15 years apart, two very similar murders take place in the same small town. Are they connected? If so, how? To unravel the layers of information, the woman who survived the 1999 New Year's Eve murder and the girl who survived a similar crime 15 years later pair up. But this book isn't that simple and the webs start overlapping with clues and people and what a mess! I really enjoyed how deep and rich the story and characters were. Throughout the entire book there was a lot of information to consider when trying to beat the characters to uncover who done it! Definitely a page turner and reinforced my feeling that Alex Finlay is one of my must read authors.

Thank you so much @Minotaur_Books & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 01 March 2022)

SYNOPSIS | On New Years Eve 1999 a group of teenage girls are brutally murdered at a Blockbuster Video Store leaving only one survivor. 15 years later another group of teenage girls are brutally murdered at an ice cream parlour in the same area, again leaving only one survivor... are the crimes connected?

WHAT I LIKED:
- multiple POV worked really well for this story
- each chapter ends on a mini cliffhanger which had me gorging the story
- the nostalgia hit hard with the Blockbuster references
- you feel like you are solving the crime along with the detective

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- there were a few too many side characters for me to keep straight in my brain
- one of the police detectives is 8.5 months pregnant & consistently puts herself & her unborn twins in danger (this was at times difficult for me to read based on my own pregnancy experience)

I was extremely unimpressed with the execution of this book. It felt so under-researched and stuff was happening that had no explanation whatsoever. I am all for female empowerment, but in no world would a woman who is heavily pregnant with TWINS be put in situations where she could easily get hurt and risk her life and her children’s lives. I was so off put by that part of this book. The only saving grace of this book was the nostalgic aspect of Block Busters and life in the 90s. The twists were not executed in a way that had me super surprised and itching to read more. It felt like I knew the answer within the first 100 pages of the book. I have been seeing a lot of good reviews for this, so I won’t tell you not to read it. But I thought it was very poorly executed and researched.

"Goodnight, pretty girl..."

New Year's Eve 1999 at the Blockbuster Video store in Linden, New Jersey and the the young staff was murdered except for one surviving girl.

Fifteen years later another terrible too similar murder takes place in Linden, again with just one surviving girl and local law enforcement and one very pregnant FBI agent are trying to figure out if and why the two crimes are connected.

This is a twisty thriller, told from multiple points of view, which I enjoyed very much. I saw some of the reveals coming but definitely not all of them. I will be watching for more from this author. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from Minotaur Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is a wild ride of a thriller.

"New Year's Eve, 1999 - Four teenagers are attacked at a Blockbuster video store in Linden, NJ - only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again. Fifteen years later at an ice-cream store in the same town, four teenagers are attacked and only one makes it out alive.
The survivor of the Blockbuster massacre is forced to relive her tragedy. The brother of the original suspect is convinced the police had the wrong suspect. And the FBI agent is determined to solve both cases."

This new book by Finlay is fast-paced and entertaining. I love a book where the twists and turns seem to never stop. I actually guessed the killer in this book (but it was just a guess) Seems like several characters had secrets that were easily revealed. So many "Wait..What?!?" moments as each twist is revealed.
A surprise ending and a nice twist at the end. I like when a book has some resolution for the characters.
Best nickname ever for an FBI agent

Great choice if you're looking for a fast-paced, twisty story. Another great thriller pick for the beach.

I loved this book because from the first chapter, it was full of action and never stopped. As a kid who grew up in the 90's and remembered renting from Blockbuster, I loved the nostalgic throwbacks.

I really liked Agent Keller ( Agent Badass). I can sort of relate because my job is to investigate claims so I always like to imagine myself as an FBI agent. I think she is who I would be if I were an agent. Bad ass female who at 8 months pregnant with twins is investigating crimes like she's not even pregnant. I loved the way she was written as intuitive and perceptive. I liked the alternating POV in the story. I really felt for the victims that remained and had major survivors guilt.

I think the one downfall for me was the amount of characters in the story. It was a lot to remember at times and could be distracting from the otherwise fantastic story. Overall it was a fast paced read with an ending I definitely did not see coming. My favorite kind of thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital galley of this book.

