Wow! Talk about a page turner, this is it!

If you've ever been jilted by a lover, sabotaged by co-workers or treated unfairly by a boss and have daydreamed of revenge, you'll enjoy this book! It's a tightly woven story about the highs and lows of investment banking and the depths people will reach to satisfy their greed.

As always, thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. #theescaperoom #netgalley

Four employees get told that they are taking part in an escape room and they are trapped in an elevator. There are various confusing clues for them to try and solve and it takes them a while to realise that its not just a simple game.
As someone who absolutely loves going to escape rooms in my real life I just had to read this book.
I really enjoyed it, although, it wasn't very fast paced, it did grab my attention and kept me interested for the most part. The book was a bit slow in places especially in the beginning then it seemed to fly through to the end, with more and more secrets being revealed.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book.

Ah! The greed and treachery of the banking industry!

This is an intriguing, but farfetched plot. Although compelling, there were parts that seemed to drag on and on and I found myself skimming.
I waiver between rating this three or four stars. As over the top as it was, it was kind of a fun read……

3.5 rounded up to 4stars ~. My bestie tried an Escape Room recently. She told me how much fun it was! I have been wanting to do one myself for a while now. They sound so fun and intriguing. Danger free really. No harm...it's a game. A great adventure! It adds to the excitement and fun, of course, to do with friends, family, or at least people you like and trust. The Escape Room in this novel is not THAT Escape Room.

From the burb, "In the lucrative world of Wall Street finance, Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are the ultimate high-flyers. Ruthlessly ambitious, they make billion-dollar deals and live lives of outrageous luxury. Getting rich is all that matters, and they'll do anything to get ahead."

Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam believe they are going to be closed up in this elevator for a team building exercise that is like an Escape Room But this elevator exercise is no fun for the twisted, narcissistic, sickos in this thriller. I really detested the people of the elevator. So much so that I at times did not want to finish this book. Honestly, I did put it down and read a lighter book alongside it. The thought of the characters still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The story is told in different timelines. A main character, Sarah has chapters of her own; there are alternating chapters that give the point of view of the power-hungry evil people who think they are in an elevator that is being used for a work exercise. I hated reading the elevator chapters. UGH! Some cutthroat people in there. I felt they couldn't get what they deserved soon enough!

I did like finding out the real reason for the "Escape Room" exercise. I will say no more about that right now. I thought Sarah was an interesting and well-developed character. I liked hearing her story and how she was connected to the elevator vipers. There is a bit of a mystery that surrounds Sarah and that kept me turning pages.

Upon first wrapping up this book, which I read along with some Traveling Sisters (an awesome discussion we had!); I was leaning towards 3.5 stars. I just hated those coworkers in the elevator so much, and I know for me; I tend to not like a book as much when I don't connect with so many characters. After giving it some time for me to sit with, I think it's a really well-written thriller, with most of my sister-friends loving it. So, 4 stars it is!

Many thanks to the publisher via NetGalley, for sending me a digital copy to read for a review. I do recommend it! Some of my friends in the Traveling Sisters group really loved it and gave it 5 stars. While I didn't, I can tell you I won't soon forget it! That's a good thing in my book!

Vincent, Sam, Sylvie, and Jules have been called to a last minute meeting. A last minute, mandatory meeting at that. They arrive at a random office building in the middle of nowhere, South Bronx, and are told they're going to participate in a team building exercise—an escape room.

What was supposed to be an hour long detour in each of their evenings, stretches out much longer than expected. Trapped in an elevator with a series of clues to unravel before they can leave, the coworkers, all team members at a highly competitive investment firm, quickly find themselves at each others throats. Each new riddle leads to more and more explosive revelations and it soon becomes clear that this is not about team building at all.

The Escape Room is an absolute edge of your seat read!

Escape rooms have become more and more popular with each passing month and have entered into pop culture in what has to be the most expected, sinister way—as fodder for horror movies and thrillers. Because what sounds more fun than being trapped with a bunch of people trying to untangle clues and riddles before you can leave, right?

