This book is more than just a thriller and I found myself unable to put it down while reading.

What I loved about this book:

~ This book is told in alternating time lines which helps you get to know the characters. While most of the characters are unlikable, you still get to know them before they were completely repulsive.

~The plot of this story was unique and unlike anything else I've read. Even though it's a slow burn thriller, you'll have a hard time putting it down. I applaud Goldin for writing such a great debut novel and bringing alive the dynamics in the dog eat dog world of corporate finance.

~The clues given unearth hidden secrets and fuel longstanding rivalries that make the elevator seem even smaller than it is. The character's reactions to the answers of each clue give you a little more insight to why they're there.

What kept me from giving this book 5⭐?

~Some aspects of this book are completely unrealistic. While I enjoyed all of the twists and reveals, the unrealistic parts of the book kept me from giving it all the stars.

This was such a addictive read that will keep you entertained throughout, you definitely don't want to miss out. I read this book in one day and would recommend it anyone looking for a quick, entertaining thriller.

Four investment bankers get on an elevator and become trapped. Why this happens and who will make it out alive is the plot of the story. This book is a compelling, quick read. I couldn't wait to get to the end and find out what happened. The characters are not believable, the story line is not believable, but I was still caught up in the suspense of the book. If you are looking for a quick, fun, revenge thriller look no further than this novel. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Vincent, Sylvie, Jules and Sam work in the adrenaline-filled world of Wall Street finance and, when they’re called to participate in a team-building exercise, all of them jump on the chance to prove their worth. The exercise looks ordinary enough, all they have to do is escape a locked elevator using clues, however, when the clues become more personal, they start to suspect that this is not an ordinary escape room.
In this novel, Megan Goldin wrote an outstanding depiction of the competitive world of Wall Street finance and of the consequences of living in it. All the characters were horrible despicable people, but extremely well-written.
The story was addictive. I kept reading because, even though I did not sympathize with the characters, I desperately wanted to know what would happen next.
I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This book tells the story of several people who work at a financial firm.

Most of these people aren’t good people, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you write them well or if the story is compelling enough. Having charismatic characters also helps.

For me, neither options happened.

You see, the author gave a lot of emphasis to things that didn’t make much sense. Details such as clothes and deals were described with great deal. Not only that, the author kept repeating herself. In one page, things such as Lucy’s smarts would be mentioned over and over again. We get it, she’s smart, we haven’t forgotten yet. Things like that chip away at any enjoyment I could be having because my immersion kept being broken.

Also, the story didn’t keep me glued to the pages. For most of the book I only cared about Sara’s side and I have to admit that I never really wanted to know what would happen. next in the elevator. Don’t get me wrong, there were certain lift parts that I really enjoyed reading, but after I finished those I found myself not caring again. The last 10%, however, were highly entertaining. When the big reveal was done, I had already figured it out but that din’t make my enjoyment any lesser.

And of all the characters, I only liked one, Lucy. They all felt as though they were from a comic book, there were clear villains and good guys. These characters are hard to care about when you’re supposed to see this as a serious psychological thriller instead of a simple mystery.

Rating: 2.5 stars

“That’s very kind of you, but surely you have more important things too?”
“I don’t, actually” I responded. In fact, I had a forty-page report to finish by the following day. But I couldn’t think of a single thing more important than helping Cathy.

he Escape Room is one of the BEST thrillers I have read in 2019, and I read a lot of thrillers. This book was EXTREMELY hard to put down and I read it in one day. This is a fast paced, well written and intriguing story .

The narration alternates between two timelines, two settings and several points of view. HOLD ON, its going to be a bumpy ride. The backdrop for the story revolves around the extreme cutthroat world of investment banking and finance.

The author's descriptive writing is so excellent I felt like I was trying to Escape the Elevator myself. I could not turn the pages fast enough.

There are so many secrets and lies , I was totally engrossed in every minute of this book.

