This has Netflix series written all
Over it! Great twisty fast paced thriller. A thumbs up from me.

In 1999 in Linden,New Jersey, in a blockbuster, 4 teenage girls were attacked and only 1 survived, Ella Monroe. The police arrest Vince Whittaker, the boy they believe to be the culprit but due to insufficient evidence he's let off and disappears.
Fast forward 15 years another attack happens in the same town at an ice cream store. In exactly the same way leaving one survivor Jesse Duvall. Has Vince returned to commit the same crime or is it a copycat killer?

I was super excited to read this book as I enjoyed Every Last Fear by the same author. This was an enjoyable read with so many twists and turns that you don't know what's coming next.

There's a few different perspectives in this but it works well I only wish we had more from 1999 so we could understand it a bit more. Every chapter is short and ends on a cliffhanger so you want to keep reading to know what happens.

This was good would recommend.

3.5.

Blockbuster Video, Linden, New Jersey, New Year’s Eve, 1999 – Four teenager girls, and their manager are closing the store for the night, when they are brutally stabbed by an unknown assailant. Only one of the teenagers – High School Junior Ella Monroe – makes it out alive.

Seen arguing with one of the victims on the night of the murders, troubled teen Vince Whitaker is quickly arrested and charged with the crime. However, due to insufficient evidence, he is released, and promptly disappears.

The Dairy Creamery, Linden, New Jersey, 2015 – Two teenager girls and their manager are massacred right on closing time. Just like the Blockbuster Video case, there is only one survivor, seventeen-year-old Jesse Duvall, who was in the bathroom at the time of the killings.

The similarities between the two crimes are uncanny. Has Vince resurfaced to kill again? Or is he in fact innocent, meaning the real killer is still out there? Why were these two sets of night shift retail workers targeted? And, why is there fifteen year gap between the killings?

To be honest, I wasn’t as enamoured by this one as I was by Alex Finlay’s debut, Every Last Fear. The opening paragraph, and chapter were amazing, creepy and nostalgic – and had me feeling like I was right back in the late 90’s, making me wistful for the days of video shops (stores), VHS tapes, and the early days of DVD’s. The author really captured the 90’s vibe, for sure.

However, from then on, I struggled, as hardly anything seemed to happen during the first 60%. Also, given the dark slasher horror premise, I was expecting it to be scarier, but I didn’t feel unsettled until towards the end. The characters though were excellent, and it was great to see Special Agent Sarah Keller again from Every Last Fear, and the writing was Finlay’s usual high calibre. But, it was just too slow for my taste, and there were unnecessary subplots that could’ve benefited from being edited out. There was a lot of focus on the investigation, which I normally like, but in this instance it caused the plot to drag.

Which brings me to the twists, most of which were phenomenal and unexpected, except for one that I reckon was just far too obvious. The last 40% was terrific though, action-packed, tense, and nail-biting, as well as emotional. I was all in, I just wish the entire novel had been that way.

So, all-in-all, a bit of a mixed bag for me, but I’d still recommend giving it a read, thanks to the memorable characters, Blockbuster Video chapter, clever twists, and an edge-of-your seat conclusion.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Head of Zeus, and Alex Finlay for the e-ARC.

Publication Date: 3rd March, 2022.

I loved Alex Finlay's previous book Every Last Fear so was really looking forward to reading The Night Shift and was not disappointed. It's a gripping novel that contains all the elements I love in a good thriller. A present day murder with possible links to a similar crime in the past, multiple points of view, great characterisation and lots of suspense and twists. Back on New Years Eve in 1999 a murder at a Blockbuster store left one survivor, a teenage girl, a similar crime at an ice cream parlour in the same town in 2015 also leaves a teenage girl alive. The novel is told from the points of view of Ella, now a therapist and the survivor of the Blockbuster murders, Sarah an FBI agent and Chris, a lawyer with a family link to the first murders. Highly recommended.

The night shift is a story with a very interesting premise

4 people are killed at a blockbuster in 1999, and years later another murder happens at an ice cream store, that seems to be linked to the 1999 case.
While I enjoyed reading this, I was able to predict the whodunnit at around 25% into the book. Still, I had a good time and would recommend this

4.25 stars
This is the first book that I've read by Alex Finlay but it certainly won't be my last.
The blurb immediately had me hooked and the frequent changes in narration and perspectives added to the rich storylines.
I enjoyed the pacing, the characters and as the story unraveled it felt like I was in the midst of a show like True Detective.
There were some nice twists and turns and I liked the nostalgia that the story evoked too.
Even though I worked out who the killer was early on (as soon as driving lessons were mentioned I was convinced that my guess was correct and it was) this didn't hamper the enjoyment or momentum of the overall story for me.
It was pretty heartbreaking realising how many lives had been ruined, ended or changed forever because of one individual.
The ending, from when Keller enters the house, was a bit harried, as it was difficult to realise what was happening fully. But perhaps this was to mirror what Keller was experiencing.
However, I enjoyed the resolution and final few pages nonetheless.
The Night Shift is the kind of thriller that is hard to put down, with characters that you actually care about.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked Every Last Fear so thought I'd give The Night Shift a try. I loved this a lot more! I liked the characters and the parts they played in the story, I think it was interesting to have these other perspectives instead of just the direct victims. The Night Shift build suspense so well, I found myself wanting to get back to it! Loved all the reveals and characters. Will be picking up all future Alex Finlay.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Remember the panic about Y2K?? Remember Blockbuster? What’s the connection? It’s New Year’s Eve 1999 in Linden, New Jersey and a killer brutally slays the night shift staff with just one survivor. The authorities believe they have the perpetrator but he disappears before any charges are made. Fast forward to 2015, same town, the night shift staff at an ice cream store are slain, again with one survivor. Is the Blockbuster killer back, there’s one chilling fact that seems to suggest so. The novel unfolds from three perspectives, FBI agent Sarah Keller (from Every Last Fear), lawyer Chris Ford and therapist Ella.

