I loved this book. Yes, there are too many cliches and easy choices, but they were easy to overlook. I couldn’t put it down. I finished it late at night and then couldn’t sleep. We begin with a brutal murder in 1999 and almost exactly 15 years later another murder with the same MO occurs. Same killer?Copycat? Coincidence? The obvious suspect can’t be found. His brother, now an attorney, thinks he knows where he is. Ella, who is the only survivor from the 1999 murders, becomes involved in the new case. Of course it’s a conflict of interest, but keep going. We have a killer to apprehend! Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

If you enjoyed Alex Finlay's first novel Every Last Fear, you will most likely enjoy this title! The quick chapters with various perspectives keep the action moving and exciting. Definitely a page-turner! Some readers may feel that the ending is a little predictable, but overall an interesting read.

Other than the language, being difficult; really a good book may just look up another by this author!

The Night Shift, by Alex Finlay is an engaging well-written thriller. When a killing occurs involving several young high school students at a late-night business it brings back the trauma that occurred in a similar incident on New Year's Eve of 1999. That night a tragedy occurred at a local ice cream shop and several teenagers were murdered. The crimes committed on that fateful night were never solved and it will take all that an eight and a half months pregnant FBI agent and a young sidekick have in them to bring events to a startling conclusion. This book is fast-paced, with lots of twists and turns and some very interesting characters. I became immersed in the plot quickly and the real killer and the back story were not evident until late in the book. The book addresses trauma and how that affects many years even generations later. The Night Shift is one of the best thrillers of this year. Thanks to #TheNightShift#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

New Year’s Eve, 1999. Only one survivor is left after a massacre at a Blockbuster Video. Fifteen years later a similar killing happened at an ice cream parlor, only leaving one survivor. The original survivor, the brother of the first suspect, and the FBI are now all working to figure out what really happened and how these cases might be connected.

I absolutely flew through this book. Even though there are some points of the story that aren’t particularly fast-paced, I just found it so compelling that I couldn’t put it down. Switching between the three different perspectives really helped to keep the plot moving. There were some shocking reveals that I definitely didn’t see coming.

I was hoping to see a bit more of the 1999 storyline actually play out in the book. There were only a few very tiny portions that actually took place in 1999. Also, while I thought that the plot was super compelling I thought that some of the characters felt a bit hollow. There wasn’t enough there to make me care deeply about them.

Overall this was a fun, quick read that kept me guessing. Definitely check it out if the plot sounds interesting to you.

Interesting story, good characters and good plot. I enjoyed the story line and the idea of the book. But it is from a detective point of view which annoyed me. The detectives were annoying and they didn’t seem to move the story forward very well. However, overall the story was very interesting and I really got into it.

I really liked Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay so I was excited to request this one. It didn’t disappoint and was another twisty thriller that kept me turning the pages, Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book is about two murders - one that occurred in 1999 and one that occurred in the present day. In 1999 in a town in New Jersey, there's a gruesome murder with only one survivor left - a young girl named Ella Monroe. Flash forward to the present and there's an eerily similar murder that occurred at an ice cream shop and again - only one survivor. The two murders may or may not be linked - and it's up to an incredible cast of characters, including detectives, lawyers and FBI agents - to figure this out.

Wow, this book. I loved Alex Finlay's debut novel - Every Last Fear; it really got me hooked on mysteries. This one definitely did not disappoint. From the nostalgia of the 90s and Blockbuster to the present day mystery - this is a tightly plotted and fantastically written book. There's an incredible cast of characters - all complex and interesting and the ending feels really real and real true to the story. It's a great plot twist that I definitely did not see coming.

Another thing this author does EXTREMELY well is the multiple POVs - normally when there's so many different views the story can get lost but not with this novel - it really propels it forward. All around great sophomore novel.

This book opens on New Year's Eve 1999 at a Blockbuster Video (The nostalgia!) Y2K is quickly approaching and, with it, an air of uncertainty. For some, it's a night to celebrate. For others, it's a night of paranoia and dread. What will happen when the new millennium begins? The employees at the Blockbuster won't live to find out...that is except for one. Ella barely survives the attack and can only remember the killer's final words... "Goodnight, pretty girl." When the only suspect flees, never to be seen again, the case goes cold. That is until fifteen years later.
After a brutal attack at an ice cream shop, Ella (now a therapist) is sent it to talk with the lone survivor, Jesse. When Jesse reveals that her attacker uttered the phrase "Goodnight, pretty girl" Ella's worst fears are imaged. That must mean these cases are connected. But why, after all these years, has the killer returned? (I just got chills!)

