📖: The Night Shift
✍🏼: Alex Finlay
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️//5

🤔💭: First off, I want to say thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me this eARC and I am voluntarily leaving my review! This was a fast-paced mystery/thriller that I enjoyed very much and the storyline kept me intrigued. This book starts off in 1999 at a Blockbuster video store where four teenagers are attacked and only one survives. Fast forward to fifteen years later in the same town four teenagers in an ice cream shop are attacked and again there’s only one survivor. Both survivors remember a few chilling words the attacker said, “goodnight pretty girl.” I like how we go back and forth between the time periods and shift between different characters; it shows how everything intersects and merges together to give us a good mystery to figure out who this night shift killer is. Be sure to check out this book when it’s released on March 1st! 👍🏼

Recommend: ✅ Definitely would recommend checking out!

WOW! What a thrilling ride! I was hooked at the end of chapter 1 and couldn't put the book down until I finished.

The story was so compelling and all the characters were complex and intriguing. The twist and turns kept coming until the end. I won't say anything more because I don't want to ruin the experience for any other readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for allowing me me to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up. I didn’t know I was waiting for a thriller that preys upon my own sense of uneasy nostalgia attached to Blockbuster and its shelves of poorly lit VHS tapes and the distinctive scent of unwashed carpet and stale popcorn. But Alex Finlay’s upcoming 2022 release The Night Shift did exactly that with its return to the buried memories of a 1999 murder spree at the now defunct movie-rental store when a similar crime in the modern day occurs. Given how much I enjoyed Finlay’s debut last year with Every Last Fear, I immediately added this 2022 release to my TBR as soon as I knew it existed.

My second attempt with Finlay’s work has confirmed that I find his writing to be compulsively readable. Maybe it’s the short, staccato chapters or the constantly changing POVs that makes the story feel like it’s moving quickly - even if there isn’t that much action actually happening. But for whatever reason, it’s all too easy to swipe to the next page with his books.

Everyone comes to a thriller for a different reason - some want to be blown away by the final reveal, and some would rather have a well-crafted story that leads to a not unexpected but still satisfying conclusion. The “big twist” here doesn’t end up being all that surprising, but that’s in part because Finlay did the necessary work to lay the pieces for an ending reveal that ties together all of the intersecting plotlines in a way that does make sense. And sense is too often forgotten in the landscape of a thriller novel.

However, I will say while I’m willing to give an author more time to develop their craft with subsequent releases, I admit there was something a bit formulaic about The Night Shift that instantly reminded me of the structure of Finlay’s debut novel. Between the large number of POVs, the FBI agent driving the formal investigation of the crime while the “main” character conducts their own search for answers, and a verdict that may have framed the wrong person for a horrific massacre - it was easy to draw the parallels. With this sense of familiarity, I don’t think this book was as successful at totally capturing my attention in comparison to Every Last Fear. But Finlay does something in both of his thrillers that I appreciate: he writes enough characters to actually establish red herrings. The cast of characters is large enough to demand suspicion from more than the obvious endgame evil-do’er.

All in all, while I have to say I enjoyed the more expansive, complicated nature of Finlay’s debut novel I still had a lot of fun with his second foray into the genre. If you’re looking for a fast, compulsively readable thriller with a little bit of 90’s nostalgia thrown in, The Night Shift may be an upcoming release to keep your eyes on.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Press, and Alex Finlay for an advanced e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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Synopsis 📝:

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in New Jersey, four teenagers working late at the store are attacked. Only one inexplicably survives. Police quickly identify a suspect, the boyfriend of one of the victims, who flees and is never seen again.

Fifteen years later, more teenage employees are attacked at an ice cream store in the same town, and again only one makes it out alive.

In the aftermath of the latest crime, three lives intersect: the lone survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive the horrors of her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused, who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and FBI agent Sarah Keller who must delve into the secrets of both nights—stirring up memories of teen love and lies—to uncover the truth about murders on the night shift.

Twisty, poignant, and redemptive, The Night Shift is a story about the legacy of trauma and how the broken can come out on the other side, and it solidifies Finlay as one of the new leading voices in the world of thrillers.
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Review 🔍:

When I saw this synopsis and its many 5 star reviews, I immediate knew that I had to read it. The Blockbuster Killer made me so reminiscent and nostalgic for this 90s kid! I had to get my hands on this book ASAP. And I did!

Unfortunately, this one came up short for me. I wanted to love it, but the writing was meh. It felt like an unexperienced writer was writing this book. The multiple POVs were choppy and didn't provide enough relevant information from each side to be interesting.

