I’ve been aware of Natalie D. Richards books for quite a few years now but FOUR FOUND DEAD is actually the first one of hers that I’ve read.

For Jo and her colleagues, it’s their last shift at their mall’s theatre. It’s the last place in the entire mall to close, since the mall is being closed down and refurbished into something else. Their shift is coming to an end when things start going wrong. First, a power cut hits them, sending them into almost total darkness and then they find a dead body. Suddenly they’re aware of the fact that this last shift isn’t going to go the way they were hoping, and the only thing they can now do is stick together and manage to get out of the mall or die trying.

Once I got into the story at around chapter three/four, I flew through it. It caught my attention, and I was obsessed, trying to figure out how they were going to get out. This book was a ride, and it was the type of thriller I haven’t read in ages, where it’s all stakes and if they’re not careful they could be hit with a bullet in the back. I genuinely loved every minute of it, and I will definitely be reading more of her books. (In fact, almost as soon as I finished this book, I read One Was Lost by her. Also, a great book.) I loved the budding romance between her and Hudson, how it developed slowly enough that even in this situation, you could see how they came to depend on each other. I also loved the setting. A mall? Especially an abandoned one with boarded up exits? It was a thrill to read.

The only thing that disappointed me was the ending. And that’s for two reasons. One, I’m not a huge fan of how as soon as the bad guy is caught, we cut to a scene much later. I like to see the aftermath, when their relieved they won but saddened by their losses. And two, Quincey. If I say anymore, I’ll spoil. But I felt like his ending—per say—didn’t really fit what I’d expected. It was saddening.

But other than that, I loved this book. I cannot wait to read her entire backlog and whatever she’s got coming next.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

**Disclaimer: I recieved a free advanced reader's copy of Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.

Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards is a young adult thriller novel.  It is about a girl named Jo who is working her last shift at her job at a local movie theatre, which is closing down.  Her and her friends have plans to go out to IHOP to celebrate, but instead they have to avoid a killer.  The novel is set to be published on May 2nd, 2023.  I rated it 4 stars on Goodreads.


Here is the summary from Goodreads:

At the movie theater where Jo works, the last show has ended. But the nightmare is just beginning.
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.

I really enjoyed this thriller.  I think I even liked it better than the last Natalie D. Richards book I read.  She's really getting better at this thriller/mystery thing.  I really enjoyed what she did in this book with the contained setting.  We're really limited to the theatre and the mall, and there is a significant time limit so that it feels like everything is happening in real time.  It ups the level of tension and made it incredibly hard for me to put the book down.  I ended up reading it in two sittings because I just really needed to know.

I found the characters really interesting.  Jo was a good narrator and I felt like she had a lot of growth over the course of the book.  She starts out as really shy and uncomfortable in the spotlight and by the end I felt she had really developed her leadership skills.  I also really enjoyed the side characters that we got to spend a lot of time with.  Naomi and Quincy were both really interesting to me.  At first I didn't really like Hudson, but he had grown on me by the end.  I felt for the characters we lost along the way.  

The killer's motivations felt realistic to me.  It wasn't a killing spree for nothing, he had some reasoning to it.  I was disgusted by his reasoning after we found out about it near the end of the story, but it was realistic motivation.

I think my biggest struggle with this book was that it was written in present tense.  I often struggle with books written in that tense because there's something about them that feels a little awkward to me.  However, I felt that this book really needed to be so that you're living the book through with the characters.  I liked how many of the chapters concluded with a snippet from an unknown character or news articles written after the fact so we got a perspective of how this was all effecting them once it concluded.  She did a good job of keeping us guessing about who was going to die and how.

Overall, if you like a time limited thriller, then I think that you will really enjoy this book.  Make sure to check it out when it comes out in May.

AMAZING. If I had to sum up this book in one word that is what I would pick. This book had me on my toes from the first chapter. I literally would not stop reading it so I could know who died and what happened that last night at the Riverview Theater. I felt for everything that happened to each character and was not expecting that ending! The author did an amazing job with this book, I will be recommending to any thriller lovers out there. You definitely don’t want to miss out on this one it’s amazing! (Sorry I just feel like that word fits this story!)
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this early cop of this book! I loved it!!