Goldin's tale alternates chapters between the four in the elevator, present, and a woman named Sara Hall. Unemployed and desperate, Sara has run through a series of interviews at a series of investment firms to no end. Until she catches a lucky break that gets her hired at Stanhope and Sons. The very firm Vincent, Sam, Sylvie, and Jules work at. In fact, along with one other employee, Lucy, they make up the very team Sara works alongside.

But Sara and Lucy are conspicuously missing from the escape room antics, which is just the first of many twists of the novel.

I enjoyed the heck out of this book. The pacing was excellent and those twists kept me intrigued throughout. I just had to know what was going to happen next!

This is Goldin's debut release stateside. The Australian native has one previous release that hasn't made its way here as of yet, but I certainly hope that it will. What's more, I'll be looking forward to more from her down the road!

*4.5 Stars*

The Escape Room was riveting psychological thriller with revenge game arc and smart corporate setting. It revolved around the finance bankers of Wall Street. It was about revenge, money, greed, power, selfishness and ruthlessness to the core.

Book started 34 hrs before a Watchman found out something bad was happening in the under construction office building in South Bronx that was going to open in few weeks. Vincent, Sylvie, Sam and Jules – Wall Street colleagues, finance bankers – were called to an off-site office building and were forced to play The Escape Room challenge in order to save their jobs. A game that looked harmless at first turned into more sinister and personal.

Chapters alternated by the elevator escape room, a present scenario and a person connected to these four, a former employee telling life story in past, how that person got the job in same organization and what happened henceforth. Both narration one by one told about characters, what they thought about each other, their secrets and their sins.

So, the first question popped when I start reading this thriller was why these four particularly were chosen for the challenge? What connection did they have with former employee? As I read few chapters more it was clear it’s a revenge game but by whom? Who was behind the challenge, setting them up and putting all clues and rules of the game?

All characters were developed, unlikable, some even hateful. Some were genuine and reliable but good doesn’t stay for long when you are surrounded by of bad evil. I even felt Vincent was good but I kept questioning if he was. All these four stuck in elevator were the greediest either for money or power, they didn’t look back who they’ve trodden in their path. Selfish, ostentatious and ruthless are the words that defines them. Compassion, kindness was not in their dictionary.

It shocked me to read how much all the characters worked, how much they valued money than ethics and humanity, the greed and power turned them all blind leaving only few who remained shut and out-of-the-way. I keep questioning, was it worth working inhuman hours, to be part of cut-throat competition, not even able have peaceful or happy family time. My jaw dropped at how much appearance mattered in this corporate world. As I read more things turned crazier and monstrous to the point I thought this can’t be reality.

Twist and turns were good. First half was not that thrilling but it had that hovering tension, not on edge of the seat kind, but enough to keep me anxious. It was more like character building, setting the stage for drama. The second half was brilliant. All the hell broke out, all the worst things started taking place one-by-one and as I reach the climax, I enjoyed the action both elevator and former employee’s life. One can solve the mystery before second half started but the fun was to know whys and hows.

End was satisfactory. I liked the way things turned out. After finishing the book I kept thinking about their situation for long time. I’m sure it won’t be my last book by Megan Goldin. After reading this revenge game, I want to read more in this theme.

Why 4.5 stars-

As much as this book was fun reading and loved that tense feeling and curiosity to keep reading till the end of the book, I was constantly aware this can’t be possible in real life, whether it’s office environment or the escape room challenge.

Overall, it was gripping, brilliantly executed psychological thriller, a revenge game filled with unlikable characters that reader of this genre would love to devour.

This book was just filled with action. The book starts with the four showing up to what is supposed to be a meeting but ends up being “and escape room challenge” by not. It quickly becomes evident that they are there as some kind of revenge. Throughout the story we go back and forth in time, seeing how the parties ended up here and who Sara Hall is. We see them at their worst and how corporate ambition and greed corrupts. One thing I never saw coming was the twist at the end, Throughout the story I kept thinking I knew who was behind it all, but I never saw the end coming. I loved this and old most definitely read other books by this author! 5 out of 5.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
It's all about people who will do anything to succeed. They are all unlikable, even the ones you
would like to love. The use and abuse and mistreat all around them. Then comes the escape room, a
team building exercise that is brutal and abusive. Not my kind of book at all. BUT then you found out the full story...ruthless revenge! Not usually my cup of tea but this time I loved it.
A pretty readable, fairly well written book. It was a little draggy in the middle but overal
an entertaining read.

