Book Review: The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
An unsolved mystery at Blockbuster’s and so many threads tying together, The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is a thrilling book that you won’t want to miss. Perfect for mystery lovers, read my whole review of The Night Shift below.
Book Information
In 1999, all of a Blockbuster’s teenaged employees are killed except for one: Ella. Fifteen years later, an eerily similar crime happens at an ice cream shop and leaves a teenaged Jesse the sole survivor of this attack. Ella and Jesse come together to discover that these attacks might not be separate incidents and the killer could be anyone… even someone they least expect.
Review | Heidi Dischler
So, I finished this book within a day. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of it as a whole is how well it all ties together. There were many things that made me upset and sad, but only in the way that a good book can make you feel.
We follow several main characters in this novel: Chris, the brother of the boy accused of killing the Blockbuster victims; Ella, the sole survivor of the Blockbuster massacre; and Sarah, the FBI detective determined to solve the case (did I mention she is 8 months pregnant with twins??). The first thing I want to say is that if Alex Finlay was a woman, he would NOT have written Sarah to be 8 months pregnant with twins and still walking around. I’m sorry, but as a woman who has had children, that seems absurd to me that she would still be working! Is it only me that feels that way? Most of my friends who have had twins basically either have them months early, or go on maternity leave way before the 8 month mark. Crazy…. Anyway, random rant haha. But all of the other characters were great. I seriously got unreliable narrator vibes from Chris, but maybe I was just being suspicious because it’s a mystery novel and I read way too much.
As for the plot itself, I really enjoyed following along at every twist and turn. I often found myself debating on whose story to believe and what was real and what wasn’t. That’s the sign of good storytelling in my opinion. I also was pleasantly content with the ending, which is always a plus.
Spoilers ahead.
Alright, so what made me extremely sad and upset, you ask? Well, first, the chapter where Katie’s friends are all sticking up for her and then killed for it. That really broke my heart. Second, because Chris’ brother was found dead after all that time (and his mother, like that dude can’t catch a break). Third, THAT ATTICUS DIED. Why, why, why must we always kill the sweet, innocent, and kind characters. UGH.
Overall, I really enjoyed this mystery. I think it was well written and not predictable in the least. I also loved the characters and following the threads to see who the killer was. A solid four out of five stars.
Source: Audiobook from Libby Public Library
(P.S. You can read this book for free by signing up for a free trial of Audible, which gives you two free audiobooks of your choice!)
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