This is the first book by Alex Finlay that I have read, and I really enjoyed it! I liked the two timelines and the similar crimes and was very intrigued by the different characters. There were a few twists and turns that I definitely didn't expect, and I liked that the heroine was not your every day crime thriller character. Although the feats that she achieved at 81/2 months pregnant seemed to be a bit of a stretch, it definitely added tension and suspense to many scenes, and gave me a "you go girl" feeling every time she stepped up and demonstrated bravery. Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

The Night Shift is my favorite kind of thriller. With just the right amount of characters, a perfectly crafted plot, and enough twists and turns to keep me guessing without total whiplash, I flew through Alex Finlay’s new release.

What connects a triple murder at a Blockbuster video and a similar crime at an ice cream shop fifteen years later? That’s for you to find out when you grab a copy of Night Shift!

Thanks for the opportunity to post and review! Attached is a link to my 2/28/22 Instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cah8EO9LJmd/

If you were a 90s kid with an after-school job, this will take you straight to the worst-case scenario of that pre-smartphone world where we lived and worked without a care in the world. The Night Shift is a dual-era novel with two eerily similar murders. Y2K marked the end of a millennium and the tragic end to the lives of three teens working at the local Blockbuster. Only one survived the brutal attack with no memory of the assailant. 

Fifteen years later: same town, same story. Teens are attacked at a local ice cream store and the murderer leaves one survivor. 

Past and present storylines merge. Survivor becomes mentor. The brother of the initial (and missing) suspect gets involved. And the investigation is led by a very pregnant detective set on cracking the case. 

I loved this book and finished it in a single day. Hang on to your popcorn, kids. This one's going to take you for a ride.

This read was a pretty mixed bag for me. In terms of the positives, I can definitely say that THE NIGHT SHIFT kept me reading, with it's snappy pacing and engaging plot. I liked seeing our three protagonists, Ella, Chris, and Agent Keller slowly start to piece together a cold case lined up with a very hot one, and how their storylines eventually intersected in a pretty satisfying way. I also really liked Agent Keller's storyline, as I thought that her investigation was the most interesting angle wise, and I liked her as a character. She had some serious Marge Gunderson from FARGO vibes: pregnancy, doting and loving husband, and a true skill for her job. I really liked her chapters. But a lot of the rest was kind of lackluster. On one hand, Ella and Chris were pretty two dimensional, with Ella being a very cookie cutter version of a traumatized woman (she's a caring therapist but her own life is a mess), and Chris having his own story of missing his brother Vince who may have been the murderer in the original Blockbuster murders, but who disappeared before he could be really examined. Throw in the fact that the solution to the mystery itself was pretty obvious from the get go. While I did find myself interested and engaged, it ultimately wasn't terribly surprising while trying to be surprising.

THE NIGHT SHIFT is pretty standard thriller mystery fare. Entertaining, but not reinventing any wheels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily. Holy Toledo! Alex Finlay has hit this one out of the park! You will need oxygen after reading this book because it will leave you breathless. It is New Year's Eve 1999 and there is a massacre at a local Blockbuster, but one teenage girl survives. Fast forward 15 years later and there is an similarly eerie attack again at a local ice cream shop. Once again one teenage girl survives the attack. The current survivor specifically asks to see and speak to the survivor from the previous massacre. The characters in this book are haunted by their past and their present, and Alex Finlay does a great job of tying it all together for you in a bloody bow! You will go on a winding road through the past and present trying to pinpoint exactly what happened right up to the shocking conclusion of the book. This thriller will ensnare you into the plot and hold a tight grip onto your consciousness until the haunting conclusion with twists you will never see coming! Kudos to Alex Finlay for what I believe will be another best seller!

History repeats itself in this thriller. Teens working in a video store are killed late just as they are closing. In flashbacks we get background on the victims and how their lives intersected. Fifteen years later it appears the killer is back. Or are they. A great can’t put down thriller. It keeps you till the end. Includes survivor's guilt, and all the teen angst you can handle.

15 years apart, two very similar murders take place in the same small town. Are they connected? If so, how? To unravel the layers of information, the woman who survived the 1999 New Year's Eve murder and the girl who survived a similar crime 15 years later pair up. But this book isn't that simple and the webs start overlapping with clues and people and what a mess! I really enjoyed how deep and rich the story and characters were. Throughout the entire book there was a lot of information to consider when trying to beat the characters to uncover who done it! Definitely a page turner and reinforced my feeling that Alex Finlay is one of my must read authors.

Thank you so much @Minotaur_Books & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 01 March 2022)

SYNOPSIS | On New Years Eve 1999 a group of teenage girls are brutally murdered at a Blockbuster Video Store leaving only one survivor. 15 years later another group of teenage girls are brutally murdered at an ice cream parlour in the same area, again leaving only one survivor... are the crimes connected?