One of my favorite things in the entire world is picking up an addicting, can’t put it down book and getting swept away in a story. The Night Shift was totally one of those books! ⁣
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⁣On December 31, 1999 the night shift of Blockbusters is horrifically attacked and slain, but one girl escapes with her life. The kid who is accused of the crime escapes. Fifteen years later, history seems to repeat itself when the staff of an ice cream shop is murdered, but one girl survives. FBI agent Sarah Keller is called in to investigate the crime and decide if the two scenes are connected. ⁣
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⁣I really liked this book. It was action packed and entertaining. The characters are slightly messed up (which is totally understandable) but not completely unlikable. It was just a fun read. ⁣
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⁣My only hang out? Sarah is supposed to be nine months pregnant with twins. As someone who was recently in that position, I’m calling bull! On several occasions, she threw herself into danger and acted like a total badass. In reality, homegirl would have been struggling to put on her shoes in real life. Has Alex Finlay ever been around a massively pregnant women?! 🤣⁣
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⁣Overall, The Night Shift was a good book and I recommend it to thriller fans. Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thankful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Night Shift publishes on March 1, 2022.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Night Shift by Alex Finley.
A special thanks to NetGalley in St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions on my own.
I don’t even know where to start. This was one of those can’t put the book down, can’t think about anything else until your done books.
The book begins on New Year’s Eve of 1999. Everyone is getting ready for Y2K. The world is safe the computer dates rolled over like they were supposed to and everyone’s panic was for not. But in a little town of London New Jersey tragedy did strike. Four teenage girls working at Blockbuster were brutally attacked three of them were killed and one of them survived Ella. Vince Whitaker is charged and convicted of the crime.
After a decade and a half another brutal attack occurs in London, New Jersey, except this time it’s an ice cream store. Jessica is the sole survivor but she refuses to talk to the police. In an effort to get her to talk they decide she needs somebody who understands what she’s going through, Ella the lone survivor of the black buster murders is now an adult and a therapist. As she helps Jesse, and finds clues from both murders. Could the two murders be connected?
FBI agent Keller local police officer Atticus and public defender Chris Whitaker (Vince’s baby brother) team up to help solve both of these crimes. Could Vince be innocent?!?!
The twist and turns of this book kept me on my toes and I couldn’t wait to figure it out! Alex Finley has become of of my favorite thriller writers. Can’t wait for what’s next!

I LOVED Alex Finley’s first book, Every Last Fear, so I was super excited to read The Night Shift. It did not disappoint. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.

A community is torn apart by the killing of three teenagers at a Blockbuster Store on New Years Eve 1999. The one lone survivor has tried to pick up the pieces and have a normal life but because the case was never completely closed, she has not had closure. Fifteen years later, a killing takes place at an ice cream shop and the similarities are eerily similar. As the local cops investigate, the FBI is called in to make sure there can’t possibly be a connection to the Blockbuster killings. As law enforcement tries to put together the clues, many of the same players from the Blockbuster case are still involved and things get complicated.

I felt like there were a lot of ways this story could have gone, and while I can see some people saying they thought it was predictable, I felt like so many clues were dropped, that it kept me guessing. I loved the way the chapters jumped between different perspectives and continued to get little clues about the Blockbuster killings throughout the story. Loved this book—as long as Alex Finley keeps writing them, I’ll keep reading them!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alex Finlay's latest "The Night Shift" was everything I want my perfect read to be - interesting plotline, fascinating characters, the kind of pacing that won't let you put the book down and writing style that had me hooked from the first page. I foresee seeing the cover of this book on my Insta feed quite a while after its publication day (March 1).

The story revolves around 2 crimes decades apart but with a few common threads. On NYE 1999, 4 girls working in Blockbuster video are attacked and Ella is the only survivor. Years later, Ella is working as a therapist and when 4 girls get attacked at an ice cream parlor, she is called in to help out the sole survivor Jesse. Shifting the storytelling from perspectives of Ella, FBI Agent Sarah Keller and Chris (brother of the man accused of the original crime), Alex Finlay leads us on such an engaging and thrilling adventure. Characters come alive from the pages of this book and getting to know them, understanding how past and present intersect for each on of them was just as important as the progression of the story.

My only disappointment was not realizing that Sarah Keller appears in Finlay's previous work, Every Last Fear, which I haven't read yet. As a reader who loves reading books in order if there is a common thread, I'll just have to live with reading these in reverse order.

Thankful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am obsessed with Alex Finlay. I was blown away by his previous novel, and this was no exception. Having lived through Y2K AND basically living at my local blockbuster on weekends, I knew this was a must read. The writing is quick and so enthralling. Alex is goin places. Dark and murdery places, but places.

