The setting is Wall Street in a brokerage firm that either is everyone's worst nightmare working environment or is dead-on regarding the cut throat nature of Wall Street. The book is told in present day and through flashbacks of one its workers, Sara, who was a brilliant recent graduate in need of a break. When she is hired at Stanhope and Sons, she believes that all of her dreams have been fulfilled and her problems are over. She could not have been more wrong. In the present, four fellow workers of Sara's - the most successful team at Stanhope - are summoned to a late night meeting in what appears to be an abandoned building. After entering the elevator, the four discover that they are part of an escape room puzzle that goes horribly and terrifyingly wrong. As the team solves more of the puzzles' clues, they realize that it is not a game, unless it's a game to the death.

There were parts of the story line that were questionable and took a little suspension of belief, however, I absolutely loved this book. The characters are developed so well and so thoroughly that I despised each of the four in the elevator. By the end of the book, I was actually hoping they all would die. Seriously. They are bad people. At the same time, the background story of Sara was fascinating and realistically well told. I read this one in one night without stopping. If you like thrilling thrillers and despicable characters, then this is a must-read book for you!

I tried several times to get into this book, and just couldn't do it. It wasn't that the characters weren't appealing, I loved the way they were interacting in the beginning--all with their own anxieties, their bad behaviors, inner demons. I was fascinated by the stereotypical "b-word" character who had a lot more to hide. But I just struggled to get back to the pages after I started. Maybe it didn't start quick enough, or the writing flagged after the intro. I'm not sure what it was.

*3.5 stars rounded up.

With her newly-minted MBA degree, Sara Hall thinks all her dreams have come true when she finally lands an entry-level job at one of the world's leading financial houses on Wall Street, Stanhope and Sons. She quickly learns it's all about Money--how to make it, accumulate it, spend it.

She begins working with a team: her boss Vincent de Vries, Sam, Jules and Sylvia, along with Lucy, the brilliant but somewhat autistic number cruncher. They are not all that welcoming but she's determined to prove her worth to them, putting in grueling hours right from the start.

So that's part of this story, told from Sara's first person perspective. In alternating chapters, we learn about the 'escape room' challenge. This part is told in third person omniscient point of view. Vincent, Sam, Jules and Sylvia arrive at a high-rise building that is under construction for a mandatory team building activity. They are not pleased--it's a Friday night and they all have weekend plans. But okay, this will only take an hour and then they can be off to better things. They climb aboard the elevator which blasts them up to the 70th floor...and then the fun begins.

The book starts off with what seems like the ending and then the story goes back to tell how it all came about. The escape room plot is interesting at first but grows a bit tedious as these four ruthless people are pitted against each other in tight quarters.

I preferred Sara's story myself; she's my favorite character. The others are pretty unlikeable, as I'm sure they were intended to be. Wrapping up, I thought the ending was ironically delicious and was well thought out.

I received an arc of this suspense novel from the publisher vis NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a wild ride - for those stuck in the elevator, that was literal. This book is packed full of action and suspense, all set in the high-paced, cutthroat world of Wall Street.

A team of four financial analysts are summoned to an abandoned building and told to get in the elevator as part of a “team building exercise” for their employer. With cutbacks on the horizon, they all show up and enter the elevator, but it quickly becomes apparent that they may not get out. Interspersed with this present-day drama is the history of the team, which is apparently recently down two members. Turns out, things aren’t as rosy and cozy as they appear.

This book uses a classic scenario - the trapped on a deserted island/trapped somewhere - but adds the twist that there are clues dropped which could help them figure out why they’re there and how to get out. I loved this twist, though it may have put me off escape rooms for life, lol. It was really well done and all the classic elements of the stranded motif are there: people start to go a little crazy, someone gets dangerously ill, they turn on each other! Oh my!

I loved it.

I don’t want to say too much more because the plot is great, and I don’t want to give it away. But suffice it to say that the drama and stress of Wall Street is there in full force with characters that are maybe shady, maybe friendly, it’s full of twists!

If you like thrillers and suspense, you’ll love this book!

Vincent, Sylvie, Sam, and Jules have been summoned to the elevator for what they assume is a team building activity. They are worried as rumors of layoffs are looming, so not showing is not an option.

