Thank you to Minotaur Books and Alex Finlay for letting me read The Night Shift early. This one publishes on March 1!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy and fast paced read full of likable characters and enough mystery to keep me guessing. I loved the alternating characters in chapters as well as the dual time periods. If you’re looking for a quick escape, The Night Shift should be added to your TBR.

New Year’s Eve 1999. Four teenagers are working the late shift at Blockbuster in New Jersey and they are fatally attacked. Only one survives and the police quickly identify a suspect. He flees and is never seen again. 15 years later some teenagers are attacked at an ice cream store and again only one makes it out alive. Three lives intersect, the lone survivor from Blockbuster, the brother of the missing fugitive, and the FBI agent looking into both crimes. Who will uncover the truth first?

I love the idea of this book and enjoyed reading it. I liked how you saw the case from different perspectives. Solid characters. I would have liked a little more action in the middle of the book however the ending blew me away.

Another let down this year for me ugh. I was so excited that this one sounded like a good 90s blockbuster nostalgia thriller but it was not that. Only a small tiny fraction of the book included flashback scenes to the murders that happened in the 90s. The rest of the book we flip between multiple different narratives 15 years later and it was just meh for me. A lot of times I found myself tuning out or not even remembering who some of the characters were because they didn’t have enough depth to them. Overall this was just an okay average thriller that I will forget what even happened 2 days from now.

Thank you NetGalley and the published for sending me this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This mystery/thriller opens on New Year's Eve 1999 in a Blockbuster Video store in New Jersey. The four teens working there are attacked, only one survives, and the police's only suspect disappears. Fifteen years later, there's an attack on an ice cream store and, again, only one teen makes it out alive. FBI agent Sarah Keller is invited in to investigate if the current attack was done by the same person and if that means the fugitive murder suspect is back in town. We also follow the lone survivor of the Blockbuster massacre and the younger brother of the accused killer as they both are driven to find out the truth of what happened that night.

TW/CW: adult/minor relationship, infidelity, domestic violence, pregnancy

Finlay broke out in 2021 with his thriller Every Last Fear and the similarities between that book and this one are hard to ignore. Besides following the same FBI Agent Sarah Keller, there are a lot of the same tropes and character types but I think they are used much more effectively in this book than in Every Last Fear. I don't mind at all when authors re-use tropes in multiple books but I do think it makes it really easy to compare/contrast the two works. In this case, I was glad to see that Finlay re-balanced some of the other elements in the story which gives the two books a completely different feel even if they have a lot of the same plot elements. I'll go into detail in the later points, but basically this book gave me more of the elements I wanted out of Every Last Fear (such as heavier on the FBI investigation and more balanced multi-POV choices) and got rid of the, in my opinion, weaker elements. [my review of Every Last Fear is linked here]

I was so happy to see Agent Keller back in this book. I'm not sure if Finlay is planning on making this a series following the FBI agent but she was my favorite character in Every Last Fear so I was excited to see her return. Another review I read made a comment that they're happy to see a female FBI agent without a super tragic or angsty backstory and as much as I like my haggard and damaged detectives, it was really nice have the focus be more on the mystery. She's 8 months pregnant at the beginning of the book and every time it was mentioned, the movie Fargo kept popping up in my head. I think the part I liked the most about Agent Keller's character is that she is so steadfast and good at her job that she acts as almost a safe point for the reader. The investigation and other POVs are a little chaotic but when we come back to Agent Keller's POV it almost acts as a bit of a resting point in the story while we're driving with her to interview a witness/suspect/whoever. I think she acts as a great outsider perspective for these two crimes in this small town where it seems everyone is connected in one way or another.

I really enjoyed the POV choices in this book and found them equally interesting. I love a good multi-POV book but only if each of the plot lines have something interesting about them (which was one of my main issues with Every Last Fear). In this case, it was clear that each of the POV characters had a connection to the current investigation (and thus would become important to the main mystery thread at some point) but they also had their own interesting, personal journeys. There were a couple times when one POV would end on a bit of cliffhanger or juicy tidbit of information and I wanted to find out what happened next but then the next chapter would be a new POV. This is a pretty common tactic with any book but I think when it comes to multi-POV books it can be really obvious and some readers might not like it very much at all. Initially, the three main POV characters and their plot lines are very separate but as the investigation ramps up they do entwine. I really enjoy once they start crossing over because it lets us see these other characters from a new perspective. I also liked how we are mostly set in the current day investigation with the occasional flashback scene to 1999. I think it worked really well because none of our present day characters know what happened back in 1999 (which is sort of the whole point of the plot) and as much as I love a good dual-timeline, I don't think it would have worked well in this case.

