Book 21 (of 52) – The Night Shift

The Night Shift – Alex Finlay

On New Year’s Eve of 1999, a tragedy at the local Blockbuster Video stuns a New Jersey town, especially when the suspected killer goes on the lam.  Fifteen years later, a similar attack at a local ice cream parlor leads everyone to assume the killer has returned.  While the local police investigate the new murders, an FBI agent looks into the older crime, hoping to find connections.  Instead, she unravels a web of lies that ties more than those two crimes together.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t read two books from the same author twice within a month’s time, but the Chicago Public Library served up The Night Shift, the second novel from Alex Finlay, just weeks after I read his first outing.  In some ways, this may have ended up being a good thing, as I was able to see some growth from Every Last Fear going into The Night Shift that I may not have recognized if it were months or years down the line.  The downside, of course, is that I won’t get another crack at his work for quite some time.  I look forward to what comes next and hopefully continuing the adventures of FBI Agent Keller.

2021: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_22

Despite working from home for the entire year and my traditional long December vacation, I saw a tremendous decrease in my movie watching, with my lowest total since 1988.  I managed to watch a mere 47 movies last year, finishing below the 50 movie plateau for the first time this century.  Despite being home all day and not needing to bother with pesky things like a commute.  Or exercise.

85 different people starred in those 47 movies (starring in being the first two named stars, a tradition dating back to the old Chicago Tribune TV guide which populated the early days of my database), and a single one starred in more than 1 film. That thespian was:

Films Per Actor Per Year
Actor Name Films
Kiana Madeira 2

Here’s a look back at the movies I watched last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

I See You (2019)
I have no recollection of this Helen Hunt vehicle.

Amanda & Jack Go Glamping (2017)
An author whose marriage is failing as bad as his career decides to go on a private retreat.

Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994)
Finishing up my run through the Death Wish series from 2020, with a 73 year-old Charles Bronson trying to keep the series going.

2036 Origin Unknown (2018)
Some sci-fi movie starring Katee Sackhoff.

Ma (2019)
A lonely woman lets the local kids party at her house, but turns on them when they start to pull away.

Night of the Living Dead 3D (2006)
An homage and a remake of the original, but this time in 3D!

Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself (2021)
A magician pulls off amazing, psychological tricks.

Spontaneous (2020)
Two kids find love when their high school is quarantined after students start spontaneously combusting.

Friendsgiving (2020)
A group of friends get together for a zany Thanksgiving dinner.

Death to 2020 (2020)
A comedic retrospective of the shit year that was 2020. Continue reading →