Young adult author White (The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein) makes her adult debut with this intricately plotted horror full of supernatural and terrestrial terrors. Fourteen contestants gather to compete in a weeklong hide-and-seek competition at an abandoned amusement park with a dark history. A dangerous mix of ambition and desperation has each hoping to win the promised $50,000 prize, but the stakes quickly become higher than they could possibly imagine. As the competitors are eliminated under increasingly suspicious circumstances, they realize that they are connected by more than just coincidence and begin to question just who--or what--is seeking them. Eschewing the prize money, they must band together if they hope to leave with even their lives. Narrator Emma Galvin's edgy, almost androgynous voice shifts seamlessly between the multiple points of view. Her urgent delivery amplifies the fast-paced narrative and enhances the tension and menace. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a spine-tingling and suspenseful tale of survival, full of creepy, compelling twists. Recommended for fans of David Moody, S. A. Barnes, and Matthew Lyons.--Lauren Hackert

Transitioning from YA fiction following the conclusion of her Camelot Rising trilogy (starting with The Guinevere Deception, 2019), White makes her adult debut with a contemporary thriller centered around a classic Greek myth, with just a touch of reality-show flair. Fourteen people desperate to make a fresh start have more in common than they know. That connection makes them prime candidates for the contest for which they have been selected: a competition based on a children's game, set in an isolated, long-forgotten amusement park, with a fabulous monetary prize for the winner. All they have to do is stay hidden from a mysterious seeker for a week. The shifting viewpoints of contestants and event organizers open a window to background and motivation and offer insight into the purpose behind the game while building tension as each contender is eliminated. The suspenseful plot combines elements of Thomas Tryon's classic Harvest Home, Netflix's Squid Games, and the social commentary of Jordan Peele's film oeuvre and mixes these with a revelatory pacing reminiscent of Spielberg's Jaws. Horror enthusiasts will devour this devilishly clever story.

Bram Stoker Award--winning YA author White (Camelot Rising) makes her adult debut with an enthralling, high-energy thriller grounded in supernatural horror. Fourteen contestants are dropped off in an abandoned amusement park for a weeklong game of extreme hide-and-seek with a massive cash prize. Among them is Mackenzie "Mack" Black, recruited through the homeless shelter where she's been staying. Mack is skilled at making herself invisible, having survived her father's massacre of her family by hiding. But as players develop alliances and rivalries, it becomes clear to some that there's more than money at stake, while others uncover the horrors lurking in the park. White's depictions of players other than Mack begin in stereotype, but she gradually reveals enough emotional depth in each that, by the time they become a team determined to survive, the reader is ready to cheer them on in both their escape and their satisfying revenge against those who would treat them as disposable. White skillfully balances the terrifying solo experiences of individual characters, the tense group dynamics, and the park's backstory to create a constantly shifting narrative backed by a growing sense of dread. With this exhilarating outing, White proves she has a finger on the pulse of millennial horror. (May)