Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten

Unger (The New Couple in 5B) centers this overstuffed action thriller around a dangerous game of hide and seek. Former extreme sports star Maverick Dillan runs a wildly popular production company that specializes in high-profile, high-stakes adventures for thrill seekers. His latest contest—a game of hide and seek with a million-dollar prize—is set to take place on the beautiful Falcão Island, part of a remote archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Adele, a newly single mother, has entered the competition with the encouragement of her two teenage children. Shortly after she arrives on Falcão, a storm rocks the island, and dire warnings from a local mystic strike an ominous tone. Then rumors swirl that a missing contestant has been murdered. Unger overcomplicates her closed-circle setup, introducing podcast transcripts, convoluted backstories for her characters, and a dizzying number of narrators. While some twists satisfy and the pace remains brisk throughout, this doesn’t live up to its potential. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (Feb.)