This book sounded super promising. I was excited to read a book that was about a 1999 killing in a Blockbuster-esque small-town setting. What I received, unfortunately, was a story with a couple of brief flashbacks rooted in a 2015 setting. This book was a very boring read.

Christopher Pike meets Mare in Easttown. Two murders, two separate sole survivors. How are they connected? One FBI Agent Badass 8 months pregnant, one troubled survivor turned therapist, one uber-smart foster kid dead set on solving the first murder, one brother of alleged missing murder turned District Attorney, mix with small town of connections. Throw in a mysterious Vlogger who may or may not be one of the killers. Could not put this book down and can't recommend it enough.

I was SO excited to see that Alex Finlay had another book coming out. I loved Every Last Fear, last years offering, and so was excited to read the follow-up effort.

The Night Shift follows two murders, about 20 years apart. The first was at a Blockbuster video, where Ella, the only survivor, still feels the effects of the trauma she went through. Ella is called in to help counsel Jesse, the lone survivor 20 years later, when all were killed (except her) at an ice cream shoppe. Ella is now a licensed therapist, and she and Jesse form a precarious bond over their shared experiences.

Also told from the perspective of Chris, the main suspect of the first Blockbuster murder, turned public defense lawyer, and Keller, the very pregnant FBI agent, sent to bridge between the local and federal sides of these investigations.

As with Alex Finlay's books, there were a lot of moving pieces to this book. Despite loving Every Last Fear, I had a very hard time getting into this book. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, or that I didn't like it.... I just had trouble really connecting to the book and the characters. I think, because of that, I had trouble really enjoying this to the fullest.

I really enjoyed the concept and the ending was unpredictable (in a good way). I just had trouble reading this book in a "longer" stretch. It was one that I read in small stretches, and it was hard for me to get truly into.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The 1990 references and fast pace of Alex Finlay’s new novel drew me in right away. This is an author I will be adding to my must read list!

On New Year’s Eve 1999, four teenagers and their manager are working the late shift at Blockbuster Video when a horrible tragedy occurs. Only one will survive. Fast forward fifteen years, an ice cream store in the same town is the site of another tragedy with four teenagers. Sarah Keller, an FBI agent, must solve the mystery of this new case while diving into the secrets of the Blockbuster case.

Finlay tells a story of secrets and trauma with sensitivity and authenticity. Night Shift has unexpected plot twists expertly woven together. The result is a thriller that illustrates the power of survival. Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to review this novel in return for an honest review.

What a ride!

So many twists and turns none of which I was expecting! There were a bunch of different plot points that blended and merged so well together.

The book follows Ella, Chris and Keller and focuses on their specific story lines (which are intertwined) while maintaining the same third person narration which I really liked! It felt like multiple perspectives but without the confusion of ok who is talking right now? It was so smartly written!

Highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you so much to Minotaur Books & St. Martin’s publishing group for the advanced readers copy! (Though the book is in sale now)

The Night Shift is another compelling thriller by Alex Finlay that hooked me immediately. The story begins on New Year’s Eve 1999. A night crew of a Blockbuster Video are all brutally murdered except for one lone survivor. Fifteen years later a similar crime is committed at an ice cream shop, leaving again one survivor. The story is told from multiple POVs: Ella the survivor of the Blockbuster murders, Chris a public defender and FBI Agent Keller. Their lives become entangled as they try to unravel the truth behind the murders and the unsettling connection between the two tragedies. Just like Every Last Fear, this thriller was fast paced with characters I cared about and was interested in how their lives would intersect as the mystery unfolded. This thriller was original, entertaining and had me racing to the conclusion. Alex Finlay has become an auto read author. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy.

Alex us an auto buy for me at this point! I love that I can’t figure out what’s going on… I could see where that would be frustrating for some readers and it would be for me if the twists/endings didn’t make sense but they do! Will be recommending! Thank you for letting me read early!

