Sometimes I feel a bit jaded with thrillers. They're a dime a dozen and most hardly even cause me to blink, let alone thrill me. But then something like The Night Shift comes along and I remember again how much fun this genre can be.
It's New Year's Eve 1999, and the teenagers who work at a Blockbuster in Linden, New Jersey, are excited to close up and welcome in Y2K. But before the night is over, all but one are dead, and the remaining survivor has never forgotten the horror of what happened. Fifteen years later, an eerily similar attack happens in an ice cream shop in town, again with only one survivor. Will the investigation this time finally lead to the truth of what happened all those years ago?
This story drew me in immediately. The taut pacing and short chapters works wonderfully to keep me turning the pages. The narrative is compact, without extra fillers or psychological ruminations that slow down a lot of other thrillers. It feels like every chapter in here was necessary, and it creates this satisfying experience where I'm always making progress with every chapter I read.
The narrative switches between a few different points of view, and each feels equally compelling. For such an action-driven story, I thought Finlay created some interesting and likable characters. They really pop off the pages and keep me invested in the story. In particular, Agent Sarah Keller from Alex Finlay's previous book makes another appearance, and she's such a badass that I can't help but love her.
Regarding the reveals, there are some fun ones in here. Did they totally surprise me though? Eh, not really. I've read enough of this genre that very few books manage to completely catch me off guard. But there was enough of the unforeseen to keep me entertained. And honestly, this was worth the read even without being completely surprised.
As a self-proclaimed thriller-cynic, I'm as amazed as you that I'm now two for two with Alex Finlay. He is definitely on my must-read list, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
Readaroo Rating: 4 stars
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