Thank you to publishers and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for honest review.

I haven’t read such a great thriller in a long time! This was fast paced, action packed, and kept me engaged the whole story. It kept me at the edge of my seat! Highly recommend

4.5⭐️

This is the definition of a fast paced, page turner thriller!

Things I loved:
- short chapters (like 1-5mins)
- the multiple POVs (they all were connected right from the start and added so much value to the plot)
- the character development was incredible. I felt like I could connect with each character almost instantly and I was rooting for all of them
- the PLOT TWISTS (one of them actually made me say NO FREAKING WAY out loud)
- the epilogue was really satisfying

The only thing that I didn’t love - I predicted who the killer was. That being said - there were still lots of twists and turns that I didn’t at all anticipate and I didn’t predict the whole ending!

I am excited to read more by Alex Finlay!

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! Another winner by Alex Finlay. He writes a great mystery. I felt emotionally attached to the characters from the first page. I liked the story being told from the different points of view. It really worked well in this book. It was a book I didn't want to put down. The pace was fast moving with a lot of twists and turns. I read it in one day. I really enjoyed the resolution for several of the characters. The ending was very satisfying. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I devoured this book! It takes place near where I live and I definitely appreciated the familiarity but the story was layered and complex and kept me on the edge of my seat! On New Year's Eve in 1999, four employees are murdered at a Blockbuster video. Only one girl survives. Fifteen years later, the lone survivor, an FBI agent and an assistant prosecutor who has ties to the expected murderer are involved in trying to solve this case. The story is told from opposing points of view and is intense with very well developed characters and a story that keeps you guessing!

**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur, and Alex Finlay for an ARC of this book!**

It's Friday Night. You're 18. And you have absolutely no idea what TikTok, Tesla, or Twitter are. You're desperate for SOMEthing to do other than roam the mall, loiter at the nearest bowling alley, or jump around in your Moon Boots for the thousandth time.

A commercial comes on, with it's all-too-familiar phrase:

Make it a Blockbuster Night.

...and suddenly, there is NO PLACE you'd rather be.

Alex Finlay manages to take this charge from Make it a Blockbuster Night to Make it a Blockbuster Book...and there was NO BOOK I'd rather read!

Our story opens in the last true golden age: the Age of VHS. Four teens in the small town of Linden, NJ are closing up their Blockbuster store for the night when an attacker strikes. One teen survives, but the perp manages to evade police and disappear entirely. A blip on the crime radar UNTIL a similar attack occurs at an ice cream shop, fifteen years later. 4 victims, one survivor. Has the killer come out of hiding for round two?

It certainly seems that way...as both times, the killer utters "Goodnight pretty girl."

Everyone's favorite FBI Agent Sarah Keller (first featured in Finlay's debut, Every Last Fear) is on the case, and "Final Girls" Ella and Jesse have input and insight as well. There is a wide range of possible suspects here, and as things progress, we meet siblings of the survivors, friends, colleagues, detectives, and family members. Does the killer have a THIRD target in mind? Could all of these loose ends be neatly tied together by story's end.. Do either of these Final Girls know more than they are letting on...and just exactly WHO was lingering in the Blockbuster parking lot, all those years ago?

After the absolutely top-notch thriller that is Every Last Fear from then-debut author Alex Finlay and a run of less than 5 star reads lately, my expectations for this book were about as high as they could be for any author AND any thriller I have picked up in recent memory...and saving this one for a much needed pick-me-up was WELL worth it!

Finlay's trademarks are all here:
*short, punchy, in-your-face chapters. My personal favorite in thrillers, for the obvious reason of compelling you to read more and more. It's easy to say, "Just one more chapter" when it only takes a few minutes to read it! Well played, Finlay.
*character development that brings you up to speed with the life, motivations, and hopes of his characters in no time flat! If you're going to alternate POVs AND be economical in chapter length, every word counts. Finlay's books don't hold much in the way of filler, because frankly? There isn't any time for it! However, I never feel shortchanged when it comes to his characters. They are always easy to visualize and intriguing from start to finish!
*Red herrings and twists. I LOVE his jaw-dropping and eye-popping moments, and there were certainly a few in this one! Sometimes it's fun to really play sleuth and see how quickly you can determine the killer, and other times it's fun to sit back and sort of watch everything unfold before you. The beauty of Finlay's books is that you can take either path and have FUN. Plenty of room for armchair detectives, but if you'd rather just let yourself be surprised (basically how I went into this one) there's plenty of room to do that too. His stories FEEL very plausible and real, and even if there were minor plot holes pointed out to me, I doubt I'd notice them or care! Always a sign of entertaining and well-thought out writing.

