hank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

On New Years Eve, 1999, amid Y2K panic and speculation of a digital apocalypse, a quadruple homicide occurs in the neighborhood Blockbuster. A suspect is quickly identified, but immediately skips town. Fifteen years later and no closer to solving the Blockbuster murders, another mass killing occurs in an ice cream shop. In both incidents, only one individual makes it out alive. The similarities between the cases are startling, and law enforcement and the DA's office race to catch the killer - before he strikes again.
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What a way to start off 2022! I absolutely devoured this book. I read 91% last night and finished it immediately upon waking up this morning. I was clutching my pearls and audibly gasping at points and was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

The twists? Shocking. The suspense? Nail-biting (I literally messed up my pinky nails because of this book). The connections between the characters and their backstories? Amazing. I love stories where the POV switches frequently because it feels much more fast paced than it otherwise might, and I think the author did an amazing job of developing the characters while still maintaining a fast pace and interesting plot.

I'm not usually a fan of crime fiction like this but I absolutely could not put this down. I've already recommended it to all my friends and my mom and I WISH they didn't have to wait until March to read it.

Small town murders from the late 90s repeated 15 years later- sign me up for 90s nostalgia and a solid whodunit mystery/thriller. A page turning good time. Told seamlessly from multiple POVs, short digestible chapters. Overall a solid thrilling read.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Then, teens get killed at a blockbuster. Now, teens get killed at an ice cream shop. Same small town. Some of the same people still in town. Same killer? I like how under the thrill of the hunt you get to see how trauma shaped the lives of the people surrounding the first killings.

🍿SYNOPSIS: It’s New Year’s Eve 1999 and it’s chaos. Three girls are found brutally murdered in a Blockbuster, with one survivor. 15 years later, the same thing happens again..

🍿REVIEW: Anyone remember the days of Blockbuster and Movie Gallery? Y2K? When we thought the world was going to fall apart?! I know I sure do, and I was living for the nostalgia element added to this book here. Y’all already know I’m a sucker for a 90s theme in any way, so this got me there.

THE BOOK: Honestly, I enjoyed this! I have seen mixed reviews, but I have DNFd 3 books prior to this one and I read this in a day. It’s a quick, fun, breezy thriller and that’s my advice going into this one - just have fun with it.

Does Finlay know a damn thing about pregnancy? NO. This man had an 8 1/2 month pregnant FBI agent with TWINS actively working a triple homicide, placed in dangerous situations. She would have been put on light duty MONTHS ago (had to laugh with my husband about this) and never mind what a woman with twins goes through that far along in their pregnancy and making it to due dates.

But like I said, you just gotta kick back and enjoy this one, whatever few flaws there may be, because it was twisty, the characters were done well, I connected with each of them, and I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline.

Did I guess who did it? Yes. But I don’t think it was glaringly obvious, and unlike Flicker, I don’t think it took away from the book. He still kept you hooked.

Overall, this was a fun thriller.

🍿VERDICT: 4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎵 Song Rec: “When the Lights Go Out” - Five

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYJd_dfrb2g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

New Year’s Eve 1999: Four teenagers working late at a Blockbuster Video are attacked and only one miraculously survives. The suspect flees and is never seen again.

Fifteen years later: Four teenagers are attacked at an ice cream shop and once again, only one makes it out alive.

Are these tragic murders connected or is there a copycat killer on the loose?

Short (but intense) chapters make this a quick read. There aren’t any unnecessary details; everything you read has a purpose and will be revealed. I could’ve done without the YouTube vlogger excerpts but I understand how they were necessary for the plot. The multiple character perspectives - an FBI agent, a lone survivor and the brother of an alleged murderer - were all well developed. There were a lot of characters to keep track of but I was never confused. They all interconnected in some way.

Alex Finlay twisted a web with so many shocking revelations that I found myself gasping out loud. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! I also have to add how much I adored the 90’s nostalgia. Blockbuster movies and drinking warm Zima in a parking lot with friends. It took me baaaack. 🤣
4.5 ⭐️

Review on my Instagram @thebookishfaerie
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The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is a jam packed novel full of plot twist and suspense.

This book sucked me in from the beginning. I never once found myself bored as I was reading. It’s perfectly paced. The only thing I had a problem with was the little conflict that arises with Chris, and we aren’t really given any answers to it. It just kinda happens then they move on. I wish it was talked about just a tad bit more.
We are presented with two cases - one is presumably solved, and the other is unsolved. The first one happened in 1999 at a blockbuster, We are blasted fifteen years later to an ice cream store where the same events take place.
We are given multiple POV’s - which the author did perfectly. The short chapters make for such an easy read, but also leaves off at the perfect points.
The characters are written in such a great way. They all have aspects that are easy to relate to, which makes you connect so well to them. I felt my heart breaking for all of them at certain times. They intersect, and come together so well. It makes the story even that much better.
This book was shocking. As soon as you think the story is going in one direction, Finlay drops a bomb that completely changes the direction.
If you enjoy true crime, you will really enjoy this book. It mentions the infamous LuLu Lemon case & the main case has a resemblance to the 1991 Yogurt shop murders. The books reads just like an episode of Criminal Minds, or Law & Order.
The ending was so heartbreaking, but well wrapped up, and I felt satisfied when it was all finished. I would have liked to known more about Jesse and Ella, but overall I was fine with it.
I definitely recommend and think this will be a top book for 2022.

