I loved this book! I enjoyed the dual timeline, even though I found it a bit hard in the beginning to stay focused and not be confused. I also enjoyed the different perspectives and different elements of the crime that were uncovered via those perspectives. I was frustrated that the perspectives didn’t meet up and share with each other. But it kept me there to make sure it eventually happened.

This is a definite recommendation, and Alex Finlay is officially an auto-buy author for me!

Alex Finlay knows just how to hook you man! I was drawn in right away (nostalgia) and felt for the characters. I loved Finlay’s last novel so I was super excited to get to this one and it did not disappoint.

All of the characters are well developed. His writing style is just so easy to read, it just flows like water. It’s also fast paced with a good bit of mystery. I enjoyed the fact that a crime from 99’ was linked to a crime in the present. The spin on it was well done. As per everyone else, the nostalgia in the novel was awesome! I am Blockbuster years old so it brought back a lot of memories going there on a Friday night to rent the newest movie and the excitement of actually seeing the VHS behind the box! Score! Some of you won’t know what that is. How times have changed.

I will say two things about the novel that irritated me. One-I figured out the major twist AKA “bad guy” within the first 30% of the book. It was extremely obvious to me. Now it didn’t deter from my enjoyment (because like I said his writing is good) it was just predictable. Also- What 8.5 months pregnant with twins detective is out running around on stake outs, busting into houses to save people? Now I have never been pregnant but I feel that is HIGHLY unbelievable. I will let that slide Mr. Finlay because all in all this was fun and it felt like it would make a great movie (no pun intended)

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is a compulsively readable thriller loaded with Y2K nostalgia.

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999 when someone attacks four teenage girls at a Blockbuster in Linden, New Jersey. Only one girl escapes alive.

Fast forward fifteen years, someone attacks four girls at an ice cream shop, and again only one survives.

The suspect for the first murder disappeared not long after it happened.

Is it the same perpetrator for this second mass murder? Is it a copycat?

These are the questions that FBI Agent Sarah Keller has in mind when she gets called in to see if there is a possible link between the two cases.

The chapters are short and alternate between Agent Keller, a therapist, and a young lawyer.

I would have enjoyed this novel more if there hadn’t been so many misogynistic hot takes sprinkled throughout the text. One of the characters believes that kids steal pain medication from their mothers specifically, and only aunts attend AA meetings. Umm, what? Oh, and apparently, it’s very faux pas to call a woman in her thirties “ma’am.”

Some of Agent Keller’s actions were unbelievable since she is nearly nine months pregnant.

Once I put those comments out of my mind and suspended my disbelief, I enjoyed the rest of the story. While the big reveal was predictable, finding out how everything tied together was super compelling.

While reading this thriller, I could easily envision it as a TV show or crime drama. Some of the dialogue was very reminiscent of those popular crime shows.

This was my first time reading Finlay. I believe a character from a previous book of the author’s features in this one; however, it didn’t impact my reading experience not having read that one.

I recommend this book to those looking for a fast-paced and compulsive thriller.

Three stars isn’t necessarily a low rating for me. I enjoyed it, but it had its drawbacks.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

I’ve never read this author prior to this book but I will now!

Loved loved loved the premise here as it’s the type of book I can’t get enough of.

🖤 Massacre at Blockbuster Video on New Year’s eve 1999 (yup so nostalgic 😱)
🖤 Another massacre 15 years later that similar to the first crime - that was never technically solved.
🖤 Two final girls - one from each crime - come together to sort things out.
🖤 Interwoven character and storyline that is done so well.
🖤 Murder Mayhem and Madness 🖤

I did guess the killer early on here but still really loved the book and devoured it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

Wow. I loved this book!! It had this eerie undertone that paved the way for the entire novel, as the reader goes along for the ride on two brutal past and present investigations. There may be a copycat murderer out there..or is there?!

I could not put down this book. The premise was unique compared to thrillers I've been reading lately, which was a real treat! I genuinely loved my time with my nose burried in my kindle. I read so many thrillers that sometimes they all start to become repetitive. This was refreshing in the most gruesome and glorious way.

It felt like I was part of the investigation and the whole Y2K panic in the beginning brought me back. A solid book with twists that will get you in the end!! 4.5 stars

A huge thanks to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for this e-ARC.

The Night Shift is set to publish on March 1st, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I started this book on a flight and finished it the following day- I could NOT put it down!! This psychological thriller checked all the boxes for me: multiple POVs, likable/relatable MCs, and kept me guessing right up until the end. While I did guess who the killer was pretty early on, the story was so well done and so incredibly intricate that I didn’t mind the mild disappointment at having guessed the killer. For me, if I can’t put the book down, am constantly analyzing the story/potential endings, and was pleased by the ending (I.e. no loose ends or remaining questions), then it’s a 5/5 for me.

Be sure to pick this one up and add it to the top of your TBR!