I think perhaps my biggest criticism of this one, ironically, was Agent Keller's portrayal: she is supposedly 9 MONTHS PREGNANT (and nearly full term) with twins...and not only is she still working her normal beat without MISSING a beat, there is actually a point in the book where she feels some pain in her stomach and thinks "Eh" and essentially ignores it. I mean, the fact that she's moving around at all is pretty incredible, but I have to imagine most first time moms would hardly be nonchalant about pains like that...since they could potentially signal a problem or...you know...LABOR!

The best thing about Finlay's writing, however? It pulses with a suspenseful heartbeat all its own, not letting up from page one until it left me baffled, breathless, and begging for more! Finlay is an absolute must-read author for me, and if you enjoyed his last, love the 90s and are in search of a character-driven, page-flipping thriller

...The Night Shift will tick every one of those boxes, because ANY night you're reading a Finlay book is its own Blockbuster Night!

4.5 stars

Most anticipated book of 2022!

A BlockBuster Video is the scene of a gruesome crime in 1999, fast forward fifteen years and the killer strikes again. Three baddass women tell The Night Shift tale - a survivor from 1999, an FBI agent and a survivor of the most recent crime.

The short chapters help build atmospheric tones of suspense. This novel is incredibly fast-paced, and left me guessing all the way to the end. The Night Shift is a gripping thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the advance reader copy.
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of The Night Shift by Alex Finlay. I have never read this author before, but I really like the way he writes! For an action packed solid mystery he does it really well. I hope to be reading more from him!

What a fabulous book about two mass murders occurring 15 years apart with multiple similarities! The three different viewpoints in The Night Shift captured my interest from the start and continued to keep me guessing until the final page! I could not put this book down. Then, just when I thought I had the murderer figured out, another twist in the plot occurred and sent me in another direction. I also loved the short chapters! This is such a well-written thriller with so many facets to the plot. I can’t wait to read other books by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

This was an interesting thriller! It had a different feel than most which I fell in love with it from the beginning and loved the author’s writing style. I will definitely be looking for more by this author!

This was alright. I was relatively gripped but it took me a few days to finish (unusual for a thriller) and had the book been whipped out of my possession before the end, I wouldn't have been bothered so I definitely can't give above 3 stars.

My first time reading this author and I was kept riveted. I wasn’t able to guess who did it. That’s always a good thing in a suspense.

FBI Special Agent Keller, was brilliant. Agent Badass indeed.

The survivors of the brutal killings were amazing characters. It’s difficult to get back to life after being traumatized but they did the best and also helped with catching the real killer.

A well written book with likeable characters.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

An engaging thriller that I enjoyed. There was a lot of perspectives that I had a hard time keeping up with but I did enjoy the ending and gah I loved the character, Keller.
Overall an enjoyable thriller for sure.

It has been awhile since I came across a thriller with a layered timeline, no overbearing gore, and a well crafted band of misfits. I could not put this book down. It was also intriguing to be taken back to my childhood through Y2K and Blockbuster, regardless of how much that seems to date me. I didn't get the chance to read Finlay's first book but if The Night Shift is any indicator of what to expect from their past and future works, I have a new favorite author to keep an eye on.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

On NYE 1999 a brutal multiple homicide took place in a Blockbuster leaving one sole survivor. 15 years later in the same town, a homicide with multiple victims, one survivor, and links to the Blockbuster slaying occurs.

