This was my first book of the authors so was not sure what to expect. All good. Enjoyable mystery with relatable characters. Not sure if the ends were all tied up believably but I am just going with it.

Fun and fast read. Loved the blast from the past with the Blockbuster and Y2K references. My first Alex Finlay book but not my last.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy for an honest review.

This is my second book by Finlay, following Every Last Fear, which I absolutely loved. This sophomore release was also very fast paced and made it hard to put it down. I liked all of the perspectives included and how they all came together throughout the book. My one criticism would be that I was expecting a bit of 90's throwback included, as promised in the previews. Very little takes place in this time frame, and when it is set there, there is no nostalgic feel whatsoever. Thank you Macmillan for an advanced copy of The Night Shift in exchange for an honest review.

Unpopular opinion! I'm now 0/2 with Alex Finlay books. Have you read an author multiple times and think, this author is just not for me? This guy right here. I had some issues with Every Last Fear but heard about the 90s vibes in this one and wanted to give him another shot. I figured out the big twist 5% in and it was just a let down for me. Super underwhelming and I do like some sense of realistic elements in my thrillers!

Told in alternating timelines we see both crimes as the local police and the FBI work both cases. There were a few other parts that just didn't seem at all realistic. (The FBI agent almost 9months pregnant, running around and in danger in the field.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

If I know one thing about myself, it’s that I love short but intense chapters! And this book definitely has that! If you want a book that makes you stop what your doing in life and have to move on to the next chapter because it leaves you on a cliffhanger? That’s this book!

Overall this book was well written and I look forward to the authors next Novel!

I gave this book 💥💥💥💥

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the ARC.

(4.50*)

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is so close you could smell it. And smell the fear. The fear that the new century will bring planes crashing from the sky, alien apocalypses, and everything to come plummeting down…

But none of that happens.

Instead, a Blockbuster in New Jersey is the target this New Year’s Eve. Manager Stevie and four teenage girls (Mandy, Candy, Katie, and Ella) are working the night shift at their store when they are attacked. Only one girl survives.

Fifteen years later, in the same town, another four teenage employees are working late when they are attacked. This time at an ice cream parlor, but the same scenario… Only one girl makes it out alive… again.

Is this all a coincidence? Do we have a copycat killer at hand? Or are both late night killings actually linked?

I actually really enjoyed this book. It is such a fast-paced read. There are so many areas of the book that I found myself very invested into. Tons of little details and teasers/cliffhangers given at the end of the chapters, which made it even more intriguing. It was super unputdownable.

The story is told from multiple perspectives. Ella, who is the lone survivor of the 1999 Blockbuster murders. Sarah Keller, the pregnant FBI agent assigned to the ice cream parlor case. And Chris, a prosecutor who is connected to the lead suspect in the murder cases. Having there be multiple POVs in this book, really helps grasp the details of the story and the characters better, as well as, builds suspense.

Overall, The Night Shift was well-written. There wasn’t too little or too much information or character development, which made it flow very nicely. It is my first book by Alex Finlay, like I own Every Last Fear but just haven’t picked it up off my shelf yet, but definitely will be now after getting a taste of his writing style.

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

3.5 stars. It's New Years Eve, 1999. While the entire world is worked up about Y2K, four teen girls are closing up the Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey. By the end of the night, three of them will be murdered in a vicious attack. And fifteen years later, an eerily similar crime will be committed at an ice cream shop in the same town: three female teenage victims, one survivor. The Night Shift takes place at the intersection of three lives affected by these crimes: an FBI agent investigating both cases; the brother of the original Blockbuster murders suspect who is now a public defender; and the "final girl" from the Blockbuster murders, now a therapist who is called in to speak with the ice cream shop survivor.

With short, propulsive chapters, multiple perspectives, a cast of characters to root for, and two compelling murder investigations, The Night Shift is a solid thriller, and I devoured it. The pacing is perfect, with chapters that end on cliffhangers and the integration of YouTube clips to keep readers interested and engaged. I didn't see the ending coming, despite or maybe because of Alex Finlay's cleverly-immersed clues.

