This book definitely had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! I wasn’t sure I’d like this book because I wasn’t a fan of the authors previous book (Five Total Strangers) but I was pleasantly surprised! I was hooked from the beginning! If you like suspense and don’t mind YA books then definitely pick this one up.

I thought it was a good book, but it's not the best mystery I've ever read. I had high hopes for this but it kind of let me down a little bit. Not that much but it could've been a lot better.

I wanted to be glued to the book but sadly I missed the excitement. It was very predictable and that kind of threw me off a bit.

I did finish it and rated it 3 stars but I think it could have been better than it was. It had a lot of potential but it didn't meet my expectations.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an arc of this book in an exchange for an honest review!

Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards revolves around Jo and her friends that work in the Tempest Theater, that closes the doors after the last show has ended. A murderer awaits them...

This isn't the usual murder mystery book we know. The first surprise is that the book reveals the murderer in the first third of the book, but not the motive behind everything. So, I guess that's a different aspect of a murder mystery, which I don't have much feelings about. It works fine for this story.

I liked the writing that pulled me into the story from the very first pages. I love how the atmosphere is described and all. But in the end I wish there would have been more suspense.

Well, I didn't like it nor hate it. It was an okay read.

Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards

I loved the premise. The young adults working in a run down movie theatre on the brink of closing reminded me of the 90’s teen horror movie genre, which I am a fan of. However, this one lacked something that I can’t quite put my finger on. I think because the reader is aware of the killer so quickly that it lacked the mystery of a lot of horror stories.

The pacing & the tension really picked up in the second half, which helped grab my attention that was lacking in the first part.

If you are in the mood for a young adult thrilling horror, this could be a good recommendation for you!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Trigger Warnings: This book mentions &/or contains murder, violence, gun violence & gore.

I mean, it was ok. It kind of fell apart after being introduced to the murderer at the beginning, The pacing didn’t pick up and the characters fell flat.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Sourcebook Fire books for allowing me a chance to read a digital ARC of Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards. This YA thriller will be released May 2, 2023. All opinions are my own.

It's the last night for Riverview Theater and the teenage employees have plans to hit IHOP after work and reminisce over pancakes. Once the last customer leaves and the doors are locked, they hurry to finish their cleaning so they can get their phones and keys from the office safe and head out. After a stranger appears with angry accusations for their manager, the power goes out and their manager disappears. Before disappearing though, Jo is positive she saw him carrying a gun. Then Jo and the others find the body of one of their coworkers and they realize the severity of the situation. Locked in the theater with no access to their phones or keys, they determine their only route of escape is through the abandoned mall. Most of the doors have been boarded up or blocked and a deadly game of cat and mouse begins.

This book is full of suspense. The main focus is on escaping from the enraged manager who is slowly killing off his employees, but the question of why is he doing it is also carried throughout. Additionally, I liked Jo's backstory and how it added to the suspense, but also explained why she knew what to do in certain situations. Chapters are prefaced with lines from a mysterious narrator who is clearly one of the employees being chased, but isn't identified until the very end and newspaper clippings about the aftermath of the night. It's very well-structured and moves at a quick, heart-pounding pace. This book is perfect for those who enjoyed April Henry's Run, Hide, Fight.

I love a good YA thriller. But, this was less who dunnit' and more why dunnit'. You jump right in to the action and dive head first into murder.

A little too deep of a dive in the shallow end. By 25% you are really in the depth of the action and it's like you don't need to read the rest of the book.

A little slower of a burn would have benefited this one.

Thank you to the publishing team and NetGalley for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The teenage workers of a movie theater find their nightmares become reality when they become locked inside and someone ends up murdered. Desperate to escape, they must make their way through the deserted mall before it's too late.

This thriller was ok for me. If you liked Richards' last book, you probably will enjoy this one!

I revived this book as an ARC through NetGalley and FireReads in exchange for an honest review.
Natalie never misses. I am someone who typically doesn’t read suspense/murder mystery type books but I can never say no to her titles. This book was the first where I really felt immersed in the situation. Jo and the others are full of surprises that left me wanting more. I found myself questioning who the second narrator was the entire story. Every time I was sure of their identity, I was proven wrong. I cannot wait for her next book!

Four Found Dead starts with eight workers who finish their final shift at a movie theater. Before they’re able to clock out, one by one, they get killed. This story is different because you know who the killer is but it’s a wild ride as the characters are trying to survive the night.
It was a good thriller but a little boring and repetitive. It was a short easy read but nothing that stood out. If you like young adult thriller books- this would be the book for you! I didn’t mind the read but I would probably skip this book and pick up a different one- for my personal preference.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Four Found Dead will be released on May 2, 2023.

4⭐️ Wow, this book was so engaging and I loved the story. This is a thriller book that takes place during the closing night at a movie theater when things take a turn and chaos begins. We start off and also by the title know that four people die and then we watch the events of the night unfold. This thriller kept me engaged and by the end of each chapter I wanted to read more and find out what happens next. If you want to read a fast paced thriller then I would definitely recommend this book.