The elevator is an escape room. The clues begin to reveal something more sinister than any of them were prepared for. The only way to get out of the elevator alive is to solve the clues...the longer they find themselves trapped, the more the team facade begins to crack.

Sara Hall was once part of the team, until she was fired after stumbling across some information about her colleague and friend, Lucy. Did Lucy really commit suicide or was she murdered? When Sara finds out that Lucy's mother had died in a hit and run accident a few months later...more suspicions surface.

Having lost everything...her job, her fiancee, and any prospects for a future in NY, Sara leaves the city. Settling into her new and far from glamorous life, Sara finds more information about Lucy and the firm...infomation that is deadly.

Someone wants to avenge Lucy, her mother, and Sara's deaths...but who?

This book kept my attention and was intriguing most of the way through. The ending was somewhat predictable. Overall, I give it a 3.5/5.

This was a riveting thriller. The Escape Room is split between 5 perspectives and two timelines, which helped to increase the pace. In the past, we have the perspective of Sara Hall, a recent business school grad desperate to find a high-paying job. She lands at Stanhope & Sons, on a team run by the distant Vincent and populated by 4 other employees: Sam, Sylvie, Jules, and Lucy. Sara's dedication to helping her aging parents and secret friendship with math genius Lucy keep her going. However, she struggles to fit in with with the rest of the team, and her personal life is in shambles because of the endless hours she's expected to put in at the firm. In the present, Vincent, Sam, Sylvie, and Jules arrive at an under-construction building for a mysterious meeting. They step into an elevator, but the doors don't open when it reaches their floor. The team is already under a great deal of pressure—they've just completed their worst business year to date—so being trapped in an elevator together is a recipe for disaster even before secrets begin to seep into the claustrophobic space. Although I did figure out some aspects of the ending by the middle of the book, the twists were well-executed. A great pick for anyone who loves a tense, claustrophobic thriller with a hearty dose of in-depth character study.

What the hell kind of awesomeness did I just read? The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is an epic psychological thriller that had me fearing for elevators more so than ever before! But above everything, that bloody ending was f***ing amazing!

What happens when you take four investment bankers and stick them in an elevator together for a team building exercise? I can see how one would think that’s a joke, but let’s just add that they’ve all been lured into the elevator and they have no idea why. This escape room is far more sinister than they thought it would be.

This book is told through two points of views. One is from Sarah Hall, an only child who chose a high paying job at a bank in order to help her parents. After one of her co-workers appears to have committed suicide, Sarah knows something isn’t right. She begins to investigate the dark and ominous secrets her co-workers and what her job holds. There begins Sarah’s mischievous plan of revenge.

The other points of views are told from the four co-workers in the elevator. Not only do we get the glimpses into what would appear as the escape room, but we also get to know the corrupt and evil perspectives of these individuals. Only adding to the suspense of how they got lured into the escape room and by whom.

This book was one hell of a thrilling ride! I honestly couldn’t put it down and finished it in one afternoon. That entire weekend I took the stairs and refused to get into my apartment’s elevator — thank you Goldin! Even though I thought I knew how this was all going to be pulled together, Goldin pulls a fast one with her twists. And don’t even get me on that bloody ending! I literally started applauding at the end it was that good!

I think what really made this book great for me were the characters. I truly thought I’d hate the four investment bankers, but as we got their perspectives and narration, I started to loathe them — it was awesome. Without giving it away, you have to love how everything turns out for everyone!

One aspect that I found negative was the plausibility. I mean, I definitely had nightmares after reading this and stayed clear of elevators for a while, but there is absolutely no way someone could pull off a stunt like this. BUT putting that aside, the validity of this book also makes it so enjoyable. Once I tabled the soundness of the plot, this book turned into one hell of a crazy ride I couldn’t stop reading!