There were a few loose ends I would've liked to see tied up, a few police procedural elements had me raising my eyebrows, and I wanted more '90s nostalgia. But overall, The Night Shift is a compulsively readable, exciting thriller with lots of heart. It was my first book by Finlay, and I'll definitely be reading more of his work.

This is the first thriller I've read in such a long time and it was amazing. It was a wild ride with plenty of twists and turns and had me saying well I didn't see that coming! I love the short chapters and that we follow three points of views. It's definitely a fast paced read. If you like the Women's Murder club books by James Patterson then you very well might like this one! Definitely recommend picking this up!

*ARC kindly provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I decided to request this title because I wanted to dip my toes into the mystery-thriller genre and see what I would find in a story like this one since I enjoy watching either tv shows or movies that are placed in this category. I must say that I wasn’t let down by it, even if I had my doubts because this is a new-to-me author, and I didn’t know how I would like the writing.

To sum it up a bit, The Night Shift is a thriller that focuses on the night crew of a Blockbuster being murdered on New Year’s Eve in 1999. Fast forward 15 years and the ice cream shop closing crew has the same fate. The question is, is it a copycat or has the original killer come back to hunt?

I have to say that what I mostly enjoyed by this book was the multiple POVs starting chapters, even though at first it was a little difficult to find myself between the characters. The multiple chapters are divided between: Ella, survivor from the Blockbuster murders, Sarah Keller, FBI agent, and Chris, assistant prosecutor who has a connection with the suspected murderer. Apart from that, I liked that the chapters were short and they almost always ended in a cliffhanger in order to keep the reader’s attention.

This time around I didn’t guess the killer but only because I had no idea of who to focus my attention to since I found myself drawn to the backstory of the secondary characters mentioned.

So, if you find yourself on the look for a thriller, this might be the one for you!

I love a dual timeline and it was done so well in this book! I have been in a thriller rut lately and this totally brought me out of it with the unique story and absolute addictive writing.

I guessed the culprit pretty early on but it didn’t take away from the book overall.

The character development was wonderful and the way they connected and worked together made it even better.

What starts as a nostalgic look inside Blockbuster, quickly becomes a night of horror and bloodshed. This simple premise alone launched The Night Shift by Alex Finlay onto my radar and had me hype for all of the twists and turns that another Finlay book would provide.

While we begin in a 90's Blockbuster, we quickly flashforward to a modern mystery and leave any semblance of nostalgia behind it. The mystery then becomes centered around a massacre that takes place in an ice cream shop and the man that went missing years ago. We follow multiple perspectives, an FBI agent, a trauma counselor, and a public defender who reveal the mystery through their individual plot lines.

I read Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay when it was released last year and knew that Finlay was one of my authors to keep an eye on. In this follow up novel, Finlay improves technically on a story but I didn't enjoy the story as much.

In The Night Shift, the plot lines feel so separated from the plot and each other and the characters feel a tad less well rounded. The mystery is still engaging, but with a pace that feels sluggish at times. I would still be interested in reading more of Finlay's books moving forward, but I'm less enthusiastic than I once had been.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Alex Finlay is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me.

Last year, I listened to and LOVED EVERY LAST FEAR (I remember getting denied on Netgalley and being so let down- so I was ecstatic when I was approved for this one) and this sophomore release topped it in my opinion!

I also got the audio for this one and really loved the multi-narrators. Cady McClain is one again, and yes I totally went all Mean Girls every time I saw her name. Also, were there voice credits? I need to go back and look.

Sarah Keller is definitely one of my new favorite characters. Chris was the epitome of character growth and Ella- oh ugh. The book starts out with her popping pills, drinking and cheating on her fianceé. I know girl has been through a lot, but just once can we have a main character that is dealing with their trauma in a healthy way?

She did grow on me throughout the book, especially the end, but in my world first impressions aren't everything, but they mean a lot and hers stayed with me. So no, I didn't like her.

This one was SUPER fast paced. Like I read it in two days-it helped that I also had the audio, but the book itself is a quick read.

The nostalgia is strong with this one, but it wasn't overpowering for me. I definitely had flashbacks to Friday nights at my local Blockbuster picking out the latest movie before heading to a pizza party with friends.

NOW STOP HERE FOR POSSIBLE SPOILERS!

