Alex Finlay is officially an autobuy/autoread author for me. This story jumps right into things and kept me on my toes until the very last chapter. The chapters are so short and it's easy to sneak reading in all day long.

New Years Eve 1999. All the employees working a night shift at a Blockbuster video store were found attacked. Only one of them survived. Fifteen years later, the exact same thing happened with all the employees working a night shift at an ice cream shop. Is the killer back? Is this a copycat? The story takes you through both cases and how they are connected.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Books/Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book.

I wish I could read this book for the first time, all over again. I am not lying when I say this book will have you on the edge of your seat until your read the last word. Due timelines, multiple pov, short chapters. Twists, turns and secrets. This book literally has it all, and it works so damn well. Solid 5 star read for me!

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

Woah, this book was impossible to put down. It had me hooked in the first scene and didn’t let me relax until the last page.

This one starts out with a horrifying crime in a blockbuster on New Years Eve 1999. 15 years later a very similar crime takes place in an ice cream shop in the same small town. The sole survivor of the first attack, Ella, is called to help the sole survivor of the second.

Told in 3 perspectives: Ella, the FBI agent on the case, and the brother of the accused from the blockbuster case. I loved the different viewpoints and found they covered everything thoroughly. It jumped around so much I was always on the edge of my seat but never got confusing or too much.

Only thing that bothered me was the the FBI agent was 8 and a half months pregnant with twins…and still on active duty investigating a murder. Highly unlikely in my opinion. When I was 8 months pregnant with one baby I could barely walk around the block.

But once I looked past that this is the best thriller I’ve read in a long time. It had jaw dropping moments and very interesting characters.

Highly recommend this one and I’m sure I will be seeing it everywhere! Thanks to @minotaur_books and @stmartinspress for my early copy! This is out on March 1st.

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And Finlay manages to knock it out of the park once again! Finlay’s last novel, Every Last Fear was a real page turner so I had some pretty lofty expectations — truly hoping (wishing) for another knockout. And The Night Shift did not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded my expectations with an “oh wow, just wow,” moment.

Fifteen years ago, Ella is the only survivor of the brutal slayings that occurred at the town’s Blockbuster store. Now a therapist, Ella is called to assist a trauma victim from a multiple homicide that occurred in the town’s ice cream shop — a single survivor like her. Coincidence?

The suspected perpetrator in the Blockbuster murders fled and was never apprehended. Could it be that the Blockbuster killer has returned? It is then that FBI Special Agent Keller is called upon to investigate whether the two crimes are related and if so, to locate and apprehend the suspect.

The story unfolds from multiple points of view but primarily through Ella and Keller with a somewhat minor perspective from the suspect’s brother, Chris who is now a public defender.

As the plot thickens, the lives of Ella, Keller, and Chris begin to intersect in ways that kept me in suspense throughout the novel. Numerous twists dot the narrative and it became a page turner that kept me up all night.

Overall, The Night Shift is an excellent read with intriguing characters, outstanding plot development, and intense suspense. Five amazing stars.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Read this if…you’ve ever rented a VHS from a video store.

On New Year’s Eve in 1999, the young employees at a Blockbuster video store are brutally murdered. Despite there being one survivor, the suspected murderer disappears after a judge rules that there is insufficient evidence for an arrest. Years later, an eerily similarly crime is committed at an ice cream shop. The original survivor is called in to work with the FBI, along with the sole survivor of the latest massacre. Everyone must work together to hunt a monster, but not everything is as it seems…

Fun fact-both my husband and I worked at video stores while we were in college. My husband was actually robbed while working, but thankfully the thief was caught and no one got hurt. So when I read the premise of this book, I knew I needed to read it ASAP. Plus, there’s something so nostalgic about video stores and I’m sad that today’s kids will miss out on the experience.

Sometimes the premise for a book can sound great, but then the execution falls flat. That was not the case with this one! I loved everything about this book, from the characters to the pacing. The multiple POVs were done really well and I didn’t correctly guess any of the twists. Reading this was so effortless that I flew through it! I highly recommend this if you’re in the mood for a quality thriller that will keep you guessing.

A big thanks to Netgalley, the author, and Minotaur books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Since I thoroughly enjoyed "Every Last Fear," I was looking forward to reading Alex Finlay's next novel.

In "The Night Shift," the reader is introduced to a murder in a Blockbuster Store 15 years earlier. There are three dead and one potential victim who escapes. Now, a similar crime occurs at an ice cream stand. Could these two cases be related?

It is interesting following the details of the cases as the story is told from multiple points of view. The short chapters draw the reader in and make this novel a real page-turner.

I look forward to more great stories from this author!

3.5 stars

This was a very quick read with an interesting premise- 15 years ago a group of teens are murdered in a Blockbuster, one survivor managing to make it out alive. Now, a similar murder has occurred and the survivor from 15 years ago is brought into the investigation.

