Picture this: It is NYE 1999, Y2K is rumored in end the world as we know it. At a Blockbuster on New Year’s Eve – four teenage girls are viscously attacked while working the night shift. Only one survives. The suspect is never found. Fast forward fifteen years, in the same town, a copycat attack occurs at a local ice cream shop. Once again, there is only ones survivor. Both surviving victims recall the killer saying “goodnight, pretty girl” In the aftermath, three lives intersect. The survivor of the Blockbuster tragedy must relive what happened fifteen years prior. The brother of the suspect, who is still convinced the police have it wrong, and the FBI agent who is hell bent on solving both crimes.

I went into this book with extremely high expectations. I LOVED Every Last Fear….but unfortunately this novel left me underwhelmed. It was way too predictable and I didn’t care for any of the characters. I really enjoyed the premise of this book and I was holding out for an amazing plot twist but it just didn’t do it for me.

The grisly murders of thee teenaged girls working in an ice cream shop has an eerie resemblance to the murders of three girls in Blockbuster video store fifteen years earlier. The suspect in the Blockbuster murders disappeared without a trace just after the original murders. Could he be back?

The story is told from multiple points of view. Ella is the lone survivor of the Blockbuster murders. She’s now a therapist and still trying to cope with her ordeal. Ella is asked to speak with the lone survivor of the ice cream shop killings. Ella feels an instant connection to the girl and wants to help her. FBI Agent Keller is brought in to help the local police department with the ice cream shop investigation. She’s smart, calm, fearless, and very pregnant. She was my favorite character. Chris is a young attorney working in the public defender’s office. He has a secret connection to the Blockbuster case that could ruin his life and career.

Finlay deftly weaves the past and present murder investigations and the multiple points of view together. He also provides lots of twists and red herrings along the way to create a riveting mystery. I hope this isn’t the last we see of Agent Keller.

I have so many memories of going to Blockbuster in the 90s and I love books set in the 90s, so I was really excited by the premise of this one. While the story was enjoyable, there were some things that could have made it a little better for me. I sometimes struggle reading books about detectives because my husband used to be one, so I’m always asking him “Is this true?” “Could this really happen?”, “Do detectives do this?”. I do think a lot of people will enjoy this one though, overall it was a good read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore book by Alex Finlay - 5 stars! This author is now a definite must read; Every Last Fear was wonderful as well!

In 1999, there was a brutal slaying of 3 young girls working at a Blockbuster Video with Elle being the lone survivor. A local boy, Vince Whitaker, was charged with the crime but escaped after being let out on bail. Fifteen years later, there is a similar killing at a local ice cream store, again with one survivor, teenager Jesse. Elle, now a therapist, is called in to talk to Jesse since they can relate to each other's experience. FBI Special Agent Keller is called in to help local authorities.

This story is told in short chapters from the perspectives of Elle, Keller and Chris, the younger brother of Vince, now a public defender. You may figure out the culprit but that doesn't take anything away from the twists and turns and tension of this wonderfully-written book. I loved these characters and hated to see this book come to an end. Pretty please can we have a follow up with more from Agent Keller? Don't miss this book or his first - definite must reads!

Solid thriller. I figured out the who done it pretty easily but it was an enjoyable read I liked the characters even with their flaws. There were 1 or 2 side twists that I really didn't see coming which made up for the other part. There was diversity which is always good and I liked the throwback late 90s nostalgia. I think overall I liked No Exit better but I would still recommend Night Shift almost 4 stars

The Night Shift is my first read from Alex Finlay but it definitely won't be my last.

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Four Blockbuster (aww the memories of renting a video) employees are murdered with one teenage survivor. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again. Fifteen years later, in the same town, four teenage employees working late at an ice cream store are attacked, and again only one makes it out alive.

I loved the mystery and suspense of this story. It is full of twists and turns, one more exciting than the last. The characters are well developed and complex. Told in multiple POVs, I was totally involved with each and every character.

I highly recommend this book, and am looking forward to the next book from this talented author.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Alex Finlay for a copy of "The Night Shift" in exchange of an honest review.

This is a solid thriller - more like 4.5 stars. I love strong female characters, and we got two really great ones in this book. I really enjoyed the POVs from very different, but unknowingly interconnected, people - the original survivor, an FBI agent, and a public defender. It was so fun to follow along as they navigated what was happening. Especially since we, as the reader, know about all these connections that none of them have made yet.

