What is it all the kids say nowadays? No notes, so good! Just kidding though, cause I have lots of notes.

So this is Alex Finlay doing what he does best. Everything I love about his thrillers is here—the characters, the mystery, the writing, not to mention the sheer intensity. I was drawn in from the very first page, and from there on out, I was holding my breath and turning the pages as fast as I could until I reached the very end.

To follow two characters as they try to figure out their own individual mysteries is an intriguing setup. Jules survived the May Day Killer, but is he coming back for her? And Quinn, fresh out of juvi, must find out who murdered his mother. Their two storylines weave back and forth, drawing closer and closer in the way that mysteries must, until everything ultimately collides into a satisfying conclusion.

We really get to know Jules and Quinn throughout this story. Some thrillers can come across a bit random because the characters feel interchangeable, but not here. Here, the dual points of view serve to sear these characters into our minds, and their growth and triumph is at the heart of this story's appeal.

When it comes to thrillers, I feel like I'm always complaining about how there's so much filler. Often, for large swaths of the narrative, nothing is happening, yet we follow character after character as they wallow and ruminate and jump at the shadows. So it's quite a breath of fresh air to get one where every chapter, every scene brings something urgent to the table.

A large reason for this is due to the book's unusual structure. Its timeline takes place exclusively on May 1st, year after year. We start in 1992, and then we jump to the same day the following year, and on it goes. And because there is so much time in between not covered, so much left unsaid within the pages, it necessitates a tighter narrative that strips away all the fluff and filler, automatically amping up the tension and making it unputdownable.

My only quibble is that the mystery component—and maybe it's more my fault than the story's—is too obvious. Normally when I read a mystery, I may start to get an inkling of what's going on, and by the end, I've gotten some things right and some things wrong. But in this case, I called it all and I did it with a large portion of the story still left. It doesn't take away substantially from my enjoyment of the whole thing, but I did wish for a eureka moment that never really materialized, at least for me.

Quibble aside, I had a lot of fun with this one. I loved Alex Finlay's first two books, heard his next few were a bit middling so I skipped, and here we are now. If you haven't read any Alex Finlay, you can't start with a better one. And if you've been holding off like I have, well, come on over cause he's back.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

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

A thriller that actually thrills from beginning to end? Yesss, sign me up!

College student Matt Pine receives the most devastating news: almost his entire family has perished on what should've been a fun-filled spring break trip to Mexico. Now the only remaining person left in his family is his brother Danny, who did not go because he is serving a life sentence for killing his girlfriend seven years ago. At first, their family's death is ruled an accident, but soon clues emerge that make it look ever more suspicious.

This book grabbed me from the very first page. It was action packed and masterfully paced. It felt like the plot was propelled forward by every chapter, and there was no waste or dillydallying just to stretch the fluff or fill the pages. The story is told from a few different characters' perspectives, their narratives interweaving until we see it all coming together in one explosive ending. The short chapters kept me turning the pages, wanting to read just a little bit more.

There were so many awesome characters in here. Almost everyone is likable and worthy of our admiration. In particular, Agent Keller really shined. She was quick on the uptake, competent, levelheaded, and compassionate... in other words, a complete badass! Likable characters aren't a must for me, but they do make the reading experience so much more pleasant and enjoyable.

In terms of the mystery itself, I found the twists to be fun and the ending satisfying. Because of the taut pacing, I was immersed in the story and didn't really think much along the way. And that's how I like my thrillers to be. I'm not huge on slowly paced ones, because my mind wanders and then I start pondering the mystery and before you know it, I've figured out enough to have ruined it for myself. This story just sucked me in and kept me riveted until the very end.

What an impressive debut from Alex Finlay. I read so many thrillers that I often feel jaded. But this one made me remember how much sheer fun a great one of this genre can still be. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars