The Escape Room by Megan Goldin was a different type of thriller, but a thriller none-the-less. We start out with some type A people, wanting to get rich fast in an investment banking industry. We have the opportunity to see how they interact with each other and the cut throat strategies they use even with their closest co-workers. Into this mix comes a younger woman who has struggled for every step she has taken, and through luck has found herself a job with these people. The competitive nature of the business and the cut throat atmosphere leads to a series of incidences that are cruel and slowly move to … Four of these people are invited to an escape room for team building. In reality they are concerned that they will be fired because their year has been so poor. Little do they truly understand.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is not a traditional thriller. No one is chasing anyone down the cellar stairs. However, it is a thriller of another type: one of people pitted against others, trying to stay a step ahead, hoping to maintain their luxurious and decadent lifestyle. The majority of the characters are not likable, but you find yourself intrigued by how far they will go and how low they will fall. The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is a good read with lots of twists and turns. People can go really, really low!

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

What are you willing to do to succeed? Is money everything? Who would you step on or perhaps even kill to come out on top? And, what about revenge? What would it take to make you seek it?

Such a well-crafted book this book proved to be! It begins with the nightwatchman hearing something then moves on from there to move in alternating chapters that tell of the four in the elevator and of a woman named Sarah Hall. It took a few chapters to figure out what part Sarah had in the lives of the other four but as the story unfolded her part and that of another member of the team, Lucy, became abundantly clear.

What I liked about this book:
* It drew me in little by little
* I was invested in the outcome
* I was given insight into the corporate finance world
* It made me think about values
* It was intriguing
* I just liked it – and am thankful that I cannot see myself as a character in this book

What I did not like:
* Most of the characters
* What happened to the innocent (there were a few)
* Probably exactly what I was meant not to like

I am not sure about the ending. I saw it coming...eventually...but knowing it was coming still left me unsettled and wondered how those that may have survived would carry on in the future.

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

I have been rough on this genre lately. I don’t think I can recall the last thriller that I read that I wasn’t somewhat disappointed with. I don’t know if I have just read too many or that many of them all blend together for me. ⁣⁣

I am part of the St. Martin’s Press blog tour for The Escape Room by debut author Megan Goldin and so I wanted to read it with fresh eyes. I avoided reading a lot of other reviews beforehand and went into it without a lot of expectations either way. ⁣

The Escape Room ended up being so enjoyable and fun to read!! It is mysterious but also filled with lots of character building and backstory, and is so different than anything I have read lately. I am a big fan of the show Billions(anyone else?!) and I love getting immersed in a world that is nothing like my day to day life. ⁣

The Escape Room introduces us to the fast-paced world of Wall Street and four financial executives that are participating in a team-building retreat…escape room style. Things go very very wrong and we are taken back and from from the present to the past to see how this all unraveled. ⁣This was the perfect summer escape reading. It kept me guessing but it was also a very fun reading ride. I definitely recommend this one for your end of summer reading list.

It took a bit to get into, but I loved how the revenge played out. It was interesting and not straight out obvious. I recommend this story.

I received a copy of this story through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

Expert thriller! The Escape Room by Megan Goldin kept me guessing and wondering almost until the last paragraphs. Sara Hall gets her dream job in Wall Street finance, shortly after grad school. Her team has a secret, and is willing to do anything to keep it. Anything! I don’t like spoilers so let’s just say that Sara discovers what has been going on, and decides to get even.

This is the perfect thriller for summer! I have not been blown away by many of the new summer releases this year but this one was excellent! This employer-sponsored teambuilding retreat turns into a nightmare when the elevator becomes an escape room and the only way out is to solve the puzzles they're given. The suspense in this book builds slowly as the team struggles to solve the puzzles; hours turn into days, and they begin to turn on each other when the clues reveal infractions against one another. To add to the suspense, there is a narrator who is telling how she came to work at the company, bringing to light some sinister practices and exposing secrets about the people trapped in the elevator. It was such a clever way of developing the main characters. I love an author who trusts the reader to make the right assumptions about the plot without coming out and just saying it. Megan Goldin created a simple, yet thrilling novel that hits just right.

