There were so many twists in this story, it is wild! The author really outdid himself. He chose a great setting with the Y2K debacle and if you’re old enough to remember that you will appreciate this setting.

The character development is spot on and I especially loved the fact that we get the story from two different points of view, Detective Sarah and Public Defender Chris, brother of a supposed murderer.

Finlay really ramps up the anxiety level that probably occurs in a mass murder situation. There are so many twists in the story that Finlay keeps you on your toes page after page. I had to read this in sitting because I literally could not stop.

Fabulous pacing, excellent character development, and a nail biting build up to a shocker of an ending. Fabulous heart-pounding read! Finlay has cemented his work in the cop and crime thriller genre in an explosive way!

AMBER Machado <machado283@gmail.com>
5:08 PM (1 hour ago)
to me

I loved Every Last Fear by this author, so when I saw he published another book I knew I had to read it. Then when the synopsis of the book had me hooked from the beginning because it reminded me of a true-crime mystery.
On New Year's Eve in 1999 Y2K is predicted to go haywire because it was predicted to be the new apocalypse. At a blockbuster in New Jersey, four teenage girls were attacked ending in 3 being dead and one surviving. While in this case the police quickly suspected one of the girl's boyfriends but, he just disappeared into the wind.
Now, 15 years later 4 more girls were attacked at an ice cream parlor, and once again there is only one survivor.
I loved that this book was told from three different perspectives: Ella (the lone survivor of the blockbuster murders), FBI Agent Keller, and Chris (the public defender). This gives you a better insight into their struggles and their wins of the cases and their own lives.
While these different people will work to find out if the cases are connected or who killed these girls! I absolutely loved this mystery and while I do not want to give anything away because the mystery is soo thrilling to follow! There are soo many twists and some of them will blindside you completely! If you enjoyed his book Every Last Fear then you will not be disappointed by this one! I am waiting for the next book because he is working his way up my favorite author's list! Thank you Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book! If this sounds like something that would pique your interest the book will be out March 1, 2022!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Night Shift by Alex Finlay.
Finlay flawlessly creates suspense that keeps you in the dark until it all unravels in the end! This is a great book for a weekend because you won’t want to put it down!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the opportunity to read an advanced copy for a fair and honest review.

This story is set around 2 murders where we have only 1 survivor from each tragic event. The first is set in a blockbuster ( which got me in the nostalgic feels) while the second is at a local ice cream shop. Everyone believes that the same person committed both crimes but they can not be located. The story is told in multiple POV and the focus is on finding the true killer and solving both cases.

As a fan of thrillers I found this one to be compelling, fast paced, and mysterious. The characters were written so well that it was easy for me to connect with them.

In fact I got quite worried for one of the main characters near the end. I found myself gasping and unable to put the book down.

This is the first time I have read anything by this author but I am excited to read their past works and also I look forward to many more exciting stories.

A New Meaning to The Graveyard Shift

It's New Year's Eve 1999 and Y2K isn't the only looming threat; four teenage girls are attacked during a late night at the local Blockbuster and only one survives. The main suspect disappears without a trace. Fifteen years later another attack occurs at an ice cream parlor, and the surviving girl claims the killer uttered the same last words to her "Goodnight, pretty girl".

This story follows three intersected lives tied together by these murders. Bringing back Detective Sarah Keller (proof you can be pregnant and kick butt), this book explores trauma, survival, and what to do with your life when you are the last one standing.

Reading the premise for this book had me furiously looking for my old Blockbuster card (no luck). Finlay does an excellent job of creating memorable, likeable characters and tying the plot lines together in this intense thriller. Having just finished The Final Girl Support Group, it was interesting to read a juxtaposition where a final girl uses her experience for good and not stockpiling grenades.

An overall great read with a hint of nostalgia for those who remember how annoying it was to remember to rewind the tape before returning it. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected pub date is 1 Mar 2022.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the arc of this book. I loved this book!
I have read many thrillers, and this one is the most thrilling one ever. I can't count the number of times I literally said OMG. The writing was amazing and I didn't want to put the book down. The characters were multi-dimensional and I really cared about them.The story has been done before but never as well as this one. I won't give spoilers of course, but the way everything tied together was spectacular. I will be recommending this book to anyone that asks for a 'thriller' recommendation.