Honestly, although this synopsis sounds amazing, I'd skip this one.

I remember Blockbuster! I wish they were still around.

This book took me a while to get through for some reason, but I was hooked from the start! The plot twists were pretty good and I liked the action scenes at the end.

It’s 1999 and the world is bracing for Y2K. However, in the town of Linden New Jersey, three teens have been murdered at a Blockbuster. There is one survivor, Ella.

Fifteen years later, in the same town, the same event occurs. Three teens murdered, this time at an ice cream shop. Again there is one survivor, Jesse. The survivors of both tragedies recall the killer whispering the same thing to them “good night, pretty girl”.

What do you get when you mix two survivors of a tragedy, one very pregnant police officer, and the brother of the original suspect? One hell of a thrill ride!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fun thriller! Love the alternating perspectives. I think this is going to be a hit for a lot of people. One to read to 2022!

The Night Shift, by Alex Finlay, was really more of a 4.5 than a four. Blast the inability to give half-stars! It is a quick read that takes off at full speed: no slow boil here! The intensity does not lag as the twists keep coming and my favorite part is that the twists, for the vast most part, are totally believable and natural. Nothing just feels like it's out of left-field. The only reason that I would give a 4.5 instead of a 5 is that there were a couple of things I really didn't like about the ending. They weren't huge things, not book ruiners (I HATE a bad ending), but they did kind of make me side-eye the novel.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: March 1, 2022

SUMMARY:
This is the compelling story of two survivors - the only survivors of two separate but equally gruesome crimes. Ella - the final survivor of the Blockbuster murders years earlier, and Jesse - the final survivor of the ice cream shop murders today. Bonded by their trauma, Ella can’t help but wonder if there is more to Jesse than meets the eye. With FBI agent Sarah Keller, and attorney Chris Ford also looking into things, it’s only a matter of time until the truth of what happened on both those nights is finally revealed…

PROS and CONS:
OK, first the cons - I found it a little difficult to swap between the three POV’s, each introducing numerous characters, and each with their own way of investigating. Now the pros - well written, a great story, and the ending was everything I hoped it would be.

READ IT?
Yes - if you’re a fan of thrillers, you’ll definitely enjoy this one! Add it to your TBR list!!!

4 Stars

This book starts off with a bang when on NYE in 1999 the night shift at a Blockbuster store is murdered, except for one survivor - Ella. Then 15 years later, the night shift at a local ice cream store is brutally murdered with one survivor as well - Jessica. Are the 2 crimes linked?

FBI Agent Sarah Keller comes into the picture and we get her perspective on the case as she digs into the previous murders and interviews different people, past and present. Agent Keller is a badass that is also pregnant with twins. I like her relationship with young detective Atticus. She's tough, but has a very compassionate side as well.

There are a lot of twists in this book that keep you guessing about what happened - both in 1999 and the present case. It feels like all the characters with POV's are linking, but how and why and what secrets are they keeping (from us). This was a riveting thriller with good characters and great twists!

“The Night Shift” is my first book of 2022 and if it’s any indication of how the rest of the year will go, I’m psyched!

The book starts off in a Blockbuster on NYE 1999. Soon after, we realize a horrible crime happened here, leaving three murderer and one survivor.

Fifteen years later, a similar murder occurs at an ice cream store, prompting the local police and FBI to get involved.

Without giving too much away, it’s clear the cases are linked… but there are many more questions than answers.

The book is written from three perspectives - Ella (the sole survivor of the Blockbuster tragedy), Chris (the brother of the suspected serial killer), and Keller (a very pregnant FBI agent).

I enjoyed this book and trying to figure out who the killer was and what the motive was. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I was proven wrong! Finlay wrapped the book up great, leaving no loose ends.

I will definitely be recommending this book to my fellow book lovers!

3.5 - rounding up to 4

Pub date : March 1, 2020

I continue to like Alex Finlay’s writing and story ideas. He writes really propulsive, interesting stories that are hard to put down. Short chapters keep the pages flipping.

All of our characters were intriguing with good backstory and fun plot lines. We have the FBI agent helping with the present day case, the brother of the alleged perpetrator of the old case, and the sole survivor of the old case. Each provided unique insight into the different events. I did guess the main twist at the end pretty early on, but multiple things throughout took me by surprise!

I was hoping that this would be a dual timeline story with alternating chapters focusing on the new case and the events leading up to the old case. While we did get a few random flashbacks, these were not heavily featured. The initial intrigue of this (for me at least) was that it was being billed as focusing on a murder at a Blockbuster in 1999. I was ready for lots of nostalgia vibes, and was a little disappointed this was all set in the present day. But that’s probably my own fault for not reading the synopsis closely enough.