WHAT I LIKED:
- multiple POV worked really well for this story
- each chapter ends on a mini cliffhanger which had me gorging the story
- the nostalgia hit hard with the Blockbuster references
- you feel like you are solving the crime along with the detective

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- there were a few too many side characters for me to keep straight in my brain
- one of the police detectives is 8.5 months pregnant & consistently puts herself & her unborn twins in danger (this was at times difficult for me to read based on my own pregnancy experience)

I was extremely unimpressed with the execution of this book. It felt so under-researched and stuff was happening that had no explanation whatsoever. I am all for female empowerment, but in no world would a woman who is heavily pregnant with TWINS be put in situations where she could easily get hurt and risk her life and her children’s lives. I was so off put by that part of this book. The only saving grace of this book was the nostalgic aspect of Block Busters and life in the 90s. The twists were not executed in a way that had me super surprised and itching to read more. It felt like I knew the answer within the first 100 pages of the book. I have been seeing a lot of good reviews for this, so I won’t tell you not to read it. But I thought it was very poorly executed and researched.

"Goodnight, pretty girl..."

New Year's Eve 1999 at the Blockbuster Video store in Linden, New Jersey and the the young staff was murdered except for one surviving girl.

Fifteen years later another terrible too similar murder takes place in Linden, again with just one surviving girl and local law enforcement and one very pregnant FBI agent are trying to figure out if and why the two crimes are connected.

This is a twisty thriller, told from multiple points of view, which I enjoyed very much. I saw some of the reveals coming but definitely not all of them. I will be watching for more from this author. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from Minotaur Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is a wild ride of a thriller.

"New Year's Eve, 1999 - Four teenagers are attacked at a Blockbuster video store in Linden, NJ - only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again. Fifteen years later at an ice-cream store in the same town, four teenagers are attacked and only one makes it out alive.
The survivor of the Blockbuster massacre is forced to relive her tragedy. The brother of the original suspect is convinced the police had the wrong suspect. And the FBI agent is determined to solve both cases."

This new book by Finlay is fast-paced and entertaining. I love a book where the twists and turns seem to never stop. I actually guessed the killer in this book (but it was just a guess) Seems like several characters had secrets that were easily revealed. So many "Wait..What?!?" moments as each twist is revealed.
A surprise ending and a nice twist at the end. I like when a book has some resolution for the characters.
Best nickname ever for an FBI agent

Great choice if you're looking for a fast-paced, twisty story. Another great thriller pick for the beach.

I loved this book because from the first chapter, it was full of action and never stopped. As a kid who grew up in the 90's and remembered renting from Blockbuster, I loved the nostalgic throwbacks.

I really liked Agent Keller ( Agent Badass). I can sort of relate because my job is to investigate claims so I always like to imagine myself as an FBI agent. I think she is who I would be if I were an agent. Bad ass female who at 8 months pregnant with twins is investigating crimes like she's not even pregnant. I loved the way she was written as intuitive and perceptive. I liked the alternating POV in the story. I really felt for the victims that remained and had major survivors guilt.

I think the one downfall for me was the amount of characters in the story. It was a lot to remember at times and could be distracting from the otherwise fantastic story. Overall it was a fast paced read with an ending I definitely did not see coming. My favorite kind of thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital galley of this book.

One of my favorite things in the entire world is picking up an addicting, can’t put it down book and getting swept away in a story. The Night Shift was totally one of those books! ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣On December 31, 1999 the night shift of Blockbusters is horrifically attacked and slain, but one girl escapes with her life. The kid who is accused of the crime escapes. Fifteen years later, history seems to repeat itself when the staff of an ice cream shop is murdered, but one girl survives. FBI agent Sarah Keller is called in to investigate the crime and decide if the two scenes are connected. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣I really liked this book. It was action packed and entertaining. The characters are slightly messed up (which is totally understandable) but not completely unlikable. It was just a fun read. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣My only hang out? Sarah is supposed to be nine months pregnant with twins. As someone who was recently in that position, I’m calling bull! On several occasions, she threw herself into danger and acted like a total badass. In reality, homegirl would have been struggling to put on her shoes in real life. Has Alex Finlay ever been around a massively pregnant women?! 🤣⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Overall, The Night Shift was a good book and I recommend it to thriller fans. Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thankful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Night Shift publishes on March 1, 2022.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Night Shift by Alex Finley.
A special thanks to NetGalley in St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions on my own.
I don’t even know where to start. This was one of those can’t put the book down, can’t think about anything else until your done books.
The book begins on New Year’s Eve of 1999. Everyone is getting ready for Y2K. The world is safe the computer dates rolled over like they were supposed to and everyone’s panic was for not. But in a little town of London New Jersey tragedy did strike. Four teenage girls working at Blockbuster were brutally attacked three of them were killed and one of them survived Ella. Vince Whitaker is charged and convicted of the crime.
After a decade and a half another brutal attack occurs in London, New Jersey, except this time it’s an ice cream store. Jessica is the sole survivor but she refuses to talk to the police. In an effort to get her to talk they decide she needs somebody who understands what she’s going through, Ella the lone survivor of the black buster murders is now an adult and a therapist. As she helps Jesse, and finds clues from both murders. Could the two murders be connected?
FBI agent Keller local police officer Atticus and public defender Chris Whitaker (Vince’s baby brother) team up to help solve both of these crimes. Could Vince be innocent?!?!
The twist and turns of this book kept me on my toes and I couldn’t wait to figure it out! Alex Finley has become of of my favorite thriller writers. Can’t wait for what’s next!