Wow! This was my second Alex Finlay book and I think it was even better than "Every Last Fear!"

I just love the multiple POVs and timelines between the characters and murders. It made the book fast paced and kept me engaged the whole time.

I found the plotline very convoluted, but it was done in a very good way. It definitely made you think and kept you guessing throughout the book.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This one was definitely a page turner.
The short chapters that often ended on a cliff hanger made me want to keep reading. It was hard to put this down because I had to know what happened next.

I liked all three narrators. They each had a distinct voice and story line. I liked how their stories were woven together and overlapped.

There were also quite a few twists in this that surprised me. I felt like every couple of chapters something new and shocking was revealed.

My only complaint is I felt the ending was a tad rushed. I wish the reveal was longer and better explained and that there was more follow up with the characters after everything.

Overall a quick and twisty thriller!

The twistiest of thrillers with rivetingly juicy reveals from character to character. The way the story weaves is masterful and sends the reader on a thrill ride.

t’s New Year’s Eve 1999 and the local Blockbuster Video shop in Linden, NJ is getting ready to close. Stevie, the young manager is trying to control his teenage employees, to no avail. As he walks into the breakroom, to summon them back to work, he’s stunned to see one of the girls on the floor - then he’s grabbed from behind and has his throat slit. Only one of the four teens working that fateful night will survive their injuries.

It’s now 2015 and Ella, a psychotherapist with problems of her own, receives a phone call from her old high school teacher, Mr. Steadman, asking her to come to the local hospital. There’s been another murder, this time an ice cream shop, its details eerily similar to the attack long ago, with another young girl inexplicably left alive. As Ella survived the attack all those years ago, Mr. Steadman is hopeful that she can connect with this newest victim, Jesse, over their shared trauma, because Jesse will not let anyone near her.

FBI Agent Sarah Keller, very pregnant with twins, is sent in to assist Linden PD with this newest murder case.  As Sarah arrives in Linden, her police liaison is a young, studious Detective named Atticus Singh. They have been tasked with reviewing the old Blockbuster case and the presumed perpetrator, Vincent Whittaker, who fled the area and has never been found.

Chris Ford, a young public defender with his own ghosts from the past, is just leaving a jailhouse visit with a client when he sees a headline scroll across his smartphone’s newsfeed about the murder. As he reads the unfolding story, his mind drifts back to the events around that fateful night in 1999, and the disappearance of his older brother – a brother he hopes to someday find.

Each of these characters - with seemingly separate backgrounds - take turns in telling their portions of the story, and will find their lives exquisitely intertwined as the story unfolds, as Ella tries to help a young woman through her trauma & Chris continues his search for the brother he lost so many years ago. Meanwhile Sarah & Atticus are painstakingly investigating past and present murders, linked by one common denominator – did the killer really leave town after the murders or has he been hiding in plain sight all this time?

I could NOT put this book down!! From the first page, I was completely hooked and am still reeling from the ending!  I loved these characters - their flaws, their tragedies, their resilience made for one hell of a story – and while I’d hoped for different outcomes for a character or two, the storylines we’re all expertly brought together in one hell of a story!  You most definitely need to take this one for a ride!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an objective review.  Do you love to read?? Visit www.netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

“Goodnight, pretty girl.” Who is whispering these four words to two surviving girls before he knocks them out and murders the three other girls they are with. One girl is found alive at the scene of the Blockbuster murders after her coworkers are murdered and many years later another girl is found alive at an ice cream store after her coworkers are murdered. Are they copycat murders or is the same person responsible for both murders? What if any is the is connection between the two murders?

The Night Shift is the second book I have read by Alex Finlay. If your looking to escape into a murder mystery it will keep your attention and make you forget your troubles. While I enjoyed the book I didn’t like it as much as Every Last Fear. For some reason I wasn’t able to really connect with the characters, I found the way the story was told, in short chapters, made the read very choppy and confusing. I found myself questioning which time frame and which group of people they were talking about. I found myself having to really think who everyone was and what their roles where in the story. That being said I would recommend it as a fast read that will hold your attention. Not the best but good enough that I would read another book by this author. Sometimes all you need is to jump into a mystery that helps you escape and pass the time!

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

Though this book started off at a clip, it somehow never quite hooked me. Maybe that was because I didn't connect with the characters, but ultimately, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Really liked this one!! I've noticed recently that it's been hard for me to find thrillers that I actually enjoy whether it's because it's too obvious or I just don't attach to the characters or whatever other reasons there might be but that was truly not the case with this one! I really liked all the characters in this book and felt they were fleshed out enough to root for (especially Keller, I loved her) which made the mystery and the action way more heightened for me. The last quarter of this book was easily the best part - the twists all got me and the action in the last few chapters was incredible (and devastating??) However, I don't think this book is perfect; I think it needed a little more time at the end to really tightly wrap up some loose ends and I would've loved to sit with these characters for a bit longer to really get to say goodbye to them. I also wish they had taken a little more time to go back over the plot to show how who did it had done it (like in those crime shows lol). Overall, it was really fun & a successful thriller for me!!!

