I loved the anonymity, flexibility and solitude that working the night shift at Storage Queen gave me.
The unsociable hours paid well, helping me fund my university degree and giving me a quiet place to study while the world slept peacefully in their warm, cozy beds. It was the perfect job for me.
But that Friday night proved to be more than I bargained for when a man walked through the door, dragging a large suitcase.
My immediate instincts told me something was wrong.
That’s when my ordeal began.
I just had to make it through the night shift. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)
Nina figured her shift at the Storage Queen would start and end like it always did; she’d come in at 6pm and take over for her boss, who always informed Nina not to call unless absolutely necessary. She’d sit at the desk, work on her homework and monitor her blood sugar levels for her type 1 diabetes, while she did all she could to stay awake until she’s relieved of her duties at 6am.
But when a strange man brings a large suitcase into the Storage Queen, it becomes a night of terror and suspense, with Nina doing all she can to stay alive.
The pace picks up from there, particularly after Nina leaves her post to investigate. The one lone drop of blood description reminded me of something straight out of Hitchcock. I could visually imagine the lens panning in while similarly pulling back, really highlighting the intensity of that for Nina. She laters discovers that the name the man had given her does not match any of the records they have on file for the storage unit, and the person it’s actually registered to is nowhere to be found.
As the reader, I wondered why the man was there. Why the Storage Queen? That was answered for me in the best of ways, with a malicious web that links back to Nina. I thought including Nina’s health information was a great way to add another level of intensity to the story, because it can’t be easy to try to monitor your glucose levels while you’re fighting for your life, particularly if you have no access to your medications or food or drink, along with the stress and fear on the nervous system. There were plenty of moments when it could have been all too easy for Nina to give up, but she doesn’t, at times to her own detriment. The ending was fairly explosive and wild, and the people who Nina felt were allies ended up blurred by their own greater need. I really liked how the characters aren’t easily recognizable as being protagonists or antagonists, which made it all the more suspenseful and unpredictable. I will never look at a storage unit facility the same again!
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Purchase The Night Shift here.
Her love of writing began in her early teenage years, inspired by hours spent buried in Point Horror, Richard Laymon and Christopher Pike with the occasional Judy Blume thrown in for good measure.
Other passions include movies - horrors especially (who doesn't love a good scare), country walks, swimming and anything involving cake.
Her debut novel Stalker was released on the 10th September 2019, quickly followed by The Secret in January 2020, and The Teacher in May.
Gemma's fourth novel The Mistake was published January 2021, followed by The Babysitter in September.
The Feud came next in May 2022, then The Neighbour in January 2023 and The Flatmate in June 2023.
Gemma's ninth title The Good Wife came out in March 2024 and The Honeymoon is now available as well!
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