I admit I was completely shocked at how much i loved this book! after reading some reviews I was hesitant to take this one on, but ended up loving it.

pros: the two plotlines (present and past leading to present) are both engaging. it takes a bit of time for the past to work up to its point, but it ends up being incredibly engaging about halfway through. the premise and twists in the book are very engaging- it’s the kind of “cant sleep” read that makes you wanna stay up and finish.

cons: our main character Sara doesn’t have a lot of uniqueness to her. I wanted to know her, but at the surface she was boring. also, some of the firm characters are nothing more than stereotypical.

Megan Goldin’s The Escape Room is the type of book that more than deserves every glowing review, every reader who calls it “unputdownable”, and every list who identifies it as a top-thriller of 2019. I absolutely could not tear myself away from this book despite the long list of things I had to do (work, sleep, eat, clean)! Truly, this is a book that you should not skip!

I love the way the book opens in the present time, with a glimpse of where the shocking, twisty story leads us. It was quite an opening scene—I was drawn right into the story! All I will say is the book opens with a security guard watching as an elevator in the building he thought he was alone in descends and the doors open. Chills!

Told in alternate timelines, we weave towards finding out exactly what he might have seen when that elevator opened. In one timeline, four colleagues at prestigious financial firm Stanhope arrive for a meeting late in the day Friday. Distracted by outside life events, they get in the elevator hoping for a quick meeting. But when the elevator freezes and a chilling message comes up on the screen, the four realize that they are trapped in an escape room, and the only way to survive is to solve all of the clues.

In the other timeline, young Sara Hall is desperately searching for a job after graduating from her masters degree. As Sara begins work at Stanhope, we see her work insane hours, learn to dress the part, and fight for respect from her teams members. But how do you know who to trust in a place like Stanhope?

Back in the current time, the people in the escape room begin trying to solve the clues. But when they solve the first one, they realize their mistake. They did some bad things. Sara Hall may be dead, but someone knows that they did. And it may cost them their life if they don’t solve all of the clues.

How did Sara Hall die? What does it have to do with the escape room? And who knows their secret?

I want to be careful with what I talk about so I don’t spoil this! My favorite chapters were the ones Sara narrated. It was fascinating to see Stanhope through her eyes and as she grew more engrained in the company culture. Sara was really a great character, and I found myself wondering how she died since we find out about it upfront! I always thing that technique works so well in books—we know the what but not the how.

I also wondered about each of the four in the elevator. We get to learn a lot about them from the events in the elevator, but also from Sara’s story. I kept wondering if they were always rotten or whether the highly competitive and cutthroat work environment made them that way? There’s another member of their team who you will meet as you get a bit further in the story and that is also a fascinating character! I won’t spoil it either way, but you’ll know who I mean when you start reading.

I want to cut this off before I spoil anything. Let’s just end with saying this book had me GLUED to the pages as I read. I couldn’t wait to keep reading, but I also didn’t want it to end! Make sure you add this to your summer reading list—it is phenomenal!

Thank you to St Martins Press for my copy. Opinions are my own.

I found this to be a really fun, well-structured thriller. While nothing that happened was super surprising, I was still excited by the twists and turns that the story takes.

The book center around the high-stakes world of Wall Street and the finance industry, and a small team of people at the firm Stanhope & Sons (I think it's called & Sons?? Apologies if I'm incorrect). The team dynamics are explained in parallel narratives—one following the newest team member, Sara, and the other following four other team members who are trapped in an elevator "escape room." Sara's narrative goes back to tell how she got the job, and runs up to the present, when the four others are trapped in the elevator.

I really enjoyed getting to know Sara and see how she changed as she got deeper into the world of Wall Street. I found her very personable and sympathetic. However, I didn't understand why she continued to have unwavering loyalty to Stanhope even after it was clear something fishy was going on. She was a little slow on the uptake of their betrayal, yet somehow managers to be very quick at learning some other things. While that aspect did confuse me, I was glad there was reasonable time given to Sara's mental state and the grief and struggles she faced throughout the book. I feel like that area of character development can be left out, or superficially addressed, in thrillers. But I found this to be the perfect amount that balanced the drama of the plot while still giving me some of the insight I wanted.

