The Escape Room is a fantastic suspense thriller. The characters stuck in the elevator are the kind you love to hate. The mystery playing out keeps you on your toes through out the entire book and even though I had an inkling of what was really going on the entire time but it didn't matter, I was still hooked.

I recommend this to anyone who loves a good, fast-paced suspense thriller.

The Escape Room is not nearly as suspenseful and thrilling as I’d expected, but it was still enjoyable. There are two storylines present, both revolving around the Wall Street bigwigs at Stanhope and Sons.

In present time, four of the cutthroat employees are locked in an elevator in what they assume is a team building exercise in the form of an escape room. They soon find out that this isn’t a game and they are trapped. Tensions run high and accusations and hostilities come forth.

Years prior, Sara Hall worked for Stanhope along with the four who’re now trapped in the elevator. What begins as an exciting and strenuous first job in finance soon devolves into a toxic and maybe even dangerous job.

There is a mystery here: how are these stories connected and who tricked the four into going to that elevator. However, I do wish there had been a few more suspenseful scenes. While I’m glad it didn’t delve into the horror of escape room fiction like Saw, I would have liked just a bit more thrill.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Count this one as an emotional roller-coaster. For openers, it's the first book in a long time that's held my attention so well that I simply had to finish it in one day (almost in one sitting). Wow - can't wait to find out how it ends, I kept muttering to myself as I hurried along. Then I got there. And it felt as if I'd smacked into a brick wall.

Let me start at the beginning, with a prologue in which a night shift guard in a building not yet open to the public hears noises and what he fears were gunshots coming from an elevator. The cops rush in with weapons at the ready, and when the elevator doors open, there's no mistaking the gunshots. There's no further explanation; the scene shifts to the first chapter, in which readers are taken back to 34 hours earlier as investment firm higher-ups Vincent, Sylvie, Sam and Jules have been ordered to meet at the aforementioned vacant building to take part in an "escape room challenge." They've all been worried about losing their jobs, and they're sure the outcome of the challenge will seal the future of their employment.

Switch then to the story of Sara Hall, a recent MBA grad who's having trouble landing a job and barely making ends meet with a waitressing job. Resume in hand after leaving another unsuccessful interview, she gets into an elevator with Vincent, who eyeballs the resume (and her) and inexplicably offers her an interview at his firm. Of course, she says yes - and after a rather grueling series of interviews, the firm says yes to her. Thus begins an even more grueling job so high-stress that it leaves precious little time for anything resembling a personal life.

Then it's back to the elevator saga; by now, it's clear that the elevator itself is the "room" from which they must, as a team, figure out how to escape. The elevator zooms up to the building's 70th floor, where it stalls with doors locked, lights off and a digital readout on a wall to provide occasional clues. As one might suspect, the longer the "team" is involuntarily sequestered with no resolution to their dilemma, the more the ties that bound them together will start to unravel.

As the story and tension among the stranded employees escalates, readers learn much more about the firm, each of the team members (plus a few other key employees) and, of course, Sara. As I alluded to earlier, my excitement built up page by page as well; I swear my Kindle-swiping finger developed a callous in my hurry to get to the end. But even amid the constant excitement, the last few chapters - pages in which my suspicions turned out to be pretty much spot-on - were a rush to the finish that made me feel like I was in that elevator during a free-fall. And although the who and why were revealed, the how simply defied credibility.

So what's my verdict? Well, I cannot in good conscience bash any book that is so well written that I literally was unable to put it down. Besides that, I'm sure not everyone will share my dismay over the ending (pre-release reviews in large part have been positive). That said, neither can I give it a rave review; so 4 stars is my compromise. I do, however, thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. Quite a heady experience!

A thinly veiled mystery of revenge in the world of high finance, Goldin's novel begins with the conclusion. The reader is then taken through the circumstances as to how the revenge was deemed necessary.
It's a well written drama but no surprises here. I was hoping for some sort of twist which didn't transpire but turned out the story line became a bit contrived and over the top.
With that said, I look forward to Goldin's next novel and intend to see how this new author's technique matures.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an objective review.

I honestly loved this book. The author left enough time for the reader to figure out the clues before the characters did. The pacing was fast and exciting. Each chapter revealed another layer making it impossible to put down.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is slightly out of my normal genre range as I don't often read mysteries and thrillers but after reading the description of this one I decided to give it a try. I am glad I did! The author tells about Sara Hall and her career at an investment firm in the recent past. At the same time the reader follows the story of 4 colleagues who are trapped in an elevator as part of an escape room team building challenge...or so they think. Soon the puzzles turn in to more than just riddles and a fight for survival.

This was a captivating tale that kept me engaged right up until the end. Overall it is a solid read. People who enjoy mysteries and thrillers as well as people who are not typically into this genre will enjoy this book.

It’s officially my stop for THE ESCAPE ROOM blog tour and I couldn’t be more excited to talk about this psychological thriller. The book is broken up into 2 timeframes. 1 references the past over a time lapse into present day and the 2nd reference revolves around the current events that are taking place during present day.

We meet Sara Long. A recent college grad who lands her first job at a prestigious firm. She begins making serious dough very fast and has to keep up with her more senior partners. We are then forwarded to present day. Sara’s partners are asked to come for a team building exercise which happen to be an escape room activity. They have no idea what they are walking into. The way this story plays out an escape room is something I will NEVER suggest participating in and I’m pretty sure I’ll never sign up for. 😂

I went into this book without referencing the synopsis. I wanted to be surprised by what transpired which helped me to become engrossed in the storyline a lot better. Sara’s narrative reminded me of my own in regards to work. As a young professional you want to always put your best foot forward. You never want to show that you are struggling in front of your senior leaders. Sara is any one of us working in a professional environment and just trying to ascend that never ending corporate ladder. Of course, we aren’t faced with murder and financial ruin on our climb up.

