I love Sarah Pekkanen's books. This one I found to be kind of weird at the beginning and took me awhile to get into. I would still recommend it to others though!

I have just finished reading the Audio version of Gone Tonight, by Author Sarah Pekkanen, Narrated by Kate Mara.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Author and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy to listen to.

I have read a couple of books before by this author, and must say I thoroughly enjoyed this new book by her.

The two main characters are a mother Ruth Sterling, and her daughter Catherine Sterling.

These two woman find out that there are a great many secrets in their lives that neither truly know about.

The story is never boring, and keeps my interest till the last page.

I highly recommend this new book.

#netgalley
#macmillan.audio
#sarahpekkanen

TW: Sexual Assault

Catherine and her mother Ruth have always had each other for support. But when Ruth starts exhibiting signs of early onset Alzheimer’s, Catherine’s hopes and plans come crashing to a halt. Ruth has always avoided discussing anything from her past, and with her memory degrading, Catherine tries to learn as much as possible about her childhood. But when she notices some inconsistencies in Ruth’s stories, Catherine begins to wonder if her mother has been telling her the truth and what exactly she is so desperate to leave in the past.

I quite liked how the author chose to tell this story. It is told from the dual POV of Catherine and her mother, Ruth. Both POVs were intriguing and in combination told an interesting and well-fleshed out story. The characterization was good between the two and there was minimal overlap between their sections, which kept the story moving at a good pace.

There were several times where I thought I knew where a subplot or hint was going to lead, but I ended up being wrong. These red herrings were skillfully incorporated and made the plot and characters feel well rounded without leaving any unfulfilling dead ends. That being said, the larger plot was relatively predictable towards the end, but I still quite enjoyed how it was executed. The author also did a great job at incorporating tension throughout the read, especially during the second half of the book. Even with the dual POVs and the portions told in the past, the story never felt slow.

What sold me on this one was how different it is from so many of the mystery/suspense books I’ve read recently. It didn’t have me on the edge of my seat, but it did keep me entertained from beginning to end. I listened to the audiobook version of this work, and I’d recommend reading it rather than listening – only one narrator is used for both POVs, which made it difficult to distinguish which narrator was which, and the narrator was generally monotone, making it less engaging than it could have been. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work, which will be published 1 August 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Pub date: 8/1/23
Genre: domestic thriller
Quick summary: Catherine Sterling and her mom Ruth are a team - but as Catherine plans to start her own life, her mother will do anything to keep her by her side - and keep Catherine from learning her secrets.

I've really enjoyed Sarah Pekkanen's co-written books with Greer Hendricks, and this solo project GONE TONIGHT lived up to the twistiness I've come to expect. Ruth is...not the perfect mom she appears to be, and I loved following along as Catherine discovered her secrets. This is a super fast and compelling read- you have to suspend your disbelief a bit, but I enjoyed the wild ride.

Both audio and text were enjoyable - I think I slightly preferred the text because it let me turn the pages faster. But narrator Kate Mara did a great job capturing the action, and the dual POV format was easy to follow on audio.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my e-ARC and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Huge fan of this story. So many secrets and twists. I loved the alternating point of views. I was enthralled with this book and loved how the pieces fit together. Excellent narration. Very entertaining. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to and review a copy of this audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this book. Let me start by saying that Kate Mara does a brilliant job narrating. Pekkanen does not disappoint with this latest book. Ruth Sterling is a single mom to Catherine, a 24 year old nurse, who has dreams of working at Johns Hopkins hospital. She currently works at a memory unit and is starting to notice that her mom, only 42 years old, is displaying alarming symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Ruth is a waitress and doesn’t want to spend money on tests and doctors. Catherine finds out that her mom is lying about the disease and a lot of other things. Ruth has been on the run ever since something bad happened in high school. She will go to any lengths to protect her daughter, even if it means running some more. Or will she stay and fight? This would be an amazing book club read, lots of discussion points. It’s also a great beach read. I found that I couldn’t wait to get things done so I could get back to the book. Trust me, you’ll love it

Thank you @netgalley @macmillan.audio for the #gifted audiobook!

Holy moly friends when this one is released you need a copy of it! This was the perfect heart pounding story I didn’t know I needed. I went in blind and absolutely devoured this. I accidentally listened to in two sittings. 😝

Catherine is the daughter of Ruth and for their whole lives it’s been just the two of them. Catherine has always lived with her mother and she’s finally wanting to branch out and move away for her job. Ruth however has different ideas and will stop at nothing to keep her daughter close.

