“Finlay’s outdone himself with this latest . . . ABSOLUTELY THRILLING.”

NEWSWEEK

“It's safe to say Finlay is one of the GENRE’S MOST EXCITING VOICES.”

E! NEWS

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The Night Shift

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Published by: Minotaur Books
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Pages: 368
ISBN13: 9781250268884

 
Overview

One of the Best or Most Anticipated Books of 2022: Cosmopolitan Newsweek  BookPage PopSugar • E! News  Goodreads  Reader's Digest • Book Riot • BookBub • The Nerd Daily • SheReads • Novel Suspects • Crime by the Book • London Times

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to bring 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 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,  four teenage employees working late at an ice cream store in the same town are attacked, and again only one makes it out alive.

Both surviving victims recall the killer speaking only a few final words. . . . “Goodnight, pretty girl.”

In the aftermath, three lives intersect: the survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused,  who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and the FBI agent who must delve into the secrets of both night--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 Alex Finlay as one of the a new leading voices in the world of thrillers.


PRAISE

A 2022 Goodreads Choice nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller
A LibraryReads Selection for March -- Best Book Voted by Librarians
One of Business Insider's "Top 20 Mystery and Thrillers of 2022"
One of Cosmopolitan's "30 Best Psychological Thrillers to Add to Your Reading List"
One of Newsweek's "22 Books to Look Forward to in 2022"
One of BookPage's "Reader's Favorite Books of 2022"
One of Goodreads' "Most popular books of the year (so far)"
One of Reader's Digest's "Best Fiction Books of 2022"
One of PopSugar's "Must-Read Thrillers in 2022"
One of The London Times' "Best New Crime Fiction for March 2022"
One of BuzzFeed's "Thrillers Worth Picking Up This Spring"
One of GQ's "Most Brutal Suspense Books for 2022"
One of Book Riot's "Best Thriller Books in 2022"
One of BookBub's "Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022"
One of RT Book Reviews "10 Best Psychological Thriller Books"
One of The Nerd Daily's "Most Anticipated 2022 Book Releases"
One of She Reads' "Best Thrillers Coming in Spring 2022"
One of Crime by the Book's "Most Anticipated Early 2022 Crime Books"
One of Novel Suspects' "Most Anticipated Crime Fiction" Winter 2022
One of Criminal Element's "Most Anticipated Thrillers and Mysteries of 2022"

“Finlay burst on the thriller scene with Every Last Fear in 2021, and if possible, he's outdone himself with this latest. It opens with a grisly slaying at a Blockbuster on the eve of Y2K; flash forward 15 years to the scene of an ice cream shop which looks much the same. The last words mumbled by the killer seem to suggest the killings are related, and in each case, there's only one survivor. Finlay grabs readers from the very first line and keeps them propulsively turning pages with absolutely thrilling cliffhangers.”—Newsweek

“A suspenseful tale of vengeance, brotherly love, teenage romance, and the perils of jumping to conclusions. Finlay spins it at a rapid pace, his characters well-drawn and his tangled plot expertly developed. The twists arrive at a dizzying pace, and when the killer is finally revealed, few readers are likely to see it coming.”—Associated Press

“Fans of dual-timeline thrillers with intricately connected characters will love Finlay’s fast-paced tale that delivers one stunning surprise after another.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Finlay grabs readers' attention in a shocking and breathtaking way. . . . The story flies at rocket speed, but the devastating punch it packs is due to the affecting characters.”—Shelf Awareness (starred review)

The Night Shift is a masterpiece of misdirection and misplaced motivation, further establishing Alex Finlay as a literary force to be reckoned with.”—Providence Sunday Journal

“Alex Finlay returns with the tense, edge-of-your seat thriller The Night Shift . . . . Finlay does a masterful job of diving deep into each character’s thoughts and emotions in tight, fast-paced chapters. . . . Fans of Grady Hendrix and Riley Sager will tear into this sophomore-slump-defying thriller.” —BookPage

“Every Last Fear became one of our favorite thrillers of 2021 and Finlay's new release about a pair of small-town murders 15 years apart that may be connected is every bit as electrifying. Add in some Y2K nostalgia—R.I.P. Blockbuster!— an exploration of lasting trauma and a final twist you won't see coming, and it's safe to say Finlay is one of the genre's most exciting voices.”—E! News

