I have just read The Night Shift by Alex Finlay.

This is a Thriller Crime story by the Author.

Four teenage girls are attacked at a Blockbuster Video store on New Year’s Eve 1999, and only one survives.

In the same town 15 years later, a similar crime takes place in an ice cream store, with the same ending – only one survivor.

The lone survivor from the first crime night - Ella is now a therapist, and steps in to assist the second survivor.

There are lots of connections with the characters, and some surprises as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Alex Finlay, and St. Martin's Press, for my advanced copy to read and review.

#TheNightShift #NetGalley

A fast-paced, twisty thriller following two crimes that occurred years apart but eerily similar. I liked that there were multiple POVs representing the many sides of those involved in the crime and solving it. The reveal of the killer was surprisingly gruesome and just seemed slightly over the top. Overall, an entertaining mystery thriller.

3.5 stars – I liked the story. Highly recommend to fans of fast-paced thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press - Minotaur, and Alex Finlay for the electronic ARC.
#NetGalley #TheNightShift

The Night Shift has multiple POVs but is not confusing to follow along. Ella is one and she’s the survivor. Then you have Keller the FBI agent. And Chris is the prosecutor assistant. Jesse is one of the main characters that is a survivor of the ice cream shop murders.
This book was great. Although I figured it out early on, or I suspected, This is a fast paced suspense and I loved it. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of this book.

Whoa, this was a trip! So many twists and surprises. I read the author’s “Every Last Fear” book and was so impressed. He’s definitely made a fan out of me after this one. There were a ton of characters here. So, if you are you able to, listen to it, because they do have 4 different narrators and it’s easier to determine which character’s POV it is. There were so many bombshells dropped by the characters in here. I was shocked and had to go back and make sure I heard that right. I feel like the end came out of nowhere. The length was maybe a little longer than I prefer and I wouldn’t say there’s a ton of suspense. But, there is a mystery with the investigation trying to determine what the connections were between the crimes. I enjoyed all the characters. They were all developed incredibly well. Overall, this was a complex and addictive mystery. I would definitely recommend it. Can’t wait to see what he writes next!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was a super fun and great thriller - I had such an amazing time with it. I loved following three different POVs and the back and forth with time. I was not expecting it to go the way it went but I had a really good experience with this book.

I was a big fan of Every Last Fear so of course I was thrilled to hear about Finlay’s latest book. I wondered if I’d enjoy it as much and I’m happy to say I did.

The Night Shift is a propulsive read combining a new murder case with multiple victims at an ice cream shop and a cold case with multiple victims at a Blockbuster video more than 20 years ago.

One thing I loved about Every Last Fear was Agent Keller and her husband Bob! I was excited when I realized Keller was back to take on the latest case despite her being 8 months pregnant with twins. I did struggle a bit with her being so pregnant and battling it out with suspected killers but I was also happy to get just a little more of Agent Badass and Bob’s wonderful dynamic.

The nostalgia I felt around the video store was yet another reason I loved this book. Trace and I love movies and spent lots of time at my local Blockbuster grabbing movies for date nights. On one of our early dates I actually stepped off the curb wrong and face planted right in the parking lot. I was mortified and since it was 8 pm on a Friday-half the town saw it 🤣

The Night Shift is available now and really if you enjoy thrillers it’s a must read!!

Thank you @minotaur_books and @netgalley for my digital copy of the book to review.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Finlay's debut, Every Last Fear, blew a lot of people out of the water. I, however, remained dismally dry. The idea was there, and while I can't recall why I didn't like it, I didn't, which can be verified by my 2 star review. That said, I realized the potential - and even if I hadn't, the author had me at Blockbuster. While there's a certain expectation of the readers willingness to suspend disbelief (although one could argue that this is true of all suspense novels) the story is fun, fast, dark, and yet delightfully nostalgic. The multiple POV's are well done and tie together nicely too, the whole package being quite the engaging escape.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e e ARC of this book.
Brutal slayings, 15 years apart but are they related. Interesting characters, creepy plot, keeps you guessing. I don't usually like books with brutal killings but this one got my attention.

