THE NIGHT SHIFT | Alex Finlay
03.01.2022 | Minotaur Books
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
New Year’s Eve 1999: At a Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey, four teenage girls working the night shift are attacked. Only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again.
Fifteen years later: In the same town, four teenage employees working late at an ice cream store are attacked. Only one makes it out alive.
The parting words for each final girl are the same: “Goodnight, pretty girl.”
THE NIGHT SHIFT is a bingeable, nostalgia-filled roller coaster of intrigue and mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. I absolutely loved everything about this story from the minute I opened the first page. The final girl trope is one of my favorites in the horror genre and it was nice to see it played out in a work of crime fiction.
Finlay alternates between the past and present, while also introducing the reader to three distinct narrators who each contribute to solving both crimes. I enjoyed how the narratives built off one another, picking up different aspects of the present day situation and investigation until they collided at the end. There was a great aha moment for me when I finally pieced together what was happening and who was responsible, which is something I always hope for when picking up crime fiction books. I did dock off half a star because I thought some aspects were a bit too far fetched, but overall there is very little not to enjoy about this book. If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced and addictive read, I highly recommend checking this one out!
This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository
A huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my gifted copy!
Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.
What Jess Reads 
Ooh this book sounds really good – the idea of the final girl is also something I quite like and parts of the synopsis reminded me of films like Scream – definitely will add this to my TBR pile.
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I actually was telling someone about this book recently and said it gave me Scream vibes! I hope you enjoy!
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