The 90s baby in me appreciated this book on so many levels. But as a reader who loves a twisty action packed thriller - I ADORED THIS! Exactly what you want from a mystery/thriller.

Thanks to @netgalley and @HeadofZeus for sending me this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

Every Last Fear was one of my favourite thrillers last year, so I couldn't wait to read Finlay's latest release and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

I love this author's writing style and his stories are always so gripping!

It’s New Years Eve in 1999 when the cops are called to a Blockbuster Video store in New Jersey where 4 teenagers and the manager have been stabbed to death. One of the girls, Ella, survives and remembers distinctly what her assailant whispers in her ear before leaving her for dead.

Fifteen years later, Ella, now a therapist, is called to a hospital where Jesse, another teenager, has suffered similar violence at a local ice cream parlour. Again there are two dead teenagers and the killer whispered the same words to Jesse.
"Good night, pretty girl!"

I loved that we got to meet Agent Keller again, who was the FBI agent in Every Last Fear. In this book she is 8 months pregnant with twins, which added anxiety to anxiety, especially in the last scene where my heart was in my mouth.

If you like fast-paced thrillers with lots of red herrings and an intricate plot where not everyone is who they seem to be, you might want to read this when it is released on 1 March 2022!

On New Year’s Eve in 1999 three girls and their young boss are working the night shift in a video store. But when they are about to close somebody enters and kills three of them and leaves one injured. The police makes an arrest only hours later but the evidence is thin and they have to let him go. But the culprit disappears and the case stays somehow unsolved. Fifteen years later a similar crime happens in the same small town. Three girls are working a night shift and two get killed and one survives. Was it the same killer? Or was it a copycat?

I loved the authors first book “Every Last Fear” and I was very excited to get my hands on this one. “The Night Shift” is a complex thriller but not as dark as “Every Last Fear”. The story moves at a good pace and kept my interest. The only weak spot is IMHO Ella. She is the survivor of the first attack and now a therapist. She also lies, cheats and kept some information from the night of the attack to herself. She is the kind of person who always basically does the opposite of what she should do. I had definitely some problems with her. My favourite character was Sarah Keller, the FBI agent. She is pregnant with twins but that does not keep her from catching a killer. For me as a German it was almost comical to read. Here in Germany six weeks before the baby is due you go on paid maternity leave and nobody would let you run around getting yourself in danger. As much as I agree that pregnancy is not an illness I found her reckless because she did not risk only her life but the life of her unborn children. But never mind, I liked her.

Alex Finlay stays on my radar. I loved the complexity and uniqueness of his books. Although I did not enjoy this one as much as his first book I would highly recommend it. It’s was a fun read with some twists and turns and it kept me entertained.

This was a brilliant twisty thriller full of really well written characters. The pace was fast moving and had quite a few unexpected twists that keeps you guessing until the end, Really great epilogue too. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend.

My first time reading this author, I've seen rave reviews for this and his other books so had high expectations.

A multiple killing in a Blockbuster video store fifteen years ago, the killer was never identified. A similar crime in the present days brings an interesting cast of characters into play to try and solve the crimes. Two of these have close connections to the original murders.

It's fast, very fast. It races along, many chapters end on mini-twists and cliffhangers and it has a high 'one more chapter factor'.

Definitely plot driven, the characterisations aren't that deep, but for a fast, dramatic and involving murder thriller spanning the decades it's pretty good and is crying out for a movie adaptation.

Thanks to Netgalley and Head Of Zeus

The Night Shift is told from multiple POVs: Ella, the lone survivor from the Blockbuster murders, Sarah Keller, FBI agent, and Chris, an assistant prosecutor, who holds a connection to the suspected murderer. In addition to this trio, there are many characters to keep track of--the victim’s families, the school principal, some cops, and Jesse, the lone survivor of the ice cream murders. At times, I was a little confused regarding who was who, but these scenes involved minor players.
Chris and Ella’s stories were the most intriguing. Agent Keller, who features in Every Last Fear, was the stable link between the other two characters.
Each chapter ends with a little tidbit or cliffhanger that made me want more, but sadly the perspective would switch to another character, and I would get annoyed! This aspect of the novel irked me, but not enough to fully impact my enjoyment level.
Two timelines, two sets of young people slaughtered, fifteen years apart. Are the two crimes connected? Could the killer be the same person?. FBI agent Sarah Keller is called in to assist the investigation although she's relegated to the sidelines, her questions to the local police not always appreciated. Not to be deterred, Sarah and her temporary partner Atticus Singh, follow every lead they can, seeing signs where no one else is looking. There is a lot going on in this story, with two crime scenes, so much time having passed since the first crime, so many victims, and parents of the first set of victims clamming up whenever Sarah and Atticus try to interview them. Don't they want their children's murderer to be found?