A fun thriller. It wasn't always as exciting as id been expecting. But there were some fun nostalgic moments with the late 90/early 2000s. I liked the flip between characters and times most of the time as there were a lot of characters and sometimes the writing was choppy, I guess would be the best word. It was easy to guess the killer and all that but that's not necessarily a bad thing for me. Over all it was fast paced thanks to the short chapters which I usually prefer but sometimes it made it hard with this writing style and these characters to connect to them and get to know them. I wish so many questions and things didn't go unanswered at the end

This is my first Alex Finlay novel but will not be my last. I loved every moment of this twisty thriller. I was engaged from start to finish and never saw the end coming. The plot is well written and the characters are deeply developed. All of the characters are likable and relatable despite their flaws. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Netgalley.

This was a solid thriller and if you are of a certain age (ahem, like I am) the nostalgia is real.
.
New Years Eve 1999 is prepped for chaos. If you experienced this you know that the nerves were real. I was a senior in high school in 1999 and there was legit fear of Y2K.
.
Of course, none of that happens but what does happen in this book is four teens are attacked at a Blockbuster and only one survives.
.
Let’s take a quick pause. Was there anything greater than a #blockbuster on a Friday night?!
.
Anyway, fifteen years later four teenagers are attacked at an ice cream shop in the same small town with one survivor.
.
The #finalgirl from both night shifts Meet, along with the FBI agent and a lawyer who happens to be the brother of the accused collide and try to unpack this mystery.
.
This held my attention to the end. Thank you @minotaurbooks for an advanced copy.

This was a fun thriller, and the twist was unexpected enough to be fun but not too out there either. My biggest gripe is that this book should have leaned more into the nostalgia of the 90’s versus it being more of a crime procedural.

This is a story about someone who was NOT kind & probably did not rewind.

This book hit hard on the nostalgia fronts. It a really fun read with a solid thriller element & a twist I didn’t predict! My only complaint was the questionable therapist element- but at this point I think I’ve come to expect it whenever a therapist is involved & it didn’t detract too heavily from the overall experience.

Thank you so much netgalley Minotaur books & St. Martin’s press for the eArc!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC to review! The Night Shift is a mystery/thriller by Alex Finlay. It was published on March 1, 2022.

On New Year's Eve in 1999, five Blockbuster employees were attacked and only one survived. The survivor, Ella, is haunted by the phrase that her attacker whispered into her ear: "Good night, pretty girl." The supposed killer is arrested but let go for insufficient evidence. He then vanishes. Fifteen years later, Ella is working as a therapist when she receives a call that there has been another massacre, this time at an ice cream parlor. There is one survivor, a girl named Jesse Duvall. When Ella meets Jesse, Jesse tells her that the attacker whispered "Good night, pretty girl" as she was losing consciousness. It can't be a coincidence, right?

This book unfolds in two distinct timelines: NYE 1999 and present day. It is also told from multiple perspectives. We hear from Ella (the original survivor), Sarah Keller (the FBI agent called in on the case), and Chris (a county defense attorney who has a unique relationship to the case). The different timelines and perspectives were easy to follow. Overall, I found this book a very enjoyable read. I was able to guess the killer after about halfway through, but I wasn't disappointed. There were many twists and turns throughout the story that kept me wondering what would happen next. This novel was well plotted and had loose ends that were all tied up at the end. Most of the characters were believable, apart from Sarah Keller. I found it a little hard to believe that someone who was 8.5 months pregnant with twins would be able to be as active of a participant in the plot as she was. However, the other characters helped make up for it. I especially loved Jesse's character. All in all, I really enjoyed the plot of this book and would be interested in reading more of Finlay's books!

I really enjoyed Every Last Fear by this author from last year and so his newest book was on my most anticipated list and I am happy to say that I did enjoy it though maybe not as much as the other book.