Four Found Dead Review

Thank you so much Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for this gifted e read, in exchange for an honest review!! Four Found Dead is out May 2, 2023!

This book had a lot going for it. I have always loved a good mall setting and it definitely gives me 80s vibes whenever they are talked about. I’ve watched so many movies with malls, but never a book so I was super excited to dive in! Four Found Dead was a 2.5/5 ⭐️ for me! The whole book was a span of about an 8 hour night and it just really seemed to drag for me. It seemed very repetitive, kids just running around in a big mall. There were a lot of characters quickly introduced and not a lot of development. I really enjoyed the different formats of this book though! There were small interviews and quotes and letters at the end of each chapter that brought on complete dread.

Someone pinch me …

I just can’t snap out of the mood I got into while reading this one . My heart is racing, my pulse is pounding and my head is spinning .

I would love to say this was a skillfully planned out novel that must have taken endless amounts of time writing but that would not bring justice to the natural talent that emulates on each page flipped.

Natalie D. Richards, you are a unicorn.

I was completely consumed with Four Found Dead from the first chapter . I could not flip the pages fast enough, I just had to know what was going on .

I must have held my breath for 3/4th’s or this book. The twist was revealed and my jaw was on the floor . Just “wow!”

It was an honor to read and review Four Found Dead in exchange for an honest review .

Due out May 2, you don’t want to miss this one!

Teaser :

The last show has ended, but the nightmare is just beginning.

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.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

3.5 stars! This one was a little rough at the beginning for me, just because I wanted it to be a little more mysterious and wasn't expecting it to mostly be a survival story. But I enjoyed the second half more as the action was exciting, there were some reveals, and I got invested in the characters and the relationships. Not a standout for me but still enjoyable!

Whoa whoa whoa, what a trip. This is the fastest paced book I’ve read in awhile, and the action is practically non-stop from start to finish. The story takes place in a shuttered mall where the movie theatre has just finished its last day before also closing. To me, the setting is perfect… there are so many sad malls closing these days and I know of two that had movie theaters that eventually bit the dust. I’ve watched YouTube videos of urban explorers going through a local dead mall and it’s utterly fascinating. Because of this I found the plot of the teens equally fascinating because I could picture it so easily in my mind.

At first there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but once the plot moves from movie theatre to mall it’s easier to keep track of them. I felt like Jo’s character development was A+ but since the book takes place entirely from her point of view the other characters fell a little flat to me. I thought there was an opportunity to really play up Summer’s character through another POV but that was sadly missed. I can’t tell you why, but man I really wish I knew more about what she was going through.

If you like fast paced crime this is definitely the book for you! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. As always, opinions are my own.

If Clue was sexier and modern this was it. It had Clue/murder mystery vibes and I for one love that style of reading/writing.
This was entertaining and kept my attention the entire time.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars on here)

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

The premise behind this one was really good and I had such high expectations going into this book. However, it just fell a little flat for me. I absolutely love a good locked room thriller; but the author revealed who the killer was pretty early on. I feel like it would have been more suspenseful if we didn’t know who was doing the killing until later on in the book because I feel like that is where the book just kinda fell flat. We are following the characters being chased around an empty mall and movie theatre by the killer and just became very predictable. I still read the entire book, so it wasn’t like it was a DNF for me, but I’m just not sure how much I would recommend it, other than to people who are looking for a mindless read that isn’t too thrilling. Like it was still decent enough to finish, just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

Well, that was a disappointment. Four Found Dead is a locked room mystery. But it's not the typical whodunit plot. At the get-go, we are made aware of who the killer is, but the motive is unclear. I guess that was the point -- to determine the motive of the killer. Not the best narrative, in my opinion. I would have preferred (for the sake of suspense,) to be left biting my nails till the end to find out who the killer was and the motive behind the murders.

So, as soon as the killer is revealed, the story just lost all of its oomph. The reveal occurred fairly early so at 34% I was done. Too bad because it probably would have been an excellent read for me, otherwise. One unfortunate star.

I received a digital ARC from Sourcebooks Fire through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Six teenagers are working in an mall movie theater one last time. The mall is closing up and the theater is having its last run. Suddenly the electricity goes out and they can’t leave. They are locked in and one by one, something happens to each of them. This reads like an 80s horror movie and I was here for it!

3.5 stars

Jo and her coworkers are cleaning up after their last shift in a movie theater in a rundown mall. Their phones and stuff are tucked in a safe waiting for them to be done. There’s an argument between their boss, Clayton, and his wife and afterwards, Jo sees a gun on Clayton. Shots are fired, one coworker is killed and the other 5 flee into the abandoned mall to find an exit away from the killer.

While you know who has the gun and is the killer pretty much the majority of the book, you don’t know who the four dead will be and the dynamics between the group. Some people are acting suspiciously and most are just trying to get out alive.

This was a good atmospheric thriller that while you hoped the end game was that the four that lived did not include the killer, you weren’t actually sure. There could have been more surprises but it’s a decent ya thriller. Very reminiscent of Christopher Pike books from the 90s.

Thanks to NetGalley and and Sourcebooks Fire for this eARC. Four Found Dead comes out May 2nd, 2023.