Okay - prepare to suspend your disbelief here. There's a lot of stuff that just wouldn't happen in this book, if we were talking real life (bottles of water and tees?) that are just so convenient. Too convenient. And knowing an abandoned mall would attract UrbEx people from all over, why would every single exit point be blocked? It doesn't make sense. The artificial raising of the stakes makes no sense to me. The characters were shallow, the characterization was rushed, and the plot only half made sense. It was fun, at least.

Four Found Dead was a fun read. The story started fast and you got a feel for all the characters pretty quick too. The setting brought so much to the story. It made it scarier to think you’re trapped and can’t get out after a murder. Jo was a decent main character and I appreciated that she was the even keeled personality.

Four Found Dead follows Jo and her coworkers who are working their last shift at a movie theatre attached to a mall that’s being renovated. As the night ends and they’re the only ones there things take a turn for the worst as their manager gets into an altercation, the power goes out and they find out there’s a weapon in the theatre. Their phones and keys are locked up and there’s no way out. They quickly find that one of the coworkers has died, starting a string of deaths as the rest of the workers try as hard as they can to leave the theatre unscathed.

I didn’t really enjoy this, this is my first book from the author. It was fast paced, a quick read, I think it would work as a novella. Unfortunately it doesn’t work as a full length book because it becomes so repetitive and boring. The entire story just wasn’t for me, it’s a cat and mouse situation and I just found myself thinking what else could happen? How many other things could go wrong and how many more close calls could there be? I found that the characters were very flat and I didn’t feel like I really knew them or cared about them. There were a couple times where Jo said things that I didn’t think a teenager would, and how Jo was supposed to be thoroughly first aid trained but then didn’t know about how fast a pulse should be? I also couldn’t visualize the setting very well despite it being well explained. I didn’t love the twist at the end and I don’t think the added media stories and little secrets really added to the story in any way. I was just bored for too long and I knew what the ending would be for the most part. I don’t recommend this if you don’t enjoy these types of stories. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire & NetGalley for an ARC of Four Found Dead.

Four Found Dead was a fast paced YA fiction novel that grips you until the very end! Overall it was a quick read to get through and was enjoyable. I liked the flashback scenes you get of the main character and the letter entries that all made sense in the end. Overall I rate this book a 3.5/5 stars. I would have loved further character and relationship development at the end of the book; I feel the need for more information.

This book for me is a solid 4.5 and since it’s more deserving than a 4, I gave it a 5!!!

It was really good, super suspenseful. I loved the characters and the the way the author wrote the story allows you to have really good visuals of the people, the location, everything. Amazing job Natalie, I’ll for sure be reading more of your books!!

I liked the characters a lot but was less drawn in by the story than I had hoped. The stuff about our protagonist Jo's backstory felt unnecessarily heavy-handed in the first few chapters, which made it hard for me to get interested and immersed in the main story. The plot also seemed a bit transparent to me as someone who indulges in a lot of mysteries and some aspects from early on in the story felt unresolved at the end. That being said, I did genuinely enjoy a lot of the characters, and I think this book would be a better fit for people more interested in thrillers (whereas my interest lies more in mysteries).

I was really hooked by the concept of the book. I was on edge and literally had to finish it in one night. Even though some of the plot felt messy and rushed, it followed the classic horror book genre.

four found dead

<b>”Maybe we all have to make peace with that night, with the fact we’re here and they’re gone.”</b>

I’m not usually a fan of young adult thrillers/slashers but this book surprised me and I found it difficult to put it down once I picked it up.

I would love to see this in movie form. The suspense and mystery were fantastically written and I was left trying to piece together what was going to happen next.

Jo was such a strong protagonist. She had been through a horrific trauma earlier in her life but she still managed to remain level-headed and act courageously in this time of crisis. I also admired her passion for becoming a doctor because of everything she’s been through, it was a little detail that I appreciated being included.

I’m intrigued to read more from this author. This was great!

