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!
⁣
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.

This mystery centers on 2 similar crimes in which teen employees of a Blockbuster Video and of an ice cream store are targeted - fifteen years apart.

Ella was the only survivor of the first shooting and has become a therapist, though still haunted by her past.

A very pregnant FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller is assigned to the case and soon interviews Ella.

The story moves back and forth in time, interspersing past with current events.

Eventually, the brother of the suspect in the first shooting investigates with Ella.

Alex Finlay again delivers an intricate, interleaving plot with very real and vulnerable characters - and surprises at every twist and turn of the story.

I really liked this one. Right from the start with the Blockbuster killings, I was hooked. There are quite a bit of characters, which takes a little time to get everyone straight. The characters were so good in this and the mystery kept me guessing throughout.

I had read the previous story from this author and this synopsis had me thrilled.

I really liked Sarah Keller and at first didn’t realize she’s the same FBI agent as in the previous book. She’s smart and I love being in her head. Chris and Ella are good characters. They’re hopeful, yet defeated and have a connection from the past that they aren’t aware of. There are a good amount of characters here; but these three have the POVs.

Plot wise, it’s a mash up of two cases, past and present information, and a lot of Chris and Ella thinking about what happened on That Night. I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s layered and provided a good amount of tension, which a story like this needs. Also, it kept me guessing until the very end.

And yes, this is very vague, but spoilers.

Overall, it was a great story that I couldn’t get enough of. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

Talk about a blast from the past! The Night Shift is set in two timelines in both the very late 90s (literally new years eve of 1999) and 2014.
Alex Finlay puts together the best memories of that Era, from Blockbuster to no cell phones. Then he adds murder AT the Blockbuster into the mix. This book started out with a bang and it doesn't have much stopping in it. I read this book in one sitting because I needed to know how it ended.
There are a lot of twists, some quite sad and others that I never saw coming. The best part of the book was the references to the 90s and early 2000s.
This is a whodunit thriller that is violent and well written. I am highly anticipating Alex Finlay's next book.

What a fun and interesting thriller! I'd never read anything by Alex Finlay before, but it's clear I've been missing out. The 90's vibe was the perfect backdrop to this pulse-pounding mystery!

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the dual timelines and different POVs. I think they really worked to add to the mystery of this story. I also read A LOT of mystery/thrillers and I didn’t see this twist or ending coming!! Highly recommend to the true crime/mystery fans out there.

I began reading this book, got about fifty-ish pages into it and guessed who the killer was. Since the story was not as engaging as Finlay’s first novel and I have seemingly guessed the ending, I proceeded to skim the remainder of the novel until the end. My guess was correct, demonstrating that this book was not cleverly written since I rarely can figure out a murder mystery in the first few pages. Also, the female FBI agent was not a believable character- I cannot imagine a woman who is 8 months pregnant with twins going into the dangerous situations she went into in this story.

Overall this was a huge letdown for me. I liked Every Last Fear, but this one fell extremely flat for me and felt very reminiscent of Every Last Fear.

Highly recommended for those readers looking for an intricate puzzle to solve. All the information is put out there for you gather and sort through with very little kept from the readers. A fun, fast paced thriller involving two potentially related murders from different time periods. The large cast of likeable characters are all well developed so you can keep track of them as the story bounces around. Sensitive readers may not be comfortable with the level of violence at the end.

This was my first Alex Finlay and I look forward to future offerings.

The Night Shift was one that kept me on the edge of my seat. I did not figure out the twist until the end, which is more rare for me! I found all of the characters well written and developed, and I loved that there were lots of strong women throughout the story.

4.5/5 stars!

THE NIGHT SHIFT is a bingeable, nostalgia-filled roller coaster of intrigue and mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. I absolutely loved everything about this story from the minute I opened the first page. The final girl trope is one of my favorites in the horror genre and it was nice to see it played out in a work of crime fiction.

Finlay alternates between the past and present, while also introducing the reader to three distinct narrators who each contribute to solving both crimes. I enjoyed how the narratives built off one another, picking up different aspects of the present day situation and investigation until they collided at the end. There was a great aha moment for me when I finally pieced together what was happening and who was responsible, which is something I always hope for when picking up crime fiction books. I did dock off half a star because I thought some aspects were a bit too far fetched, but overall there is very little not to enjoy about this book. If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced and addictive read, I highly recommend checking this one out!