C. official while one of the fathers is a judge on a high-profile court case. What are the odds of such famous parents? As the parents get together at the appointed restaurant, the students never arrive. Sarah Keller from the FBI swoops in and uses her skills to figure out what is going on. 

➕ Quick, propulsive chapters

➕ interesting details, like the van, the masks, the interests of the “bad guys”

➖ Not a lot of depth to the characters or even the plot

➖ A lot of characters are thrown at the reader. Just let them wash over you. The characters are pretty one-note, so they actually are easy to keep track of.

This is a fast-paced popcorn thriller that would make a good beach read. It was an easy read, but at the end I had a bit of trouble comprehending it all. It was difficult to connect with the characters, even the detective Keller. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review. 

It publishes May 6, 2025.