1 star ⭐️

Riverview Theaters is closing it’s doors forever. Jo and her coworkers are working their final shift when things start to go wrong. Then Jo discovers the dead body of one of her coworkers, and the night becomes a game of survival.

You know who the killer is from the first few pages. Sometimes this works in a book. It didn’t work with this one, it was all too predictable. The plot had potential to be a creepy locked door thriller but it just fell flat.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

It was supposed to be the last night working at the theater, before it closes forever. Jo and her coworkers just had to make it to the end of their shifts. But everything goes downhill when a stranger comes throwing around accusations and soon after follows the power outage. But the most horrifying of it all is one of them is now dead.⁣
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I really enjoyed Four Found Dead it was such an interesting read and a superb YA mystery novel. The suspense in the novel was killing me! There was so much adrenaline and over all I couldn’t get enough of it!⁣
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Four Found Dead releases on May 2nd and it’s a novel you will not want to miss!

Tonight, Riverview 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, a shift that quickly takes a dark turn.

First a stranger arrives with a chilling accusation. Then the power goes out and their manager disappears, along with the keys to the lobby doors and the theater safe, where the crew's phones are locked each shift. 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 them all.

This was a page turner! I couldn't put it down! The story was so thrilling that I needed to know what happened next. It was a terrifying concept (being stuck in a mall with a killer). It was a different take, since the killer was known from the beginning. I thought the backstory with Jo was unnecessary and took away from the actual story. I kept thinking that it was going to tie in to what was happening, but it didn't really. I didn't feel that the motive was really revealed, but I was okay with that part. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys thriller, edge of your seat books!

The last night of Riverview movie theatre. The mall is already shut down, now all that left to do is see the last theatregoers depart, lock up and finish off for the last time. The staff is going about business as usual, but Clayton, the manager, seems wound up. What’s that strange shape Jo can see tucked into his waistband under his shirt?

This book raises more questions than it answers, why clean and replenish restrooms when the doors are being locked for the final time? Why put the tickets neatly in a box, won’t they be useless? Why clean a soda machine that will probably end up as trash (as it obviously seems to be more trouble than it’s worth)? Why so many uses of the word “gun”? And this is just the first chapter!

I’ve not read this author before so had no preconceptions, but this became too predictable and not for me. The idea of a deserted mall and a closed down cinema was really enticing, but there was too much repetition and filler. Jo’s flashback seemed to be in every chapter, too much!! And once they had met with plywood and plastic sheeting, did we have to know every time?

Are we in big trouble? I should say this book is.

Sorry, not one I enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley.

Four Found Dead is the 9th book by Natalie Richards for young adults. For the last time, Jo and her co-workers are closing the movie theater doors in a dying mall frightening disturbing visitor arrives yelling accusations at the theater manager. Then the power goes out, the manager disappears with the keys to the doors and the safe where all phones are locked up. A body is discovered in the dark and the pulse-pounding plot continues!

*** NOTE TO PUBLISHER: My review will be posted on my blog, vendors, and Goodreads closer to the publication date.

This is my third book by Natalie D. Richards so I was really sad that this was a 3 star read for me. Granted, the other two books I read were in 2016 (My Secret to Tell and One Was Lost), and maybe I’ve changed as a readers since then. That could be a part of it, but I do think there’s more to it than that.

While Richards’ previous novels were mystery/suspense… Four Found Dead reads more like the plot to a teen slasher flick. Because that’s what it is. A group of teenagers trapped in an abandoned mall with a killer. There were no real surprises and it all felt pretty repetitive.

One thing Richards’ does that I enjoy is include little snippets that don’t belong in the story, sort of as clues to something else that’s going on. And in the other two books I really enjoyed those. I enjoyed them in this book as well, but in the end they didn’t have the same impact as the previous books I read.

This book is told through the eyes of Jo. The movie theatre she’s worked at for years is shuttering its doors for the last time, and all she and her friends/coworkers want to do is close things up and head out to enjoy some late night pancakes. But then things get weird and before they know it, one of Jo’s friends is dead. Together, the group must illude a killer.

This could be awesome. But we know who the killer is from the get go. And we’re never truly given a solid motive for their actions.

What I did enjoy was the nostalgia, for me, of movie theatre employment. I sold popcorn and movie tickets myself as a teen my senior year of high school through college. To this day, it was probably the greatest job I’ve ever had. Movie theatre friendships are built to last. Alas, that nostalgia wasn’t enough to save this book for me.