The story is told through multiple perspectives: Ella, the lone survivor of the Blockbuster slayings; Keller, the FBI agent investing both cases; and Chris Whitaker, a public defender and the brother of the original suspect.
I loved all of these characters and each one brought a fresh perspective to the case. Not only that, but Finlay developed characters that the reader could really care about.
The PTSD Ella suffered and self-destructive behaviors she exhibited as a result left me feeling for her. I can't image how terrified she felt when she realized the events she lived through fifteen years ago were happening again. Likewise, I also felt for Chris. He idolized his brother and he believed him to be innocent, but the uncertainty of what happened to him must have been excruciating. Couple that with his abusive home life, and it's clear that he had to be strong and persevere. It's interesting that Ella and Chris both chose careers that aligned with their traumatic experiences in the hopes of creating justice for others. That's so endearing.
Agent Keller, who is expecting twins, is teamed up with young officer Atticus. Together, they must navigate the Blockbuster case and find a connection with the current one. Keller was my favorite character hands down! She's a real badass that doesn't let anything or anyone stand in her way. I'm not much for police procedurals normally, but Keller and Atticus make a dynamite team! If Finlay wrote more Keller novels, I would be the first in line to read them.

Outside of the wonderful character development, the plot was intricate and thrilling. I enjoyed 'Every Last Fear' but, IMO, this one is even better! If I could say one negative, I did think the killer was obvious. However, as someone who reads a lot of thrillers, it's really hard not to see what's coming. Knowing the killer didn't deter my enjoyment of this book at all though. It was a great journey and there were still plenty of other surprises in store. And the ending...I loved it! It made me so emotional!

Bottom line, if you're a fan of psychological thrillers than definitely give this one a read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Every Last Fear so I was excited to read the new Alex Finlay book, The Night Shift. It did not disappoint! Four kids are killed at a Blockbuster in Linden NJ on New Year’s Eve 1999. The is one survivor and the killer is never found. Fast forward twenty years and the same thing happens at an ice cream shop in the same area. Is it a copycat? The original suspect, Vince Whitaker skipped town and hasn’t been seen since.

FBI AGENT Keller, pregnant with twins, is on the case. She must work to solve this case with the help of Ella, the survivor of the original case and Jesse the latest survivor. There are a lot of twists and turns and I enjoyed the way the past was woven with the present. I would love to read another book with Agent Keller at the helm again.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher, and Alex Finlay for another outstanding book to read!

This book is amazing! The author presents us with two murder scenes which took place fifteen years apart in the same small town with similar crime scenes, murder weapon and age of the vicitims. Could they possibly be connected? The local police are involved as well as the FBI and a public defender with a secret. “The Night Shift” has everything to keep you guessing until the last page.

I was caught up in the story from the first page as I shivered with excitement as to what clues would be revealed next. The intriguing storyline and characters made for a compelling narrative of murder, mystery and a town full of secrets. I was transported back to New Years Eve 1999, wondering what would happen when the clock struck midnight. Our story began on that night with a grizzly murder at a Blockbuster Video store. We all remember shopping there for movies and video games. Four young people were murdered that night, but did the authorities have their information wrong about the alleged perpetrator?

Fast forward fifteen years to another horrifying scene at the local ice cream shop. The investigators tasked with sorting through the backgrounds of the victims began noticing the similarities to the Blockbuster case. Was it the same person or was there a copycat killer in their midst? As I continued reading, the truth became clearer as the leads were investigated and the secrets were revealed. I loved this book so much that I read it again to relive the surprises, shocking revelations and the out-of-nowhere ending. “The Night Shift” is one of the best books I have read this year and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it!!

Alex Finlay, you did it again! I loved Every Last Fear and I loved The Night Shift even more!

