Truth, manipulation of facts, outright lies

“The Night Shift” opens on New Year’s Eve 1999 at Blockbuster Video in Linden, NJ. The night shift workers consist of four sweet, albeit mischievous, teenage girls, Mandy, Ella, Katie, and Candy.
At closing time, a terrible tragedy strikes. The narrative advances fifteen years; the present tense structure makes everything more urgent, more compelling. Ella Monroe, therapist with a little side hustle in NYC hotels, receives a frantic call; a young girl needs help. It is the same town, different people, another tragedy, and Jesse Duvall is the sole survivor. Monroe is uniquely qualified to help; she knows what it is like to be the only one who made it out alive.
The story unfolds in alternating points of view and goes back and forth in time to describe, to clarify, and to expose. People are introduced with detailed backgrounds so readers immediately get to know them. Characters are diverse in age and experience; they are focused and personable in their own way. These are separate people with separate stories, but ones that are inseparably intertwined. Each travels a separate road that leads to a common intersection and ends in a colossal collision.
The town needs all the help it can get to solve this horrible crime. Atticus Singh and Joe Arpeggio are part of the local police department. Sarah Keller, pregnant with twins, is a data person called in from the FBI. She is someone who can find something missing, overlooked, or deliberately hidden. Chris Ford is the public-defender representing people who hate him. The town is filled with people who have secrets, significant secrets, secrets that that must be reconciled, resolved, and released.
The case is like a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle with pieces spread all over the table. One or two look like they should go together, but on closer examination; they do not. Then, slowly, a little color here, a shape there, and the pieces start to match up; the startling picture falls into place.
The pace is fast, unfolding over just a few days with days numbered and identified. The line between good and evil is blurred; truth is hidden by manipulation of facts and outright lies. I received a review copy of “The Night Shift” from Alex Finlay, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Publishing.
“The sheep spends its life worried about the wolf, only to be eaten by the farmer.”
Ready for a book with twists, turns and twists again? This is the one.

I enjoyed reading this book very much especially the last 25% of the book. The author does a very good job of setting up the story and building the characters. This book had me guessing up into the last few chapters. I really enjoyed this book and the author did an amazing job with this crime novel.

To say I am disappointed may be harsh but it is not an understatement. This book was sub par at best. I thought this was going to be a Y2K thrasher. But it was more a detective book. The synopsis was very misleading. With that being said it was an okay book. It kept me engaged with its short chapters and suspense. I definitely didn’t see the twists coming. I was not very interested in the characters. I didn’t feel like I could connect to them. I gave it 3 stars because it was a decent book but the synopsis needs rewritten and the characters need more depth. I’d be interested in reading more form this author in the future because I feel like there is potential for a good story.
Thank you to Minotaur, the author & netgalley for my advanced readers copy.

"The sheep spends it life worried about the wolf, only to be eaten by the farmer."

While most of us were literally partying like it was 1999 on the last day of 1999, five Blockbuster employees were awaiting the end of their shift in a small town in Jersey only to be brutally attacked by a knife-wielding murderer. Only one of them manages to see the year 2000. Fast forward to fifteen years later and an eerily similar incident happens at an ice cream shop in the same wee town. Yet again there's only one survivor. Is it the same murderer, a copycat, or unrelated/coincidental events? What's the motive in both cases? This mystery is unraveled via several perspectives: Chris, a public defender and the brother of the suspected murderer in the Blockbuster case who subsequently ran off and was never seen again, Ella, the surviving Blockbuster employee turned social worker, and Keller, the FBI agent looking to solve All The Things.

I usually don't gravitate towards murder mysteries, but holy guacamole this one was well done. Given that all but the first chapter happen in the immediate aftermath of Murder Bunch #2, we got to see the aftermath of how living through Murder Bunch #1 impacted the lives of both Ella and Chris. Spoiler (not really): living through something like that as a teenager gives you PTSD as an adult. But the way Finlay writes about Ella and Chris, the reader sees they're both flawed but likable. I dug it. But my fave character was by far Sarah "Badass" Keller. She asked the tough questions. She followed the questionable leads. She put the time in to figure out what really happened. And she did it all while 8 months pregnant... with twins. I'll be honest, I don't think I could do half of what she did while my belly's full of a big burrito, let alone with two tiny humans. Finlay wrote Keller in such a way that I truly thought the author was a female. It was refreshing to read about such a powerful lady protagonist and have her be penned by a gentleman. Well done.