I loved the multiple POV’s between the survivor, the FBI agent assigned to the case, and lawyer who has ties to the original case. I felt like I got a full-world view of the case and got to see every side of it which was really cool. I also loved the pacing, it was super quick and the chapters were like potato chips, I couldn’t read just one. With that said because of the switching POVs, I never felt truly connected with any of them.

I also wanted more from this book, I wanted more mystery surrounding the murders and when it all wrapped up it felt… too simple?

I felt like this was a decent enough thriller and some readers will gobble it up and give it 5 stars, but I felt it was just lacking enough to be middle of the road for me.

Wow just wow. 2 murders 15 years apart in a small town. Secrets and plot twists that keep you holding your breath to the very end. Super faced paced read for me.

I had been wanting to read this book since I first heard about it and I was not disappointed. The storyline and character development were so complex and built up so well. I felt so many emotions reading this book and I really loved all the main characters. I love the way the story was told from many characters perspective to give a full picture. My intuition was right about the murderer but there was still a few twists that shocked me and I was on the edge of my seat the last 20% of the book. I was happy with the way all the loose ends were tied up and the ending did not feel rushed but well thoughtout and deliberate. Thank you to netgalley and the author for the free ARC of this book.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is everything I dreamed it would be and then some! The book opens with an immediately riveting scene and compels you to keep breathlessly turning pages until the very end. The chapters alternate among three points of view and all three are equally engaging. Ella Monroe is the lone survivor of a brutal attack on a Blockbuster video store on New Year’s Eve 1999. In 2015 Ella now works as a therapist and has dedicated her life to helping others navigate trauma. Chris Ford is a defense attorney who has overcome a traumatic childhood and has a connection to the suspected Blockbuster murderer. Sarah Keller is an FBI agent working with the local police to catch a killer who slaughtered four people at a local ice cream restaurant in 2015. If you read Finlay's Every Last Fear you will remember Agent Keller from that book.

Has a copycat killer emerged in 2015 to recreate the Blockbuster murders or is this the work of the same murderer? This book is unputdownable with short chapters, alternating perspectives, and tantalizing cliffhangers at the end of chapters, compelling you to read just one more. The novel is full of suspense, surprises and twists all culminating in a satisfying conclusion. Readers who love crime fiction and thrillers will be captivated by this book. I highly recommend it and give it five big stars. Look for this book from your favorite bookseller on March 1, 2022. Thank you to Minotaur Books and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC! I have read this author previously and enjoy his style of writing as well as the way he tells a story. The Night Shift is a compelling read and kept me interested and wanting to read more. It is told from three different perspectives trying to solve a case from 15 years previously as well as a current case that is very similar. All of the characters were well written and enjoyable. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because it was a little bit predictable for me… Maybe I just read too many psychological thrillers! I would definitely recommend this though as a fast paced read with a good story.

The page turner you can't miss! Excellent characters. An intriguing mystery. The different points of view as well as the duel timelines give a well rounded look at the cases that keep you invested. Surprise twists and shocking reveals keep you awake way past bedtime. The ending was both satisfying and puts a smile on your face.

The Night Shift is a book with a great summer thriller premise. A young woman is the lone survivor of a brutal killing spree and for years has harbored the perhaps imagined memory of the killer whispering in her ear year. Now, fifteen years later another young woman is the survivor of a similar killing spree and has the same words whispered in her ear. Now linked the two women, along side the FBI agent in charge of the case, are forced to figure out what happened all those years ago as it starts to happen again.

I enjoyed the Night Shift for what it was. The characters were well written and it was a quick and propulsive read. However, there wasn't much to it that wowed me. It was pretty predictable and never quite reached anything that set it apart from any other thriller that might come out in a month. Honestly, I read it last week and my first thought was "It was good but it was just like that other book I read in December and in October."

That being said I think lovers of the thriller genre, especially thrillers with casts full of strong women, will really love this book. It's nothing spectacular but for fans of the genre it will definitely hit all the targets that readers are looking for.

Thank you NetGalley for this epic ARC.

Amaaaaaaaazing. This book captured me from the beginning, and did not disappoint in any way. Comparing the two cases was quite interesting, and twists happened that I definitely did not see coming.

I loved the character development, and thought they blended so well together. The premise of this story was unique and executed excellently.

3.5 stars

This was a satisfying thriller, very twisty without (usually) feeling over-stretched to be so. Two similar killing sprees twenty years apart are tentatively connected in a New Jersey town, and the lone survivors of each attack, along with other interested parties, try to solve all the mysteries entangled within.

I really enjoyed the pacing of the story, which went along quite quickly but still making time for proper character development and reader guesswork. I thought the twists were executed well and led to a satisfying conclusion.

