Review: The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

Title: The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

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.

“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.

Review:

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is an intriguing mystery set in a small town.

In Linden, NJ, 1999 ends in tragedy. Four people are dead following a murder at the local Blockbuster video store. Ella Monroe is the lone survivor and fifteen years later, her life intersects with the only survivor of a similar attack at the local ice cream shop. Ella is a counselor who is asked to assist teenager Jesse Duvall who is traumatized in the aftermath of the killings. The only suspect in the Blockbuster murders is Vince Whitaker and he has been missing since he was released for lack of evidence. Is it possible that Vince has recreated his earlier murders? If so, why?

Ella might be a counselor but she has never quite recovered from what happened to her. She self-medicates in very unhealthy ways but she is dedicated to helping other trauma survivors. So, when asked by a friend to help, Ella tries to get Jesse to open up to her. The teenager is in foster care and new to Linden and she has yet to make any friends. Jesse is tough and not exactly willing to reveal much information, but what she does tell Ella makes it clear the two sets of murders are connected.

FBI Agent Sarah Keller teams up with local police Detective Atticus Singh to take a second look at the Blockbuster case. Hopefully fresh eyes will help uncover any threads that might have been overlooked in the earlier investigation. Sarah and Atticus discover new details that will eventually lead them to Public Defender Chris Ford who is very interested in finding a mystery vlogger who films his travel adventures.

The Night Shift is a fascinating mystery that is quite gripping. The characters are vibrantly developed and very relatable. The storyline is well-developed but the pacing is a little slow until after the half-way point. The small-town setting adds tension to the unfolding story as do the interconnected relationships. Although the murderer’s identity is easy to guess, there are plenty of unexpected twists and turns.  Alex Finlay brings this suspense-laden mystery to an exciting, edge of the seat conclusion.