Is it a copy cat killer or has the original murderer returned? I enjoyed this one. The crime was original and the characters were sympathetic. The two storylines were both suspenseful and the author did a great job of linking them together. The twists and turn at the end were unexpected. Recommended.

Wow! Just wow! This book left me 09with a pounding heart and racing breath as I rushed to find out what was going to happen. Two horrible crimes are linked together, both of which left young90 teens murdered in their place of employment. The links between the characters are based on these two crime scenes. The characters were so realistic that I felt bad for them having to re-live such an awful event. Keller is the FBI agent who is investigating. Ella is a survivor from the first attack at Blockbuster. And Jessy is the survivor of the most recent attack at an ice cream parlor. Finally, Chris Ford is the brother of the young man originally accused of the crime, the one who got away. Twenty years apart doesn’t sound much like a serial killer, but there is a possibility there, so all hands are called on deck to investigate. There was intense action from the beginning and a lot of drama, with a back story involved and multiple shady characters who could be the real thing or red herrings. The twists were outstandingly incorporated into the fast-paced and riveting plot. I am convinced that this author is one of the authors who will always be on my TBR list because he has shown that he is a master of the suspense thriller. Engaging, enthralling and scary all at the same time!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

The chapters set in 1999 were a work of art. I literally felt like I was transported back in time reading those.

Most of my questions were answered by the end of this book (although I did have a couple still unanswered) and the story was wrapped up well!

Alex Finlay does not disappoint with his brilliant writing elements to make this a gripping thriller. I loved his last book Every Last Fear and this one was exceptional in sprinkling information throughout to solve two seperate horrendous attacks on innocent people. This hits close to home in a neighboring county experienced in 1997 there were two Baskin Robbins employees killed and 1994 four Taco Bell employees lost their life to a crazed killer. The loss the community and the families suffered has never left my mind.

"The sheep spends its life worried about the wolf, only to be eaten by the farmer."

In the book, on New Year's Eve in 1999, the fear of the world ending was all the hype and never thinking a killing spree of four teens and a manager at a Blockbuster would be the headlines. As the lone survivor, Ella, chooses to live her life helping others as a counselor. That practice would be put to use as she tries to console and guide a young girl, Jesse, when an ice cream parlor would suffer the same fate of teens killed with Jesse being a lone survivor.

With Detective Keller, miserably pregnant, trying to solve the cases and see a clear relation between the two, she meets frustration and roadblocks to a community who want the old case left alone.
A teenager, Vincent, was tried and later overturned for the murder of the kids and upon his release never to be seen again. Are the clues leading back to Vincent?

One person interested in finding out who is responsible is public defender, Chris. He is the brother of Vincent. After Vincent's arrest, Chris was adopted and raised by a loving family that sent him to law school. This saved him from a father and home life which was a disturbing case in itself. Chris has always wondered what became of his brother. He has a theory and chases that thought throughout.

This has a fabulous twist in the end and a lot of shady characters with some crazy endeavors to get the truth out of the townspeople who seem to clam up, but for what reason? And who are they covering?

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was hooked from the first page and remained intrigued until the last! Two horrendous incidents, 15-years apart resulting in 6 teen deaths. One incident occurred at a Blockbuster video store (oh the nostalgia!) at closing time, and the other at an ice cream store, also at closing time. Each incident included 4 teens, with only 1 surviving. The story is told from 3 points of view, the lone survivor of the first incident, the fugitive brother of the accused in the first incident, and the FBI agent who is tasked with connecting the dots between the two incidents. The slow burn of this mystery is perfectly paced, with not one, but two jaw-dropping twists in the latter half of the book. I enjoyed picking up the clues and puzzle pieces and watching the story unfold. I did find the physical altercations by an FBI agent who is 8 months pregnant to be a bit unbelievable, but it didn't distract from the story too badly. This was the first of Mr. Findlay's books that I have read and I look forward to reading more!

