Member Reviews
Four Found Dead is an intriguing story with interesting characters. It's also a suspenseful read that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall, the author did a good job with this story. I look forward to reading more books by the author.
I literally went out halfway through reading and ended up buying a copy of this because I started reading it after it was published. The storyline was so good. The letter excerpts were such a cool touch.
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A really great mystery/thriller. Definitely go pick this one up
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4.5🌟/5
Four Found Dead was an okay read I really expected more form the summary, but just never was amazed.
Unfortunately I don't think I'm alone in being disappointed in this book. We know who the killer is almost immediately so the entire time I'm waiting/hoping for some kind of twist, but it never came. Also, we never really found out the reason for the murders, it just seemed quite odd to be honest.
I loved the location of being trapped in a shut down shopping mall and the game of hide and seek but I just feel it could've been done so much better which was a real shame. It was rather repetitive too with the main character Jo having the same flashback to her childhood over and over again.
So much potential for #FourFoundDead but it didn't hit the mark sadly #NetGalley
2.5 stars rounded to 3 stars
The premise of this book was good. Four people are murdered in a mall, and we know that off the rip. We meet a group of teens and their slimy boss who is cheating on his wife. Then, the boss starts killing the kids. They try to hide and get away.
I really wanted to love this book. Instead, I found myself distracted and kind of bored while reading it. It was a lot of hiding and screaming and injury. I couldn’t picture the mall or the movie theater. By the end, I was so glad it was over that I didn’t really care who killed the bad guy.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This one was just ok. I found the storyline to be a bit forced, and didn't love the characters. Also, while I appreciate it all taking place over the span of basically a day, I think it could have been done better.
This book was pretty good! I had an idea who the killer was but it still kept me guessing. I really enjoyed reading this one!
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this review copy
I didn’t love this one. I prefer my thriller style books to keep me guessing about who/what is going on until the end. I didn’t like knowing the killer near the beginning.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.
Four Found Dead written by Natalie D. Richards kept me <b>on the edge of my seat, literally</b>. I can't even tell you my roller coaster of emotions, I gasped for air, I cried, I screamed, it was like experiencing all of the emotions just on one single page. I think I have finally entered my mystery/thriller era, because this is the second thriller book I have read in a row. Four Found Dead gave me all the emotions for a five star rating, but there was one reason I didn't give this book a five star rating, there was no reason explained as to why the gunman did what he did that awful night, like I read the whole book only not to discover why he did what he did. As I was reading this novel, it felt like I was right there in the movie theater with those teenagers, gasping for air, waiting to make my next move while the gunman is out there looking for his next victim, it was a crazy ride. This is a fast paced thriller that will hold you hostage and keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. You know a book will stick with you when you have a crazy dream thinking someone with a gun is chasing you. If you <b>HAVE NOT</b> read this book yet, I totally recommend you do so immediately, because it was just a nightmare. You can't help but cheer on these characters to make their next move and make it out alive.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND SOURCEBOOKS FIRE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!
Tonight, Tempest Theaters in Sandusky, Ohio are closing their doors for good. The once three story shopping mall is closed, but Tempest Theaters is the last to close their doors. At the beginning of Four Found Dead, Tempest Theaters has just shown their last of the movies before it will join the rest of the mall in closing forever. The moviegoers have left, and Jo and her six co-workers are the only ones left, they had the final shift in cleaning up popcorn, and mopping the floors for the final time. Jo and her six co-workers have locked the doors, the final cleaning has begun. It's bittersweet and sad to see the doors close forever, but these friends are looking forward to going out and getting pancakes together after the doors have been closed for good. But, after an altercation involving their jerk of a manager, Clayton, puts everyone on edge, the power suddenly goes out. When Jo is busy cleaning something up, Clayton is trying to stop a soda machine from exploding, but Jo notices something super shiny in the waistband of his jeans: a gun. Jo doesn't say anything to any of her co-workers because she watched her father get shot right in front of her eyes, and she doesn't want anyone to die in front of her tonight.
Clayton 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. Jo and everyone else knows something is wrong, but now their only chance to escape the murderer in their midst is through the dark, shuttered mall. How is that possible when the power is out? How is that possible when all the doors are locked? How is that possible when all the fire alarms have been disconnected and all the windows are boarded up? With exits boarded up and fire alarms disconnected, the shopping mall is filled with hiding places for both purser and pursed. In order to survive this awful night, Jo and her friends must trust one another, navigate the sprawling ruins of the mall, and outwit a killer before he strikes again, but before they can escape more bodies have been found. Come on Clayton, all this group of friends wanted to do was go out to get pancakes after closing the movie theaters doors for the final time, but no, some of your stupid petty drama is causing them their lives. The only issue is you didn't know what they petty drama was or why Clayton decided to start killing innocent teenagers.
The characters in "Four Found Dead" are well-developed and relatable, each with their own unique personalities and motivations. Richards does an excellent job of creating realistic and three-dimensional characters, making it easy to invest emotionally in their stories. The protagonist, in particular, is a strong and determined individual who drives the narrative forward. The twists and turns in the plot are well-executed, keeping readers engaged and eager to uncover the truth behind the deaths. The author's ability to create a sense of unease and uncertainty adds to the overall enjoyment of the book.
