4 entertaining stars
An enjoyable police procedural mystery.

There are many intriguing, nuanced characters, but they are easy to differentiate. I especially like FBI agent Keller and her husband and hope we see more of them. Finlay’s writing is strong. Referring to a motel, “It’s tired in every way imaginable. Tired desk clerk. Tired fake flowers in the lobby. Tired elevator scuffed from years of tired suitcases banging around. Tired room with tired drapes.” Descriptive with so few words, I could almost smell the stale air.

The murders, not graphic, happen early on. Pacing is excellent. The surprises keep coming. I like that in a mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I finished Finlay's newest novel in a single night and it was worth the sleep that I lost to do it. The Night Shift delivers the same suspense and mystery present in Every Last Fear, but the characterization and pace are even better this time around. Side note: I'm not sure how he managed to seamlessly integrate a character as loveable as Bob Keller, but if he did a cozy spin-off series on the Kellers I would be 1000% here for it.

New Years Eve 1999, there is a triple murder at a Blockbuster Video at the end of the night shift, leaving one survivor Ella Monroe. The accused killer Vince Whitaker is found but escapes custody and hasn’t been seen since. 15 years later, in the same town, there is another triple murder leaving one sole survivor.

The story is told from the point of view of Ella, Chris (the younger brother of Vince), and an FBI agent who is 8 1/2 months pregnant with twins. The multiple points of view made the story interesting so we could see things unravel differently and from each person’s perspective.

I loved the throwback to good ol’ Blockbuster (which I used to visit pretty much every weekend), and I loved the copy cat murder theme. This one drug a little bit in the middle but the really great beginning and a twisty ending totally made up for it.

This one is out now, and I’d definitely recommend this to every thriller seeker!
Thank you so much to Minotaur Books and @netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I liked the neon book cover and the familiar setting, since I lived in Bergen County, NJ during the 1990's. I vividly remember the local Blockbuster video store & the rush to return videos in the drop box at the end of the weekend to avoid late fees. I would have enjoyed more of the action to happen in 1999, but the flashbacks were good.
The plot involves two brutal attacks on teenagers working the night shift, at the video store in 1999 and an ice cream shop 15 years later.
All the characters were well developed - I especially liked Chris, the younger brother of the suspect from the 1st attack who became a public defender to pursue his brother's innocence and the conflicted Ella, the lone survivor from the first attack, who became a therapist and helped Jessica, the young girl who survived the 2nd attack.
I found it hard to believe that Sarah Keller, an 8 1/2 month pregnant FBI agent could get around that quickly, intercepting a hostage situation and just bounce along, barely stopping for anything, and I think her pregnancy was an unnecessary detail.
The twists & coincidences at the ending were a little over the top, as it often is in suspense novels,
but overall, I think this will be a popular book.

trigger warnings- murder, adult/minor relationship, child abuse, blood, death, violence, pregnancy, addiction, alcoholism, child death, domestic abuse, drug use, emotional abuse, gun violence, physical abuse, grief, stalking, death of a parent, gaslighting, alcohol, injury/injury detail, cheating.

i think my biggest issue with this book was the characters, and more so the fact that there was literally like a hundred of them. like by itself, there is like three narrators for this book, which by itself, was excessive for an adult thriller book. but, like the whole thing was just such a mess when it came to knowing how each character is connected the the crime and their non work story. and like, again, each of the characters had side characters within their chapters, so besides trying to know the main characters, you had to figure out who the side characters were and everything. like, it was just so confusing and i honestly really didn't like it.

but, one thing i honestly wish was more of a slasher type story. like, i think the description of this book miss lead, since it did come across kind of slasher story, but it honestly wasn't. and like i honestly think it would've been so cool if they did that, or they even did at the start of every decade a new killing like the blockbuster thing came out and happened. and like i think it was just kind of boring, since there was like two mass murders. and like it sounded so cool, but in honestly one thing that honestly happened in here was that it was just a basic detective story, and it was honestly so boring and i could honestly care less about the detective story.

as for the writing, i feel like this writing was just so clunky, if that makes sense. but, i feel like so much of this writing just felt so big, and like way to much to sallow. like, it didn't flow well enough, in a book setting. like, i think that they tried to cram way to much into this book, and that it just didn't make sense in this format. but, i feel like it would've worked so much more better if this was a tv show or something, even then i don't think that this story could be saved. but, i mean, it still was just kind of boring and i honestly think it was just way to much to sallow, and the characters and side stories didn't help.

another thing i didn't really like about this book was the chapters. like, with the characters, they were just so short, that you couldn't get into the chapters very well, since they were like five pages. so, like i feel like it was just so hard to get into this book and actually care about the stories when we barely had any time actually these characters and their individual stories, when they were so compact and small. also, like the detective working on a high risk and high stress job at eight months doesn't seem healthy, but whatever.

This was absolutely un-put-down-able! (Is that a phrase? Should be a phrase). The twists and turns had me finishing this book in all of 2 sittings (would have been one, but sometime unfortunately sleep is in fact required). Alex Finlay is definitely one to watch for thrillers! Would recommend!

