The Night Shift was just what I was hoping for and more, I say as I let out a contented sigh after my part-time job of becoming an amateur sleuth hot-on-the-trails of potential suspects has come to a satisfying close (for now). Three, out of four, teen girls and their manager are killed in a tragic accident at the local Blockbuster in Linden, New Jersey, on New Year’s Eve, the killer whispering, “goodnight, pretty girl,” in the ear of the one surviving girl, Ella.
Fast-forward fifteen years later and an attack with an unsettling amount of similarities occurs at an ice cream parlor in the same town, which seems to have its share of buried secrets waiting to be uncovered by gutsy, fierce Agent Sarah Keller, who even when very pregnant with twins is still a certified, unrivaled powerhouse, and her assistant, Atticus. The one surviving girl from 1999, Ella, also becomes involved in the case, as she now works as a therapist and connects with Jesse, the sole survivor of the most recent attack. She reaches Jesse in ways others can’t as they have both experienced the terror of feeling alone and lost, without anything consistent enough to console them. Ella and Jesse have also had to be strong and maintain a certain level of grit when it comes to approaching crises so they have many avenues in which their narratives can relate and converge.
The story only remarkably builds as it progresses and goes some pretty thrilling, yet chilling, places. The cast of characters were ones to wholeheartedly root for and embrace fiercely, with every turn feeling believable, enriching, and unveiled at just the right pace. This was an immersive read from start to finish, which really made me question what it is to lose the ones you love, with only a tragic memory to remember them by, or to think one thing, and then, only years later, to devastatingly learn another.
There is beauty in self-advocacy that each of these characters, in different ways, actively discovers as they go on their own journeys to find closure where they can and a gentle in-progress acceptance where they cannot. These characters are humanized amidst all the brutality and ways their town is haunted as they grapple with complicated questions of how to go on and be human while living in the aftermath and ongoingness of such wreckage and this story served as a beautiful, timely testament to the spirited strength each of them contained along the way.
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Wild, twisty thriller from Finlay
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay is a wild ride of a thriller."New Year's Eve, 1999 - Four teenagers are attacked at a Blockbuster video store in Linden, NJ - only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again. Fifteen years later at an ice-cream store in the same town, four teenagers are attacked and only one makes it out alive.The survivor of the Blockbuster massacre is forced to relive her tragedy. The brother of the original suspect is convinced the police had the wrong suspect. And the FBI agent is determined to solve both cases."This new book by Finlay is fast-paced and entertaining. I love a book where the twists and turns seem to never stop. I actually guessed the killer in this book (but it was just a guess) Seems like several characters had secrets that were easily revealed. So many "Wait..What?!?" moments as each twist is revealed.A surprise ending and a nice twist at the end. I like when a book has some resolution for the characters.Best nickname ever for an FBI agentGreat choice if you're looking for a fast-paced, twisty story. Another great thriller pick for the beach.