Thank you to Minotaur books, the author, and Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!!

It’s New Year’s Eve. 1999. While most of the world is out partying or hiding from Y2K. Five teens are working the night shift at the local blockbuster. Only one will survive the night.

Fifteen years later an eerily similar massacre just occurred at the local ice cream shop. Once again, only one teen survived.

Do you believe in coincidences?💁🏻‍♀️ Me neither!

This was a fantastic, twisty thriller that kept me guessing throughout. Including lots of wild moments I never could have imagined.

My second read by this author and looking forward to seeing what he has in store for us next.

A buddy read with Susanne.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I will say this book has flow. It jumps from character to character with almost every chapter, but I never felt like I couldn’t keep track of what was going on. This was a great whodunnit, and kept my interest from the start. Especially after the characters began to build. I found myself not able to put it down! Overall, a great easy read :)

A riveting read that I stayed up too late to finish. I prefer the author’s last offering to this one, as I figured this one out extremely early on, but the writing was such that I still raced to the finish to prove myself right rather than losing interest.

This isn’t my typical book. I read mostly romance but the blurb drew me in and I was hooked. The story reveals itself in layers and some are kinda obvious and some are very surprising. I just didn’t want it to end and so when the third act started and I flew through the action just to find out whodunnit well I just wanted more. I think maybe it’s time to open my eyes to other genres if this is what is out there. I just highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a great read.

Bravo!!! I really liked this book. What a story! I loved the characters. They had me glued to the pages. This is a thriller but it is also an emotional story. I really enjoyed the writing. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Working a lousy, minimum wage job is a teenage rite of passage. In the town of Linden NJ, it can be a death sentence. Two knife attacks fifteen years apart left six dead girls and two battered survivors. Ella survived the initial attack and became a trauma therapist, which makes her perfect to help her young counterpart, Jesse. Chris became a lawyer to clear his big brother of the first crime, if he ever reappears. Keller is the FBI agent officially assigned to the cold case, but she will leave no stone unturned. She's also the only straight arrow in a book full of wounded, secretive people. A propulsive thriller.

What a fabulous novel! For fans of Riley Sager, this thriller goes between 1999 and 2014, dealing with two mass killings at a Blockbuster and an ice cream shop. The lone survivor of the Blockbuster murders discovers her attacker may be back in town, and she needs answers. I read this in one sitting, and highly recommend it. Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an unbiased review.

The book's main story takes place over three days, and I happened to read it along that real timeline, even though I wished I could have just finished it in one day. The short chapters and three storylines make the start of this book a little hectic, but once you understand who the characters are and how they begin to intersect with each other the book became a lot of fun. Chris' plotline started out slow, but by the end his story was the one I found most interesting. Ella starts out as the most interesting character since she was a survivor of the original massacre and has to interview the new survivor, and the scenes between Ella and Jesse were some of my favorite in the book. Keller has to play the traditional cop trying to solve it all, and as a result, her chapters occasionally were a little boring, but Finlay found a way in the final chapters to tie a lot of it together in explaining the crime, which I was impressed by.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Alex Finlay for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Night Shift in exchange for my honest review!

On the night of the famous 1999 New Year's Eve, just on the brink of Y2K, four teenagers working at Blockbuster in New Jersey are attacked, but one miraculously survives. A teenage boy who had been spending a lot of time with one of the girls is identified as their killer, but he escapes custody, never to be seen or heard from again.

Fifteen years later, at an ice cream store in the same town, another group of teenagers are attacked, and once again one miraculously survives. In their quest to discover if the Y2K Blockbuster killer has struck again, three people's lives quickly become intertwined. Readers will follow the only survivor of the Blockbuster killings, the brother of the vanished accused killer, and FBI agent Sarah Keller. Together they try to find the truth about what happened at the ice cream store and Blockbuster.

This book was one wild ride. Super fast-paced, with short chapters that made it a nice and quick read. I loved having multiple POV chapters along with just the perfect amount of flashbacks to the 1999 Blockbuster night. I wouldn't classify any of the characters as necessarily unreliable or even unlikeable, but there was a level of distrust with all of them that I honestly was living for.

I did predict the big reveal BUT there were so many other mini bombs dropped throughout the book it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. This one is incredibly well-written and entertaining, and I think thriller lovers everywhere will enjoy this one very much.

The Night Shift is on bookshelves in the US March 1, 2022!