This book contained multiple twists. For the most part, I did not expect them and was very impressed with Finlay’s ability to conceal them. But I was fairly sure I knew who the killer was sooner than I would have liked (and I was correct). That said, Finlay does a good job of keeping the reader on their toes and constantly second guessing their conclusions.

Overall, I definitely recommend this one for thriller lovers - especially if serial killers are your thing.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy!

Thank you to #netgalley for giving me an ARC to give an honest review.
This novel started a bit slow but became better as the story progressed. A suspenseful, well-written thriller, Alex Finlay does it again. I look forward to his next novel.

Kept me on the edge of my seat and up at night! A murder masterpiece perfect for fans of Karen McManus

🚨Superb murder suspense novel: 2 out of 2!👍👍

My second time reading an Alex Finlay thriller and it's another Hello, yes! for an excellent, suspenseful read. The chapters are short which always seems to move the story faster for me; the writing is straightforward, simple, and provides just the right amount of description; there's a good amount of action; and, though there are a hefty number of characters and several teams of investigators (mostly law enforcement and FBI agent Sarah Keller versus the lawyers working the case), each character has an important role in piecing together the puzzle of two mass murders in New Jersey fifteen years apart and whether they are connected.

Excellent plot and the high-action, edge-of-your-seat climax does lead to justice and closure for the grieving families with an unfortunate bit of extra tragedy. I especially liked that Agent Keller and her wingman Atticus were well-adjusted people with normal lives that, apart from Keller's pregnancy, did not take any focus away from the investigation.

Thanks to Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

The Night Shift is a book I've been looking forward to since I first learned of it. The story starts with an attack at a Blockbuster store and then 15 years later a very similar attack happens at an ice cream store. The story moves fast and is a it jagged going back and fore between the two incidents and many new characters abound. The characters are somewhat uninteresting as the story pursues. I did have high hopes, I was a bit disappointed, but was thankful to have read an ARC. Thanks @NewGalley@MinotaurBooks@TheNightShift

Strongly liked but there was a little pacing issue in the middle of the book for me - it felt like I was between 40-55% for five days.

Overall I liked the story but more movement in the middle instead of the end would have been good.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review

I was excited to read this dual timeline/multiple point of view thriller beginning on the eve of Y2K. In a Blockbuster video store... I mean come on, talk about nostalgic! I enjoyed the short chapters and plenty of bait to keep you turning the pages. Two shop killings spread 15 yrs apart seem eerily familiar as police try to make connections and find the killer(s).
There were a few aspects that felt unbelievable but as thrillers go, this is expected. Agent Keller, the 8 month-Pregnant-with-twins FBI agent was extremely active for being THAT pregnant, but you know, the fear for her babies' safety added to the tension in the story.
Overall a great, fast paced thriller that will have you looking over your shoulder in parking lots at night.

If you're looking for a fast paced book that grabs you from the first chapter then this is it! I loved the characters and felt like the storyline really captivates you and gives you the urge to finish the entire book in one day just to get to the end. Highly recommend if you're looking for a great mystery.

Two crimes, 15 years apart. Although eerily similar, is it possible that they are connected?
New Years Eve, 1999 - 4 girls and their male supervisor are brutally attacked while closing up the Blockbuster store they work at. Fortunately there is one survivor, Ella.
15 years later, 4 girls are brutally attacked at an ice cream shop and again there is one survivor, Jesse. Ella, who is now a therapist is called in to help the young girl since she is the only one who could possibly relate to the situation.
Agent Sarah Keller of the FBI is brought in to help reopen the Blockbuster cold case and help figure out if the two crimes could really be committed by the same person or if it could be a copycat crime. With the help of her temporary partner, Atticus, they discover so much more to the case and so many things that were overlooked or hidden.
Chris Whitaker Ford is the brother of the man arrested for the Blockbuster case back in 1999. With the two of them growing up in an abusive home, Chris is eventually adopted by a foster family when his brother goes missing and police find out the abuse he's been suffering at his father's hand. Although Chris hasn't seen his brother Vince for 15 years, he believes he is innocent but on the run. In hopes to one day help him out, Chris becomes a lawyer.
This story is told from the alternating perspectives of Ella, Sarah and Chris. Every chapter is ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger so you cannot stop reading. There were so many twists and connections. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire ride. I also loved that the story took place in New Jersey. Being a New Jersey native, it was great to actually be able to picture all of the places mentioned throughout the book. I read Alex Finlay's previous novel and loved that one as well. I can definitely say that I am a fan and can't wait for any upcoming work. Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced eARC and letting me read this in exchange for my honest review.