3,5 stars

Night Shift is a solid mystery with interesting characters. Unfortunately, and this is more my fault than the writer's, I was expecting more scenes set in the '90s, even though the OST of Scream is a great soundtrack to listen to while reading.

It had plenty of twists, some I wasn't expecting, others that I saw right away. I gotta say, I was expecting something more from the ending and the final reveal, it felt a bit predictable.

I want to thank NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fabulous novel! I enjoyed the author's last one but enjoyed this even more.

New Years Eve 1999 and four teenagers are working late at Blockbuster video. Three are killed and one survives. The main suspect flees and is not seen again. Now, 15 years later, a similar scenario unfolds at an ice cream store in the same town and people question whether the previous suspect is back.
FBI Agent Sarah Keller is tasked to help the local police investigate.

This one was fast paced, just how I like them and full of suspense. The author weaves the story, full of clues and references to the previous attack and we meet the survivor from 1999, which only leads to more questions. With so many twists and turns, it was a brilliant mystery.

‘NEW YEAR’S EVE 1999 The night was expected to bring tragedy.’
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My first Alex Finlay and I am obsessed. I loved this book so much, flew through it so fast and was so sad when I was finished! Heavy book hangover the next day!!
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It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in New Jersey, four teenagers working late at the store are attacked. Only one inexplicably survives. Police quickly identify a suspect, the boyfriend of one of the victims, who flees and is never seen again.
Fifteen years later, more teenage employees are attacked at an ice cream store in the same town, and again only one makes it out alive.
In the aftermath of the latest crime, three lives intersect: the lone survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive the horrors of her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused, who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and FBI agent Sarah Keller who must delve into the secrets of both nights—stirring up memories of teen love and lies—to uncover the truth about murders on the night shift.
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A stunning thriller that had me gasp at the twist reveal towards the end, one of the best and most enjoyable thrillers I’ve read in a while I’d say!! With chapters in which alternated between characters, the story came together in such a clever way weaving a good few storylines in and out of each other to culminate in the one main story. The minute I finished, I bought Alex Finlay’s previous book mere minutes after, that’s how much I enjoyed it!!
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Massive thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC!

Ok so this might be a biased opinion

I was looking forward to this book but for me I was disappointed. I just couldn’t get into it

Two violent attacks, fifteen years apart. Three dead, one survivor on both occasions. Question is, are the crimes connected?

Firstly, let me just say: Oh so NOSTALGIC! What 90s kid didn't thrive off a trip to Blockbusters for a Friday night movie?!

I loved this book from start to finish. Great characters and an especially great plot. I didn't for a minute guess the perpetrator which makes a change! I don't usually find myself feeling emotional when I read, possibly due to the genre I opt for but honestly, this one caught me out! Without giving anything away, that ending.. 🥺

I would highly recommend The Night Shift and very much look forward to Alex Finlay's next release!

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review 📖

Although I only requested this recently, I can’t remember why. It must have been one of those days when I get carried away on NetGalley.

I’ve been avoiding thrillers as they’re usually just too ridiculous and obvious to be enjoyable. However, this is the kind of thriller I can get along with. I much prefer a story with a police investigation than the housewife being gaslighted kind. I compare this to Robert Dugoni’s Tracey Crosswhite series – no huge expectations but an enjoyable and addictive read.

I think the other thing I appreciated was the (for lack of a better term) twists and turns. So many thrillers that I’ve got fed up with have had one plotline building towards a final twist and counter-twist. They’re so formulaic! In The Night Shift there are reveals along the way, which really kept me reading. I guessed several things but there was also plenty that I didn’t see coming.

Great literature? No. But a lot of fun and I really enjoyed reading it! I had forgotten how enjoyable a well-plotted and paced thriller could be.

Thank you #NetGalley and #HeadofZeus for this ARC.

This is my second book from this author. While I enjoyed his first novel., Every Last Fear I felt it was a little over hyped. Nonetheless I thought I'd give this one a chance and I am so glad I did. This one was excellent. A gripping, page-turner not to be missed. It gave me 90's horror flick vibes tied up in an interesting and intriguing mystery. I enjoyed the changing POV and characters. If you like Riley Sager I think you will enjoy this author. Overall, this was one i'd highly recommend. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Grab your popcorn, friends… this is the PERFECT binge worthy mystery-thriller 🤩Told from multiple point of views, this book will take you on an insane ride you won’t want to finish! (Out March 1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

THE NIGHT SHIFT starts in 1999, the eve of the millennium, at a Blockbuster video store (nostalgia 😍) in small town Linden, New Jersey. 3 teenage girls and their manager are brutally killed, and 1 girl survives the attack. Fifteen years later, this time at an ice-cream store, history repeats itself. Are the crimes linked? Could the survivors be the key to cracking the case? 😱😬

💭 Does this sounds up your alley? Is it already on your TBR? (It should be!)