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

Any reader of my blog will know that I can't pass up a good thriller. There is something about the discovery that takes place as you race to the finish of a twisted read that keeps me coming back each time. The best in the genre are the books that hook you from the beginning and demand to be read. I accepted an offer to read The Escape Room from the publisher, and the rest was history. My eyes were glued to this book from start to finish. If you are looking for your next "can't put down" read, then Megan Goldin's The Escape Room is the book for you!

The setup is simple enough. A group of high power Wall Street investment bankers are summoned to complete a team-building activity at an under-construction office complex. Normally the elite group wouldn't pause their busy lives for something as trivial as team building, but the company is rumored to be planning a massive round of layoffs. Their affluent lifestyles can't risk a layoff. They begrudgingly enter the elevator to begin the escape room challenge. But things aren't what they seem. Stuck in a darkened elevator with some of the most ruthless, win at all cost people in the world, they soon begin the fight for their lives.

Chapters of the elevator escape room alternate with flashbacks focussing on Sara Hall. The young woman has a prestigious MBA from a fantastic school, but those expensive pieces of paper are a dime a dozen in the high stakes world of Wall Street. She's moved back home to help with her ill father. Staggering debt and no job opportunities in sight leave Sara waitressing to make ends meet. Her latest expensive trip into the city for a job interview seems to be as hopeless as the rest. As she rides down the elevator for her trip back home, her resume catches the eye of a man in the elevator. He's in a high up position at another financial institution, and he agrees to take a look at her resume. Like something out of a dream, Sara finds herself with a high-paying job with one of the most ruthless teams in the business. Some of their practices are morally questionable at best, but the money flying into her bank account is too great to pass up. "Success is not for the squeamish."

The Escape Room sees Megan Goldin writing the kind of breakneck read that is too captivating to pass up. For the day it took me to read, I kept my eyes glued to my kindle until I was finished. As a quick aside, reading this one also forced me to become oddly proficient at reading while walking. Just because my dog needed to be fed didn't mean I had to stop reading! This is escapist fiction at its finest. To Goldin's credit, the pacing and suspense are so well done that I easily suspended my disbelief of even the wildest plot points. Saying more about where the characters go and how they evolve would rob you of the chance of discovering things for yourself. Still, trust me when I say this is the kind of fast-paced entertainment that thriller readers crave. If you're looking for more believable fiction, this is probably too far out there for you. But if you're willing to drop all pretensions and just enjoy the ride, The Escape Room is a solid choice.

Fanciful, mindless fun, & a rocky ride!

THE ESCAPE ROOM by MEGAN GOLDIN opens up with quite the electrifying scene that definitely piqued my interest but unfortunately fizzled out shortly thereafter which steadily stayed that way until around the 50% when it sparked up again. At that point I was all in and found the rest of the story exhilarating and an intoxicating page-turner that had me racing to see how things were all going to play out.

MEGAN GOLDIN delivers quite the original and cleverly written read here that is just as cutthroat as those ruthless, backstabbing, and unlikeable characters. The story is told in a back and forth format between Sara Hall and the elevator where the escape room game takes place. The drama in the elevator definitely got on my nerves a little bit in the first half of the book because of all the characters bickering back and forth. I actually love some good character bantering but the bickering was just a little too much for me to handle at times. Also there was a little bit of information that didn’t necessarily move the story forward and was left stagnant and never addressed again. My curious mind would have liked a few things answered.

There was definitely a turning point for me where I seen things in a different light and was able to foresee where this story was headed. An aha moment if you will! At that particular point in the book I was able to put all my reservations aside and just enjoy the ride.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, & Megan Goldin for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. It was definitely an interesting reading experience!