I highly recommend this incredibly well written psychological thriller!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. MARTIN'S Press, I received an early copy of The Escapr Room.
I was not instantly drawn into this book. It took be a few chapters to really enjoy the book.
I definitely did not see the twist coming. The writing was amazing. The character develope meant was awesome. I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and netgalley for an arc of this fun ride of a novel. A high powered Wall Street team is summoned to an empty building right before bonuses (and possible cuts) will be handed out. They all know they must cancel their Friday evening plans and show up to this last minute meeting. It is a team building event, and when they step into the elevator, they learn that it is really an escape room. They must work together to get out. But this isn't a normal escape room. In the dark and the unbearable heat, amidst their frustration over not solving the clues, grudges, bitterness, and rivalries begin to eat away at each of them. Shots ring out. The game ends with blood. Who led them there, how, and why? These questions will keep you up late, eager to find out the answers.

This is a fascinating, fast-moving story about four young Wall Street high risers, Vincent, Jules Sylvie and Sam, who work for a cut-throat Wall Street firm, who get caught up in an escape room challenge that pushes them to their furthest limits. Each one receives a command to participate or else. In the beginning, they are a bit light-hearted, accepting this challenge like they accept any other challenge their jobs bring them. However, as time goes on and the possibility of success grows slimmer and slimmer, things change, and they change. Interspersed in this compelling story of the escape room game is another story about two other young Wall Streeters who also worked for the same firm and with the same team, and how they fared. The two stories intersect completely, as the reader learns, with each chapter alternating between the escape room challenge and the back story about the other two team members and their interactions with the team as they all work on the firm’s projects, just how ruthless a company can be and how it molds its employees to its “ideals”, be they honorable or otherwise, and needs. The story provides a good glimpse into the very hearts and souls of the characters, as it moves through a myriad of situations and events.

This is a fascinating book. I was thoroughly caught up with the escape room players challenge, eagerly reading to see how they would tackle the many clues, twists and turns that came along. The other, back story chapters provided good back story on who everyone really was, how they all came to be who they were and what lead to where they were. I thought the author did a fairly good job of developing the characters, who came across as young, eager “wanna-bes”, who, after years of work at schools, felt they deserved the breaks they got and felt they needed to seize anything, regardless how small or how much it might hurt someone else, to get ahead. It definitely brought out the dog-eat-dog world they live in. I also thought the way the author worked it all together in the plot was outstanding. I doubt I will soon forget this book. I intend to look for more from this author, since this book proved to me just how good she can be. This is a good book to sit back with, if you are looking for something to hold your attention and for something a little bit different. There is romance, drama, excitement and more. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

An insane, fast-past read that you simply want to devour. !0 stars, easily!

Sara Hall is an intelligent, hard-working, newly graduated financier. She has been struggling for months to find a job, to no avail. Due to a chance meeting, she is hired by one of the biggest finance firms in New York. She is tough as nails even while learning the quirks and hierarchy of the firm. Follow as she overcomes hunger, exhaustion, chipped self-esteem, biting co-workers and odd employees while fighting for her place in the firm.

Vincent, Jules, Sylvie and Sam all work for Stanhope and Sons, as well. They are summoned to a mandatory meeting on a Friday night. Shortly after arriving, the group learn that they are going to perform an escape room game. It doesn’t take long to discover that the room is actually an elevator. At time and tempers increase, dark secrets are revealed in attempts to answer the clues in the game. When will they be released? Do they get to ask for clues? Who is operating this game? Are bonuses and avoiding layoffs the goals of the game or is it something more sinister? One of the questions is that will baffle the reader throughout is: What happened to Sara Hall?

This book was so unexpected. It was clear that it was going to be an escape room game but nobody could predict the twists, surprises and plot changes this book undergoes. It is extremely well written and the reader is sucked in from the first page. It, simply, cannot put it down from that point on. The characters are so relatable. Each of us has been them at one time or another or knows someone who has. Even so, you will not expect the ride you will take. It is like a roller coaster in the dark. You do not know which way you will turn or be ready for the next twist.


I received an ARC from St. Martin Press through NetGalley and Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.

