THE NIGHT SHIFT by Alex Finlay

 

From the author of the breakout thriller Every Last Fear, comes Alex Finlay's electrifying next novel The Night Shift, about a pair of small-town murders fifteen years apart—and the ties that bind them.

One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2022: • PopSugar • Goodreads • Book Riot • BookBub • The Nerd Daily • SheReads • Crime by the Book

“The night was expected to bring tragedy.” So begins one of the most highly-anticipated thrillers in recent years.

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in New Jersey, four teenagers working late at the store are attacked. Only one inexplicably survives. Police quickly identify a suspect, the boyfriend of one of the victims, who flees and is never seen again.

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

In the aftermath of the latest crime, three lives intersect: the lone survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive the horrors of her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused, who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and FBI agent Sarah Keller who must delve into the secrets of both nights—stirring up memories of teen love and lies—to uncover the truth about murders on the night shift.

Twisty, poignant, and redemptive, The Night Shift is a story about the legacy of trauma and how the broken can come out on the other side, and it solidifies Finlay as one of the new leading voices in the world of thrillers.

MY THOUGHTS

This is a very good book. It keeps you turning the pages until the very end. It has all the thrills you want and will give you a few tears also. 

Very well written and makes you feel the horrors. The bodies just keep piling up. In 1999 there was a massacre at the Blockbuster Video store. The teen employees and their manager were slaughtered. One survivor. Then fast forward 15 years and it happens again at the local ice cream store. All the teens are murdered and one lone survivor. Who did these awful murders? Was it the same person. And why. 

This book is told from three people's POVs. The pregnant police woman, Keller. The therapist Ella. The lawyer Chris. How are they all tied to these murders? Two are up close and personal. One has to figure it all out and save the day. Or be killed... 

It goes back and forth at times between 1999 and 15 years later. Tells you what you need to know about each crime scene. Figuring out who did these horrible murders is not easy. If you do, you are doing great. I didn't this time. There were two things that made me take a star away from this book. One being the dramatic take down of the killer. The extensive fight. The things used inside just didn't seem feasible to me. It would have been better if it would have been just an intense fight. Weapons used were a tad over the top for me. But did make me cringe a lot. The other.. Unless I missed something who was the person doing the live feed videos? I can't remember reading who. I do know who it wasn't though. 

This book is a bit brutal in places. But that works great. It makes you feel the horrible things that are happening. I was very pleased with this book and it's the second book I have read by this author and I look forward to more. It's very well written and definitely keeps you on the edge. Keeps you wanting to know who and why. Is it the same person that has been missing so long. In both cases?? 

Thank you #NetGalley, #AlexFinlay, #stmartinspress for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

4/5 stars and I do highly recommend it. It's great. If you love a good murder thriller this is the one for you. I enjoyed it!