Ruth is becoming more forgetful and Catherine thinks maybe now isn’t a good time to expand her horizons. As time goes on and Catherine thinks about her situation she ponders why she really doesn’t know more about her mom. In fact, she knows almost nothing. Piece by piece Catherine puts clue’s together and realizes she just isn’t so sure she really knows her mother. At the same time, Ruth carefully plots all of the pieces to keep their very careful life she has created exactly right where she needs it to be. Something gives and their world comes tumbling down. I don’t want to spoil anything but trust me when I say this you need a copy of this page turner! It will have you second guessing even your closest relationships!

I LOVED this book! It was such an awesome thriller that was the perfect cat and mouse with a dash of just the perfect amount of suspense. I found myself constantly questioning all of the characters. I have never been disappointed by any of Sarah’s books and will continue to read them!

I had read a few books that Sarah Pekkanen co-wrote with Greer Hendricks, so I was excited to read my first solo book by Pekkanen. I felt this was more of a dramatic suspense than a true thriller, but I loved the story, and I got hooked right away!

A mother’s love is like no other. They want to protect their child at no cost. Ruth and Catherine’s bond is inseparable. Ruth has always been a single mother, and Catherine is her world. Ruth has been protecting Catherine by not staying in the same place too long and not letting anyone else come close to them. Now Catherine is in her twenties, and Ruth is more desperate than ever to keep her safe. How far would Ruth go, and what will it cost her?

I got hooked early on. The switching between the past and present and between Ruth and Catherine’s POVs was accomplished flawlessly. The suspense leading up to learning more about Ruth’s history and why she is overprotective of Catherine even as an adult was perfect and kept me interested in the story. The ending was very clever, and the character development was on point until the end. Gone Tonight is a gripping, suspenseful read about how a mother’s love for their daughter knows no bounds.

Also, I had access to both the audiobook and Kindle versions of this book. I loved listening to the audiobook better than reading the book. Kate Mara kept the suspense while creating a different ambiance for both characters. Being a single narrator with multiple characters is hard but Mara did a terrific job.

Thank you to NetGallery and to St.Martin Press and Harper Audio for giving me a copy of the book and audiobook.

This book started off with such a great introduction. After the first few chapters I had a really hard time putting it down. The characters are very easy to relate to and keep you on the journey with them. I look forward to seeing more from Sarah Pekkanen in my future.

I received a Audiobook ARC copy from St Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This is the story of Catherine Sterling and Ruth Sterling. Catherine is Ruth's daughter. Catherine thinks she knows her mother extremely well. However, when Catherine decides that it is time for her to leave the nest and begin a new career. Ruth will go to any length to stop that from happening. Just as Catherine thinks she knows Ruth. Ruth thinks she knows her daughter. Ruth feels like Catherine would never rebel against her. However, when Catherine begins looking into Ruth's early life. There are some secrets and such that just may be uncovered. Both will go at great lengths to make sure the other does not find their secrets. However, the truth always comes out right?

This book keeps you on your toes all the way through. There were some great twists and turns that I did not expect coming. The narrator did a fantastic job with this book. I was intrigued all the way through. There were a few times where I felt like it went on for a little to long. Overall, a fantastic read!

When I first saw this audiobook, I was so excited, as I love Sarah Pekkanen. As soon as I started to listen to it though, I realized I had already read an e-galley of this book. However, it is a great book, so I proceeded to listen to it anyway. The narrator did an excellent job of brining this story alive, shifting voices when she was narrating the different characters. It made the book even better than the first time I had read it. Pekkanen shifted the story between the POV of the mom and the daughter, who are the main characters in a book that surrounds a mother's medical diagnosis and the story behind that diagnosis. From present to past and back again, we see the story unfold and secrets begin to come forward, as the daughter looks into her mom's past, as she sees her memory deteriorate. Be careful what you look for, because you just might find things you did not know, that will blow your own history out of the water. Whether you read or listen to this novel, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first solo book of Sarah’s and I really enjoyed it.
I really liked the dual POV of both Catherine and Ruth. I loved Ruth’s chapters about Ava’s past the best.
It was fast paced and quite unique. (Which is hard sometimes with thrillers because there are only so many plots.)
I really liked the ending and thought it wrapped everything up perfectly.
It’s funny you know, because while I understand it was for the plot, if Ruth had allowed Catherine to just move away as planned, she would have been safe. Regardless, it made for a unique story and a great red herring.

Notes on the audiobook – I thought it was done exceptionally well. I went back and forth on whether this was one that really could have benefited from 2 narrators, one for each POV but I think either way I would have enjoyed it just the same.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance copy!

For me this started slow but ended strong. Once they got to scene 3 I truly enjoyed this book. Give it a shot but also give it time.