The Night Shift is told in three parts across three different points of view. The chapters are fairly short which I know quite a few readrs will enjoy. It's a fairly fast paced novel and held my attention for the most part. During the later half of the second part the pacing and the story started to wane for me. I felt that many of the loose ends were tied up too quickly, but maybe that's because I figured them out ahead of time too. Regardless I know a lot of readers will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Night Shift

The story starts with a mass killing at a Blockbuster in 1999. Now, there has been another killing that is eerily similar to the first one. Is it the same person or a copycat? The lead suspect in the first killing has been missing for years. Did he come back to do the same thing. Chris and Ella were both impacted from the Blockbuster killing and are not being impacted by this one to. Is that on purpose?

What I loved:
📼Short chapters with multiple POV
📼Cliff hangers that keep you reading
📼Twists and turns that leave you trying to figure out who the killer is.

What made me anxious-
📼 One of the lead characters was a pregnant FBI agent. She was involved in all of the major scenes of the book. I was consistently worried about those sweet babies.

This is my first Alex Finlay book, and there will definitely be more in my future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress / @minotaurbooks for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 1, 2022

If you’re a fan of Riley Sager, I believe you’ll enjoy this. I won’t say it was complex, I confidently and correctly guessed the twist. It was still pretty intriguing no enjoyable.

I received a digital advance copy of The Night Shift by Alex Finlay via NetGalley. The Night Shift is scheduled for release on March 1, 2022.

The Night Shift weaves together two murderous events: the killing of three employees at a Blockbuster in 1999 and the similar killing of three employees at an ice cream shop in the current day. Both events left behind one young female survivor.

The story is told from the point of view of three characters. One is the survivor of the 1999 killing. The second is the brother of the disappeared suspect of the 1999 killing. The third is an FBI agent assigned to the case. All three points of view are told from the current day, and all three are loaded with flashbacks to the events of the past.

For me, the three points of view and their respective flashbacks initially posed a difficultly in the story. With three points of view, relatively short chapters, and multiple accessory characters in both the present story and in the flashbacks to the past, I struggled to keep track of who was who and who had experienced what in the first half of the novel. It might have been easier for me to ground the characters and the story if the novel had taken more time in the first half to expand on both past and present day events.

I also noticed some inconsistencies in the characters. One of the point of view characters in particular, had some large swings that did not make sense for the character and the story. It almost felt as if the author had tried writing the character in a couple of different ways, and not quite edited him back together in the end.

In the end, the twists of the story did work. Revelations as to what had happened fit together with earlier information in the novel. Some of these revelations I did figure out before the pivotal moments, but others were surprising to me, just as you would want in a suspense/ thriller novel.

Overall, The Night Shift worked as a thriller. I would have liked a bit more time with characters and events early in the novel to better pull me into the story, but found the tale as a whole satisfying.

A slow burning build to a shocking climactic end! Two multiple murders 15 years apart with one lone survivor. How are they connected? Has the suspected murderer returned? Why has the murderer waited 15 years to kill again? This novel is told from multiple perspectives giving the reader a view into the main characters and the murder investigation. Alex Finlay does a great job of hooking your interest till the very end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved Alex Finlay's Every Last Fear, so when I saw The Night Shift, I was doing a happy dance when I was approved to read it!

This book brought back many nostalgic feelings. I was a freshman in high school in 1999 and went to the local Blockbuster practically every Friday night. I enjoyed every bit of this book. The characters were so relatable and well-developed. This story was so unique. I loved all the twisty moments, jaw-dropping ending, and how the characters are connected. Alex Finlay is a master at creating characters!

I was sure I had figured out who committed the murders when I was about 70% through, but then I was crazy surprised at who the killer really was!

This is going on my best thrillers of 2022 list! I highly recommend this one!

I will post my review on instagram: @thrillersandcoffee

What a twisted, crazy story with cliffhangers and serial killers.

What is not to love about The Night Shift.

The pages fly by as the two timelines fifteen years apart there is two different multiple victim murders occur.

One is at Blockbuster, I could smell the popcorn and the other at an Ice Cream Shop.

One surviving victim each place

Many twists and turns and heart stopping moments that keep the lights on and the pages turning.

Did I guess the ending: no.

I am a huge fan of Alex Finlay and have my fingers crossed for another heart stopping book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for a roller coaster of a read.