The other member's of Sara's team represent some tropes of other Wall Street financiers, and are nothing too unexpected. Even so, they made for very entertaining reading as they get progressively more unhinged in their elevator adventure. So, really, what more could I ask for?

I found this to be a very well-balanced thriller, with enough believable enough character development to keep me satisfied, and a plot that made for very quick reading. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone, that is, unless you are already kind of nervous around elevators. I don't think this book would help that much...

I love a locked room mystery, there’s something old school about them for me, but this one had a cool, modern twist. I don’t know anyone would really likes elevators, but the thought of being trapped inside one is enough to make me anxious just imagining it! Throw in a group of pretty despicable people who all have secrets and I’m all in.

This flips back and forth between the elevator and the elusive Sara Hall as she begins her professional career. I found this to be a nice balance between the tense, claustrophobic atmosphere in the elevator and the more calm, sedate pace of Sara’s story. I was equally interested in both timelines, there was plenty going on and I was dying to know what could have possibly lead up to them all being trapped in an elevator together under such strange circumstances. There was so much hostility and intense anger swirling around the coworkers that you just knew some crazy shit must’ve went down in the past and I was SO here for that.

Was this plausible? Nope, but for a super fun summer thriller, it’s great! If you can suspend your disbelief and just go along for the ride this is really fun and makes for quite the page turner.

The Escape Room in three words: Entertaining, Suspenseful and Creative

Like many thrillers out there, The Escape Room has unlikable and shady characters. What I like about this book is the set of obnoxious characters, the concept itself, and the way the narrative is woven.

The Escape Room has an interesting concept, but the execution is weak and underwhelming. The plot is improbable at best and when everything is finally revealed, the story is pretty much made up of a bunch of cliches mixed together. So many important parts of this book are simply glossed over, barely described. Certain scenes that were supposed to evoke strong emotions failed to do so because the writing style does not lend itself to emotional depth. The climax is also anticlimatic and predictable. I wasn't a fan of the ending. This book needs an epilogue to give the readers an overview of the aftermath and properly wrap things up.

Despite all the problems with the way this book is written, I'll be generous with my 3 star rating because The Escape Room kept my attention. It was pretty interesting to see how the characters reacted to being trapped in an elevator together and how the worst of human nature came out in the most dire of circumstances. In this case, the unlikable characters were ultimately more interesting than the actual plot itself.

The Escape Room is already one of my favorite books of the year. Alternating between the present where co-workers are in the elevator, “the escape room” of the title, and the past where all the events occurred to set up the encounters in the elevator, and the tension builds. As each chapter progressed, I thought I knew what was going to happen and I am pleased to say I was wrong. I did not see that twist coming and it was wonderful. You had people to root for and people to root against and all that in between. This is great story telling! Just read it already.

Heart racing, very intriguing idea, had no clue what was coming- loved this book! 4 huge stars from this reader. I oved the idea of an escape room setting. 4 people caught in an elevator was even crazier. The novel goes back and forth from now, in the elevator, to then with Sara for some backstory.

I never saw the twists and turns coming so this was delightful read. And I never would have guessed the ending. Fantastic read. If thrillers are your favorite read then pick this one up immediately.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I loved this locked room mystery!Four financial execs have been called to an office building under construction to participate in a team building exercise late on a Friday night. A bit random for you or me, maybe, but when you're making the big bucks at Stanhope, you jump whenever corporate calls. This time is a bit different, though, as the elevator stops, then suddenly plummets before becoming stuck between floors. A message on the the screen over the doors reads: Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.
In a previous timeline, recent MBA grad Sara Hall is having difficulty finding work before she lucks into a coveted Wall Street position with Stanhope. As Sara circles through feelings of guilt (leaving behind her ill parents) and greed (being able to afford anything without checking price tags!), the escape room hostages have their clues leading them in circles.
Who will come out on top? Where will these two narratives collide? Pick up a copy and be ready to put everything else aside until you find out. Megan Goldin's debut definitely puts her on the list of upcoming authors to watch.
A huge thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to participate with an early read of an egalley in exchange for this honest review on their book tour.