I had high hopes for this story, but honestly it took me weeks to read it as I just wasn’t a fan. The characters are unlikable, but they are supposed to be. The plot line was compelling although under developed. The book is based off of the popular escape room idea. Four colleagues are trapped in what is supposed to be a team building exercise and are presented with clues to escape. The clues take up the majority of the book. The participants think they just need to complete the challenge and they will be free to go. What seemed like a harmless game becomes MUCH more as the participants struggle to make it out alive.
There was no real plot twist or reveal and it is obvious from the beginning what is going on and who is responsible. If you are a big escape room participant you may find the book more enjoyable then I did.

* Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC for which I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *

Have you ever experienced an Escape Room? I love the thrill of trying to decipher clues and hunt for things with a team of people or against each other. I have participated in Escape rooms on several occasions and although I knew that I would get out, there is still that feeling feeling of panic if you are near the end of the game and haven’t solved it yet. When I saw that this book was being released, I jumped at the chance to participate in the blog tour. I was curious to see how Megan would capture an escape room experience in detail. I was not disappointed.

This was an intriguing twist on your standard escape room experience. The modern day aspect of the book takes place in an elevator while the other points of views are written as memories or flashbacks. I don’t know if I would be able to participate in an escape room experience that happens in an elevator. This particular scenario is much more twisted then your average escape room in that it gets very personal for the “players” involved.

This was brilliantly done. I was hooked! I do not want to give you more information than is needed. JUST READ IT!

Vincent, Jules, Sylvie and Sam are ruthless and ambition Wall Street finance high flyers. They all work in the best firm in the market and their job is to make millions for their clients, their bosses and of course themselves, not caring at all how that affects normal people lives. Big sharks swimming in hostile waters. However, they don't really care, they are too greedy to mind anything that does not add to their game. After an e-mail from the firm's HR, they find themselves participating in an Escape Room Challenge as a team building activity. With the current lay-off situation in the firm, they are all eager to prove to the firm that they are valuable assets that bring a pile of money in. Once though the lights go off and the door remains shut, it becomes clear to them all that this is no ordinary escape room. This is a survival game.

The four investment bankers need to put aside their rivalries and cooperate in order to solve the mysterious clues that will result in opening the door of the escape room. The confined space brings out the worst of them. Their temper builds, as does their frustration as time goes by and they turn against their team leader and against each other. The one puzzle they need to solve at the end is the most difficult one. Which one of them is going to survive? Which one is going to kill?

A thrilling read that will keep you turning the pages from the first sentence to the very end. The story actually starts with the last scene. Guns shooting in an empty building. Police coming in and people either dead or in blood come out. A strong picture to start with and a lot of questions as to how did we end up with that. This is the big challenge of the author. Having given out the big finale, will she manage to keep the reader interested into the plot? Well, she definitely delivers! I could not keep the book out of my hands, even though I had way too little time to read!

The story is narrated in two timelines. The first one is in the past, where we meet Sara Hall. A young girl that has just gotten her MBA, on the search for a job in corporate finance. She really needs that job, as she has to contribute to her father's medical bills and support herself and her family. She has just come out of an interview that did not go well, as the recruiter had already made up his mind before it even started. Sarah is devastated as she spent all her money to get a great suit for the interview as well as to travel all the way from Chicago to New York. Right on cue, she meets Vincent on the elevator on her way down to the lobby. Soon after, he calls her in for an interview and her dream job at Stanhope and Sons becomes a reality!

The second timeline is set in the present with Vincent, Jules, Sylvie and Sam meeting for the Escape Room Challenge and entering the elevator. Each and everyone of them has somewhere else to be, but the message they got said it is a compulsory thing, so they have to get it over with, to get back what they had already planned for the evening. Meeting spouses or friends or whatever else was on their agenda. What they didn't plan was to get stuck on a trapped elevator for hours.