If you’re looking for a claustrophobic, gripping and unforgettable psychological thriller you can’t go wrong with The Escape Room by Megan Goldin. I honestly couldn’t believe this was Goldin’s debut novel either! What seemed to be harmless team building exercise became much darker as the participants struggle to make it out alive! I highly recommend this darkly satisfying thriller, you’ll certainly think twice about stepping into an elevator after!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Megan Goldin for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Well, well, well. This is not going to be for everyone, but for me, it hit all the right notes. A fast-paced read that has really unlikable characters that are very much needed since this story is part revenge and part who-dun-it. The satisfying ending made up for any clunkiness the story might have had.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

Vincent, Sam, Jules and Sylvie are all ambitious, cutthroat investment bankers at the firm of Stanhope and Sons.
They are called to a team building escape challenge in an elevator, at a property under construction, participation is mandatory.
They enter the elevator and the lights go out, leaving them in a suffocating darkness. Then it surges upward. They push buttons on the control panel, but they don't respond.
A small television monitor above the panel lights up with their first clue. It is about a former colleague, Sara Hall.
The four of them begin to realize this may not be an ordinary test, it may be an exercise in revenge.
The narrative alternates between escalating anxiety and the sinister happenings in the elevator, and the story of Sara as she navigates the ruthless world of finance, and the poisonous environment it fosters at their firm.
The two accounts converge at the frightening, bloody conclusion.
This was a nail biting, nerve wracking, original psychological thriller that was so entertaining and exciting to read.
Add this one to your list!
Thank you to St. Martin's Publishing Group for the e-ARC via NetGalley.
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.

Megan Goldin has written an addictive and entertaining thriller that will have you thinking twice before you get on another elevator. The last thing that Vincent, Jules, Sam, and Sylvie want to be doing is a team building exercise. But that’s what they find themselves doing after their elevator comes to a stop and a message pops up saying that all they need to do is escape before they die. Thinking that this is an escape room and all they need to do is solve the puzzle and soon they will be on there merry ways, but things aren’t quite as they appear to be.Soon secrets and betrayals are revealed and things get ugly between the coworkers.

Greed, backstabbing, lies, coverups, and deceit all seem to play a prominent part in this groups dynamics. The story is told from the perspectives of these characters in the elevator as well as another character who worked with them and her dealings with them leading up to this. Hi power finance seems to be pretty cutthroat and these characters seem to be cut out for the job.Ambitious, selfish, relentless, vindictive, none of them were likable and yet I was still completely intrigued by their stories. I was right there in that elevator with them claustrophobic, panicking, stressing, sweating, and shivering. This is one of those absorbing reads that has you furiously turning pages needing to know the outcome and needing to know it now!

This book in three emojies: 🏢 💵 ⏱

Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam all work together in Wall Street finance where getting rich is all that matters, and they will do whatever it takes to be the best. And when they’re all thrown into a ruthless team building challenge – that involves being locked in an elevator – dark secrets and deceptions are exposed and it no longer feels like a game anymore. It starts to feel like a game of survival.

This one was a really interesting story. It was really thrilling and I tore through it to find out what would happen.

It's hard to review some of my reservations without spoilers.. I will just say I think the title was a tiny bit misleading. And While it wasn’t the book I thought it was going to be, I still enjoyed it.

This was a quick read, dark and with an interesting if not wholly original plot twist. The majority of the characters were unlikeable but there is a certain sense of twisted satisfaction that plays out, I can see it being a theatrical release.

My idea of the perfect thriller is intense suspense and a cast of characters with just enough mystery that I can't tell who-dun-it. The Escape Room fulfilled this almost exactly. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the story play out and was not able to guess what happened (although it was pretty obvious who was responsible for the escape room). I gave this 4 stars instead of 5, however, because it seemed like the climax scene was too short and sudden, and I don't love when authors lay out the full explanation at the very end. There were hints throughout, but I just don't think the ending was done super well. That being said, this was very fun and I will be looking for more from Megan Goldin!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a free digital galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was totally surprised by The Escape Room in the best way possible. I wasn’t sure what I expected going in, but I wasn’t expecting what I got. It was so hard to put down and I eagerly keep flipping pages wondering what was going to happen next.

I don’t want to spoil too much of the plot, so I’m just going to say that the novel alternated between two plots, which obviously came together at the end. The first was four high power employees getting locked in an elevator, being told that it was an escape room for a team building event. The second was the story of Sara Hall.

I loved the way that the novel was divided and I was hooked on both of the elevator scenes and Sara’s story. The novel isn’t your typical mystery thriller where there isn’t a big twist at the end. I think the novel was flawless throughout and I really felt my like or dislike towards the characters.

5 calculators out of a potential 5. One of my favourite novels of the year. Highly recommend this one!

I feel like you have to suspend belief when you read this book. I think you can find a lot of enjoyment reading this book but it isn't really believable.

