Wow! Excellent edge of your seat read. On New Years Eve in 1999 a mass slaying occurs at a Blockbuster Video. Everyone including the police believe it was an angry lover of one of the teenage victims. When the alleged killer is released because of insufficient evidence he disappears. Fast forward 20 years when an eerily similar crime occurs to in the same town to an unsuspecting group of teenagers. Fast paced and impossible to put down, this is definitely one of my favorite books this year.

This book captivated me immediately, which is a very rare occurrence. It was a very fast-paced book from start to finish. It didn't feel like it was lagging or dragging at any point, which is likely to do with how many different things were going on at once. At the same time that the story line was complex, it wasn't overly confusing.

As a north NJ native, I also was oddly excited that the story was set there. It's not often that towns I'm familiar with make it into novels.

So, somebody mass murdered some teens at a Blockbuster back when that was a thing. Several years later, an identical crime happens at an ice cream place in the same town. Same MO, and one survivor at each crime scene. Everyone thinks they know who did the first crime, but who did the second one? If the answer doesn't shock your pants off I'm going to be so embarrassed, because that's one of the twists I didn't see coming.

This was a great thriller with the perfect amount of 90s nostalgia, which is to say "some", and I expect to be recommending it a lot. Do you like slashers? Surprise killers? Interesting family dynamics? Cops that mess everything up and other cops that don't? Lines like "Then something terrifying happens, some Silence of the Lambs-level shit"? This ones for you.

It's official: I really dig Alex Finlay. This is the second novel I've read and the second five star review I've given. He has a knack for writing drama that should by all rights veer into the land of the melodramatic and yet somehow never does. He walks the line between too-much and just-right perfectly and the result is a taut and engaging thriller that keeps you guessing right up until the last pages.

The characters were wonderful - and kudos for leading Team Good Guys with a vastly pregnant FBI agent soon to have twins! - and a great mix of personalities and dysfunctions. The pacing and plotting were spot on. The concept of the Final Girl has been done before of course, yet there is something so resident about the idea of the sole survivor... It provides a fantastic setup for both a psychologically complex story and a seat-of-your-pants thriller, and both are present in fine form here.

I can't wait to see where Finlay goes next... Wherever it is, I will definitely be there for the ride!

So good! Would have never suspected the culprit and was enticed to the very end. Super well written thriller and would highly recommend for anyone who likes high drama and 90's nostalgia.

This was a very engaging book of two mass murders committed years apart. Slowly the only survivor of the historic case and the accused murderer's brother work together to help the only survivor of the most recent case.

Although the idea of first trauma survivor being brought into the second case was a bit unrealistic, but if you suspend disbelief, you are in for a very entertaining read. As a true crime podcast lover, I completely enjoyed this book, and look forward to Finlay's next.

Interesting story with lots of twists and turns. I could not put this book down as I was so invested in the characters of this story. Definitely worth a read as it keeps you guessing until the very end.

This was a great read but not as good as "Every Last Fear". I think "Alex" might be an automatic author read for me.

The book was very was a very complete story. Sometimes when you read a mystery novel it leaves clues out for your interpretation, however, this was not the case with this book. The author was thoughtful in the development of the storyline and the characters. Do not let the length of the book and all of the chapters keep you from reading this great book! I can almost imagine being there and being a cop and being a person part of the story line. It even digs deep into how after being a part of such a traumatic experience could lead you down a path of downward spirals, obsessive behavior, and mood swings, but then on the bright side, she could be a help to someone in the same situation. So there’s a balance there that I appreciated and was surprised by. It kept me waiting until the end to find out exactly what happened and what the motive behind this horrific or these horrific crimes. At times, it became a little slow in reading, but hang in there and you will be rewarded in the end!

In 1999, five teenagers are attacked at Blockbuster, with one survivor. Years later, another murder, but this time at Dairy Queen and again, with one survivor. The only thing linking the two, is that the murderer whispers the same thing to both survivors.

The story is told through multiple POVs: Ella, the survivor from the first murders. Chris, the brother of the suspect from the first murders. And Agent Sarah Keller, back from Finlay's first book, but this time she's eight months pregnant. The switching between the three can be a little messy at times as there's quite a few characters to keep track of throughout each POV. But I enjoy how Finlay sprinkles in the emotional drama with the suspense, without overdoing it. So you're engaged in each of the major characters, and quite a few minor ones.
My biggest complaint was that I didn't get enough answers in the end. It felt a little abrupt, and I believe that was the feeling I had with his last book: that abrupt feeling. Or just feeling like something was missing at the end. That said, I will still read anything else Alex Finlay writes because I did thoroughly enjoy this story. It kept me guessing. I didn't have it all figured out right away, which I enjoy.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great keep you on the tip of your toes read.
Definitely one that keeps your attention.
Great ending to close everything up. Not seeing who was to blame made it even more intriguing.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

The book goes through solving these crimes and bringing justice to all the families affected. There were almost too many characters, which made it a little convoluted at times, but it was a pretty good read anyway. There were plenty of twists, but none that really blew my mind. The ending was neatly done, and overall I enjoyed this one, just not as much as I was expecting to. I’m giving this a 3.5, rounded up because the writing was good and it kept me interested the whole time.