Two crimes, 15 years apart, seemingly connected somehow. That's the plot in just eight words. The buildup in the first half of the book was intriguing. The last half was fast paced and full of surprises. The characters felt real to me and I was invested in finding out the truth of the matter. Alex Finlay just has this way of drawing you in to the story and making you want to keep reading! I was turning pages much past my bedtime. This is a great book for anyone from older teen to adult who enjoys thrillers and loves the type of book you just can't put down!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

This was my first read by this author, and I loved it! It only took me about 24 hours to read it! It made you ask so many questions about the characters. I had inklings about some of them, but my guess for the killer kept changing. Some things were easy to guess, but the story was good so I’m not holding that against it. I was definitely happy with the ending too!

This author is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine! This twisty and suspenseful novel did NOT disappoint! Plan on canceling your plans to finish this one as fast as you can!

From start to finish this book had me hooked. Through multiple POVs we see the story unfold following a brutal Y2K murder, and then another in 2015 with eery similarities. The characters were great and the twists were one right after the other and really caught me off guard. Well done!

Thanks to the publisher for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

On New Year’s Eve 1999, four teenage girls and a manager who work at Blockbuster are brutally attacked. Only one of the girls survive. Sixteen years later, four women are once again attacked at the local ice cream shop. And only one survive.

Is there a connection between the two mass slayings? Or is it a coincidence? The story introduces a slew of characters but the main perspectives come from Ella, the original survivor; Chris, the brother of the man who was accused of the original crime; and Sarah Keller, an FBI agent assigned to help the local unit with the crime.

I enjoyed this thriller; It was nice to see Keller again and fans of Every Last Fear would appreciate reading about her history as a cop in this novel. Finlay does a great job of plotting and the novel is structured so that it’s like watching a film. This is definitely a book that’s easy to binge.

The only things that irked me was that we didn’t get a resolution with one of the main characters. I also thought that Keller’s handling of the case was a bit unbelievable. She would jump to the right conclusions that I couldn’t really fathom happening in real life with any cop. She was also 8 months pregnant with twins and doing things that made me roll my eyes (because they are just not possible in that state). Lastly the perpetrator was pretty obvious and their motive was weak and came out of nowhere because we didn’t really get to know that person throughout the novel.

Other than that, I still think The Night Shift delivers the thrills. I love this author’s writing and look forward to his future books! I can see him being like Riley Sager who delivers a yearly hit.

Thank you to the Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. The Night Shift will be released March 1, 2022.

The first chapter of this book was intense and shocking and literally grabbed me into the story. If you’re looking for a thriller with a ton of mystery and detective work, then this story is for you! I enjoyed the suspenseful, short chapters, and everything just puzzled together so nicely at the end.

On New Year’s Eve 1999, four teenage girls are attacked while working the night shift at a Blockbuster Video. Only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen or heard from again.

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

Both surviving victims recall the killer speaking only a few final words. . . . “Goodnight, pretty girl.”

In the aftermath, three lives intersect: the survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive her tragedy; the brother of the original suspect, who’s convinced the police have it wrong; and the FBI agent, who’s determined to solve both cases. On a collision course toward the truth, all three lives will forever be changed, and not everyone will make it out alive.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book set to release on March 1, 2022.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy. This is the 3rd book I’ve read by this author and not disappointed! It kept me wanting to read one more chapter just to see what happens… I didn’t totally trust most of the characters, which adds to the mystery. I felt like this was a fast paced thriller and can’t wait to read next book by this author.

Has History’s Long Arm Reached Out To Kill Again?

Finlay does it again with another tightly drawn, character driven, page turner!

When Ella, the sole survivor of a 1999 mass murder at Blockbuster is called in to lend her psychological training to another sole survivor (this one of an ice cream parlor slaying) she meets Jesse. What Jesse shares with her—the killer’s last words whispered in to her ear—sends Ella reeling: those were the same words he said to her all those years before.

Are the crimes linked?

What follows is a book populated by characters the reader will care about as their lives collide to uncover the truth.

Please my more fulsome review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4297768990

Two brutal attacks separated by fifteen years are strikingly similar. There is more connecting them than the simple fact that they both occurred on the the night shift. Fans of psychological fiction will enjoy it.