{Huge thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this free advanced copy of this book!}

•The Night Shift-Alex Finlay
•Mystery/Thriller
•Available-March 1st
•4⭐️/5

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟗. 𝟏𝟓 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫?

This is a great fast paced thriller that’ll have you turning the pages as fast as you can with the need to know what’s going to happen next. With short chapters, lots of characters, a dual timeline, and lots of chapters ending on cliffhangers, I flew right through this one.

It took me a little to really get into this one, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. My one complaint is there were a lot of characters so I did struggle to keep everyone straight. And even though I did guess who the killer was early on, I still very much enjoyed this one. It was kind of sad though. But good!

You’ll want to read this book in one sitting, so be sure to make time. I was trying to read this so fast because all the twists were keeping me on edge. I could not put this book down. So good!

Looking for gripping and fast paced read?? This thriller that originally takes place in a Blockbuster is the book you need to pick up next.

On New Year's Eve in 1999 a New Jersey Blockbuster is the site of a gruesome attack. Four teenagers and their supervisor are the focus of a murderer, there is only one survivor. Fifteen years later, another attack has occurred in a local ice cream shop in the same town. We follow three lives as they intersect in this investigation, an FBI agent, the original survivor and the brother of the Blockbuster suspected killer. How will their stories intertwine and reveal the true killer?

What an easy thriller to read! Such a fast paced and intriguing story. The multiple point of views really helped shape this story from every end, and I really loved all of these characters. I really started to care for them by the end of the story and the end really hurt my soul.

There were a couple twists I did not see coming and the ending sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions. The only thing I wanted was more! More about the characters back story and a bit of slowing to the story, it felt a little rushed at certain points. Otherwise this thriller was truly thrilling and I highly recommend it.

As of recently I have been trying to open myself up to genres or subgenres that I have been avoiding. One of the main ones is the crime and mystery thrillers that are extremely prevalent in the book world. There are many talented authors writing some of these and after reading The Night Shift by Alex Finlay, I will be reading more.

Finlay starts off a dynamic story of who, what, where, when and WOW. After a gruesome set of murders at a movie rental store in Linden, New Jersey, the suspect is unfortunately released prior to crucial evidence coming to light. The years have somewhat softened the terror and fear that have plagued Ella Monroe, the lone survivor of that tragic New Year’s Eve from years ago. Fast forward to where Ella is now a productive therapist helping others when a nearly imperceptible copycat set of murders occurs at a local ice cream shop. In eerie similarity, there is one survivor, Jesse Duvall. And as the story continues, you will learn that there is more to those murders that she is connected too.

Covering the recent case as a local public defender, we get to learn a little about Chris Ford, who also has a very haunting and connected past. Teaming up with Julia, another up and coming lawyer at the Union County Public Defender’s office, they are about to tackle this case head on. While leading the public defense for an unlikely suspect, the team learns quickly that everyone has dark secrets, and they could be a conflict of interest. The local police force teams with a FBI field office where we meet Special Agent Sarah Keller, a veteran agent who is super pregnant. While Keller and Atticus Singh, another Union County investigator, attempt to link the two cases, the nasty reality of life comes to a head and shows that not all skeletons in your closet are gone forever.

The buildup to the finale is frightening and everyone has problems that they must battle while trying to fight for others. The imperfect characters in this twist filled debacle of a case only ass to the fascination that bleeds from every page. Finlay effortlessly blends the best and worst of humanity in one of the best stories I’ve ever read. If you haven’t given this one a thought, then check it out and you’ll be pleased.

Warning: Make sure you reserve a weekend or a block of time to read Alex Findlay’s new thriller, The Night Shift! After loving his debut novel, Every Last Fear, I wondered if I would love The Night Shift as much as his first book! While a little slow at first and many characters to remember including the return of FBI Agent Sarah Keller, The Night Shift far exceeded my expectations. I could not turn the pages fast enough during the last 50% of the story. SO MANY TWISTS AND TURNS!

The story opens with the mass killing of three teenagers and the store manager of Blockbuster on New Year’s Eve 1999 (Y2K). There is one survivor, Ella. Fifteen years later, four high school girls are attacked at the local ice cream store and only Jesse Survives. FBI Agent Sara Keller (The Night Shift) who is 8 1/2 months pregnant is called in to look for links between the two shooting events to see if they are connected.

There are three narrators. Ella, the survivor of the Blockbuster shootings is now a therapist and is asked to talk with Jesse the survivor of the ice cream shootings. Chris Ford from the public defender’s office is the second narrator and he has some secrets he is hiding. The third narrator is Sara Keller.