Two bloody massacres over a decade apart, both with one lonely survivor, and both in the same town. Is there a connection between the two or is it just a coincidence? The twists will catch you by surprise and some will leave you speechless. This one will leave you gripped right down to the very end!
Thank you to Netgalley, Alex Finlay and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is the first book I've had the pleasure of reading by Alex Finlay and now I'm even more excited to go read his others! This was a very gripping book that had me from the start. Once I started it, I found it very difficult to put it down! So many twists and turns in the book. There were a lot of characters and at times it was hard to remember them all, but overall I loved this book. The characters were amazing and the writing was very fluid. All I can say is, wow. I definitely recommend this one, especially if you're like me and enjoy a good mystery/thriller. This one gets ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

The Night Shift is true crime fiction, and it does it well. It’s not perfect, and at times, could be a bit predictable. But it was so grindy and gritty, just like the best true crime is. I loved the shifting narratives - it really worked in this book.

This definitely makes me want to read Alex Finlay’a first book.

Alex Finlay has done it again! He is now one of my favorite thriller authors and officially an auto-buy author for me. He has such an amazing writing style that will suck you right in. The Night Shift has a unique plot that includes two crime scenes that were too similar to not be connected, but the journey getting there will have you stunned. I loved the plot, different perspectives, and the final twist! If you have not read this one, you must!

Loved the '90s era, Blockbuster flashback vibe of this book. Loved how the crimes intersected, though it was a bit more police procedural than I expected. Overall another good thriller from Alex Finlay, I'll have my eye out for their next one.

As a former blockbuster employee, as soon as I read the synopsis for this, I knew I needed it! I was immediately intrigued by this crime fiction read and found it incredibly twisty and propulsive!

This one had a fantastic ensemble that each brought something different to the story and I throughly enjoyed how they were all connected and intersected so well together. I’m also a big fan of duel timelines and I truly relished how well these enhanced the plot and continually drove the suspense.

While some of the beginning and middle were a little slower paced, it really picks up at the end as secrets begin being exposed and the twists and turns keep coming. All in all, I found this to be an well written and addictive read!

All I will say is go into this one blind because Alex Finlay has done it again. I really enjoy his books and I can't wait for the next one.

I took a two month thriller hiatus. It simply had to happen. After a few big letdowns at the end of 2021 I needed a breather from all the thrills and kills.

Admittedly, I went into THE NIGHT SHIFT with a bit of trepidation that I would bet let down yet again. I’m happy to report my streak of thriller flops ended with the latest by Alex Finlay.

Turns out a police procedural with a healthy side of 90s nostalgia was just what this thriller skeptic needed! Told in dual timelines and multiple POVs, the story follows two survivors of murders of high school girls who worked the night shift at Blockbuster and and ice cream parlor.

The way the crimes intersected was clever and I loved that there were characters I could root for. Namely, the 8-month pregnant FBI agent (with twins!) who finds the agility to break into a run to chase down assailants. As a pregnant woman myself, I found this to be the most implausible aspect of the story–but you go mama!

I’m thankful this book pulled me out of my thriller slump!

Give me a Finlay double shift…

Every Last Fear was one of my top thriller picks last year so when I heard Finlay had a new release coming out my fingers immediately went to NetGalley. His writing has a retro, true crime feel that just excites my lady murder boner like no other. They aren’t really whodunnits, but rather a deep look into a community or cast of characters impacted by a horrific crime.

The book opens on New Year’s Eve 1999 at a Blockbuster, right there you have my Gen X heart. Four teenage girls were working the night shift, three were murdered only one survives. Flash forward fifteen years later, an identical crime takes place at an ice cream store and again only one girl survives.

Here’s my analysis:

Setting

​​🎬 Outside of the Blockbuster video store, there isn’t anything memorable about the New Jersey town that the two crimes take place. This isn’t an atmospheric thriller unless you still have PTSD abou late fees.

📖 Compulsive

As compulsive as a Dairy Queen blizzard. I ate this up in one sitting. Short punchy chapters with multiple character POVs keep this one moving.

🔪 The villain/motivation

There aren’t a lot of suspects and it isn’t entirely clear who the killer is, but you could make an educated guess. The motivation is spot on and feels very much like a true crime story. It's not convoluted like so many other thrillers, it’s straight forward even in its lunacy.

🔚 The ending

It’s very quick and to the point. Once the detectives figures it out there is a showdown with an interesting weapon! I appreciated there wasn’t a long dragged out scene where the killer sits down with a cup of tea for a therapy session.

✍️ The writing

Finlay’s writing is very straight forward, he doesn’t muddle it with laughable descriptions or repetition. The Night Shift is a tight story without any filler or fluff. He gives us the goods and gets the fuck out. He understood the assignment.

