Four Found Dead

In this drawn-out thriller by Richards (Seven Dirty Secrets), eight teenagers fight for their lives against a murderous assailant in a desolate shopping mall. Jo and her seven coworkers are busy celebrating their bittersweet last night working at Riverview Theaters, the sole remaining open business in their soon-to-be-renovated Ohio mall. But when Jo goes to retrieve her confiscated phone from their manager, she discovers a coworker’s recently murdered body. Suddenly, the lights go out and the mall’s doors are sealed from the outside, and with the group’s phones still locked in the theater’s safe, they’re forced to rely on their wits to survive until someone can call for help. Each of the teens has a secret, and as they’re hunted down, their secrets’ connection to the murderer’s motive slowly unfurls. The immediate reveal of the killer’s identity saps narrative tension, and gratuitous banter frequently stymies atmosphere. Nevertheless, Jo’s urgent-feeling first-person POV, interspersed with newspaper clippings and personal email exchanges, ably guides the plot, which teems with rich character interactions and propulsive action as slasher-flick ambiance takes over the nostalgic setting. Jo reads as white, and the supporting cast is racially diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media. (May)