The one complaint (but it really isn't an actual complaint) is how bittersweet the ending is. We get two big reveals in the last 10% of the book that just made me so sad but then I found the epilogue to be so uplifting. The fact that Finlay made me cry - twice! - in what is, essentially, a police procedural I think really says a lot about how immersive his writing and characters are. It is the type of ending for a mystery where you keep flipping pages and think to yourself "no, no, no, that can't be real" and you're hoping for another twist to the twist but it never comes. In regards to the plot-side of the ending, I think Finlay does a really great job of layering on the information and reveals so they build on each other and raise the tension even more. The actual reveal, for me, wasn't anything off the wall but it was really well built up and I personally didn't guess any of the details about the ending correctly.

I really enjoy Finlay's writing style and how immersive and page-turning it is. He has a very readable style that works so well with his more commercially high-concept plots. There aren't many seams in the writing so once I was immersed, I was in all the way. I know writing styles are very subjective and each reader will have their own preferences. The best way I can describe it is that the style is invisible when I'm reading. I don't get tripped up over sentence structure or word choice. There aren't long paragraphs of description or meandering philosophical thoughts. And there isn't anything wrong with styles that do include those - I like a good flowery prose every now and then. I also know and fully acknowledge the fact that it takes a lot of work for the writing to become 'invisible'. But I think for a commercial mystery/thriller like this, the less complicated prose makes it so compulsively easy to read. The kind of writing that makes you go 'just one more chapter' over and over again.

Overall, this was pretty much my perfect high-concept commercial mystery/thriller. I got more of everything I wanted from Finlay's first book and it all worked really well for me. I don't think the actual plot is anything extraordinarily new and exciting but the investigation, characters, and writing style all came together really well to make this a very immersive read.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC

Expected publication date is March 1, 2022

The Night Shift has everything that I'm looking for in a mystery and it was so hard to put down. I loved the alternating character views and I was so curious on how the 2 events were going to be connected.

Thank you to Netgallery and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I reaaaally liked this one! Of course in the first chapters when a character is introduced I peg them as the killer and of course I was right because I can’t just be a normal reader and just READ and not theorize. The nature of a thriller book reader. I was still pleased by the plot twists and how the two major events connected. I genuinely was surprised at the revelations in the last quarter. I liked the three POVs, the characters actually had personality. My one major gripe is how a teenage girl was able to connect all these dots about the murders, do a tremendous amount of research and the FBI, local police, every law enforcement agency couldn’t do jack. It was this kid basically doing their jobs for them. Besides that, I genuinely enjoyed this one. Lots of good end of chapter cliffhangers that kept me engaged.

Riveting from beginning to end. Read it in one sitting. Sarah Keller is a badass.
Thank you for the digital arc.

“Goodnight, pretty girl.”

Whoa! Lots of twists and turns in this book! Interesting that the first murders took place during Y2K. Who can forget that time?? This will probably sound strange, but I appreciated the fact that the first murders took place at Blockbuster Video since I just happen to live where the last one in the United States is located! But the book really took off when the same type of murder happened at an ice cream shop 15 years later. Both times the killer left one survivor and whispered "Goodnight, pretty girl."

Great character development. My heart hurt for Chris ... and I chuckled more than once, reading about the 8.5 months pregnant FBI Special Agent, Sarah Keller. AND she was pg with twins! (Probably stretched credibility a bit with that one.) I think Sarah (Special Agent Badass) and her husband, Bob, were my favorite characters.

I will admit to being a wee bit confused at the beginning, as there seemed to be a lot of characters to keep track of and I found myself wishing I had made a list to help me keep track of everyone.

This is the first book I've read by this author but it definitely won't be the last! 4.5 Stars for The Night Shift.

Two killing sprees spaced fifteen years apart with one scary similarity - there was one teen left alive and the killer left them with the same parting words. Now investigating the second set of murders is an FBI agent determined to solve both, the first murder suspects brother trying to clear his family name and the survivors of both murders.
It is a very violent and twisted story full of misdirection, surprises and a crazy ending you won't see coming - everything you could want in a thriller. Don't work the night shift is the moral of the story. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

What a book to get to enjoy on a snow day!! I loved this super twisty, ride of a book. The twists came at just the right times to keep the pace exciting. Huge fan of this author and this book does not disappoint with a cast of characters that all come together smoothly. This is going to be a huge hit!