First…
Kate Mara did an excellent job as narrator, but I think having two would have helped distinguish who’s story I was listening to. Since the story line flips back and forth between mother and daughter. Several times I had a o go back and re listen so I could catch up.
Finally…
I was extremely impressed with how Ruth was able to survive as a teen, pregnant and then later a young mother, into adulthood. Can’t say that I really understood why she was running until the end (won’t spoil it). Catherine, Ruth’s daughter is now in her 20s with a career and now sees signs her mother has Alzheimer’s. My heart broke for her as she has to decide between her mother and her dream job. But as things unfold Ruth may not be telling the whole truth. As Catherine starts digging for answers about her mothers past, things heat up. Ruth has to remain vigilant in holding her secrets. The ending had my mouth dropping open.
All in all. I enjoyed this book. Narrator was good but two would have been much better.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen and Macmillan Audio.

I found the story to be enjoyable. It’s about a mother with a past and a daughter who wants to know more.

It’s one of those stories where the author gives you crumbs along the way and I was a little mouse, gobbling up the pieces.

The audio is a bit confusing as the narrator uses the same voice for both characters so there’s no clear distinction on who is speaking. She does say the characters name in the beginning of every chapter.

I would say that this is a good popcorn thriller. Definitely an entertaining read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ebook ARC of this title in exchange for my review.

This was a rather complicated mother daughter relationship thriller with alternating POV's. I've liked other books by the author and had hopes for this one, but I couldn't really get into it as much. It felt like a bit of a copy of the other big-name mother/daughter book out a few years ago (& made into a movie.) I like that one better.

2 stars for "it was ok"

I waited so long to read this book! I heard about it a few months ago and couldn’t wait to get my hands on an ARC. I am so glad I did.

Ruth and Catherine Sterling are mother and daughter. Ruth has raised Catherine on her own and has given vague stories about her past and who Catherine’s biological father is. Catherine never thought to question anything because she and her mother have always been close and love each other tremendously.

Catherine is now an adult and wants to be on her own. She begins to pull away from her mother a bit when she begins to question the validity of the stories her mother has given her over the years. She decides to question her mother but gets cookie cutter answers or an angry response from her. It’s time to take matters into her own hands and do some research of her own. However, sometimes poking your nose where it doesn’t belong can have dire consequences.

Pekkanen has a way of giving a lot of detail that allows the reader to feel like a fly on the wall watching play by play but not too much detail that it is repetitive or unnecessary. She is one of the authors that keeps me up at night! Reading until I finish the book! I savored every morsel of this domestic thriller and without giving spoilers I will say that I was left wanting to know more about Catherine’s future in the end.

The character development never ended. It kept building throughout which is exciting because I continually learned something new about them. The action picks up about halfway through and it’s a guessing game from there on out. Great plot and the relationship between Catherine and Ruth is mysterious and perplexing until the end. Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.

I've enjoyed all the books I've read by Sarah Pekkanen (although I believe all the others I read were co-written by Greer Hendricks), and this was no exception. The plot was interesting and original and the characterizations very well developed. I appreciated how cleverly Ruth, the mother, hid her background, and how cleverly Catherine, the daughter, figured out some of her secrets. Although it wasn't heart-stoppingly suspenseful, there was just enough suspense to keep it compelling. I very much enjoyed the audiobook; the narrator, Kate Mara, was excellent. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the audio e-ARC of this book.

Absolutely loved this novel. Sarah Pekkanen never disappoints, this novel was intriguing, unpredictable and full of twists and a surprising ending.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #McMillanAudio for the ARC #GoneTonight.

Catherine Sterling is ready to put her dreams aside and stay home to care for her mother, Ruth, who seems to be in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s (though she refuses to undergo any testing or a CAT scan.) But as she begins to look into her mother’s symptoms, she starts to notice some odd discrepancies. Ultimately, long buried secrets will threaten this tightly knit mother daughter relationship.

Okay, well, I think the biggest twist in this book was that there wasn’t really a twist at all. With all of the secrets and discoveries made along the way, it seemed like this book was really leading up to something. Unfortunately, before it got there, everything wrapped up and the book was over. Now, not every book HAS to have a twist, but with the action ramping up in the last act and with all of the lead up and suspense in this one, a twist seemed logical. Unfortunately, we were offered the least surprising option; which was almost more surprising, because you wonder why the author didn’t do something more interesting. Additionally, without giving any spoilers, I can say that there were some elements in the book which, if removed, would not have subtracted from the story at all. They just didn’t need to be there.

I can’t give it a terrible rating because it was interesting and I kept reading and it wasn’t a bad ending, but it was anticlimactic. The last act has some surprisingly heartwarming things in it, but know that you might cry if someone you love has had Alzheimer’s. It gets a little credit from me for that.

Overall, not bad, not life changing! 2.5-3 stars from me.