<i>Thank you to NetGallery and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for providing me this arc!</i>
<i>I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.</i>

The characters felt quite one-dimensional and I even forgot the name of some characters thorough the book. We knew who the killer was from the very beginning and we know they're dangerous but we only get their backstory at the end which still felt lackluster.

This a thriller you could read quickly, but will leave you engaged throughout the story. The story is about several movie theatre workers on their last shift. They quickly discover that one of the workers is dead, and must survive the killer. As the title states, four will be dead by the end of the night. I would recommend this to those who want an easy thriller or enjoys YA.

I don’t generally like books or movies that are primarily action/thriller within a single location, but the author managed to keep some mystery with random articles and point of view from an unknown person throughout the novel. There was intense action and enough mystery that I was very engaged and read this in a single day. Thank you Netgalley for the early copy for my honest review!

Wow!! I'm actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and there were so many times that I felt scared and antsy. Jo was such a strong main character and I love how the book connected something that happened in her past to what was happening currently. It made her a week rounded character and you could see the motivation behind all of her decisions.

The abandoned mall was a great setting for this book although it did get a bit confusing at times. Trying to keep track of what floor the characters were on and the different stairwells that were being used was a little difficult. But overall, it was a setting that I had never seen in a book before so I thought it was really cool and helped with this story.

Jo and Hudson were two of my favorite characters and I absolutely adored the romantic subplot between the two of them! It didn't take away from the murder mystery / thriller aspect of the book, but it was still something that added to the story.

Quincy and Naomi were also great characters and I was glad to be able to get to know them throughout the story. It would've been nice to get to know more about Summer, Lexi, and Hannah - but I also know that would have been too many characters to keep track of.

The only thing I wasn't a big fan of was the motive of Clayton. I felt that it was something that is often used as a plot twist and the story could have been stronger if it was something different.

Overall, this was such a great read and I couldn't put it down . I finished it in just about one sitting and there were so many times I let out a gasp! This is a book that you definitely don't want to miss!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the arc!

Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards is a YA mystery/thriller in which a group of teenagers gets stuck in a mall with their psycho manager.

The story felt a little raw to me, like it wasn't properly edited. It felt repetitive at times and slow paced even tho I tore through the book quite quickly. I didn't like Jo, the main character. If she spoke up a few times, most deaths could be avoided but for some reason she kept her mouth shut. To be honest, I did not care for any of the characters and knowing that 4 of them die, I could care less who survived.

I did enjoy the setting, one night in a dilapidated mall ready to be torn apart - it's always fun to see how much can go wrong one night (in books!). I also felt like it was anxiety inducing at times. I wanted to get out so bad out of that mall and take a breathe of fresh air,.

Overall, this was a 3 star read for me, I loved the overall idea but felt like the execution wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Some secrets can be deadly.

Fast paced, and delightfully suspenseful, Four Found Dead follows the final closing crew of a now permanently closed movie theater as the secrets they've kept start coming out.

I really enjoyed how well each of the characters were written, even the the one I wasn't supposed too, because they were all so believably put together.

Was the ending a bit predictable if you put together the hints revealed throught the story? Yes; however, I could not put the book down, and read it in one sitting. This will definitely be a go to recommendation for readers looking for a new YA thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS fire for the ARC!

Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist.

It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls must work together to pull off the heist of their lives.

This book was fast paced and gripping. I was able to read it in a few hours as I needed to know how it would end. I initially went into this thinking it was going to be a YA mystery but it was a YA thriller. However, there were mystery aspects of the book that tied in with the plot and ending. I really enjoyed all the characters and their interactions with each other, especially Jo as she was calm and confident in a bad situation .

The only reason that this book is not a five star read from me is because the ending was a little predictable, when putting together all the pieces. Overall, this was quick and easy read, and if you're looking for a YA thriller this is the perfect book for you.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this e-Arc!.

Did I love this book, no not quite. However, I did like it and it was a quick and easy read. I don't necessarily think that this is a bad book but unfortunately I read far too many thrillers and suspense novels to be surprised by the endings. The twist, wasn't really a twist as I felt it was pretty obvious what was going on but again this could be just me and I may have become rather jaded about suspense novels. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Source Books Fire for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.