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A review by richardrbecker
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
There is a lot to like about The Night Shift by Alex Finlay. The novel starts with a shock: Four girls working the night shift on New Year's Eve are attacked in a Block Buster Video store in Linden, New Jersey. Never mind that Y2K reference. It's merely window dressing as most of the story takes place 15 years later when four more teens are attacked — this time in an ice cream store.
In both instances, one victim survives, giving the two survivors (and an FBI agent) an opportunity to team up and find out if the killers are connected. Finlay tosses a bunch of other characters into the mix, telling various stories from three perspectives (but he uses these to cut into many more) and laying out plenty of false leads that mean absolutely nothing. These points kept me from becoming immersed in the book as there are too many characters to keep track of (that don't matter to the story) and too many false leads that pad the story to keep readers guessing. I suppose that works for many readers today — but I tend to think that a gun in scene one needs to be shot at some point. It's not just there to fill space and distract us.
Likewise, as a false plot-driven story, I never connected with any characters. A couple came close, but their presence tends only to scrape the surface of their existence. Ergo, one of the perspectives is Chris, a local public defender. He has the potential for a great backstory but we are generally confined to knowing him through his obsession with a video podcaster that he believes to be his brother (who happens to be the primary suspect in the initial murder). Likewise, Ella is mainly confined to her backstory as the Blockbuster survivor, who volunteers to help the ice cream store survivor. And that leaves us with Keller, the pregnant FBI agent, which is, by all counts, the one most people can connect with during the novel.
Finlay's work shines in bringing these three isolated perspectives together to form a bigger picture and ultimately help the reader discover and unravel the mystery element of this modern thriller. But for me, two of the book's selling points never paid off. There is no 1990's nostalgia, and the stakes are never raised. By the end, it feels like we fizzle into the solution, and that's a shame. The Night Shift needed to end with a bang to make up for characters who mostly lacked depth. And while that means it will be fun for some, the book doesn't pack the punch some readers hope for.
In both instances, one victim survives, giving the two survivors (and an FBI agent) an opportunity to team up and find out if the killers are connected. Finlay tosses a bunch of other characters into the mix, telling various stories from three perspectives (but he uses these to cut into many more) and laying out plenty of false leads that mean absolutely nothing. These points kept me from becoming immersed in the book as there are too many characters to keep track of (that don't matter to the story) and too many false leads that pad the story to keep readers guessing. I suppose that works for many readers today — but I tend to think that a gun in scene one needs to be shot at some point. It's not just there to fill space and distract us.
Likewise, as a false plot-driven story, I never connected with any characters. A couple came close, but their presence tends only to scrape the surface of their existence. Ergo, one of the perspectives is Chris, a local public defender. He has the potential for a great backstory but we are generally confined to knowing him through his obsession with a video podcaster that he believes to be his brother (who happens to be the primary suspect in the initial murder). Likewise, Ella is mainly confined to her backstory as the Blockbuster survivor, who volunteers to help the ice cream store survivor. And that leaves us with Keller, the pregnant FBI agent, which is, by all counts, the one most people can connect with during the novel.
Finlay's work shines in bringing these three isolated perspectives together to form a bigger picture and ultimately help the reader discover and unravel the mystery element of this modern thriller. But for me, two of the book's selling points never paid off. There is no 1990's nostalgia, and the stakes are never raised. By the end, it feels like we fizzle into the solution, and that's a shame. The Night Shift needed to end with a bang to make up for characters who mostly lacked depth. And while that means it will be fun for some, the book doesn't pack the punch some readers hope for.