New Years Eve 1999
A man enters a Blockbuster video and mercilessly slaughters 3 teenage girls and the night manager. Leaving one girl alive he whispers in her ear
“Goodnight pretty girl”
15 years later the lone survivor is now a therapist and is called to speak to a patient, who like herself, is the lone survivor of a brutal attack eerily similar to her own. But when she hears the phrase whispered in the girls ear, the past and present collide and she finds herself at the center of a mystery she thought long solved.

Well written, the right amount of creep, with a twist I didn't really see coming.

New Year’s Eve 1999 - four teenage girls are attacked at a New Jersey Blockbuster store at closing time - three are killed and one survives. Vince Whitaker is quickly arrested but is released on a technicality and has not been seen for the past 15 years. New Year’s Eve 2014 - four teenage girls are attacked at the local ice cream store, again at closing time, and again three are killed and one survives. Ella Monroe was the survivor of the first attack and is now a psychological therapist. She is called to the hospital when Jesse Duvall, the survivor of the second attack asks for her. When Jesse is arrested for the second crime, Chris Ford, a public defender, becomes part of the defense team. What isn’t known to many is that Chris was adopted and changed his last name - he is actually Vince’s brother and has been searching for him since he disappeared along with trying to prove that he was not responsible for the murders. Then there is FBI agent Sarah Keller, working with a young local detective, who is hellbent on solving the case. Pregnant with twins, she wants to solve the case before she delivers and before the older detectives who have tried to push her to the side of the investigation. So all of these complications and interrelationships result in a complex story with excellent character development and tons of story twists, most of which come at the end of the relatively short chapters. I love books with relatively short chapters because it’s easy to put the book down and go about my life, but I soon found myself rushing to pick up the book and find out what surprise was next. Finlay has really hit a home run with this book. My thanks to Minotaur Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of this book.

The Night Shift is a fabulous twisty turny thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat! New Year's Eve 1999 there is a horrible murder scene in the Blockbuster. Only 1 of the 4 girls working survive. 15 years later, 4 people are attacked working in an ice cream stop and only 1 survives. Told by 3 different perspectives, it's a fascinating story about a serial killer. Is it the same killer from 15 years ago? I loved Alex Finlay's first book and I loved this one! I am eagerly awaiting his next book!!! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Thank you Minotaur for the gifted copy.

Holy Sh*t. I haven't turned pages this fast in AGES. I actually resented sleep and having to do things during the day because I wanted to finish this book in one go (but, responsibilities).

In 1999, 4 people are brutally murdered at a Blockbuster Video. They think they have the suspect apprehended, but he is released and then disappears without a trace. Fifteen years later, there's another murder at an ice cream shop in the same city. Is it a copy cat? Is it the original killer returning to strike again?

I don't want to say more because I don't want to give one thing away. I will share some random thoughts though:
-I liked the characters especially Keller and Atticus
-I liked the connection between Ella and Jesse
-I had a solid guess at who the killer was towards the beginning. I was correct, but there were enough twists at the end to keep it interesting and give me a few surprises.

Pick this one up when it's released next week. I can see it EASILY being made into a TV series or movie.

4.5 starts rounded up, only because I thought the killer was kind of obvious.

This book was a quick read that kept me hooked. (It also terrified me as someone who works at a store) A person murders 4 at a blockbuster on New Years Eve 1999. There was one survivor. Flash forward to a murder at a Dairy Creamery 15 years later. Three dead, one survivor. Is it the same killer?

The author takes you on a 3 day journey, changing the view of three characters, the first survivor, the brother of the Blockbuster murder suspect (who had since disappeared after being released 15 years ago), and a pregnant FBI agent working the case.

The short chapters, and then cliff hangers at the end of most chapters made me want to keep reading. This was a quick binge for someone who said they weren’t in the mood to read a thriller at the moment. It was a very interesting read! I’d give it 4.5 stars, taking .5 away because I figured out the killer about 8% into the book. Hopefully it’s a twist for others! Though I knew who did it, there were other twists that I needed to find out.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in response for an honest review.