Two horrendous murders take place in Linden, New Jersey years apart. The first occurs on New Year’s Eve, 1999 at the local Blockbuster Video store. The manager and three teenage girls working the late shift are stabbed to death. One teenager, Ella Monroe, survives. Vince Whitaker, another high school student is the prime suspect, yet he soon disappears. Fifteen years later, another brutal stabbing takes place during the night shift at a local ice cream shop. There are four young victims and one, high school student Jesse Duvall, survives. Ella, now a therapist, is asked to help Jesse get through this trauma. Ella is still trying to cope with her own trauma from the Blockbuster murders, masking her pain with pills and risky behavior.
A very pregnant FBI agent, Sarah Keller, is called in to help with the investigation. When Chris, a local public defender, gets involved in the case, he needs to hide his connection to the still-missing Whitaker. There are a lot of moving pieces in this exciting thriller. Author Alex Finlay has created a large cast of characters whose lives slowly and effectively intertwine. The Night Shift is a highly suspenseful thriller that kept me glued. It’s fast-paced and fully engaging, similar to Finlay’s debut, Every Last Fear, which was a 2021 favorite. The author (who writes under a pseudonym) is now an auto-read for me. Don’t miss this one.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, Macmillan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this highly entertaining book prior to its release.
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Mystery / Thriller.
Publication Date: March 1, 2022.
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