Not only was the character development superb, but the plot was well done too. I'll admit that I usually can't figure out murder mysteries before the big reveal, and The Night Shift was no exception. However, Finlay did an excellent job of throwing in red herrings, multiple twists and turns, and unexpected course changes. Not only that, but he also wrapped up every question and loose end by the time the book came to a close. I'm not a big fan of books that answer the big questions but leave the reader hanging on more minor plot points when the book wraps up. Well folks, I will conclude by saying I am a big fan of The Night Shift. Looks like I'll be adding his other book Every Last Fear to my every growing To-Read pile.

Ella must be the luckiest girl alive, right?! After all she was the sole survivor of an after hours massacre at her local Blockbuster in 1999. The alleged killer absconded before trial and hasn't been heard from since. Fast forward fifteen years, Ella (now a therapist) is called in to speak with Jesse, the single female survivor, of another late night local massacre at an ice cream shop. Given that this murderer whispered the exact same thing to Jesse as was told to Ella all those years ago, is the killer back? How are these events connected?

Two for two when it comes to books written by Alex Finlay that I've enjoyed! It was fun to see Agent Keller again; she was also in Every Last Fear, and is back to being a bad ass FBI Agent in this book..... though doing so at 9 months pregnant with twins seemed a bit of a stretch. I love a fast paced thriller and this was certainly that with all of the multiple POVs constantly changing. It was a fun ride to see how they all came together at the end. The Night Shift gave me some 90s nostalgia, which I always love. I remember vividly going to Blockbuster with the fam to pick out which movie we were going to watch over the weekend. Be Kind, Rewind. I'll definitely check out Alex Finlay's next thriller....let the wait begin!

Thankful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

This story begins at the end of 1999, when four employees of a Blockbuster Video are attacked. Only one survives. Fifteen years later in the same neighborhood, four employees of an ice cream shop are attacked. Again, only one survives.

The police had a suspect in the first murder, but he disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. Has he returned to town, or is there a copycat murderer? Three characters are pivotal in solving the crimes: the Blockbuster survivor, now a psychologist; the brother of the suspected perpetrator, now a criminal defense attorney; and FBI agent Sarah Keller.

Holy wow, this one kept me on the edge of my seat! I would have enjoyed it simply for the nostalgia it invokes, but the characters and story played out in living color in my mind and it was all I could do to hang on for the ride. The chapter-ending cliffies and jump to a different POV only served to keep me reading this one late into the night. Riveting, suspenseful, and rife with surprising twists, it’s one that is sure to give any lover of thrillers an exciting, unparalleled reading escape.

This book sounded super promising. I was excited to read a book that was about a 1999 killing in a Blockbuster-esque small-town setting. What I received, unfortunately, was a story with a couple of brief flashbacks rooted in a 2015 setting. This book was a very boring read.

Christopher Pike meets Mare in Easttown. Two murders, two separate sole survivors. How are they connected? One FBI Agent Badass 8 months pregnant, one troubled survivor turned therapist, one uber-smart foster kid dead set on solving the first murder, one brother of alleged missing murder turned District Attorney, mix with small town of connections. Throw in a mysterious Vlogger who may or may not be one of the killers. Could not put this book down and can't recommend it enough.

I was SO excited to see that Alex Finlay had another book coming out. I loved Every Last Fear, last years offering, and so was excited to read the follow-up effort.

The Night Shift follows two murders, about 20 years apart. The first was at a Blockbuster video, where Ella, the only survivor, still feels the effects of the trauma she went through. Ella is called in to help counsel Jesse, the lone survivor 20 years later, when all were killed (except her) at an ice cream shoppe. Ella is now a licensed therapist, and she and Jesse form a precarious bond over their shared experiences.

Also told from the perspective of Chris, the main suspect of the first Blockbuster murder, turned public defense lawyer, and Keller, the very pregnant FBI agent, sent to bridge between the local and federal sides of these investigations.

As with Alex Finlay's books, there were a lot of moving pieces to this book. Despite loving Every Last Fear, I had a very hard time getting into this book. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it, or that I didn't like it.... I just had trouble really connecting to the book and the characters. I think, because of that, I had trouble really enjoying this to the fullest.

I really enjoyed the concept and the ending was unpredictable (in a good way). I just had trouble reading this book in a "longer" stretch. It was one that I read in small stretches, and it was hard for me to get truly into.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The 1990 references and fast pace of Alex Finlay’s new novel drew me in right away. This is an author I will be adding to my must read list!

On New Year’s Eve 1999, four teenagers and their manager are working the late shift at Blockbuster Video when a horrible tragedy occurs. Only one will survive. Fast forward fifteen years, an ice cream store in the same town is the site of another tragedy with four teenagers. Sarah Keller, an FBI agent, must solve the mystery of this new case while diving into the secrets of the Blockbuster case.

