Alex Finlay’s The Night Shift is the kind of page-turner that reminds you why the thriller genre can still feel fresh and exciting. Set against the backdrop of two eerily similar massacres fifteen years apart, this novel grabs you from the first chapter and refuses to let go until the very last page.
The story opens on New Year’s Eve, 1999, when Y2K panic fills the air. While the world waits for computers to crash and chaos to erupt, a different kind of horror unfolds in Linden, New Jersey. Four teenage girls working the night shift at a Blockbuster Video are attacked. Only one survives. The suspected killer vanishes without a trace. Fifteen years later, another attack takes place in the same town this time at an ice cream shop and again, only one girl makes it out alive. Both survivors remember the same chilling phrase: “Goodnight, pretty girl.”
Finlay expertly connects these two crimes through three central characters. Ella, the lone survivor of the original Blockbuster massacre, now works as a therapist but struggles with addiction and trauma. When she’s asked to counsel the new survivor, she’s drawn back into the nightmare she thought she had left behind. Chris, the brother of the accused killer, is desperate to clear his sibling’s name and uncover the truth. And FBI Agent Sarah Keller, pregnant with twins and as fierce as ever, is determined to solve the case that has haunted Linden for decades.
The pacing is razor-sharp, with short, propulsive chapters that make the story nearly impossible to put down. Finlay writes like a filmmaker each scene vividly constructed, every transition seamless. The tension builds organically, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, the plot pivots again, revealing new motives and connections that make perfect sense in hindsight.
One of the novel’s biggest strengths is its character work. Finlay gives each point of view depth and emotion, making even secondary characters feel fully realized. Ella’s broken resilience, Chris’s moral drive, and Keller’s quiet determination form a trio that grounds the story’s chaos in genuine human experience. Fans of Finlay’s debut, Every Last Fear, will also be delighted to see Keller return; she’s as smart and compassionate as ever, a rare blend of toughness and heart.
While some veteran thriller readers might predict a few of the twists, the execution is so polished that it hardly matters. What stands out is not only the suspense but the emotional core the way Finlay explores guilt, redemption, and the long shadow of trauma. The final chapters hit hard, both intellectually and emotionally, delivering a resolution that feels both inevitable and deeply satisfying.
The Night Shift proves that Alex Finlay isn’t just another name in the crowded thriller field he’s a storyteller with precision, empathy, and cinematic flair. If you love tightly woven mysteries, layered characters, and stories that keep you up past midnight, this is one you’ll devour in a single sitting.
⭐ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Tense, clever, and utterly absorbing. A must-read for fans of No Exit, The Last Mrs. Parrish, or anyone who loves a well-crafted mystery that actually delivers.
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