Thank you Net Galley, Alex Finlay, and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur books for the advanced digital review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Overall, I really liked it. The pacing was on point. I never got bored or felt like the story was dragging. Every written word had purpose and meaning and it kept me engaged and turning the pages quickly to find out what was happening next. There were characters I liked, and some that I did not. But that's okay that's all par for the course and they each served a purpose.

The twist was fantastic and I had not seen it coming. The ending was nicely wrapped up with every character getting what they either deserved or didn't deserve.

A well written, carefully planned and masterfully executed murder mystery that will have you yelling at the characters while still rooting for them.

A 3.5 Star read, rounded up to 4.

This was a good read, but i really struggled with how to rate it for a few reasons. Let’s get into it!

The opening pages of The Nightshift had me terrified. The suspense and drama at the start reminded me of Karin Slaughter-esque descriptive writing. I think part of what works here is the close resemblance to the yogurt shop murders (the 1991 unsolved murder of 4 teenage employees working the nightshift at a yogurt shop). However, this murder takes place at a blockbuster. I always find storylines that are realistic more chilling.

Once we are introduced to the tragic murders that occur in 1999, we are brought back to the present where a similar tragedy has just taken place at an ice cream shop (again, yogurt shop murders). Again, there is one survivor, troubled teen Jesse Duvall. From then on we follow multiple points of view as the mystery unfolds; Ella, the loan survivor if the Blockbuster murders; Keller, a very pregnant FBI agent; and Chris, the younger brother of the lone blockbuster murder suspect turned fugitive.

The positives of this book for me: it was a quick and easy read, I enjoyed the majority of the characters, the reveals came at a good pace and kept me engaged.

However, there are a few things that prevented me from giving it 4-5 stars. For starters, while there are some good twists and turns along the way, the main reveal is easy to spot very early on in the book. I kept hoping I was wrong because I didn’t want the “twist” to be that obvious. It also bothered me that some of the reveals along the way come to a screeching halt. One major twist is not given the air time it deserves at all. The investigation into the Blockbuster murders was blatantly crap. We’ve all seen Making a Murderer and I know this is possible, especially in 1999, but the fact that the loan survivor keeps so many details of that day to herself was unbelievable to me as well. Finally, the last chapters of action are a bit far-fetched for me and I don’t feel that as a reader I got all the answers I necessarily wanted about the perp or the other characters in the book. Since the twist wasn’t so twisty, the characters really carried the book for me and this is one of the few times I would’ve like a bit more detail about the aftermath of the climax.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good suspense read and is able to overlook a few plot-holes here and there, and I would definitely pick up another Alex Finlay book. I will likely be buying this one for my sister once it’s published, which is my barometer for a good book!

Thank you to Netgalley & Minotaur Books for the free digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review

It’s official! I am going to be putting Alex Finlay on my list of must-read authors after this one. I had a sneaking suspicion that would be the case after I read Every Last Fear, but now I know for sure.

The Night Shift is a pulse-racing, edge-of-your seat thriller/mystery that kept me reading well into the wee hours of the night. First of all, the opening of this book provides the biggest hook of any book I’ve read in a long time. I was instantly transported to 1999, listening to Prince, renting movies at Blockbuster, wondering if all the Y2K nonsense would happen. Not only that, but the opening ends in a scene of horror and tragedy making the reader demand to know what happens next.

The rest of the story unfolds 15 years later and is told through alternating viewpoints in the same town where another eerily similar horror has taken place. The characters are great. We learn enough about them to become attached for sure. There are twists and turns. Everything you want out of a thriller is there.

