Parents Weekend

Alex Finlay is a pen name for Anthony J. Franze, the author of Parents Weekend and four other crime thrillers. His 2021 debut, Every Last Fear, introduced readers to FBI Agent Sarah Keller and was a 2022 Goodreads Choice nominee for Best Mystery and Thriller. Finlay followed Every Last Fear with The Night Shift (2022), What Have We Done (2023), If Something Happens to Me (2024), and Parents Weekend (2025). In a writing style characterized by plot twists, multiple narrative perspectives, and alternating timelines, Finlay’s crime thrillers feature thematic explorations of complex family relationships, trauma, grief, secrets, and justice. His novels appear regularly on “best of the year” lists and are sold globally in 25 languages. All of them, including Parents Weekend, have been optioned for film and television adaptations. Finlay has described his use of a pen name as a way to separate his works of fiction from his profession as a lawyer and author of legal thrillers.

Anthony J. Franze received his law degree in 1995 from Notre Dame Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude. As an adjunct professor of law at American University Washington School of Law and Michigan State’s semester-in-DC program, Franze taught courses in legal rhetoric, federal courts, and appellate practice for more than 10 years. He currently works for Arnold & Porter as a member of the law firm’s appellate and supreme court practice. With a focus on “high-stakes cases requiring creative advocacy” (“Anthony J. Franze.” Arnold & Porter). Franze has represented clients before the US Supreme Court in over 40 cases. His expertise, advocacy, and success rate have earned him praise in numerous law journals and recognition by DC Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters-affiliated rating service that identifies excellence in the field of law. Arnold & Porter’s website also notes Franze’s pro bono work, in which he champions defendants’ right to counsel and endorses judicial reform (“Anthony J. Franze.” Arnold & Palmer).

Franze’s legal thrillers, published under his own name, include The Last Justice (2012), The Advocate’s Daughter (2016), and The Outsider (2017). He also co-wrote a short story for the Mystery Writers of America teen thriller anthology, Life is Short and Then You Die (2019) with Barry Lancet. The story, titled “A Different Hero’s Day,” received praise from Kirkus Reviews as a standout among the 18 stories in the anthology. Anthony Franze, aka Alex Finlay, isn’t the only best-selling crime fiction novelist with a prominent career in appellate law. David Ellis is the author of ten crime fiction novels and has co-authored eight bestselling books with James Patterson. He has also served as a justice on the Illinois Appellate Court since 2014 (“Bio.” David Ellis). In the Reader’s Note at the end of Parents Weekend, Alex Finlay writes: “Last, back to those emails about my mistakes and inaccuracies. Please send all corrections and complaints about Parents Weekend care of author David Ellis at www.DavidEllis.com/contact/. (Kidding! Sorry, buddy.)” (307). The link in the eBook version directs readers to the contact form of David Ellis’s author website.