- i was provided an e-arc of this book by st.martins publishing for my honest review. release date 3/1/22

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

I've liked others of Finlay's works, and was looking forward to reading this latest novel. It didn't disappoint. This was a fast-paced page turner and a quick read. I'll happily recommend it to others who enjoy this genre.

Loved the multiple POVs and surprise reveals (at least to me!). Normally I have thrillers figured out at least 90% of the way before the reveals happen but this one surprised me! This is my first Alex Finlay book and now I think I need to read Every Last Fear, may become an "automatic buy" author for me for future publications. If you're a thriller fanatic, I think you'll love this. (4.5 out of 5 stars)

(Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.)

Solid plot, great twists! One is a little predictable but it doesn't really detract. A few too many characters for my personal taste.

Wow! Another thriller by Alex Finlay, who now goes on my to-do list of “read all future books and the backlist of this author”!

Ella and Jesse are the survivors of two similar mass killings that occurred 15 years apart in the same New Jersey town. Sarah Keller is the very pregnant FBI agent assigned to the older murders (since the suspect was on a UFAP warrant — unlawful flight to avoid prosecution). Sarah is paired with a local young eager police officer who’s been studying the cold case wit,h the intensity of a true crime blogger. Chris Ford is a public defender — and is also quickly revealed to be the younger brother of the escaped suspect in Ella’s case. There were more than a few twists that I never saw coming, so no spoilers here — be as surprised as I was. I really couldn’t put this down — I read during an 8 hour car ride, worried that my iPad battery would die and when we arrived, I kept reading instead of unpacking. It was a well crafted thriller and it kept at least 3 of 4 main characters as (sort of a spoiler) definite good guys, instead of sudden suspects.

I read so many thrillers and many of them just don’t stick in my memory, but this one had me mulling over the plot for days afterward. Bravo, Alex Finlay! 5 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Just like 98% of the real world. But yay! for the lime green refrigerator that makes an appearance.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO If not for the Y2K references, I wouldn’t have realized it was December.

What a page turner this book is! I had a hard time putting this book down. On NYE 1999, at a Blockbuster movie rental store, 3 teen-age girls were murdered and 1 girl survived the attack. Fast forward 15 years later and a similar attack occurs at an ice cream shop with 3 girls murdered and 1 girl surviving. The survivor from the prior attack, Ella, is a counselor now and is summoned by her former high school teacher/mentor to come to the hospital to counsel the survivor from this latest attack. The person arrested for the first attack disappeared after bail was posted and has not been seen or heard from since. Are these 2 attacks, 15 years apart and very similar, somehow connected? As the story unfolds in this then and now format with multiple narrators, lots of strange twists and turns come to light and I was kept guessing until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for the ARC of this book that kept me reading way past my bedtime.

I liked the beginning of this book and the premise, but for a thriller/suspense I thought the twists and turns were somewhat obvious and I figured the book out early. It also had a trope that I don't like in these types of books, which was frustrating. Overall, this book wasn't for me, but I'm sure others will like it.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing an arc to review!

Alex Finlay's sophomoric novel, far surpassed its predecessor. After reading the blurb, it conjured up similarities to a true crime case from thirty years ago, and my attention was piqued. The Night Shift is told via several points-of-view and in dual timelines, one in the present and the other in the 90s, which is a decade I fondly look back on.

Did I figure out the twist very early on? Yes, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment and I still experienced the roller coaster of emotions of a well written thriller. I was eager to learn how the investigation would unravel and was pleasantly surprised to see the return of FBI Special Agent Keller, who we first met In Every Last Fear.

It was also nice to read a book that takes place in New Jersey and be able to recognize a few of the location names.

I was in the mood for fast-paced mystery and decided The Night Shift would be the perfect next book to read. I read Every Last Fear in the fall and couldn't put it down, so I had high hopes for the next book by Finlay. I never expected to love it more than Every Last Fear.

The start of it reminded me a bit of Riley Sager's "Final Girls" with a mass murder and a lone survivor, but it didn't stay that way for long. The book was filled with twists and turns, with an ending you won't see coming. I think I'm still in shock from it. Definitely one of my favorite books from 2021, and hopefully it will be one of yours in 2022!

5/5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You ever enjoy a book so much you fall asleep reading and dream about what happens? That was this one. I’d pick it up at night, read it until I’d fall asleep, dream about it, wake up and read some more. Suffice to say I read this book in two nights. So, I didn’t lose too much sleep over this book. I cannot wait for everyone to read this. It was soo good, very fast pace, intriguing, with lots of twists. The one advice I have is to write down all the characters, because it does get a bit confusing since there’s a lot of them.