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As with his last book, the ending left me SUPER sad. That one character had me screaming IT'S NOT FAIR!
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Mashups: Blockbuster, EVERY LAST FEAR, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, and Youtube
3 likes

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is a twisty thriller that starts on New Year's Eve 1999. Four teenage girls are attacked while working at a Blockbuster. Police identify a suspect, but they never find him. Fifteen years later, in the same town, four more teenage employees are attacked while working at an ice cream store. Are these cases linked? Finlay does a great job of throwing out twists, clues, and misdirection all throughout this book, and it was so fun to read. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was an amazing,, twisty story. I enjoyed the author's narration style. The pace was not too slow or too fast, just right. I am so glad I discovered this author and I look forward to reading his books. Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author, for allowing me to read a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

On New Year's Eve, 1999, three teenage girls are murdered while one survives. 15 years later, another massacre happens with connections to the murder years before.

I read Every Last Fear last year, and I really enjoyed it! So, when I saw the author was coming out with a new book, I obviously needed to request it. This was a fun one! I really enjoyed the rotating POVs and the glimpses back to 1999. There was a plot twist that made my jaw actually drop; it was so good! This book was full of mystery and action, and I was intrigued from the beginning of it. I'm excited to see what Alex Finlay writes next!

TW for death, murder, violence, abuse.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Night Shift by Alex Finlay!

On NYE 1999 at the turn of Y2K, a vicious crime takes place at a Blockbuster in New Jersey. (For the young ones - Blockbuster is where us old folks used to go to rent movies on VHS/DVD before streaming was a thing). There was one survivor and four murders, and number one suspect went on the run, never to be caught. Fifteen years later in the same town, a similar crime happens at a local ice cream shop. Multiple teenagers are killed once again leaving one sole survivor. The police and FBI think the two crimes must be linked, but working together is not always their strong suit.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It had me hooked from the very start and there were so many twists that I just didn't see coming. I loved the multiple POV's and short chapters that kept things moving. I'll admit it took me a bit to get all the characters straight in the beginning, but that didn't take away from the experience itself. I flew through this one and seriously couldn't put it down - best thriller I've read in quite some time. Loved loved loved!

My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐/ 5 stars

On New Year’s Eve 1999 at a Blockbuster Video, four teenage girls are working their night shift in New Jersey. They are all attacked and only 1 survivor remains. 15 years later, a similar attack happens in the same town at an ice cream shop with also another sole female survivor. What else do they have in common? The killer whispered: “Good night, Pretty girl” in their ears as they laid on the ground. The story splits into a multi POV of a pregnant FBI detective investigating the cases; Ella, the 1st survivor; and Chris, a public defender on the case.


I really enjoyed this thriller - it was fast paced and gripping, easy to follow along with all the details involving the case. Ella’s story was most captivating, especially when there is a glimpse into what happened in the past. I did not guess the killer, so I was pleasantly surprised that I should have guessed with all those subtle clues. There are also short chapters which are very satisfying in these kinds of modern thrillers. I own Every Last Fear on my shelf so I need to finally read that, considering this is the sequel to it.


Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
◘ Will keep you guessing the entire way!
◘ Loved the Blockbuster and 90’s flashbacks. Ugh, the good ole days!
◘ I particularly liked Ella’s storyline and POV best. And I loved Atticus!
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
◘ The detective character is 8 months pregnant with twins and traipsing around town trying to solve a murder. So unbelievable 🤣
◘ I did have to pay attention to timelines because out of nowhere, I was like oh shit we are in the past, let me go back and start over.
◘ The epilogue was a bit… weird.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
★★★★☆
This was one of those books that I just went along for the ride. I wasn’t trying to guess the ending, though I did have some (incorrect) guesses. There was one loose end that got answered at the end and I was crushed, in a good way. This was very entertaining and a quick read in length and in story. It was missing a certain something to make it five stars, but I still enjoyed this one! Is it perfect? No, but I think readers will enjoy this quick paced, thrilling book.

Meh....it's a decent thriller but didn't really captivate me nor hold my attention. While the story itself was intriguing, there were too many shifts from different timelines and different characters that made it confusing. I think the setting itself, Y2K Blockbuster movie store, really had me interested but soon fell short of my expectations.