The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

On December 31, 1999, a mass murder occurred at a Blockbuster Video store in Linden, New Jersey. The vicious closing time attack left three teenage girls and their manager dead; one girl survived.

The alleged perpetrator, after being initially interrogated, is freed on a technicality. It’s at that point that he flees, never to be seen or heard from again.

Fifteen years later, in Linden, girls closing up an ice cream shop are brutally attacked. Again, there is one survivor.

Both final girls recall the attacker whispering something to them before he flees: good night, pretty girl.

Could the Blockbuster attacker be back, or is there a copycat killer on the prowl?

The Night Shift follows multiple perspectives as both the events of the past and present are explored; including possible connections. The evolution of this story was absolutely spellbinding.

Finlay drew me in from the very start of this book and it never let up. I read this entire thing in a day and half, while reading other books. It’s safe to say, I quickly became obsessed with this.

Initially, I felt like there may be too many perspectives followed, but as it progressed, it became obvious why Finlay chose to write it that way. He really pulled it off. It ended up weaving together perfectly.

Reflecting back on my time reading Finlay’s previous work, Every Last Fear, I had the exact same comment on that one.

There were a ton of perspectives there as well, and even though I ended up feeling like they were all necessary, I feel even stronger about the way The Night Shift was done. For me, Finlay’s writing has grown and I’m loving that upward trajectory.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see a recurring character from ELF, FBI Agent Sarah Keller. I enjoyed her perspective a lot before and even more so in this one. I felt like I got to know her better here and I became quite attached.

I love her strength of spirit and she is so darn smart. She’s definitely a character you can get behind.

This story kept me guessing. I think I started to figure it out really at the same time as the people investigating it. I had some inklings, but truth be told, I suspected everyone at one point or another.

It felt like such a natural progression of reveals. I was living for it.

Overall, I had a blast with this. It got wild. It was engaging for me the entire way through. Additionally, it read like a movie. I could picture every scene as it was playing out.

I would definitely recommend it. I pretty much feel on the same level for this one as I did for No Exit by Taylor Adams. Take from that what you will…

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I think it is safe to say at this point, I will pick up anything Alex Finlay writes!!

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A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Following an extended absence, Heather Evans returns to her family home after her mother commits suicide.

Not only is Heather plagued by the regular grief you experience after the death of a loved one, but she’s genuinely dumbfounded as to why her mother would have chosen to end her own life.

Reading the note her mother left, Heather is even more confused. It seemed her mother felt extremely guilty over something, but what?

Also, the note is written in a way that leads Heather to believe it wasn’t intended just for her. The context makes it seem like she is apologizing to someone else as well, but who?

It’s apparent her mother had secrets and Heather feels like she needs to discover them if she is ever going to make sense of her death and put it behind her.

Then she finds the letters. Her mother had been corresponding for years with the Red Wold, a infamous serial killer, Michael Reave, who has been in prison for 20-years for his crimes.

Heather teams up with an old friend and the two begin to look into her mother’s past.

Meanwhile, a copy cat killer has begun kidnapping and murdering women in their area, reopening the case of the Red Wolf for police and citizens alike.

This was interesting. There was a lot going on, a lot of threads to follow.

Various perspectives were given and occassionally I would forget where I was in the timeline and with who. We get Michael’s past perspective, which was interesting and his past with Heather’s mother is unveiled over the course of the story.

I will admit to feeling my mind wander at times and I never felt super compelled to pick it up once I stopped reading. Always a sign to me that I’m just not that invested in the characters, or their outcome.

With this being said, this is a good book. It’s a solid story that I think a lot of people will enjoy. While I won’t be including it on any of my favorites lists, there wasn’t anything inherently wrong with it.

It appears that this author has written a lot of Fantasy novels, so this may be her Thriller debut. If that is the case, it definitely shows her skill and I would pick up future novels from her in this genre.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I always appreciate the opportunity to provide my feedback!

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