Title: Four Found Dead
Author: Natalie D. Richards
Publication: May 2, 2023
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA Fiction, Teens, Suspense
Pages: 332
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads | Author Website
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
Tonight, Tempest Theaters is closing forever, the last remaining business in a defunct shopping mall. The moviegoers have left, and Jo and her six coworkers have the final shift, cleaning up popcorn and mopping floors for the last time.
But after an unexpected altercation puts everyone on edge, the power goes out. Their manager disappears, along with the keys to the lobby doors and the theater safe, where the crew’s phones are locked each shift. Then, the crew’s tension turns to terror when Jo discovers the dead body of one of her co-workers.
Now their only chance to escape the murderer in their midst is through the dark, shuttered mall. With its boarded-up exits and disabled fire alarms, the complex is filled with hiding places for both pursuer and pursued. In order to survive this night, Jo and her friends must trust one another, navigate the sprawling ruins of the mall, and outwit a killer before he kills again.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Natalie D. Richards always brings the suspense and thrills with her novels and Four Found Dead was no different. I was not expecting an active shooter story like this, but it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time!
The story follows Jo and her coworkers at a theater in a defunct mall that is closing down for the final time when chaos ensues! Locked in and no where to go, her and her friends have to outwit and outlive the killer. I cannot image being locked into a mall and running from someone with a gun, but that is exactly what we got and the suspense level was high. It gave me chest pains!
What I really love is the different characters. There was a personality and a type for everyone. You have the quiet ones, the outspoken ones, popular, unpopular, etc. We got to see a little bit from each of them and how they handled different parts of this crisis. It’s always interesting how you think people will react and who is going to become the leader. Richards, as usual, wrote characters I loved and was rooting for the entire time. I was breathing heavily and biting my nails until the very end,
Richards is the queen of Teen Thrillers and Suspense in my book and I am never disappointed in her stories. If you want a nail-biting, heart-pumping suspense thriller, Richards is the one to look to. I’ll be waiting anxiously for her next book as usual!