It’s told in two different timelines with 4 povs but I will give this author credit for doing this very well because I am not a huge duel timeline kind of person. I can handle multiple povs if they are done well.

First it starts off in 1999 where at a blockbuster the closing crew is attacked and there is only one survivor. Then it goes to 2015 which is the main timeline and there is another similiar attack at an ice cream place and again only one survivor.

The survivors are two of the povs then we also get the FBI agent who is asked to look in on things to see if the blockbuster attack and ice cream killer could be the same one as the blockbuster suspect got away. You also have the pov of Chris who is the brother of the blockbuster suspect.

I know it sounds complicated but its not really once you get int things. I do think that it’s good to go in with not knowing a hole lot so you can try and figure out what is going on, so I an not going to say much about the plot.

I will say that I thought the first half of it was a little slow but the last half ramps up a long and gets really interesting. I guessed one of the major twist, but there was still enough twist that I didn’t figure out that it was still a really interesting read. The author is very good at putting together the timelines and making things make sense in the end.

If you enjoy thrillers give it a try!

A well-written thriller that eases you in with page-turning goodness, then gives you whiplash when you think everything's okay. And when the waters calm...BAM! This is my second Alex Finlay book and I'm a fan for life.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Minotaur Books for offering an eARC of this publication.

3.5/5. I loved Every Last Fear, so I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, I found this story less engaging (I was less interested in the characters from early on), which made the book seem surprisingly slow even with the action that was taking place.

I was hooked from the synopsis of this book right away. I love a good killer who resurfaces years later after a dormmate period in an eerily similar fashion as to their last kill. This book follows three different POVs of people related to the case from the past and the present case, Ella the lone survivor from the first murder, Sarah an FBI agent, and Chris an assistant prosecutor with a connection to the suspected murderer. This was a fast-paced book and Alex Finlay did an excellent job dropping clues for the reader to connect throughout the book. The Night Shift will grip you from the very first page and keep you wound tight until the very end. I really enjoyed reading this book and trying to make my guess before the big reveal and I would have given it five stars but I did find small things about some of the characters that I just didn't like and I feel like that was not anything to do with the writing but completely to do with the fact that I'm usually not big on crime thrillers that follow the detective or agent trying to solve the case. I much rather the story being told coming from the victim, almost victim, or the killer themself. Like I said this is just personal preference and had absolutely nothing to do with Alex Finlay's wonderful writing. If you enjoy a good suspenseful thriller then definitely pick up a copy of this book.

I got approved to read this book on March 15th, and the archiving date was March 15th. Thus, I did not have the time to read this book and give it a review.

I don't want this to affect my ratings, so I am giving this 3 stars for the time being. I will read it and review properly on my goodreads later. If you wish to give me an extension, I would be grateful.

In 1999 on the cusp of the new millennium when four unsuspecting young people working at the Blockbuster video store in Linden, New Jersey were closing up for the evening to go out and celebrate their own New Year's Eve when they were viciously attacked by a most brutal killer. There was only one survivor of that horrendous bloodbath. A suspect was never arrested for these murders.

Fast forward fifteen years later in the the same town of New Jersey when there is another brutal attack at an ice cream parlor, again leaving only one survivor. Some feel this is a copycat killer others think it is the same killer. A therapist, Sarah Keller will be asked to help with this case because she has a personal interest which may help the survivor as well as finding the real killer or killers of both of these inhumane crimes.

This was a wonderful detective mystery/thriller with many twists that I just didn't want to put the book down. There was plenty of action, suspense and mystery occurring up until the last page of the story. Sarah was a terrific and very flawed character that I never tired of. seeing what she would plan to do next. Whether the reader figures out the ending beforehand isn't relevant to the immense enjoyment this thriller brings to the table. The writing by "Alex Finlay" was excellent along with the graphic storytelling. This was a dark crime/mystery which touched on areas that could be disturbing to sensitive readers but not for those of us who enjoy Nice, Dark Thrillers.

Highly Recommend!

I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific and exciting book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this story a rating of 4 1/2 THRILLING AND DARK 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!