Throwing it back to the previous millennium, The Night Shift begins with a group of teenagers working their after school jobs at Blockbuster on New Year’s Eve 1999. When their bodies are found in the break room, there’s only one survivor and the perpetrator seems obvious, but he ends up being released due to a lack of evidence. Fifteen years later, a similar crime takes place, and once again there is only one survivor. But is it a copycat? Or has the original killer returned?

This book had so many twists, I was getting whiplash! Although I was only 11 at the turn of the millennium, the nostalgia is strong with this one. While told in only a few different perspectives, there were a ton of different characters that I found it a little hard to keep up with. I’ve never been a huge fan of the “final girl” trope, but this is definitely my favorite of the lot. The writing wasn’t anything life-changing, but for me, the story more than delivered. For all the thriller babes out there, this is one not to miss!

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the eARC. The Night Shift will be released on March 1, 2022.

•THE NIGHT SHIFT• Alex Finlay

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I LOVED this book! I seriously could not put it down. It’s definitely one of my favorite books this year! ✨

And I am obsessed with this packaging! 🙌
_________________________________

On New Years Eve 1999, the teenage employees at a Blockbuster are attacked. Only one of them survives.

15 years later, teenage employees at an ice cream store are attacked. Only one survives 👀

Are these massacres somehow related?
________________________________

You do NOT want to miss this one!

The ending was disappointing but had a great build up to the climax; definite page turner. Good weekend read

Alex Finlay does it AGAIN! Man I can't get enough of Finlay's stories and writing style. I believe he is getting better and better with each thing he writes and I cannot wait to devour his next story.

Thank you so much St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this new outstanding novel!

Alex Finley does the damn thing again!
Every Last Fear was a phenomenal book!
Mainly that's why I requested his newest because I love this authors work!

The Night Shift
This is soooo much more than I expected! Action packed, riveting, dazzling, twisty and absolutely unputdownable!
A highly addictive story that will have you in such a trance you won't want to do anything but read this entire book in one sitting!
From the first page I was intrigued!
Hook, Line and Sinker.... I was GONE!

1999 In New Jersey on New Years Eve a psycho attacks four teenage girls working at their local Blockbuster store!
Three died and one survived! The survivor is Ella
Fifteen years later in the same town four more girls working at an ice cream shop are attacked the same brutal way.
Three girls died and one survived! This survivor is Jessica!
Jessica needs to talk to Ella because she is the only person who truly understands what she is going through!
Ella has never been the same since. I mean who would be!
She can't seem to leave that fatal night fifteen years ago..
After Ella connects with Jessica this lights a fire in her to dig more and hopefully find more clues about the two murders!
Is this the same killer or are they dealing with a copycat?

Alex Finely is the master at suspense!
This smart, well-told, with taut suspense, mystery read will have you hanging on the edge of your seat with anticipation!
This is a standout from the crowd psychological thriller which keeps you riveted and intrigued until the deeply satisfying end!
5 Wild Stars for this wild story!

I can't thank St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books enough for this outstanding chance to read this novel!
NetGalley and Author thank you
I will post to my to my platforms closer to pub date!

I hate that it took me so long to get through this book (due to work, moving, traveling, etc. I haven’t had a lot of time to read), because I enjoyed this one so much! I LOVED that this book jumped right into the story from the very first chapter. It was action packed and had me feeling like a detective throughout the whole book! Each chapter is told from a different point of view, so there are a lot of characters to remember / relate to. I felt like all of the characters were introduced well and had great backstories, so it was fun to follow along throughout the book. Sometimes you run into too many characters = no depth, but I think the author did great with this! I appreciated how all of the characters tied in to the story, but I can see where it could get hard to keep up with for some readers. Overall, I highly recommend this to all my thriller friends!! Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an eARC of this awesome book! Check out it’s publication in March of 2022!

Read if you like:
- The “final girl” theme
- Multiples POVs
- Chapters that end on such good cliffhangers that you have to keep reading

I liked this just a wee bit less than Finlay's "Every Last Fear," but still found it to be a solid thriller with interesting characters.

Like "Fear" this book toggles back and forth in time between two mass murders, one of the eve of Y2K (a time I remember well) and one in present day. The story is told by three characters, a survivor from the first attack, the brother of the alleged killer of the first attack, and a fabulous, and very pregnant FBI agent Keller (who gave me Fargo vibes) who's trying to find links between the two cases.

All of the characters were intriguing (though I wasn't necessarily buying Chris defending a killer while attempting to hide his past link to another killer, or the FBI agent throwing herself--and her babies--into quite so much danger). The story moves a long at a nice clip and there are a number of surprises toward the end.

I tended to enjoy the flashback parts of the book a tad more than the present day ones. But I think that's just the nature of the story and how the cases are being explored. I did feel like the ending was a little heavy handed (Wait? He's a big game hunter too? Where did that come from?), and I was able to figure out the killer before the big reveal, which is always a mild letdown. Overall though, this is a strong, page-turning book.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well paced and the characters were fully formed. I would enjoy reading other work by this author in the future.