I LOVED Alex Finley’s first book, Every Last Fear, so I was super excited to read The Night Shift. It did not disappoint. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.

A community is torn apart by the killing of three teenagers at a Blockbuster Store on New Years Eve 1999. The one lone survivor has tried to pick up the pieces and have a normal life but because the case was never completely closed, she has not had closure. Fifteen years later, a killing takes place at an ice cream shop and the similarities are eerily similar. As the local cops investigate, the FBI is called in to make sure there can’t possibly be a connection to the Blockbuster killings. As law enforcement tries to put together the clues, many of the same players from the Blockbuster case are still involved and things get complicated.

I felt like there were a lot of ways this story could have gone, and while I can see some people saying they thought it was predictable, I felt like so many clues were dropped, that it kept me guessing. I loved the way the chapters jumped between different perspectives and continued to get little clues about the Blockbuster killings throughout the story. Loved this book—as long as Alex Finley keeps writing them, I’ll keep reading them!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alex Finlay's latest "The Night Shift" was everything I want my perfect read to be - interesting plotline, fascinating characters, the kind of pacing that won't let you put the book down and writing style that had me hooked from the first page. I foresee seeing the cover of this book on my Insta feed quite a while after its publication day (March 1).

The story revolves around 2 crimes decades apart but with a few common threads. On NYE 1999, 4 girls working in Blockbuster video are attacked and Ella is the only survivor. Years later, Ella is working as a therapist and when 4 girls get attacked at an ice cream parlor, she is called in to help out the sole survivor Jesse. Shifting the storytelling from perspectives of Ella, FBI Agent Sarah Keller and Chris (brother of the man accused of the original crime), Alex Finlay leads us on such an engaging and thrilling adventure. Characters come alive from the pages of this book and getting to know them, understanding how past and present intersect for each on of them was just as important as the progression of the story.

My only disappointment was not realizing that Sarah Keller appears in Finlay's previous work, Every Last Fear, which I haven't read yet. As a reader who loves reading books in order if there is a common thread, I'll just have to live with reading these in reverse order.

Thankful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am obsessed with Alex Finlay. I was blown away by his previous novel, and this was no exception. Having lived through Y2K AND basically living at my local blockbuster on weekends, I knew this was a must read. The writing is quick and so enthralling. Alex is goin places. Dark and murdery places, but places.

{Huge thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this free advanced copy of this book!}

•The Night Shift-Alex Finlay
•Mystery/Thriller
•Available-March 1st
•4⭐️/5

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟗. 𝟏𝟓 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫?

This is a great fast paced thriller that’ll have you turning the pages as fast as you can with the need to know what’s going to happen next. With short chapters, lots of characters, a dual timeline, and lots of chapters ending on cliffhangers, I flew right through this one.

It took me a little to really get into this one, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. My one complaint is there were a lot of characters so I did struggle to keep everyone straight. And even though I did guess who the killer was early on, I still very much enjoyed this one. It was kind of sad though. But good!

You’ll want to read this book in one sitting, so be sure to make time. I was trying to read this so fast because all the twists were keeping me on edge. I could not put this book down. So good!

Looking for gripping and fast paced read?? This thriller that originally takes place in a Blockbuster is the book you need to pick up next.

On New Year's Eve in 1999 a New Jersey Blockbuster is the site of a gruesome attack. Four teenagers and their supervisor are the focus of a murderer, there is only one survivor. Fifteen years later, another attack has occurred in a local ice cream shop in the same town. We follow three lives as they intersect in this investigation, an FBI agent, the original survivor and the brother of the Blockbuster suspected killer. How will their stories intertwine and reveal the true killer?

What an easy thriller to read! Such a fast paced and intriguing story. The multiple point of views really helped shape this story from every end, and I really loved all of these characters. I really started to care for them by the end of the story and the end really hurt my soul.

There were a couple twists I did not see coming and the ending sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions. The only thing I wanted was more! More about the characters back story and a bit of slowing to the story, it felt a little rushed at certain points. Otherwise this thriller was truly thrilling and I highly recommend it.