From the author of Every Last Fear comes Alex Finlay’s newest thriller, The Night Shift. This page-turning, bing-worthy thriller delivers a gripping plot and weaves together characters with intertwining fates and dark secrets. This book kept me hooked from the opening lines, “New Year’s Eve 1999. The night was expected to bring tragedy.” All the way until the last page.

The story opens on New Year’s Eve of Y2K in Linden, New Jersey at a Blockbuster Video store. The manager and three teenage employees are viciously murdered. The remaining employee Ella is the lone survivor. The police’s chief suspect, Vince Whitaker is taken into custody but shortly after disappears. The case remains open until fifteen years later a new set of murders (copycat crime) takes place in an ice cream shop in the same town.

Ella, now a therapist is asked to counsel Jesse Duvall by Linden high school’s principle. Just like Ella, Jesse is the only survivor of the ice cream store murders.

The looming question-could this be the same killer?

The Night Shift is told through the perspectives of three individuals who all have ties to the story’s crimes and small-town secrets. The story unfolds at a fast pace making it a huge challenge to not jump to the next chapter. In this suspenseful tale, I loved how Finlay wove together the complicated lives and crimes of his cast of characters. The reader is allowed access into the characters private thoughts, which to me gave a nice depth into the story as a whole. There is a sense of urgency in the book’s structure and has a very cinematic feel. It felt frenetic and at times wonderfully frustrating to get to the end of a chapter and be left with a cliffhanger and suddenly the perspective would shift to another character’s POV. A wonderful way to keep the reader hooked!

A fun, suspenseful, quick read, I highly recommend you “make it a Blockbuster night” and check out this book!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

After reading and loving Alex Finlay's last thriller, Every Last Fear, I was thrilled to read this latest thriller. And oh the nostalgia of the 90s - Blockbuster! I enjoyed the diverse characters that we are introduced too in this book and learning about their personalities. Two different crimes years part, one sole survivor from each. What set these two survivors apart from the rest who weren't so lucky to survive that night? Did the survivors have similarities in common? Why them?

I enjoyed reading about the lead heroine FBI Agent Keller. She was a badass woman with a lead role in the novel and I enjoyed her character in the book and reading about her involvement in the case. There were many twists and turns in this novel to keep you hooked and flipping the pages, you will find yourself immersed in this novel from the moment you begin reading. 

A good novel that I would definitely recommend! I am already looking forward to your next novel Alex!

First off I feel HONORED that my first NetGalley approval was for SUCH a highly anticipated book: The night shift by Alex Finlay! First off, I absolutely loved the time frame. I’m a 90s baby so it was really neat reading about blockbuster and y2k. I loved the current times mixed with the flashbacks. I also personally love alternating character views. This was a thriller that literally grasped my attention from the first page and kept me turning page after page just wanting to get more. This was the most perfect buildup and reveal/conclusion. Unfortunately a lot of thrillers fall into two categories 1) totally predictable where you guess what’s happening within the first few chapters. 2) the ending is totally completely out of the left field and you’re just thinking “where the heck did that all come from!?” 3) a slowwww burn book until the last chapter where EVERY little detail and question is laid out and you’re just left with your head spinning of action overload! I can say this thriller checked zero of those boxes. This book kept me thinking and guessing the whole time. The twists and bombs dropped in this book had my jaw dropped to the floor multiple times but it was just written the most perfect way that had me mad at myself “OMG how did I miss that!?” All the pieces fell together seamlessly. I would 100% recommend this book!

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, all opinions are my own!

Holy cow! Be prepared to not want to do anything other than read this book!! I remember all the scare around Y2K, and the appeal of Blockbuster so this was right up my ally! I couldn’t put this down! I dare you to stop reading!! 5 stars all the way!

Last year, Finlay's EVERY LAST FEAR was one of my favorite reads, so I've been looking forward to reading this one since I first heard about it. I was delighted that Agent Keller features again here - though chronologically this is not a sequel, but instead a prequel as it takes place in 1999 and 2014. The titular night shift at a Blockbuster in Linden, NJ is decimated with only survivor and fifteen years later, similar killings take place during the last shift at an ice cream shoppe. The time difference between the crimes makes it a little easier to correctly guess the killer's identity (I figured out a lot of the plot about halfway through). There are still some surprises along the way, though and it is, of course, satisfying to be right.

Just like Finlay's first book, I couldn't put this one down. It's a real page-turner with fast-pacing and a truly great heroine. The vlog snippets work well here and I really appreciated the epilogue. And I also felt relieved that this was set prior because otherwise, I would have wanted to re-read EVERY LAST FEAR first, which isn't necessary. I really enjoyed reading this and it is exactly the book that I wanted to read. I really enjoy Finlay's characters and I hope that this isn't the last appearance of Agent Keller. It's an entertaining and exciting read - and the Blockbuster nostalgia really added to the fun. I can't wait to read whatever Finlay writes next!