This was such an entertaining thriller! Reliving the 90’s movie store era was a treat. So nostalgic! The characters were magnificent, they were all multifaceted and deep. The twist and turns were fast paced and perfectly surprising. I did guess the killer pretty early on, but it did not take away from the thrilling twists that I DID NOT see coming. This is a must read for thriller fans!

Tʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ @minotaur_books, @netgalley, and @alexfinlayauthor ꜰᴏʀ ᴀɴ ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴇᴄᴏᴘʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍʏ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ. ♡︎

I now have a new auto buy author! Last year I read, and loved, Every Last Fear and the Night Shift was equally excellent. I got to 50% in the book and had no idea what where things were headed and not a single theory – and I LOVED it. Normally by then I have a bunch of ideas and start whittling them down through the last half of the book. The short chapters and multiple POV’s really kept the pace of the novel going at a breakneck speed from page one. When I wasn’t reading this, I was thinking about it. As for the ending, oof…pretty sure my blood pressure skyrocketed when everything started coming together. Well done Alex Finlay, hoping there’s another book in the works.

Thank you @minotaur_books and @netgalley for the complimentary digital review copy.

The Night Shift by Ale Finlay is a thriller about two night shifts going terribly wrong and ending with multiple murders. In 1999, at a Blockbuster video rental store, the staff in the night shift all got killed except for one lone survivor, Ella. There was one murder suspect but they fled the town— never to be seen again. Fast forward to present day and a very similar murder takes place in a local ice cream shop. Are these two murder sprees connected? When the suspected murderer disappeared in 1999 without a trace and another murder happens in the same town is committed, one starts to wonder… Is it the same killer? When a web of secrets and lies unfold, you won’t know what to believe.

I loved this book. I flew through this book and found that I couldn’t put it down. The short chapters and varying perspectives made for a fast, addictive read. I loved the perspectives of the story– an FBI agent working the case, Keller, the lone survivor from the 1999 Blockbuster massacre, Ella, and the 1999 murder suspects brother, Chris. The different perspectives weaved the story together seamlessly– each adding a different layer to the story. I really enjoyed the mystery behind the character, Vince and it turned out completely unexpected for me.

I loved the setting and nostalgia of the Blockbuster and the 90s. Growing up in the 90s, I remember visiting video rental stores which also added another creepy layer to the story.

I did have an inkling throughout the story about who the killer was and it turned out to be correct.. Even though I kind of had an idea of who the killer was, I still enjoyed the story and how it all weaves together. One thing that I didn’t really love was the fact that one of the main characters was 8 1/2 months pregnant with twins. As an FBI agent, I can’t imagine they would put someone who is literally about to give birth to a very intense case. She also kept putting herself into these situations. Now, I don’t think just because you’re pregnant you cannot work or do anything someone else can, but this just seemed like a bit much. I did, however, love her partner Atticus as a character.

Lastly, I did love the epilogue. Even in thriller books, I enjoy knowing what happened to all of the characters and where they end up. I was satisfied with the ending for all the characters in this book.

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

I loved this 90s thriller told through many different POV. When I saw a murder takes place during Y2k at a Blockbuster, this millennial needed to pick up this. Even though I had a correct hunch about the killer early on, there were some twists and turns that surprised me and still made this an enjoyable read.

Review of The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the 90s nostalgia and the overall story. I really liked the flashback stories as the plot unfolded. It was a very quick read for me and I think the writing was excellent. I did guess the killer very early on but it didn’t take much away from my enjoyment but that is part of why I gave it four stars rather than five.

Quick synopsis: On New Years Eve 1999 there is a mass murder at the Blockbuster store. Four employees are murdered and one more is severely injured but survives. The killer is presumed to be a young man named Vince but he vanished after getting out on bail awaiting trial. Flash forward to the present time when there has been another set of murders this time at the ice cream shop. Once again there is one survivor. FBI agent Keller (surrounded by a great supporting group of characters to include the survivors of both attacks, the younger brother of the accused who is now a defense attorney, and a young rookie police officer) must get to the bottom of the new murders snd determine if they are connected to the Blockbuster slayings. Most importantly, she needs to find the killer… and fast.

I’ve seen mixed reviews on this one but I do recommend that you give it a try!

Big thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my ecopy of this one!

#netgalley