I just needed…. more. More motive revealed. More build up to the start of the killing spree. And more variation of what happens while they’re on the mall.

I’m willing to give Richards another chance. She has plenty of books to choose from!

Have you read Four Found Dead? Did it work for you?

Imagine being trapped with six of your coworkers in an abandoned shopping mall. Now imagine also being pursued by a murderer with a gun. This is what happens to Jo. JO and her coworkers are working the final shift at the movie theater. The power is cut, and the doors are all blocked and locked, allowing no exit. Meanwhile, their crazy boss Clayton pursues them relentlessly.

You know from the title that four will die, but the question is: Which four? I couldn't put this book down; the author does a great job of building the tension as they are pursued.

I didn't give it five stars because I felt the ending was not as good as the rest of the book.

Jo and her coworkers are finishing their last shift ever at the Tempest movie theater. It's closing for good because it's the last business standing in a decrepit old mall. The power goes out. A gun is spotted. A coworker is acting erratically, and the teens have to flee into the boarded up mall to try to escape and survive the night.

I absolutely loved the setting -- a creepy, abandoned mall at night: perfect.

I don't quite understand why they were bothering to clean everything if they were never coming back. I think most teenagers would be stealing candy and breaking stuff (but maybe that's just what I would have been doing?) I also didn't love that we knew who the killer was the entire time - some guessing would have been fun, and I wish there'd been a little more exploration of why he went on a rampage. That said, trying to guess who the four dead people would be kept things interesting, and there was a ton of tension the entire time.

I didn’t know what to expect but this this book is eerily plausible & creepy. If you were a Fear Street or Christopher Pike fan growing up, this book is up your alley. It’s a fast paced thriller about having to stay alive in crazy circumstances. My only issue (and this is purely what I inferred from the book blurb) is that I was hoping it’d have more of a mystery vibe & more surprises along the way. It’s more of a straight forward book, you know who the killer is & that’s that. However the writing is strong & I was getting a lot of 90’s slasher vibes off it which was fun.

Normally, I love Natalie Richards ability to craft an entire story in one setting. This time, not so much. I think the concept of a movie theater/mail was super cool, but by the end the constant switching of rooms, hallways, etc wore me down. I found myself skimming a lot towards the end and I hate when I feel like I have to do that. The “twist” was really no twist to me in fact it was a tale as old as time. It was an “enjoyable” read I suppose, but not one that I will be raving to others about.

This book was so intense for a YA mystery/thriller, and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. It gave me more teen slasher movie vibes than a puzzling mystery like other young adult mystery/thrillers can be. It was a super fast read for me with a satisfying conclusion that I would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a new thriller to dive into.

Definitely not my cup of tea. I wonder if the teen murder mystery craze has hit its peak and is now on the downturn end- four found dead is absolutely chock-full of characters, so much so I literally kept a spreadsheet to keep everyone straight. The forbidden love- age gap thing is a Big Ick, and there wasn't nearly as much discussion on how wrong that was as there should have been.

I was absolutely hooked from the off set. I loved the characters & their dynamic for survival was great. I was so intrigued by the premise and couldn’t wait to see how it concluded.

I was slightly disappointed by the reveal and I also found the mall/arcade/cinema description really overwhelming and didn’t make much sense. I struggled to picture it in my head.

Maybe a map would be a great idea!

I am always reluctant to read books about shootings because I am terrified of guns. Plus, in recent years, with the sheer amount of shootings around the world I do not like reading about them even if it's fictional. My anxiety is horrible and sometimes even reading about fake shootings will create massive anxiety for me to where I do not want to leave the house. Therefore, I try to stay clear of novels that involve gun violence.

However, Four Found Dead seemed interesting enough so I thought I would give it a try..... but just like in other novels about gun violence I had an incredibly hard time getting through this book. The novel ran incredibly slow and was gut-wrenching for me. It was just not for me and a topic that can be triggering to my own mental health. I should have realized this and stayed clear of a gun violence book but I wanted to give it a try.

First of all, you find out who the killer is from the first page of the book which I think almost became detrimental to the book. It made the story less interesting. The only thriller aspect the book truly held was you didn't know who would ultimately die in the end or if all the teens would make it out of the mall. Knowing the killer right away took from the excitement. The story is nothing short of predictable. I just did not jive with this story or the characters.