Be prepared for lots of secrets. I can’t wait for Findlay’s next book! My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is a new super fun thriller that comes out March 1st (Tuesday). I’ve never read this author before and was excited to get an advanced copy. The book alternates between NYE in the Y2K era and present day. Four teens are murdered while working the night shift at the local blockbuster. The perp was released from jail and never found again. When four teens are murdered in an ice cream parlor, the crimes are eerily similar. Told from three different points of view (brother of accused crimes, FBI agent and sole survivor of the Blockbuster murders) this book was highly entertaining! A great read for the thriller junkies like me!

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is a thriller novel. The story in The Night Shift is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters with three central voices to the story, a survivor to a past event, the brother of the suspect of the past event and an FBI agent.

On the night of Y2K, New Year’s Eve 1999, the Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey was just about to close up when the manager and four teenage girls working that night shift were attacked. There was only one survivor that night, Ella, who goes onto become a therapist.

Fifteen years after that horrific night another attack takes place at a local ice cream shop. Again there is only one survivor after the attack, a teenager named Jessica. Ella is called in to connect to the surviving victim having a perspective no one else would understand and FBI Agent Keller begins to investigate any connection to the previous crime.

After reading Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay and really enjoying it I was excited to pick up The Night Shift and thankfully it did not disappoint at all. It may have helped the story to being with a night that many who were alive during Y2K can distinctly remember as that pulled me right into the book and didn’t let go centering around those events. The characters were great with all having their own flaws but distinct personalities that I enjoyed and boy the twists and turns just kept a coming all along the way. Definitely an author that I will come back to time and again after thouroughly enjoying both novels I’ve read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Ella is in the bathroom after working The Night Shift at a New Jersey Blockbuster Video store. When she comes out, the rest of the staff is dead. She is left for dead but recovers.

Fifteen years later, a similar event occurs as an ice cream shop is closing for the night. Another girl, Jesse, leaves the bathroom during the killing but somehow survives. Jesse won’t talk to the police. Ella, now a therapist, is called in. The pair have a lot in common and bond. Jesse, a senior in high school, is an inspiring journalist. The two survivors try to figure out if their crimes are connected.

In the meantime, both the local police and the FBI are investigating. FBI Agent Sarah Keller is two weeks from her due date with twins. She is committed to solving the older crime. The suspect, Vince, was arrested but then released. He was never seen again.

Vince’s father, Rusty, beats up both Vince and his younger brother, Chris, nightly. When Vince runs off, Chris is placed in foster care. He is adopted by his foster parents, changes his name, and graduates from law school. However, he is still looking for his brother. He works for the public defender’s office in the county where both crimes occurred.

As you can see, there are a whole lot of different plot lines. Luckily, they all work seamlessly together. The three narrators; Ella, Chris, and Agent Keller; each tell their own tale. The characters are so well-written and realistic it was easy to keep them, and the people they meet, straight. The multiple plot twists are unveiled at the perfect times to keep the reader reading well into the night.

Unfortunately, the clues to the killer or killers were too obvious. After guessing the answer early on, I was waiting for a Christie-type twist revealing why it couldn’t be that easy. That twist never arrived. However, there were several other surprising twists in the last half of the book.

If you like twisty tales of violent murders, The Night Shift will keep you reading way past your bedtime. 4 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this one pretty much blind and that first chapter had me HOOKED.

QUICK TAKE: A brutal murder takes place during a closing shift at Blockbuster on NYE 1999 leaving one survivor and a suspect fled into the wind. Fifteen years later a similar murder takes place and begs the question: is this the original killer, a copy cat, or a complete coincidence?

I loved the whole slasher/final girl aspect of this book and trying to determine the connection between the two murders so many years apart. It was told from multiple perspectives, which at times seemed to blend together and got a little confusing.

There were a lot of side stories that didn't seem all that important to the overall story but all the twists and turns definitely made up for it. I predicted the end pretty early on but there were a lot of other revelations that I was not expecting. The story eventually all came together but felt a bit rushed and while I liked the epilogue it was also totally unnecessary.

I think I'm kind of burnt out on thrillers right now and have been overly critical of most of them I've read recently, so take the above criticisms with a grain of salt. My only major complaint with this one was that the motive for the second round of murders was never really explained.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and if you're looking for a fast paced thriller with lots of twists and turns, and are a fan of slashers and final girls, I'd recommend this one.

🚨CW: adult/minor relationship