Megan Goldin sheds some light to the out-of-ordinary life of corporate finance where ruthlessness rules and people become prey to the powerful ones. This is neither the workplace most people are familiar with, nor the paycheck they are used to. Most of it sounds surreal to the common people. It is however full of intrigues and back stabbing as it is always depicted in the news or on TV shows. And it is the perfect set for The Escape Room. It may be Goldin's debut novel, but it doesn't lack in plot or any other aspect.

The whole atmosphere of the firm is portrayed in the best way possible, making the reader part of the setting, one of the guys in the team. The characters are being described as the vicious creatures they are, thinking only of themselves and how to undermine their colleagues. I guess this is something that is happening not only on big Wall Street firms, but in many other businesses as well. I just hope that it is not in the same degree as what I read in the book. Shallow people, with Shallow needs and addictions that reflect a reality we want to avoid.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing jaw dropping book

wow where to start with this one....i put off and put off reading this one...but once i started i was hooked...and couldnt put it down..

its about a big investment firm and the office staff...and its dog eat dog where no one is ever as they seem and they make a lot of money each that they put up with it all...some even working 100 hours a week but the perks and the money well that says it all...

but this is about some very successful business people who had to go to a meeting with no excuses for not attending..compulsary and they have to join in the escape room scenario...only things start to go wrong after they enter the lift and the fun doesnt stop there

stuck in a lift no phone signal or wifi...no electricals to call out in the lift nothing works...the heating just gets hotter and hotter and then they are told the escape room scenario has started and they cant seem to fathom where the clues are or what they mean...

as the storyline progresses your jaw just drops and drops when you find out what these big successful business people have been up to and the lengths they will go to to earn what they feel is rightfully theirs

its a compelling story of greed lust vindictiveness shallowness and bullying at its best, one of the best written stories i have read in quite a while...another author to keep an eye out for

I absolutely love playing escape rooms. Usually whenever I have friends in town, I take them to The Escape Game Nashville which has come to be my favorite. So when I had an opportunity to review Megan Goldin's The Escape Room and participate in her blog tour I was in!

I really enjoyed this book. Although I must admit that I was expecting more in the way of an escape room given the title. While there were some puzzles/clues along the way, the book was more about relationships and dynamics between coworkers in a high powered financial firm. And while I though Megan Goldin did a fantastic job developing the characters (they are all horrible people by the way), I was waiting for more escape room qualities.

Like I said, the characters were all horrible. Don't get me wrong. They were written wonderfully, but they are not the kind of people that you would want as friends. They're pretty despicable and it was interesting to see their relationships unravel when put in a high stress environment.

One thing that I probably would have changed is the prologue. Honestly, I think it gave away too much of the fun. I already had an idea in my mind of what was going to happen in the end, and I was pretty darn close. Had the prologue not been there, I think I would have been more surprised by the ending.

Overall, this was a strong thriller and I would recommend it for your summer reading TBR.

I received an advanced copy of this book exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Goldin, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Have you ever done an escape room challenge? I haven't and after reading this book, I don't think I'll be racing to do one soon! And I may never look at elevators the same way either...

This book is so addictive and does such a great job making you feel claustrophobic when the four financial employees find themselves locked in an elevator in what becomes an escape game of their worst nightmare. These four characters are the type of characters that you just love to hate and the more time we spend with them in the elevator the more you realize that they really do not have many redeeming qualities.

I loved that as the chapters alternated between "the elevator" and Sara Hall, we would learn more about the four. So not only are we being kept abreast about what is going on in the elevator, but we are learning about their past and finding out just why they might have been targeted for this challenge. And just what happened to Sara Hall?

This book is filled with secrets and what drives these characters. Being that they work in the high stakes world of finance, it's no surprise that many of them are driven by greed. But what price is too high for them to pay?

I really enjoyed this book...it's one that while you might have to suspend belief a little bit, it's one heck of a good ride and does tackle some true workplace injustices that more than make up for it. This was my first book by Megan Goldin but it definitely won't be my last. If you are looking for an entertaining, high-stakes, thrilling read, definitely add this one to your summer reading list!