“Encompassing the genres of thriller, mystery, and horror, The Night Shift is a novel that will stick with you,” one of the "best fiction books of 2022 (so far)"—Reader's Digest

“Wow, this is crime fiction at its best. Instantly immersive, pacy and propulsive, and full of surprises. Alex Finlay is the real deal, believe me.”—Lee Child

“Finlay does a fine job weaving the tangled lives and crimes together in a suspenseful tale . . . . Thriller fans will eagerly await Finlay’s next.”—Publishers Weekly

“Every line counts in this cunning cat’s cradle of a thriller. Alex Finlay has the knack of combining forward motion with powerful emotion . . . Now that Joseph Wambaugh appears to have retired, Finlay is a contender to fill his steel toe-capped shoes.”— Sunday Times (London) 

“With twists you don't see coming and a fresh style, Finlay is all set to take on big boys Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay."—The Sun (UK)

“The Night Shift weaves together two crimes, past and present, into a fast-paced, page-turning, slam-dunk of a thriller. An exciting, entertaining read that I couldn’t put down!”—Samantha Downing, #1 Internationally bestselling author of My Lovely Wife and For Your Own Good

 “A suspenseful, propulsive thriller about a murder spree at a video rental store in the 1990s, and apparent copycat murders at an ice cream shop decades later. I raced through this novel and its well-crafted ending.”—Medium

“With an unforgettable cast of characters and a plot that races through twist after twist, Alex Finlay’s explosive new thriller, The Night Shift, will grab you and not let go until the final, electrifying conclusion. I can’t remember the last time I tore through a book so fast, or how many times I thought I knew what was going on only to be proven wrong yet again. You know you’re in for a wild ride when one of the narrators ends up dead in the first chapter…Fans of Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix are going to LOVE this book.”—Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight

“Last year, Alex Finlay rose to fame with his breakout thriller Every Last Fear: critics praised him for his gripping and high-energy work. This year, he has come back with another twisty tale titled The Night Shift that doesn’t disappoint….We highly recommend this book for readers looking for fast-paced thrillers or twisty plots.”—Mystery Tribune Magazine

“A terrific thriller, tautly written with compelling characters. I was totally hooked.”—Peter James, #1 Internationally bestselling author 

“Author Alex Finlay, a pseudonym for a Washington, D.C., lawyer, garnered attention with his 2021 debut thriller, Every Last Fear. This latest standalone should please his growing fan base.”—Mystery Scene Magazine

“In his second novel, The Night Shift, Alex Finlay takes his place in the upper ranks of thriller writers. From the very first chapter, Finlay expertly grabs the reader’s attention with a horrific mass murder at a Blockbuster store in 1999. Flash forward fifteen years later, the events of that dreadful night echo in a small New Jersey town, with lots of  unanswered questions and theories of what happened. Then, a similar mass murder takes place at an ice cream shop, and the lives of several people—from investigators to survivors—interact in dramatic fashion. Filled with crisp dialogue, incredible suspense and memorable characters, The Night Shift is one not to miss. Highly recommended.”—Brendan DuBois, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author

“What makes The Night Shift such a unique experience is the brilliant character development coupled with a pedal to the metal plot. There are no grand action sequences as befitting the grounded murder investigation situation, putting the entire weight of keeping the story gripping and exciting on its believable characters and a breakneck pace. Luckily, Alex Finlay excels at mastering both.”—Best Thrillers.com

 "This unique spin on a serial killer story takes readers deep into the heart of a mysterious series of crimes in the present day that harken back to a spree killing at a Blockbuster in 1999. Twisty, gripping, and character-driven, this is a top notch thriller that you’ll want to read in one sitting. THE NIGHT SHIFT is a genuine thrill ride with a tender heart at its core."—Crime by the Book

“Instead of succumbing to the pressure that comes with a sophomore release (following last year's highly anticipated Every Last Fear), Finlay embraces that buzz and tension with his latest release The Night Shift, and transfers all that potential angst onto his characters. From the book's opening scene, the tension never lets up.”—The Big Thrill

The Night Shift is one of the year’s most buzzworthy books, and for good reason. With a humdinger of a hook that demands immediate, and absolute, attention, Alex Finlay proves that he’s no one-hit wonder . . . If you’re looking for an up-all-night, eyes-wide-open experience this is the book for you.”—Criminal Element


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