I love books that have intertwined storylines and characters, especially when it's done well, and Finlay does it very well. The characters are perfectly flawed, the storyline is quick, and the twist totally took me by surprise.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay begins in Linden, NJ. It’s December 31, 1999..New Year’s Eve. No one knows what to expect at the stroke of midnight, aka, Y2K. Rumors are flying, the world is going to crash, nothing is going to be the same, it’s a digital apocalypse! Although none of that really happens, lives are changed forever at the. Blockbuster Video store around 10pm. Four teenagers are working the night shift, with their manager. As they are locking up for the night, tragedy strikes, with four dead bodies and 1 knocked out survivor, the town is shocked. When a suspect is quickly found, trough eyewitness accounts, and rumors of romances, the police make a quick arrest. When he is released due to lack of evidence, he flees and is never seen or heard from again.

Fifteen years later, in the same town, another four teens are brutally attacked. Again, with one survivor. When the latest survivor is introduced to the Blockbuster survivor of years past, they realize the killer has add the exact same statement to each of them…”Goodnight, pretty girl”. Can it really be the same killer back again to torment the families all over again?

There are a variety of characters involved in the investigation. Of course we have the two survivors, Ella and Jesse. Then there is a very pregnant FBI agent brought in to compare both tragedies, and finally solve them, and the younger brother of the initial suspect. He is determined to prove his brother is innocent, and hopefully reunite with him after fifteen years of silence. The characters all work together, in some capacity, to find out the truth of the tragedies, bring justice to those responsible, and to help the survivors find solace from the trauma they experienced. There are multiple layers to the story, which unfold neatly and will surprise you until the very end. It is well developed and checks all the boxes for a good psychological thriller.

I really enjoyed this gripping thriller. As a Jersey girl myself, I love the backdrop of New Jersey, not exactly small town nostalgia, which was a nice change. As for Blockbuster Video, who doesn’t love a good throwback! This book is fast paced, the dark plot creates just the right amount of tension to keep the reader interested. I wish the Epilogue gave us more. The ending is huge. It’s heart pounding, tense, and shocking, but I needed to know more about the characters, all of them, one year later. But don’t let that deter you, I highly recommend this book. It is the second book I’ve read by Alex Finlay and I am a new fan. Very well written.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Minotaur Books and Alex Finlay for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This cover is clickbait in book form. Its eye-catching, bright, dark and twisty looking and immediately made me click request on NetGalley because who doesn't want to read about the ER/Hospital Night Shifters? Wrong. It has nothing to do with the ER or a hospital...so joke's on me.

The Night Shift opens in the 90s (hi...I'm in!) about a gruesome attack in the local Blockbuster. I was HERE for all of the nostalgia. Then we shift to present day with a copy cat attack in the local Dairy Creamery. Are the two cases related? Is the killer back? The local PD is on it with help from the FBI and we even had a dash of the Secret Service at one point.

I'll spare you the long and drawn out review...this was SO GOOD. Preorder this stat (night shift ER reference anyone?!). My one complaint - we had a boat load of characters to try to keep track of. It was off putting at first, confusing at times, but really came together in the end and I see why Finlay had them all in here. However if you are like me and multiple POVs become annoying or tricky...just stick with it - this one worked in the end.

There was a MAJOR WTF moment at Chapter 47 and I was holding my breath during all of Chapter 53...this was written so well and I loved the crazy reactions that it got out of me while reading. I did drive past the old Blockbuster on Christmas Eve heading to my parents house and I got a major spine shiver...so ya know - well done Finlay.

I thought the ending was SO WELL done and I just loved the entire story. Preorder this stat...it was that good!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eArc in exchange for my honest review and thank you JoJo, Jess and Ash for buddy reading this with me. As always, I had the most fun with you girls!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review The Night Shift!

I have to admit, I went into this one with high expectations. And I know that can lead to disappointment, but I was too excited.

Overall, I found this novel to be an entertaining read. I loved that they had a central brown character and found the bulk of the characters to be fully developed and complex. I appreciated the flipping narratives; I felt that it was done well and brought more depth to the storyline.

Unfortunately, I felt that the ending left much to be desired. I don’t want to say more as I don’t want to dive into a spoiler zone, but I was a bit disappointed. I also couldn’t get myself to really click with several of the characters; although they were well-written I had a hard time finding them relatable or likable.

At the end of the day, this piece was quite a read. It was a journey through and through. I would recommend this book if you’re interested in not just mysteries and thrillers, but the people behind the cases as well.

⭐️ 3.75

After enjoying the author's previous book, I was excited to start off this one and I was hooked right away. It was so engaging that I finished it in within a day. Without a doubt, it was a fun, entertaining and fast-paced thriller with all the twists and turns. The subplots are so interconnected and twisted that couple of reveals were a tad bit too unbelievable but as long as it keeps me hooked, I don't have an issue. I like the fact that the author doesn't really waste time with unnecessary or unrelated descriptive writing and is absolutely on point.

Two similar murders but decades apart. Who is the killer and what is the connection between them? Go for it!