Megan Goldin’s The Escape Room is a suspenseful thriller and just an all around wild ride. It follows four Wall Street investment bankers, Sylvie, Vincent, Sam, and Jules, who are called into the office unexpectedly after hours to participate in what is apparently a mandatory team building activity. Accustomed to working in an environment that is competitive to the point of being cutthroat, everyone is surprised and more than a little annoyed to be forced to take part in this activity. What’s even more surprising, however, is the activity itself, which is one of those Escape Rooms that are so popular now and that it takes place with them locked in an elevator together.

The clues presented in the elevator are intensely personal and appear designed to get the colleagues to turn against one another. No matter what they do and how many clues they work together to solve, the elevator doors remain locked. What do they have to do to escape what is fast becoming a claustrophobic prison and who is Sara Hall and why does her name appear in one of their clues?

Because this is a thriller I don’t want to say too much more about the plot itself except that it obviously becomes so much more than just a simple Escape Room. The characters themselves weren’t especially likeable or easy to relate to, which could have made this a challenging read for me since I do usually prefer to feel some kind of connection to the characters I’m reading about, but the story itself was so riveting that even with unlikeable characters, I still couldn’t stop turning the pages. The writing was crisp, fast-paced, and uses a dual timeline structure to advance the plot and eventually reveal what exactly is going on, who is responsible, and most importantly, why it was done. I did guess correctly on a couple of things early on in the book, so that was a little disappointing, but overall I still found this a very entertaining read.

If you’re looking for a suspenseful read that is a compulsive page turner, look no further than Megan Goldin’s The Escape Room.

I never thought that I would enjoy a book where I hated ninety percent of the characters. But there’s a first time for everything, and The Escape Room proved me wrong.Early on in the reading, this book gave me the feeling of what it ultimately became: a fun and unputdownable thriller, with twists along the way. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and it never let go.The dual POV kept me on my toes the entire time. I figured out things as I read, and even though I was correct to some degree, I was still somehow surprised by the ending.However, I have to note that I felt like the writing wasn’t on its finest. But I did like the pacing, I think that was one of the reasons why this book felt so dynamic. The story is where it’s at with this one.So if you’re looking for a fun escape room story that will help you escape reality and see karma finally catching up to some people, this is a great book for that.

I read The Escape Room in about 24 hours! I was very intrigued by the concept of this book. The idea of being mislead to believe you're participating in a typical escape room challenge, only to discover it's very real, was a terrifying one. Other reviewers have noted that most of the characters were very unlikeable, which was very true, but I also felt like that was kind of the point. It was still compulsively readable, allowing the reader into the cutthroat world of the upper echelons of Wall Street.

look, is this book perfect. no. but it's a solid thriller and it is a new spin on a tired genre (how many more books with evil husbands and unreliable female narrators can there be!). This one is kinda a #metoo movement revenge thriller, and it's a little obvious what's going to happen, though that doesn't take away from the intrigue, mystery and drama. I was left a little cold by all of the characters, but they're all a little ruthless and despicable, so I think that's expected. I wish the author had integrated the escape room aspect into the story a little more, but overall i thought this was an enjoyable, fast-paced out-of-the-box thriller. thanks to my friends at St. Martin's Press for the gifted copy in return for an honest review!

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is a story of ambition, greed, and revenge. This is mystery and suspense done well. You are immediately introduced to four highly motivated, high achieving Wall Street pros whose main focus is making money no matter the cost.  

They are summoned to a team building exercise, setting the scene for the start of an amazing ride, immediately drawn into the story. Once in, you are not leaving until the very end. The author builds the suspense and mystery by telling two stories in alternating chapters until they converge at the end. I really enjoyed this narrative style. As with any good suspense novel, there were twists and turns that you don’t see coming. I was truly shocked by the end. The characters are very distinct and well developed. The physical descriptions lend to the reader’s impression of the characters. There are definite impressions and feelings connected to the characters.

I highly recommend this book as a chilling suspenseful mystery. It is very well written and plotted.
Thank you #Netgalley and #StMartinsPress for approving my request. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.