Escape rooms are extremely popular right now, and Megan Goldin has written a novel that captures all the fun and excitement and tension of these attractions perfectly. When four coworkers become trapped inside an escape room, they must struggle to make it out alive. What started as a team-building exercise quickly becomes a fight for survival, and readers will enjoy every minute of it. This thriller is fast-paced and edge-of-your-seat excitement, although at times it goes off the rails and readers may struggle to suspend disbelief in some more off-the-wall scenarios. Still, it's a page-turner and a recommended read for anyone who loves escape rooms.

Intense and clever!
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Escape Room by Megan Goldin!
The story opens as Miguel walks his night shift rounds in the empty, not-yet-open office building. He hears a scream and gunshots so he calls 9-1-1 and two policemen arrive. The police are skeptical until an elevator door opens and they start shooting. When Miguel finally gets a view of the elevator, he’s disturbed because he’s never seen that much blood before. The story then jumps back to thirty-four hours earlier when four people meet in an empty office building in the South Bronx on a Friday night. Next, Sylvie, Sam, Jules and Vincent are introduced to the story and they’re all on edge since the meeting was set up last minute and is interfering with their personal plans. The meeting appears to be an escape room challenge and as the four coworkers struggle to find clues, the story alternates with Sara as she’s interviewed, hired and works for Stanhope. Fresh out of college, Sara is thrown right into the devious nature of the career path she’s chosen and the financial and investment banker world takes a devastating toll on her entire life. Greed makes people cold and brutal and Sara learns firsthand how cruel people can be. She’s upset over the supposed suicidal death of coworker Lucy and questions Vincent when she feels that Lucy didn’t really commit suicide. She asks him if he thinks that maybe there was foul play. After that discussion, Sara’s berated about her work and her appearance and she eventually loses her job. The story alternates between Sara and her four elevator-confined coworkers. The escape room clues are interesting and we learn the reasoning behind them as the trapped four work them out. A solid suspenseful tale of greed, self-absorption and actions people might take to ensure that they come out on top, 4 stars!

WOW! What a debut! I’ve had my eye on this book for months and months and months! I’m so glad it lived up to my expectations! What happens when you’re stuck in an elevator solving an escape room mystery? This time, it’s nothing fake – lives are at stake! I adore escape rooms and this was nothing short of the excitement that they bring. A bit predictable, but left me breathless the entire read. You, as the reader, are aware of a lot of that is going on and what is about to happen, but are still surprised at certain things you didn’t see coming. Megan, I can’t wait to read more from you!

After the string of not-great books I've read in the last little bit, I was really hanging my last hope on this one. Luckily, it exceeded my expectations!

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

This book follows four ruthless New York City investment bankers who, in the wake of corporate 'restructuring' are ordered to participate in a mandatory team-building exercise. While the team works to solve the puzzles and get out of the locked elevator escape room, secrets long buried are dredged up and consequences are finally delivered. Their first clue? What happened to Sara Hall, their coworker who is gone, but not forgotten?

The initial reason why I agreed to review this book was because of the escape room premise. It's something that I've personally done a handful of times in my everyday life, but not something that I have seen described in any novels that I've read (sidenote: if you have any other escape room novel recommendations, hit me up!). While the escape room wasn't the sole driving force of the story, it was a major part and did prove to be extremely interesting and unique.

The story is told in two timelines, "The Elevator" and "Sara Hall." They aren't given a date, so you don't really know when each is happening until the end when things start coming together. I thought this book was really well written and I didn't find myself more drawn to one section of the book more than the other, a common problem I have with multiple-storyline books. I was riveted by the elevator sections but intrigued with how the Sara sections fit in as well.

In all honesty, there wasn't really a (major) character in this book that I really liked, but that was okay with me because I was so compelled by the plot and finding out what happened. I don't want to give too much away but I will say that in this case, as well as others, I don't particularly think you need to connect or even like the characters of a book to find in worth reading. There were times when I didn't really like Sara, despite getting the feeling that she was the character the reader was supposed to be drawn to the most. And I was okay with that.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and found it to be a new favourite!