I will say, I’m not in love with Jesse, the lone survivor of the second attack, as a character. She comes off rather manic-pixie, which is justified in-novel by her time in foster care in a move that only makes me feel more uncomfortable or uncertain about this particular characterization. Other characters are, however, very fun to watch as they put clues together and figure things out.

I had a good time reading this book, and enjoyed myself throughout. I would recommend it to any thriller fans or people looking to get into the genre.

I loved this book! I enjoyed the dual timeline, even though I found it a bit hard in the beginning to stay focused and not be confused. I also enjoyed the different perspectives and different elements of the crime that were uncovered via those perspectives. I was frustrated that the perspectives didn’t meet up and share with each other. But it kept me there to make sure it eventually happened.

This is a definite recommendation, and Alex Finlay is officially an auto-buy author for me!

Alex Finlay knows just how to hook you man! I was drawn in right away (nostalgia) and felt for the characters. I loved Finlay’s last novel so I was super excited to get to this one and it did not disappoint.

All of the characters are well developed. His writing style is just so easy to read, it just flows like water. It’s also fast paced with a good bit of mystery. I enjoyed the fact that a crime from 99’ was linked to a crime in the present. The spin on it was well done. As per everyone else, the nostalgia in the novel was awesome! I am Blockbuster years old so it brought back a lot of memories going there on a Friday night to rent the newest movie and the excitement of actually seeing the VHS behind the box! Score! Some of you won’t know what that is. How times have changed.

I will say two things about the novel that irritated me. One-I figured out the major twist AKA “bad guy” within the first 30% of the book. It was extremely obvious to me. Now it didn’t deter from my enjoyment (because like I said his writing is good) it was just predictable. Also- What 8.5 months pregnant with twins detective is out running around on stake outs, busting into houses to save people? Now I have never been pregnant but I feel that is HIGHLY unbelievable. I will let that slide Mr. Finlay because all in all this was fun and it felt like it would make a great movie (no pun intended)

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is a compulsively readable thriller loaded with Y2K nostalgia.

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999 when someone attacks four teenage girls at a Blockbuster in Linden, New Jersey. Only one girl escapes alive.

Fast forward fifteen years, someone attacks four girls at an ice cream shop, and again only one survives.

The suspect for the first murder disappeared not long after it happened.

Is it the same perpetrator for this second mass murder? Is it a copycat?

These are the questions that FBI Agent Sarah Keller has in mind when she gets called in to see if there is a possible link between the two cases.

The chapters are short and alternate between Agent Keller, a therapist, and a young lawyer.

I would have enjoyed this novel more if there hadn’t been so many misogynistic hot takes sprinkled throughout the text. One of the characters believes that kids steal pain medication from their mothers specifically, and only aunts attend AA meetings. Umm, what? Oh, and apparently, it’s very faux pas to call a woman in her thirties “ma’am.”

Some of Agent Keller’s actions were unbelievable since she is nearly nine months pregnant.

Once I put those comments out of my mind and suspended my disbelief, I enjoyed the rest of the story. While the big reveal was predictable, finding out how everything tied together was super compelling.

While reading this thriller, I could easily envision it as a TV show or crime drama. Some of the dialogue was very reminiscent of those popular crime shows.

This was my first time reading Finlay. I believe a character from a previous book of the author’s features in this one; however, it didn’t impact my reading experience not having read that one.

I recommend this book to those looking for a fast-paced and compulsive thriller.

Three stars isn’t necessarily a low rating for me. I enjoyed it, but it had its drawbacks.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

I’ve never read this author prior to this book but I will now!

Loved loved loved the premise here as it’s the type of book I can’t get enough of.

🖤 Massacre at Blockbuster Video on New Year’s eve 1999 (yup so nostalgic 😱)
🖤 Another massacre 15 years later that similar to the first crime - that was never technically solved.
🖤 Two final girls - one from each crime - come together to sort things out.
🖤 Interwoven character and storyline that is done so well.
🖤 Murder Mayhem and Madness 🖤

I did guess the killer early on here but still really loved the book and devoured it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

Wow. I loved this book!! It had this eerie undertone that paved the way for the entire novel, as the reader goes along for the ride on two brutal past and present investigations. There may be a copycat murderer out there..or is there?!

I could not put down this book. The premise was unique compared to thrillers I've been reading lately, which was a real treat! I genuinely loved my time with my nose burried in my kindle. I read so many thrillers that sometimes they all start to become repetitive. This was refreshing in the most gruesome and glorious way.

It felt like I was part of the investigation and the whole Y2K panic in the beginning brought me back. A solid book with twists that will get you in the end!! 4.5 stars

A huge thanks to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for this e-ARC.

The Night Shift is set to publish on March 1st, 2022