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!

First off, loved the nostalgic Blockbuster video as the scene of the first crime! Ella is a Rich girl determined to make her own way with help from no one including her fiancé, who she just can’t seem to stay faithful to and finally has enough and leaves her. She is a therapist, the sole survivor of a gruesome unsolved murder from her teens. on the eve of Y2K. She is brought in to help Jesse who is the sole survivor of the current Ice Cream Shop murder which has multiple similarities to the one Ella survived and begs the question, is it the same person or a copycat.
Let’s look at some other main characters: Jesse is a teen in foster-care and is constantly getting into trouble and doesn’t really have any friends. Chris is a public defendant who was adopted at a young age and changed his name to escape his identity as the brother of the original suspect. Sarah Keller is the FBI agent brought in to review the Blockbuster Case but who can’t help ingratiating herself into the Ice Cream Shop case! She is a badass and does what she wants even 8 months pregnant with twins. This crazy cast of characters makes for a great story.
I did not figure out the killer until the end and I throughly enjoyed the story!
Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Night Shift was the perfect nostalgia thriller. It was a highly entertaining plot with great, over the top characters. Alex Finlay is a stand out thriller author.

I read a lot of thrillers, and in the last year, this has definitely been one of my favorites! I really enjoyed learning all of the intricacies of these characters, as well as each of their secrets. I loved the change in POV that the story was told from, and the characters that the author picked to tell the story were very intriguing. I was shocked by some of the discoveries near the end of the book, and thought the ending was just perfect. This is a page-turner and one I will continue to think about in weeks to come. If you are looking for your next great thriller, choose this one!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I loved this one! It gave me Survive the Night and No Exit vibes in that it it’s got 90s nostalgia and is very fast paced. It’s definitely a bingeable thriller! I loved the multiple POVs. It kind of took on a crime procedural since many of the characters were part of the justice system. Every character held my interest. I was shocked repeatedly by the twists. Loved the back story and the current day plots.

Only downfalls we’re that I did predict the killer, but in this case it didn’t lessen my enjoyment. The ending wrapped up rather quickly which was cool from an action aspect, but wouldn’t have minded that part being drawn out a little more. Also an 8 month pregnant with twins FBI agent felt a little unrealistic and unnecessary- there was no way she was still doing all that 2 weeks till her due date!

Overall, a fast paced book with interesting characters and twists. Would definitely recommend!!

This is such a fun, fast read. I loved the Y2K vibe of the beginning, it made for a very believable crime setup. Sometimes it felt like there was a lotttt going on but I think the story ties itself up nicely and I enjoyed Emma and Chris's point of views the most!

"The sheep spends its life worried about the wolf, only to be eaten by the farmer". Easily one of my favourite lines from this well written thriller!

I really enjoyed Every Last Fear from Alex Finlay, so I was really hoping to enjoy this one too and I definitely did! I am a big fan of a good thriller and this book gave me everything I wanted. Unreliable and shady characters, multiple perspectives, dual timelines, crazy twists and super short chapters that made for a very quick read that I couldn't put down!

And if this synopsis doesn't grab your attention, I don't know what will. It's New Years Eve, 1999, and four young girls and their manager are working at the local Blockbuster video store. Out of nowhere, they are brutally attacked and only one girl survives. Fast forward fifteen years and change the scene to a local ice cream shop. Again, another brutal attack with only one survivor. And it seems quite possible that, despite the years gone by, these attacks are related. It's up to an FBI agent and a few other people to figure out the connections.

I remember going to Blockbuster as a kid, so that part of the story really took me back. The characters were all great, in their own ways. I loved how creepy this story was and it flowed perfectly, with each chapter ending in a way that made me want to keep reading. So well written and I love how everything came together!

Such a great read! Fast paced, original and well written. A second novel that is just as good as the first: highly recommend.

➸ 3/5 stars
➸ Thank you to the publisher for giving this to me as an ARC via NetGalley.

★ I enjoyed this book but I didn't love it. The style structure of going back and forth between the two timelines was something I loved but at the same time, I felt as though the author really underutilized the theme of the millennium as promised in the novel description which could have been really fun if utilized correctly. I enjoyed the length and style of the chapters but with the constant switching between characters, it was way too far into the novel before I actually began to care about any of them. Some of Finlay's descriptions and writings of women felt slightly misogynistic to me and perhaps I was overthinking it, but it rubbed me the wrong way. However, as a thriller, the novel worked in its main goal of being bingeable and interesting as I did find myself wanting to know exactly what happened and that pushed me to finish it.

This is the definition of a page turner. New Years Eve 1999 the night staff at a local Blockbusters is brutally murdered. There is one lone survivor. The murder suspect escapes and is never found. Then 15 years later the same type of murder happens again. Sarah Keller (Every Last Fear) is back, this time heavily pregnant with twins. She partners up with a brand new FBI agent and they try to put the puzzle together. The novel jumps back and forth between different perspectives and although there were some plot holes, altogether the story kept me riveted until the last page. Thank you #NetGalley for my copy.

This was my first book by Alex Finlay and I have to say that I was very impressed. Two horrific events that are years apart and yet have several things in common: an unknown intruder with a knife and several dead employees of a local store and one sole survivor of each attack.

This was such a fast-paced mystery with several different POVs. My favorite was the nine months pregnant Detective Kellar who didn't let a little thing like a pregnancy keep her from trying to find out the truth of what happened. There were twists and turns with this mystery and chapters that seemed to always end in cliffhangers that made it impossible to stop reading! I loved this book from beginning to end. Fantastic read.

I really enjoyed the chase of two seemingly unrelated murderers, from two totally different times. The switching of character points of view really gave you a chance to see the story from all sides. It was dark, twisty, and left me guessing right up until the end.

Alex Finlay is just *chef’s kiss* when it comes to thrillers and this one was no different! Plot: yes! Twists:yes! Character development: yes! Prose: yes! Will I read more: oh yes!

This is a fast-paced thriller that I enjoyed a lot. Two similar crimes are committed 18 years apart. Could the murderer be the same person that is currently on the run or is there a copy-cat? I was surprised by the conclusion which is always a good thing, right? I would definitely read more from this author.