While the pacing of the story is generally steady, there are a few moments where it slows down slightly. However, these instances are quickly overshadowed by the gripping suspense that permeates the narrative. The author's ability to maintain a sense of urgency and keep readers invested in the outcome is commendable.
"Four Found Dead" is a captivating and suspenseful read that will satisfy fans of mystery and thriller genres. Natalie D. Richards' writing prowess and ability to craft an intriguing plot make this book a compelling page-turner. If you're looking for a thrilling ride filled with twists and turns, this novel is definitely worth your attention. With its gripping storyline and well-rounded characters, it deserves a solid four-star rating!
As I was looking over other reviews to make sure I wasn't the odd ball, I realized I was not alone in my thoughts of this book. Although the structure of the book is different that the "norm", I did not enjoy learning who the killer was so early in the story.. I remember thinking about what might happen in the rest of the book once it was discovered.
I did enjoy the pace at the beginning and will be giving this author's other reads a try! Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the copy of this story!
I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't. I found that the book gave away too much information in the beginning (the tile tells you how many die, and you learn who the killer is rather quickly) that the rest of the book just seems repetitive and elongated to kill off the characters.
**Thank you to Netgalley for the e-copy in exchange for an honest review**
I was very excited to read this book. I recently discovered I like YA mysteries and thrillers, so this fell right in my lane. But, unfortunately, I didn't like this book.
I wasn't expecting knowing who the killer was from the beginning so that surprised me, and then I didn't like how things went forward in the book, everything felt repetitive and expected? I was not shocked by the turn events took and was honestly not enjoying the read.
The characters... I could not be bothered to care for any of them unfortunately, even the romance, which I'm usually a fan of, did not engage me at all.
So in the end it took me a very long time to read this book and I almost DNF'ed it but pushed throught to review it.
(Giving it 2 stars because nothing seemed utterly wrong for me, just didn't enjoy it and it wasn't for me.)
I devoured Four Found Dead in one day! It was perfectly paced, thrilling, and I could not put it down. I felt like I was there each step of the way and highly recommend this.
The last show has ended, but the nightmare is just beginning...
Tonight, Tempest Theater will close its doors for good, just like all the other stores that were in this shopping mall. The customers have cleared out, so Jo and six of her coworkers are cleaning for the last time, until an unexpected altercation occurs. The power's gone out and their manager is nowhere to be found, leaving them without access to their locked up phones or the outside world since all doors have been locked. During the hunt for their manager, one of them winds up dead, and it doesn't take long for the rest of the crew to find out. Their only chance at surviving is through the dark and boarded up mall, with many places for them or their pursuer to hide. Can Jo and her coworkers find it in themselves to trust each other and outsmart the killer?
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was fast-paced and kept me on my toes! I was constantly wondering what their next move would be and who would make it out. The narrator, Rebecca Quinn Robertson, did a great job voicing the characters and capturing their emotions. At times, her whispers were a little too soft and her swallowing was a little too loud. If you're a fan of YA Thrillers, add this to your TBR!
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and Edelweiss+. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I had such high hopes for this book after reading the synopsis, but it didn’t deliver for me. This book got really repetitive in the store kept going round and round. I also hated how we knew so much upfront, and it wasn’t revealed to us as the story went on. I can’t stand that we knew who the killer was from the very beginning, this could’ve been such a great plot point, revealing it later on.
My main issue with the book was just how repetitive it was, and this could’ve been helped with some editing
I went into this looking forward to the premise and locked room mystery aspects that this was gonna give me. I was thinking Phantom of the Megaplex, but scarier and in a mall movie theater.
I do feel like the title gives away some of the mystery and kind of ruined it for me. I started it like "okay 4 are dead now what?" Knowing who the killer is and how many are gonna be dead just ruins the whole thing and it can make a reader want to dnf as quick as possible.
This could potentially only be good for a reader who has never read a mystery thriller before and then they will know it only gets better from there.
3.5 stars
Typically I love Natalie Richards books. And I mean love, I have read all of her books in one sitting. There was just something missing for me in this one. Overall it was an ok read. I definitely felt that the audiobook was much more suitable to get through. I am happy I stuck it out for the ending of the book. However there was no big jaw dropping moment at the end. There was a small one but not really too shocking. No matter how I feel about this one, Natalie Richards is still on my auto buy books.
Thank you to netgalley, Natalie Richards and source fire books for this ARC.
A closing night at a theater turns deadly.
7 teenagers must escape an abandoned mall after their manager snaps and starts killing people.
I found myself really enjoying this book in the beginning. It very much gave me Scream/slasher movie vibes, which I thought was really cool. I kept, however, for something more to happen and I don't feel like it ever delivered. I found a lot of things to be not very believable, which I can usually overlook, especially in horror, but found it hard to do now. The motive behind Clayton's actions felt kind of shallow and not very fleshed out. The same goes for the characters. I didn't really get attached to anyone except Jo and maybe Hudson. Generally enjoyed this, but I was dragging my feet a little by the end.