Just like the previous novel this one reels me in from the start and keeps me hooked from beginning to end. I love the way it’s written as most chapters end with an enticing, tantalising cliff hanger some of which are doozies they’re so unexpected and this keeps you reading on. It’s fast paced, though thankfully you do get some opportunities to catch your breath and it’s just my kind of thriller. In fact, it’s a very definition of a good thriller with plenty of action, thrill and spills especially in the second half with good suspenseful plot twists and turns, some being real jaw droppers.

The characterisation is very good, Sarah Keller is very likeable and gutsy even more so being heavily pregnant, her sidekick in this is Atticus Singh and he is extremely likeable. Ella and Chris have suffered trauma and their changing moods and a sense of foreboding hanging over them is well conveyed. One character from 2015 sure keeps you on your toes giving you pause for thought as you try to sift through fact from fiction.

The ending is very dramatic perhaps in part a bit of a stretch but it’s certainly riveting and heartbreaking. As for the epilogue I ponder over if we need it but then I guess so as the author is trying to show how you can pick your life up from horror and make something good out of it. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Head of Zeus, Aries for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I flew through this in a day! I absolutely loved the characters, even if they may not have bn the more realistic, but I really felt for them and was so caught up in figuring out who was behind it all. Its got q good pace too it and doesn't fall back on any clichés or stereotypes. I could barely step away from this to go to work, I was so invested in what had happened and what the connection was. I loved the twists towards the end and once they start, they really just keep on coming!!! I absolutely did not see all of those coming at all. This is the standard every thriller should aspire to

It was an exciting and interesting read, but it didn’t reach the standard of Alex Finlay’s previous book. The characters seemed a little silly to me. Chris has been unlucky throughout the story, his stupidities hit him one after another by accidents. Keller is the most sympathetic character, although with us, 8-month-old pregnant women don’t shoot and fight, but prepare to give birth at home or in the hospital. So her role was not overly credible. The police are not really investigating again, they are simply arresting the first person who comes to mind. And I think if the suspect can't prove his innocence, she/he'll be jailed. It would be more normal for me to gather evidence, and if it is certain that she/he is the culprit, she/he will be arrested. But there were many such logical impossibilities in the book. So no matter how exciting the story is, I’m not completely happy after reading the book, we got an average thriller.

If I'm being honest about why I picked up this book.. the words '1999' and 'Blockbuster' jumped out at me. Yes the funky cover and the blurb from Karin Slaughter (one of my favourite authors) compounded the decision, but at first? Nostalgia. Pure nostalgia. Only 33 and already I've reached the age where I long for the past! Fetch my slippers and pipe.

There are several POVs to follow here, Ella the sole survivor of the 1999 murders- now therapist to Jesse the sole survivor of the present day murders, Keller the FBI Agent and Chris who's brother remains a fugitive wanted for the original crimes. Finlay's choice to write The Night Shift in third makes the various threads easy to follow while neatly covering the story from all angles.

I rooted for all of the characters in The Night Shift, they don't have a ton of development throughout the story but I didnt find any necessary, this is definitely a plot based novel. Each had their own flaws and endearing qualities, happily none of the women were stereotypical distressed damsels- actually I'd venture they were written perfectly, enough independence and fight in them without leaning into the overdone warrior women narratives we're often presented with in modern writing.

There are secrets upon secrets in The Night Shift and the revelations explode from the final pages, answering questions you hadn't even thought to ask. Perhaps the motive and perpetrator aren't hard to predict but there are so many other surprises in store that I wouldn't score down for that.

A fast paced thriller with a good hit of nostalgia for us 90s kids, I enjoyed and recommend to anyone looking for an easy afternoon read.

Great book, by an author I will read more of! Thrilling plot, great writing and brilliant characters. Highly recommend to others.

I literally started and finished this book within a 8 hour period - 5 of those hours I was at work… I think that says it all. I could NOT stop thinking about this book the entire day. Part of me wishes I’d slowed down and savoured it a bit more but it was SO SO SO GOOD. It’s very rare for thrillers to make me feel this emotional? I loved this book so much, all the nostalgia, the characters, oh wow my only complaint is that it had to end!!!!!! I will definitely be picking up a finished copy of this book and I urge everyone to do the same!!!!!

Ooh now this was a great read, thoroughly enjoyed it and could not put it down at all once I started it, read it in one sitting …

This book was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 and I’m so happy that it did not disappoint!

The multiple POVs offer a lot of different information all at once, the characters are all on a different spectrum of the ethical scale and there’s a barrage of events that keep happening so even from the first chapter there’s really not a single dull moment you can truly relax.
It was a whole experience, I only felt tense & anxious until the very so I’d definitely say it fulfilled it’s purpose.

Thank you NetGalley & Head of Zeus for the digital ARC.

I normally love books like this as twisty, thrillers (and don't get me wrong, this one was) but more than that it had an excellent cast of three main characters whose lives intertwine as a new mass killing is linked to one which happened in 1999.

The main characters are the victim of the earlier attach, the FBI agent investigating the cases and the brother of the suspect in the initial killing.

Whilst I thought the final outcome and bad guy was fairly easy to recognise early on, the story in getting there was a thrilling, twisty ride which I would recommend to everyone. This is my second novel of the authors and I would encourage everyone to read

Thanks to Head of Zues-Aries and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.