Reading this book did give me nostalgia vibes regarding Blockbuster. I can remember visiting my local Blockbuster regularly to check out movies.

I really enjoyed this book. I started it in the morning and by the evening I had finished this book. This story is told from three main POVs...Ella is the sole survivor of the original murders, FBI Agent Keller, and Chris is the brother of Vince, who was believed to be the original killer.

I had no trouble with the multiple POVs. I wanted to point this out as sometimes this can get confusing. In this case, it was no problem and in fact, it brought me closer to each of the characters. It allowed me to get close to each of them on an emotional level.

The whole time I was reading this book, I kind of was interested in figuring out who the killer was before the reveal but at the same time I did not care if I did not figure it out early. The Night Shift will keep you up all night reading!

The Night Shift is an absolute page turner. If you enjoy mystery/thriller where you think you know what’s happening, grab this one because it’s definitely not what you’re expecting.

Wow! I absolutely Loved The Night Shift! Any book that starts in 1999 at a Blockbuster is definitely going to get my attention. I was 15 on NYE 1999 and boy was did thar initial few pages bring me back!

This isn’t my first by Alex Finlay but it solidified his status as an auto-buy author! I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Fifteen years ago on NYE 4 people were murdered inside of a Blockbuster video. Only one person survived. Now a similar murder scene is found very close to the original scene with everyone dead but one survivor. Both survivors were teenage girls and the suspect from the original murder has been missing for 15 years. Agent Sarah Keller of the FBI is called in to assist the locals. Despite being 8 months pregnant with twins, her senses are sharp and she soon finds herself in the spotlight. Determined to solve the case before anyone else ends up dead, she soon finds herself face to face with a killer who has been hiding in plain sight.

I loved the final girls style plot, the nostalgia and the twists. The addition of the FBI procedural aspect definitely kept my rapt attention but the only way the pieces were tied up at the end is what made this a 5⭐️ read. Once i started I couldn’t put it down! Thank you @netgalley and @minotaurbooks for the E-Arc!

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒
Both the synopsis and plentiful positive reviews on this one caught my attention, but I worried that it wouldn’t live up to the hype, but I must say that this exceeded my expectations.

This was an engaging, fast-paced, and entertaining read. The short chapters and alternative perspectives kept things interesting, and it managed to be the right amount of gruesome without being gratuitous.

Despite that I correctly guessed the “who” immediately after being introduced to the character ( I’m no fun to watch mystery/crime TV with ), this book still offered some solid unexpected and surprising twists - it’s hard to fully mislead the reader, and if you can’t fool them on the ultimate whodunit, you’ve got to be able to keep them guessing and interested enough to keep reading - so kudos to this author in doing so.

I was along for the ride on this one, and let me tell you, it’s worth the journey.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, & Minotaur Books for a digital advanced readers copy.

~👩🏻‍🦰

New Years Eve 1999 - violent murder at a Blockbuster video, leaving several teenagers dead.
One survived - Ella, now a therapist.

15 years later - a very similar crime in the same town, this time at an ice cream store.
Again, one survived.

Now Ella is called to the hospital to talk to the victim. It is soon apparent to Ella that the details of the case are very similar and that they may be looking at a copycat killer, better yet the accused killer from the Blockbuster killings has been MIA for years, has he returned to his old stomping grounds?

This was a quick and engrossing read which is what I look for in a thriller. The storyline is suspenseful is a cross between a police (FBI) procedural and true crime/serial killer type story. I was interested in the storyline and did not guess the ending.

I think I read this in 3 days (through e-learning days and virtual parent-teacher conference nights) because it was so hard to put down!

There is just SO much going on in this story. There is never a dull moment and it’s extremely fast-paced! It is told from different points of view, and sometimes from the past.

The beginning was reminiscent of a Scream type horror flick (a murder massacre at a Blockbuster store) but then the secrets and details started pouring out and what really happened is just crazy!

It’s sad, it’s suspenseful (man, there were two scenes that had my heart pumping crazy fast), it’s heartbreaking, and it will make you angry! It has it all!! I figured out who the “bad guy” was but only a few pages before it is revealed. Some other things, I had NO idea were going to happen.

My only complaint was that it took me some time to keep all the characters straight (there are a lot of them). Once I had that figured out, it was all smooth sailing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A 5 star read from Alex Finlay. The Night Shift is a great thriller kept me hooked the entire time. Alternating POV between Ella, the lone survivor of a horrific crime 15 years ago, Chris, the brother of the accused killer, and Sarah Keller, the detective determined to solve the crimes, help tell the story. Alex Finlay keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, guessing at every twist and turn.
My first 5 star read of the year - HIGHLY recommend!!