I would give this book 3.75 stars but round up to 4. The book was just really redundant and I know I have already said it but it wasn't super believable. The characters were not especially likable either but something about this book was compelling enough for me to continue reading.

Absolutely brilliant, gripping, addictive .
The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is the thriller that I was waiting for.
It’s completely different of the thrillers I have read so far.
YES (written with capitals )to recommend this book

WELCOME TO THE ESCAPE ROOM. YOUR GOAL IS SIMPLE. GET OUT ALIVE.

Really enjoyed this one! It was fast paced and entertaining with an original story line.
I will definitely pick up Megan Goldin’s next book. Great job!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my ARC.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆
This is a clever morality play for the 21st century. Since the financial crash in 2008, bankers have been society’s easy villains and this story carefully observes the toxic interactions between a group of morally bankrupt Wall Street gods.

From the start, none of the characters in this book are likeable or relateable. The author doesn’t make any effort to move them beyond the tired stereotypes of modern bankers (think drug and alcohol problems, sexual incontinence, casual misogyny, extreme greed, and billion dollar deals signed off in strip clubs). The author’s anti-Wall Street agenda reminds me of a Victorian morality play or post WW2 socialist writing. As readers, we are being taught a lesson about greed and corruption and each character is merely a representation of a specific aspect of our corrupt society.

The story is a puzzle. Alongside the characters in the elevator, readers have to piece together their complicated shared history and try to figure out who is controlling the elevator. Each new revelation reveals more of their ugly past. It took me a few chapters to realise that the story was flipping back and forth in time and back and forth between multiple perspectives. Once I understood the format, I had an easier time piecing the story puzzle together, but I didn’t find this an easy book to get into. I’m also not sure how well the format works – I feel like I guessed the ending far too early and I didn’t care enough for any of the characters to feel at all invested in the outcome.


Veronica – ☆☆☆
This story starts with prologue that hints that very bad things have happened in the elevator in an office tower that is still partial under construction. The story switches between the present where Vincent, Jules, Sam, and Sylvie are in the elevator/escape room, and the past, where a recent college graduate named Sara Hall has taken a high paying, high stress job with the people who in the present, was in the elevator.

I’m a reader that likes it when books switch between the past and the present and for the most part is works well here. The only problem was in the middle of the book, I was getting bored with the time spent in the past. I wasn’t particularly connected to Sara as a character and I felt like the situation she was in was partly of her own making. I felt like I was observing Sara’s story rather than being a part of it. I was move interested in the people in the elevator, even though they weren’t the nicest people either. Given it was clear the past was crucial to the present I kept reading.

It is worth hanging on through the slow parts of this story because the latter part it really picks up the pace and in the end was quite thrilling. Secrets are revealed and the well-crafted narrative comes to an immensely satisfying conclusion. The Escape Room turned out to be a good read. It gets a solid three stars from me.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
I have to say that one of the draws for reading this book was the endorsement by Lee Child, as his Jack Reacher stories are some of my favourite. It did not match his skill in excitement nor did it have a single redeeming character, but somehow I found that I had to keep reading, because I did want to know just how it played out.

If I were to have my time again, I think I would have avoided the prologue – I won't tell you why if you haven't yet read it! I enjoy books which swap the narrative between characters, and don't even mind the time jumping, which is a good thing as we certainly have to think on our feet around a bit!

There are some seriously unpleasant people in this book, and if you have enjoyed Wall Street, The Devil Wears Prada, or Bonfire of the Vanities, then you will enjoy the selfishness of these Finance Geniuses, who have been making money hand over fist for so long, that their souls have been resold so often the trace has gone cold. It is actually a challenge to find any redeeming characteristics amongst the whole bunch – but sometimes that is fun in itself, and can lighten one's self esteem, as truly no one reading this can be THAT horrible!

I could undoubtedly see this as a film. I will enjoy reading other people's reviews and see how they felt about it.

This thriller was fast paced and highly entertaining, but required too much suspension of disbelief for me.

A solid thriller with a very intriguing premise. Sara Hall starts out at Stanhope with stars in her eyes, but quickly realizes that the high-flying corridors of Wall Street finance hide a lot of secrets, some of them too dark to even comprehend.

Loved the escape room concept. I did feel that some parts were a bit drawn out because of which I am giving only four stars instead of five. Otherwise, a great thriller!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.