As the world awaits the arrival, and possible chaos, of 2000, four girls and their manager are working at a Blockbuster when they are viciously attacked, leaving four people dead with one survivor. A suspect is soon arrested, but after being released on bail this person disappears, never to be seen again. Fifteen years later a similar massacre occurs in an ice cream shop, and just like at Blockbuster, there is only one survivor, and just like at Blockbuster, the killer is heard saying, “Goodnight, pretty girl.” Has the killer returned? Or is there a copycat running about? One FBI agent, Sarah Keller, is determined to answer these questions, but she is not the only one looking for answers.

Finlay delivers another twister story with The Night Shift. He tells the character’s tales from their points of view, with an occasional dip into the past, which I really enjoyed. I also liked how everything came together so seamlessly at the end. The characters are well developed and I enjoyed the look into their lives. I especially liked Chris; he is a very determined individual with a good heart. While I had my suspicions about who the killer, or killers, may be, it did not take away from my enjoyment of the novel and I was still surprised by things along the way.

Every Last Fear was one of my favorite books last year, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Night Shift.

In 1999, Ella is the sole survivor of a brutal massacre at a Blockbuster. Years later, working as a social worker, she's called to talk to Jesse, a young girl who is the sole survivor of a similar attack, one where the killer whispers the same words Ella's own attacker said to her on that awful night. Told from multiple POVs, The Night Shift focuses on the search for a killer and the quest for redemption.

Ugh, I loved this book.

Finlay's writing is so engaging and crisp, it's impossible to put down. Short chapters keep you turning pages, but it isn't just the short chapters. The voices are expertly developed and woven together in such a way that propels the plot without dragging it down with backstory or heavy flashbacks. I loved Ella and her unlikable traits, so if you're a reader looking for a protag with questionable morals and relatable dialogue, this will be the book for you.

Also, I could go on and on about the resurgence of the 90s. I love nostalgia and the throwbacks references, and Finlay hit the nail on the head, painting a very realistic picture of what Friday nights at Blockbuster used to be. Combined with the Silence of the Lamb type layers of investigation and cat-and-mouse intrigue, The Night Shift has all the ingredients for an un-put-downable thriller.

Out 03/01, add this to your TBRs now.

Huge thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

I love the nostalgia of Blockbuster scenes, the feel and the descriptions It brought me right back to the video store when I was a teen! I really enjoyed that it was told in multiple POVs. There are quite a few characters but it was easy to know who was who and how they played a role in what was happening. It was a twisted story where the past intertwines into the present and the mix of characters made it unputdownable. The way they each had their own thing happening but somehow it all had to do with another. The focus was not on just one character, which gave it good layers as the story unfolds. I also really liked having a pregnant FBI agent and that it didn't stop her in any way. The way the end came all together with a bang really had me on edge waiting for the final outcome.
4.5 stars

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for my copy for review!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I was a little disappointed in this book. I have really enjoyed mysteries lately and the synopsis sounded exactly what I was looking for. The first third of the book seemed to be a retelling of the Blockbuster murder over and over again just from different points of view. It was a hard book to get into because of that, but it in middle action definitely picked up and I enjoyed it. However, it was still fairly predictable and there were a lot of characters to keep track of that didn't hold much significance. Aside from that, I loved uncovering the connections and truth to both of the murders, following along from the perspectives of everyone involved. The last quarter of the book was impossible to put down, and I would have enjoyed having the ending played out longer instead of so abruptly.

I would recommend it to anyone who loves slow-burn mysteries and finding out who did it!

This was my first Alex Finlay and I was immediately engrossed.

The opening chapter hooks you right away, and we love a good time jump to figure out what happened in the past. We spend the entirety of the book following a cast of characters who are involved with the Murders of a Blockbuster in 1999, or the almost identical murder that happens at a Ice Creamery in modern day.

Each voice was very distinct and felt relevant. I never felt like we didn't need a certain perspective, and they were all obviously different from each other.

I loved how the two stories intertwined and unfolded and it kept me guessing the entire time. With every reveal it felt logical and earned. I had a really great time with this and will be continuing to check out Finlay in the future.