Alex Finlay is one of my newest favorite authors! All of the books are suspense/thrillers and this one is no exception. There is a really cool throwback to a Blockbuster Video store contrasted with current days in a super small town! I had such a clear picture of all the characters, the settings and it was nonstop crime investigating! If you are a true crime podcast lover, this reminded me of The Yogurt Shop Murders. 5 🌟

2.5 rounded up. This book took me SO long to finish. I just never wanted to pick it up, which is surprising considering it was one of my most anticipated books of 2022. The premise sounded amazing--blockbuster, 1999. Hello Nostalgia!!

Unfortunately it didn't really hit home, but maybe it's just me. There are too many characters, too many side stories and sooooo many unanswered questions. I'm someone who loves ambiguous endings, but there were holes in the story that didn't make sense

I really enjoyed “The Night Shift”. There were a few twists in the execution that I hadn’t seen coming, which was a pleasant surprise. I found it was well paced and overall a very satisfying thriller. Would definitely recommend this novel to suspense fans and I hope to read another book from Finlay in the near future.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!
3.5/5 rounded up

The Night Shift is one of those thrillers that is hard to put down. Two murders, 15 years apart with lots of similarities including one lone female survivor. At first it was hard for me to keep straight two of the main female characters, and I thought it was pretty obvious who the murderer was, but that didn't keep me from turning the pages to the very end. I really enjoyed the 90's nostalgia and highly recommend this propulsive thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy to review.

The Night Shift is a fairly fast-paced detective thriller with short chapters. I was engaged throughout, but ultimately found myself to be a little disappointed. It ended up being a very straight-forward, procedural mystery that I don’t think will be be memorable for me.

I was so excited to pick this one up because the blurb promised a novel set in a NJ Blockbuster in the 1990s. I was expecting a nostalgic 90s read. But most of the book takes place after this, about 15 years later. A few references to towns in NJ, but barely any references to what it was like growing up in the 90s and searching the shelves of Blockbuster for a movie to watch. Overall this ended up being a middle of the road thriller.

4.5 stars!
New Years Eve, 1999. Y2K is on the horizon and the employees at the local Blockbuster are getting ready to close down for the night. The manager on shift is a young man and his employees are four girls who are in high school. They are all found murdered except for one survivor. Fast forward - 15 years later - and history repeats itself at the local ice cream shop. The murderer said the same thing to both survivors, meaning only one thing: the two cases are connected. An FBI agent, a local defence lawyer and the survivor from the first case become an integral part of solving what’s going on in Linden, New Jersey.

I looooooooooooved how atmospheric this novel was! The opening chapters had me thrown right back into my nostalgia, reminiscing on how fun it was to go to Blockbuster on a Friday night and pick out a movie. The multiple POVs were at times confusing, but kept the story fresh. I loved pretty much all of the characters, particularly Sarah and her husband Bob. Likeable characters always help me with wanting to finish a book. The twists were littered throughout with some nice red herrings sprinkled in. That being said, I did figure out who the killer was pretty early. However, I loved the rest of the book so much, I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see how it all played out.

You’ve gotta love a Mass murder mystery that you can’t figure out, even after thinking of every angle.
Finlay takes us round & round, down the rabbit hole of suspects, evidence and victims until the den of truth leaves you breathless.
Told from multiple character perspectives, the plot is laid out and executed, emotions run high, (and I’m also talking about the readers’!) as pieces come together and your heart crashes at some of the injustices that occur. Although I wasn’t crazy about some of the (rather unrealistic) events in the climax, this will not be my last Finlay novel.

I loved Finlay’s last novel “Every Last Fear” so I was super excited for this book and it didn’t disappoint !!!

Reading this book gave me a sense of nostalgia in a weird way. I always remember going to the video store every Friday night as a kid and picking out a movie (most likely a Mary-Kate and Ashley one)

“The Night Shift” was everything I love about a thriller! It was fast paced, full of twists and turns and I absolutely loved the storyline!

You will definitely want to check this one out, and it’s available now!

Thank you SO much @stmartinspress, @minotaur_books, and @alexfinlayauthor for the advanced copy!

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is his second book. On New Year’s Eve 1999 someone attacks and kills four employees at a Blockbuster video store. The fifth victim, a teenager named Ella, survives. It is assumed a young man named Vince, who was rumored to have dated one of the murdered employees, was the killer. He was a small time drug dealer and was often in trouble. He gets arrested and is soon let go for insufficient evidence. He promptly disappears off the face of the earth.
Cut to 20 years later in the same town —three employees of an ice cream shop are murdered and there is one girl who survives .. Ella is now grown up and a therapist. She has been called in to help the surviving girl because she has gone through the same thing.
There are two other points of view in the story. One is Chris, he is Vince‘s younger brother and is now a public defender. He has always wondered what happened to his brother and thinks he might know where he is. The other character we follow is Sarah Keller, an almost nine months pregnant FBI agent who is assigned to help the local police with the ice cream shop murders. Her job is to figure out if it is connected to the previous murders from 1999.
This book was outstanding. It was very fast paced and I loved how the chapters alternated between characters and also between 1999 and present day for those characters. I grew to love each one of the three main characters and hated to finish the book. The mystery of what actually happened in 1999 and present day is slowly revealed as the book goes on. The suspense was nicely done by alternating the viewpoints. So far this has been one of my favorite books of 2022. I am so excited to read more books from this author! Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.