Norma’s Stats:
Cover: My feelings towards this cover is neutral.
Title: Intriguing, appealing, suspenseful, and a fitting representation to storyline. The title of this book definitely piqued my interest as I find escape room games quite intriguing, although I’ve never played myself. I want to though!
Writing/Prose: Compulsively readable, superfluous, entertaining, and dramatic.
Plot: Suspenseful, gripping, fast-paced, dark, sinister, chilling, captivating, imaginative, fanatical, and entertaining.
Ending: Totally worked for me and highly satisfied!
Armchair Detective Skills: I was pretty much stumped until around the 70% mark and then things started to come together for me. The feeling was wholly satisfying.
Overall: It is so worth suspending disbelief to thoroughly be entertained by this easy and fun read! Would highly recommend!

“For every one who has ever been made to feel powerless, trampled upon, or scorned, this book is for you.”

A group of cut-throat, competitive co-workers working for a prestigious financial organization have been brought together to a remote office via anonymous text commanding them to attend a last-minute meeting. Unbeknownst to them, poof go their future plans as they enter an elevator in this deserted building.

Chapters alternating between “Elevator” and “Sarah Hall” include significant background, shining light on the moral qualities of these arrogant people and clues to why they may have been brought together. The elevator stops suddenly at a high floor and they are trapped. As the HVAC system turns on blowing hot stifling air, the group gets restless and steadily more ‘grumpy’. Their elevator screen unveils random clues suggesting this is an ‘escape room’ team building event. Things turn ugly but what a thrilling ride. I raced through pages trying to figure out the end game. The ending was a bit disappointing as things seemed to wrap up much too tidily and were a bit far-fetched.

I really enjoy "locked room" mysteries, so I was excited to see that The Escape Room was getting excellent early reviews! The book is told in alternating timelines, one from Sara who is desperate for a job and can't believe her luck when she lands a high paying position, and one told in the elevator, where Sara's colleagues are trapped in an elevator together. Who set the elevator game up, and how does it all connect to Sara? Those are the questions I was asking myself throughout the book!

I had a lot of fun with this one - I read most of the book in one sitting, and the book easily held my attention. I really felt for Sara, who was trying to fit in at her new company, but finding that the competition there was ruthless.

For the most part, the book is pretty straightforward, but what isn't clear until later is the why behind everything, which is revealed in the end. I was enjoying reading a page turning suspense without having to try and solve a mystery at the same time, so that was a nice change of pace for me!

I did find the ending to be a little rushed and lacking some closure, but overall I think The Escape Room is a great summer read! If you're looking for something cleverly written, intriguing, and unique, this will be a great choice for you!

Four financiers think they've been summoned to an empty building for a mandatory team-building session, an escape room challenge that will prove which one of them deserves to keep their job in the midst of layoffs. But when the elevator doors close and the clues begin, they soon realize they are trapped in something far more life-threatening, with ties to secrets they've tried hard to smother.

I love the concept behind this, an escape room that isn't all it seems to be. This definitely creates a lot of suspense, both with the characters trapped inside trying to figure their way out, and with the reader trying to figure out along with them who could be behind it all. The end of the book was really shocking as well.

I didn't find the financial world aspect of it particularly interesting. This wasn't the fault of the book at all-I know how important a part of the story this aspect is-it's just a personal preference of mine.

The only reason I didn't love this book as much as I had hoped to was because I wasn't super interested in the world the characters' lives revolved around. The suspense and thriller aspects are very much on point and the concept plays out really well.

I was not enthralled by the bait & switch tactic used in the description. The Escape room is really a small fraction of the book. The majority of the book goes back in time and is narrated by another colleague called Sara Hall. The majority of the book is actually about investment bankers at a top-level firm.

Four colleagues - Vincent, Jules, Sylvie and Sam - are trapped in an elevator in a corporate team-building exercise and are presented with clues to help them escape. They are truly obnoxious people.

They think they just need to complete the challenge and they will be free to go, but things don’t go as planned. What seemed like a harmless game becomes so much more as the participants struggle to make it out alive.

Welcome to The Escape Room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.

.

I saw that The Escape Room by Megan was part of @booksparks Bookfest and immediately added it to my TBR. Then I was lucky enough to score an advanced copy thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress! Perfect timing for the Netgalley #reviewathon week two prompt!

.