I highly recommend that any thriller fan picks this one up when it is released early next year. I promise you won’t regret it.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. And thank you to Alex Finlay for being amazing. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Very happy to see this author had published another book as I loved his first.
This was another great page turner. I loved the twists and turns, this had me guessing the whole time!
I can’t wait to see more from him

Two multiple murders in the same town several years apart. Is there a connection? Why was there one survivor in each case? The Night Shift explores the answers to these questions in a very entertaining read. There are several intertwined characters including a very pregnant FBI agent, the two survivors, the original murder suspect, and his brother. While discovering the perpetrator at the end of the story was somewhat satisfying, it was the journey along the way that made me happy I read this book.

As an avid reader, I appreciate certain qualities in a good author. A book must give me characters I can see and identify with. I like mystery and suspense. I want a writer who tricks me into thinking I’m not reading a book, but actually seeing a movie play out. I like concise language without excessive, unnecessary details cluttering up the plot. And, especially in the case of a mystery, I love reading that “OMG” moment I never saw coming. This is the second book i’ve read by this author, and he clicks all the boxes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and recommend it to fellow mystery lovers.

My thanks to NetGalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review The Night Shift.

Wow! The twists! I did not see them coming. It’s unusual to find thrillers that keep you guessing, so I loved this one.

It’s December 31, 1999. In the small town of Liden, New Jersey, people are shaken up. Not only by what’s to come from the new year (Y2K) but by the brutal massacre in the towns Blockbuster. Fifteen years later, the town is hit with another massacre that occurred in a Dairy Creamery. Is it all coincidence? Or is it just Dejavú?

When I read the word “Blockbuster”, I was sold! Anything having to do with Blockbuster and the 90’s, I’m a sucker for. I love being nostalgic 🥺
This review did take me a bit to finally finish, mostly because I had mixed emotions. This story is told by multiple characters; Keller, Ella, and Chris. Now maybe I needed a journal next to me to take notes or a bigger brain 😂 but I was getting so confused with every point of view and their characters. Every one to two chapters would be about one specific character and the characters within their world. So the going back and forth between different characters and different worlds was very confusing for me. Sadly, it was difficult to keep track and at times they would mention a specific character and I wouldn’t remember who they were or what chapter I read about them. It wasn’t until 60ish% in that every character started coming together and intertwining, that I could finally keep track! The story also has minor timeline changes, which I loved! I loved knowing we were back in 1999, even if only for a bit!
Multiple-POV flaw aside, I really did enjoy this read and the characters. Especially Keller, the badass, and Atticus, the sweetheart 🥺
The story had a couple good twist, even though I was confused at times lol I still was able to predict some and some truly took me by surprise!

A truly enjoyable read and I would love to see this adapted into a movie.


Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

Starting off on New Year's Eve 1999 really sets the mood for this book. Taking the reader back to a time when everyone was wary of what would happen when the clock struck midnight, However something quyite tragic happens at Blockbuster video in Linden, New Jersey leaving 3 young girls murdered. This fast paced page turner will keep you up all night to find out what happens next. Finlay's short chapters have you unable to put the book down. Highly recommend to all thriller lovers!

I loved this book just as much as I loved Finlay's last book. I actually made myself wait a few weeks to read it so I could build up some anticipation; I was not disappointed. The book centers on 2 murder sprees 15 years apart, 1 at a Blockbuster video and 1 at an ice cream shop. The suspect in the first murder hasn't been heard from since he fled all of those years ago, and everyone is questioning whether he came back to commit this second set of murders, and if so, why. The story is told from 3 POVs, Ella, the lone survivor of the first murders, Chris, the brother of the suspect, and FBI agent Sarah, who we met in Finlay's first book. All 3 characters are likeable and believable, and the book moves forward at a fast clip.

I could not figure out who the villain was- there were so many details that led me down one path or another, but I was left in utter suspense the whole way through. When it was finally revealed, I realized just how expertly the author had laid the bread crumbs for it to turn out that way. All of the loose ends were tied up as well, some in a heartbreakingly sad fashion.

Overall, this one is yet another winner from Finlay and I can't think of a negative word to say about it. I woke up at the crack of dawn to finish it because I couldn't imagine going through my day without seeing what happened. Can't wait for the next book, and hope we continue to see Agent Keller play a part in future stories. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.