On New Year’s Eve in 1999, four teenagers and their managers are brutally murdered while working at their local Blockbuster. Ella is the lone survivor and she’s managed to make a life for herself as a counselor after the suspected killer, Vincent, escapes.
Then the past seems to be happening again 15 years later when a similar killing occurs at an ice cream parlor, again leaving only one survivor – newcomer Jesse.
“Night Shift” follows not only Ella and Jesse, but also the FBI Agent Sarah Keller as she works to solve the original case and Chris, a public defender determined to prove his brother wasn’t responsible for the first set of murders.
This book was a ride. It’s fast-paced with the constantly-changing perspectives, luring you in as all these people impacted by the Blockbuster murder work to figure out if and how it’s connected to the most recent murder. Author Alex Finlay does a tremendous job of balancing the twists in such a way that they feel believable.
A few reviews complain that the ending was obvious. However, that was not the case for me. I found myself guessing at the killer’s identity and motive until shortly before it was revealed.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.
4.25/5

Nothing like starting the story in Blockbuster during Y2K to pull me in, The Night Shift gets a strong 4.5 stars from me!

I loved all of the characters and even until the very end it kept me guessing. Definitely a must read for thriller fans.

Did I finish this book in two days and ignore my husband and family? Yes, yes I did. I blame Alex Finlay though because I could NOT put this down. This is my first book from him and it won't be my last! *insert me immediately requesting two more of his books from my library*

There is a lot to unpack here. Ok, so it's NYE 1999 and while most of the world is awaiting Y2K, there is a brutal slaying of three teenagers and their young manager at a Blockbuster (the nostalgia). Only one teen survives- Ella. Flash forward to 2015 and there is an eerily similar slaying at an ice cream shop- three teenage employees are killed with one survivor- Jesse. Are these murders related? No one is sure, but here's the kicker, the murderer whispers the exact same phrase in Jesse's ear that was whispered to Ella 15 years ago. "Good night, pretty girl." What happens next is pure anticipation, excitement, and mystery.

What I loved:
-The multiple POV and storylines
-It was so fast paced; I was never bored or felt like it lagged.
-The twists (there were a few that shocked me)

While I don't think the ending was "obvious," I did have a hunch about how the ending would play out about halfway through. That being said, I read a lot of mystery/thrillers so I feel like that played into my suspicions. Still, the ending was fun and there was more than one twist.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date (March 1, 2022!) This in no way affected my review and the opinions are my own

Last year, right before I made a trip to Mexico, I read Alex Finlay's Every Last Fear...a book about a family being murdered in Mexico. Well...thank goodness I'm no longer working two jobs and at a bar late nights anymore because I would not have been able to handle it.

The Night Shift is a fast paced thriller about two sets of murders, 15 years apart. 1999, Y2K - New Years Eve, Blockbuster Video is closing...and 4 people are murdered, three of which are teenage girls - there is one survivor. 15 years later, in the same town, in an ice cream shop, three teenage girls are murdered, and again, there is one survivor. The survivor knows that she needs to talk to the survivor of the Blockbuster massacre. She knows that there's something to tell her.

At the same time, we have FBI Special Agent Keller, a very pregnant Agent who is put on the case to try and connect the two murders and finally solve this after 15 years. The assumed murderer was let go 15 years prior and she's determined to find out why and to find him.

This book has an insane amount of twists and turns and shocks. Like, legit parts where I audibly gasped. The end just kept giving me turn and turn and turn - it didn't end the way I thought that it would and honestly...good. It is a better book because of that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. Thank you to Alex Finlay for yet another book that surprised and shocked me with each and every turn.

Wow, wow, wow!!! 'The Night Shift' has been at the top of my must read list for months and it was better then I could have even hoped!!! The book opens at a Blockbuster store on New Years Eve 1999, the world is expected to change in ways we can't imagine and the lives of four store employees is taken with only one survivor, the primary suspect is released on a technicality and disappears. Fifteen years later there is another mass killing at an ice cream store in the same town with only one survivor, has the killer come back to Linden and caused more grief?? The story weaves between a number of characters and two separate timelines seamlessly. Alex Finlay is a writer we will be hearing about for a very long time, his talent at capturing the reader and transporting them into the story is unlike anyone else I have read. I highly recommend anyone who is a fan of murder mysteries, thrillers and just solid writing pick up a copy of this book, you won't be disappointed.!! I only wish I had more Alex Finlay books to enjoy as I am now not so patiently awaiting his next read. A special thanks to Net Galley, St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Alex Finlay for the opportunity to review this book.