I don't know where to start. I usually like Natalie D. Richards books but I did not care for this one. First off, the amount of deaths expected is literally in the title, we just don't know who they will be. We start the book off with on the last night the local theatre is open, the creepy manager goes into a rage over work not getting done and then they are visited by his angry wife. The main character sees a gun tucked in the manager's shirt but doesn't tell anyone, yet she was traumatized by the death of her father at the hand of a gunman. Now kill the lights and queue a scream. A coworker has been strangled by the manager in front of another coworker but no harm comes to the second? So now we know who the killer is and he is now after everyone else, not exactly sure why except no one likes him. So they make their way into the adjoining skeleton of a mall that has three levels where the second person from our party meets their demise. The group of employees spend a good majority of the book moving around, hiding, listening for the killer, and getting some bumps and cuts but no real action. One of the party goes missing, the group finds some blood and assumes the worst. The party continues to search for a way out, and there are explanations (not really plausible ones) on why they can't find an exit. Then when the group finally figures out how to summon help, here comes the killer with the gun and the missing member of the party. We find out that this all happened because the manager/killer (a married man, so an adult) was having a fling with the 16 year old homeschooled girl (yuck and disgusting). The man's wife found out along with the two dead coworkers (who threatened to turn him into the authorities), and now he has to kill the others because they know he killed the coworkers. So instead of going to jail for paedophilia, he would just be going to jail for murder? To me, this book is not realistic. There is a lot of the group wandering around and listening for the killer, who runs up and down the stairwells a lot. Sorry to say, I got bored. And then when there was some suspense happening, it died quickly. Sorry, I just didn't care for this book.

Four Found Dead is strictly a thriller, and I think that the absence of mystery detracted from this story's allure.
There is certainly a heap of adrenaline intertwined with the plot yet by the end I found myself burnt out. Four Found Dead is one great big mouse chase. The aggressor is the same from the beginning until the end and every time tragedy strikes, there is no surprise. I feel like I just woke up from a nightmare, where I was stuck in an endless loop of unfortune that lacked any true creativity.
It's not a bad story, it just really isn't that great either. Like a dinner with alright food but served at room temperature. Where you walk away, not entirely pleased but no longer hungry.

This was a great book! Fast paced, quick, thrilling all in one! I will definitely be reading more of this author.

Six teenaged movie theater workers are trapped in an abandoned and boarded-up mall with a killer after one of their coworkers is found dead. Their keys and phones are locked in the safe at work by their potentially murderous manager, the fire exits are blocked to keep out vagrants, and construction remnants and gutted stores leave little to work with to find a way out.

For a premise that promises a lot of tension, this flatlined quite a bit through the book. Two high-tension events happened in the first 20% and then next 60% of the book was essentially the trapped teenagers running to different places in the mall to hide, getting found, and then doing it all over again.

The POV character Riley was very one note, her whole personality seemingly tied to a traumatic event from her childhood. Which, like, yeah of course that’s going to come up while she’s experiencing another trauma, but there wasn’t much else to her. Every single scene it seemed she made some reference to what happened when she was a kid. Everything she said, did, or even thought tied back to her memories. I wanted more complexity to her, something else to make her feel more real.

Overall I thought it was an okay thriller with an interesting setting and situation that could have been utilized better.

Did you ever think an abandoned mall could feel claustrophobic? I certainly didn’t before reading this book but now I’m a believer. I love creepy abandoned places so when I heard there was a ya slasher (although nobody was actually killed by stabbing) set in a movie theater and mall the last day it was ever open I knew I had to pick it up. It didn’t disappoint. The tension is high from the very beginning bc our main female mc is very cautious around guns (and with a huuuuuge hero complex) due to past trauma. But don’t worry, like any good teen slasher the action picks up pretty quickly.

What plays out next is a great combo of tension and claustrophobia waiting to see what happens next (which is definitely the scariest part of scary movies/stories imo) and action. The abandoned mall turns into a truly terrifying house of horrors as the MCs try to find a way out while avoiding a man who’s clearly had a mental break.

I enjoyed the formatting of the book too. Most of it is from Jo’s perspective but every now and then you get newspaper reports and letters from the aftermath and bits and pieces of a letter written by one of the MCs about that night.

If you take this book for what it is, a fun ya thriller, you will definitely enjoy the ride.