From the opening pages of this thriller I was sucked in. The story alternates between a team of financial power players in a team “bonding” event gone wrong and Sara Hall, a recent graduate trying to find her way in the world of finance. When you see how the two narratives collide you will be shook!

.

The world of finance is a dog eat dog world that Goldwin flawlessly writes about in this book. The characters are unlikable and will stop at nothing to get to the top. Who they leave behind may ultimately be their biggest mistake but I won’t spoil that for those of you that haven’t read it!

.

If you’re looking for a quick read full of twists and turns look no further! As a reader this is a book I thoroughly enjoy because I couldn’t stop reading until I got all my questions answered! This is the kind of debut that makes me excited for what else this author has coming!

.

This book is released tomorrow and if you haven’t added it to your tbr, what are you waiting for you?!

.

#partner #theescaperoom

It took me way too long to get to this book, but it seems I’ve finished it just in time for the deadline (tomorrow)!

I really enjoyed this book, written in alternating times and characters. It starts off with a recent graduate looking for a job, but it ends with a life you can’t even imagine!

The alternating chapters kept me wanting to read more (it’s like a mini-cliffhanger in each chapter) and I love that!

I thought the story was devious and exciting. And although it was extremely deceitful and packed with immoral values, the revenge was certainly sweet (I mean, c’mon! Who hasn’t had a daydream that ended this way?). Was it completely believable? Not at all. I still enjoyed it!

"Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive".


Megan Goldin gives us an amazing thriller, that you won't be able to put down.


The story is told from the POF of four coworkers Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam who are ambitious high-flyers working in the lucrative world of Wall Street finance. Getting rich is all that matters, and they'll do anything to reach the top, they are required to complete a team-building activity called "The Escape Room".


And another POV who comes into play is Sara Hall, a recent MBA graduated looking to make her way into the world of investment banking. Who is the main character of this book, she will let us know how the four workers ended up in the Escape Room.


The pace is good, the characters are well developed and it has a very good ending, recommended for a quick read this summer.


Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley
#TheEscapeRoom

The Escape Room is a fast paced thriller that blew me away!! The story will have you trying to figure out the who, what, where and when until the very last page! There were so many twists and turns that had me guessing and so engaged! The story is told in alternating (character) perspectives as well as time hopped throughout which worked perfectly to add intrigue and suspense! I HIGHLY recommend!

A fun premise but inundated with stereotypes and bias, particularly around Wall Street. This could have been a lot more entertaining if the author was more balanced in her interpretation of corporate culture. I found myself wondering, has she actually worked in an office, or is this the version of what she thinks it's like?

It also bugged me that the 4 colleagues unraveled so quickly, getting violent in 24 hours in an elevator. Seemed a bit rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Escape Room is an amazing, exciting, and a psychological wild-ride into the greed, toxic and cutthroat environment of finance and corporate America. Once you start this book, it is going to be tough putting it down as you are going to wonder what happened to Sara Hall in the past and the present with the four Stanhope employees. Vincent, Sam, Jules and Sylvie were called in for an exercise in team building through an Escape Room game. You are going to love to hate these characters who are the elite wealthy investment bankers whose own greed they live for to survive in their world.

Goldin writes a fun and refreshing psychological thriller that is enjoyable and hard to put down. Love the setting, the characters and the pace of the story, perfect for your summer time read. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book. If I could I would give this book four and a half stars out of five. This book started out very slow for me. There seemed to be a lot of details that I felt like I didn’t need to know in order for the story to move along. And then once I got into the meat of the story.... well I didn’t want to do ANYTHING else besides read the rest of this book. I absolutely recommend this book.

This started off a little slow for me but I was still interested to see where the story would go. Told from alternate POVs from what is going on inside the elevator and Sara Hall’s version of events you are kept guessing throughout the story. When I saw the title I was immediately skeptical because I think of an escape room as my worst nightmare. I hate the idea of being trapped inside a room even though you are solving clues to get out. This story will definitely make my think twice about stepping in an elevator again. At the end almost everything came together for a surprise ending. I wish one storyline had been resolved and we could know what happened. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery/thriller.