Post on IG next week

The night shift

Set at blockbuster video store, in 1999, 4 teenage girls and their manager are brutally attacked by a maniac. There is a sole survivor, Ella Monroe. The main suspect is arrested but is quickly released, never to be seen again!
15 years later, tragedy strikes once more as four teenage girls are attacked at a local ice cream store in the very same town as the blockbuster murders. Yet again, there is a sole survivor, this time a Jesse Duvall.

What do the sole survivors have in common? And is it more than a coincidence that both these incidents have striking similarities?

The premise of this story is right up my street. A murder mystery in a small town where anyone and everybody is a suspect.
There is plenty of dirt to be uncovered and we slowly begin to dig as soon as this book has laid its foundation with the original killings. I found several of the characters to be quite mysterious, and I was unsure of what may be revealed about them - basically I was on guard at all times. I was not going to be caught off guard by a seemingly sweet character or a obvious teenage deviant, however I still didn’t catch on to the big reveal before it came.

Despite this I found the middle of the book to drag slightly, with the ending being a little underwhelming. Still worth a read for anyone who is a fan of a an easy going horror!

Interesting premise and felt very nostalgic. It was a quick read with nice short bingeable chapters. However, quite a lot of characters and two different timelines so I found it a little difficult to keep track of everyone. The ending was a little disappointing. Personally preferred Every Last Fear from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Four Stars

The Night Shift is an explosive, fast-paced thriller set in dual timelines, opening in an atmospheric, nostalgic turn-of-the-century Y2K, when a horrific mass murder is committed in a Blockbuster video store, and then 15 years later, when a copycat crime occurs at an ice-cream store. The two crimes, brutally similar. But is it a copycat, or is the original killer back? The knife twists with the killer's last words to the sole survivor of each massacre. "Goodnight, pretty girl..."

Told from multiple POVs - a female therapist/survivor of the original Y2K killer, a female FBI agent, and a male defence lawyer with a shaded past - this is a super-readable thriller, fast-paced and energetic and I couldn't put it down. Each POV links to both crimes, which makes jumping in and out of each POV a thrill and not a chore.

While I figured out who did it pretty early on, it didn't spoil the ride which was full of twists and turns and a good helping of trauma for all involved.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

On New Years Eve 1999 employees of Blockbusters are murdered apart from one employee who survived the attack. The police think thought that they had their man but when he is released he goes missing. 15 years later another attack happens but this time at an ice cream parlour with one teenage customer who survives the attack. The police think that the two crimes are linked because of their similarities.

This book is told from three POV, agent Keller who is 9 months pregnant with twins, Ella who is the survivor of the original attack in 1999 and is now a therapist and Chris, brother of the chief suspect who disappeared. On the whole I really enjoyed this story but I felt like it was quite slow in places. There were twists and turns along the way but there really wasn’t enough action for my taste in this type of thriller. The book focus was nearly entirely on the investigation.

I enjoyed this book on the whole, there was lots of twists and turns that I didn't expect, but I am glad that they were there.
The bit which I am unsure about and still have questions is the vlogging. I think it comes to light at the end but I am not sure it actually added anything (for me that is) to the book.
Ella, one the characters has so many different layers to her and goes to show that you can never judge a book by its cover.
I think I know what happened to Atticus in the end, but to me it wasn't that clear.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to a friend and I would definitely read another of Alex's books. Thank you NetGalley.

Y2K is just around the corner, and at a Blockbuster video in Linden, New Jersey, four teenagers are working the late shift before ringing in the new year. Except someone is lurking in the dark, someone who's plan involves the massacre of everyone inside that Blockbuster. 15 years later, a similar attack happens at an ice cream shop. The sole survivors of each attack only remember one thing - the killer's parting words....'Goodnight pretty girl'...

The most interesting part of this story is the beginning. I loved the 90s scene, the nostalgia that oozes through the narrative. The isolated setting of this quiet video store also sets up this wonderfully creepy atmosphere that feels very tense. The reader knows that something terrible is going to happen, but can't guess exactly when. I actually wish we'd seen more of this set up, as I thiugh the opening scene was one of the best I've ever read in a thriller.

However, that's where my love of this story ends unfortunately. The story unfolds over three separate narratives - a pregnant FBI agent who is desperate to catch the killer, the sole survivor of the original attacks and now a therapist, and also the younger brother of the man originally convicted of the killings. How the three storylines eventually xibveregd was interesting overall, however I found I just didn't really connect with any of the characters. The two female characters in particular feel very one dimensional and gimmicky. I also found the overall pacing a little off. It's quite slow to pick up, and the killer is pretty obvious from the get go.

However, this is an enjoyable enough thriller with some quirky elements that five it enough of a push to feel different in a sea of thrillers.