Finlay tells a story of secrets and trauma with sensitivity and authenticity. Night Shift has unexpected plot twists expertly woven together. The result is a thriller that illustrates the power of survival. Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to review this novel in return for an honest review.

What a ride!

So many twists and turns none of which I was expecting! There were a bunch of different plot points that blended and merged so well together.

The book follows Ella, Chris and Keller and focuses on their specific story lines (which are intertwined) while maintaining the same third person narration which I really liked! It felt like multiple perspectives but without the confusion of ok who is talking right now? It was so smartly written!

Highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you so much to Minotaur Books & St. Martin’s publishing group for the advanced readers copy! (Though the book is in sale now)

The Night Shift is another compelling thriller by Alex Finlay that hooked me immediately. The story begins on New Year’s Eve 1999. A night crew of a Blockbuster Video are all brutally murdered except for one lone survivor. Fifteen years later a similar crime is committed at an ice cream shop, leaving again one survivor. The story is told from multiple POVs: Ella the survivor of the Blockbuster murders, Chris a public defender and FBI Agent Keller. Their lives become entangled as they try to unravel the truth behind the murders and the unsettling connection between the two tragedies. Just like Every Last Fear, this thriller was fast paced with characters I cared about and was interested in how their lives would intersect as the mystery unfolded. This thriller was original, entertaining and had me racing to the conclusion. Alex Finlay has become an auto read author. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy.

Alex us an auto buy for me at this point! I love that I can’t figure out what’s going on… I could see where that would be frustrating for some readers and it would be for me if the twists/endings didn’t make sense but they do! Will be recommending! Thank you for letting me read early!

Two bloody massacres over a decade apart, both with one lonely survivor, and both in the same town. Is there a connection between the two or is it just a coincidence? The twists will catch you by surprise and some will leave you speechless. This one will leave you gripped right down to the very end!
Thank you to Netgalley, Alex Finlay and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is the first book I've had the pleasure of reading by Alex Finlay and now I'm even more excited to go read his others! This was a very gripping book that had me from the start. Once I started it, I found it very difficult to put it down! So many twists and turns in the book. There were a lot of characters and at times it was hard to remember them all, but overall I loved this book. The characters were amazing and the writing was very fluid. All I can say is, wow. I definitely recommend this one, especially if you're like me and enjoy a good mystery/thriller. This one gets ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

The Night Shift is true crime fiction, and it does it well. It’s not perfect, and at times, could be a bit predictable. But it was so grindy and gritty, just like the best true crime is. I loved the shifting narratives - it really worked in this book.

This definitely makes me want to read Alex Finlay’a first book.

Alex Finlay has done it again! He is now one of my favorite thriller authors and officially an auto-buy author for me. He has such an amazing writing style that will suck you right in. The Night Shift has a unique plot that includes two crime scenes that were too similar to not be connected, but the journey getting there will have you stunned. I loved the plot, different perspectives, and the final twist! If you have not read this one, you must!

Loved the '90s era, Blockbuster flashback vibe of this book. Loved how the crimes intersected, though it was a bit more police procedural than I expected. Overall another good thriller from Alex Finlay, I'll have my eye out for their next one.

As a former blockbuster employee, as soon as I read the synopsis for this, I knew I needed it! I was immediately intrigued by this crime fiction read and found it incredibly twisty and propulsive!

This one had a fantastic ensemble that each brought something different to the story and I throughly enjoyed how they were all connected and intersected so well together. I’m also a big fan of duel timelines and I truly relished how well these enhanced the plot and continually drove the suspense.

While some of the beginning and middle were a little slower paced, it really picks up at the end as secrets begin being exposed and the twists and turns keep coming. All in all, I found this to be an well written and addictive read!

All I will say is go into this one blind because Alex Finlay has done it again. I really enjoy his books and I can't wait for the next one.

I took a two month thriller hiatus. It simply had to happen. After a few big letdowns at the end of 2021 I needed a breather from all the thrills and kills.

Admittedly, I went into THE NIGHT SHIFT with a bit of trepidation that I would bet let down yet again. I’m happy to report my streak of thriller flops ended with the latest by Alex Finlay.

Turns out a police procedural with a healthy side of 90s nostalgia was just what this thriller skeptic needed! Told in dual timelines and multiple POVs, the story follows two survivors of murders of high school girls who worked the night shift at Blockbuster and and ice cream parlor.

The way the crimes intersected was clever and I loved that there were characters I could root for. Namely, the 8-month pregnant FBI agent (with twins!) who finds the agility to break into a run to chase down assailants. As a pregnant woman myself, I found this to be the most implausible aspect of the story–but you go mama!

I’m thankful this book pulled me out of my thriller slump!