The first half of this book exceeded my expectations. The way the author wrote the different POVs allowed me to stay engaged. I personally feel it is an author’s duty to comprehensively dictate the story in such a way that the reader does not fall into a confusing lake of words. This author kept it clear and concise without the weird transition period

The Escape Room is a fun and breezy guilty pleasure read about four coworkers who find themselves trapped in an elevator escape room. It isn't long before the claustrophobic confines start to shed light on all their darkest secrets. Although this isn't quite a twisty mystery or psychological thriller, it still keeps you on your toes and is an enjoyable novel.

The plot is told in two threads, the first being an omniscient present timeline that spans the twenty four hours trapped in the elevator. Up close and personal, it's clear to see that all four characters are simply despicable people. They're greedy and manipulative, quick to knock each other down as they claw their way to the top.

The second timeline spans the past several years and is told in the first-person perspective of an ex-coworker pointedly missing from the present. Sara Hall's voice was often a much-needed breath of fresh air from the ruthlessness crammed into the elevator. The two narratives complemented each other well with sections that were short and succinct, revealing just enough to leave you hungry for more and then flipping back to the other timeline.

There's nothing flowery or figurative about the prose or dialogue. Everything is as blunt and to the point as the characters themselves. Often, this can be off-putting in a novel, but the choppy diction and syntax really helped build the tension and desperation that had flooded the elevator by the final pages.

I had fun with this one! If you're looking for a quick read that's enjoyable but not too deep, it's definitely worth checking out The Escape Room.

Warm thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Normally, I struggle with books that have almost exclusively unlikeable characters, but this was a solid thriller and I really enjoyed watching cruel, callous people get smacked by Karma. There are a shocking number of typos and the Kindle formatting is practically unreadable, but the ePub was much better - so thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for making both available to a single reader. Despite the errors, I did not want to put the book down. It was fast paced and even though I figured out some of the major plot points early on (they were so predictable), I was still invested in the details. I think the escape room setting was original and overall, this was a fun, fast read that I will gladly recommend to friends who enjoy the genre and a good “beach read”.

When I saw Jacqueline from We Be Book’n talk about this on YouTube, I knew I had to try and get an ARC. The premise sounded so cool to me. But in hind sight I think the title made me think of an actual Escape Room as well as the recent movie and I kept picturing those characters, but the scenarios never lined up.

I think the book started off really slow for me and to be honest the end left me wanting more. We get a tease of one character and it makes me think that it would have been cool if the ending would have turned out differently.

Once I was able to get into the story at about 30% I started getting sucked into the story and I couldn’t wait to keep reading. Sitting at work through out the day drove me nuts because I couldn’t wait to get home, get to 7pm to put my daughters to bed so I could dive back into the story.

I wish I could say how I wished it would end without spoiling the story, but I can’t. All in all this was a great read, not as suspenseful as I was thinking, but a great story and I will definitely be picking up a finished copy when it releases on July 30.

This story has given me a unique view into Wall Street and the people whose jobs seem to be making lots of money and getting ahead in the firm. The characters here could be described as very intense and veritable workaholics. The interactions between the characters are very interesting especially in the elevator. The story includes information about banking and is business heavy at times which is not one of my primary interests. This book is defined as a thriller but it just wasn't my kind of thriller. I'm sure readers who like big business and Wall Street will want to read this book.

My preference for reading is suspense, thriller and romantic suspense, so when I was approved for The Escape Room I was thrilled. But I couldn't get into it. As a reader who try's all types of books, if I can't get into it once, then I try again. I even try a third time because I know that I'm a mood reader.

I wanted to love this book but I didn't. That doesn't mean I didn't like it but it didn't hit the notes I was hoping for. Overall, I'll give it 3 stars. The writing is good and I can't pick out anything wrong with it other than I didn't fall in love and connect with the characters as I hoped too.

My reaction to The Escape Room was not expected. I'd seen some mixed reviews from friends, with some calling it a little cheesy, or saying that all characters were unlikable (both true), but everyone seemed to agree on one thing-- that it was compelling. And, honestly, that's all I really wanted. Some nice undemanding thrills.

But this book bored me almost senseless. I can't believe it took me nearly two weeks to finish it.

The book is being sold as an escape room-style challenge that turns nasty. Four colleagues - Vincent, Jules, Sylvie and Sam - are trapped in an elevator (or "lift", as I would say) in a bizarre corporate team-building exercise and are presented with clues to help them escape. Except this part of the book only takes up a small percentage of the page time.

While it's true that every other chapter we return to the elevator to hear these four highly-obnoxious people whine about their circumstances, bitch about each other's work at the company, and complain about their six-figure bonuses, the majority of the book goes back in time and is narrated by another of their colleagues called Sara Hall. The majority of the book is actually about investment bankers at a top-level firm.

We hear again and again about the luxuries that come with working there, and the sacrifices that must be made. Snooze-worthy detailing of closing deals and who gets the biggest share of the bonus. The opening pages of the book reveal that it all ends in a bloodbath, and yet it is hard to see why we should care. Rather than wondering who died, and why, I spent most of the book feeling like I wouldn't mind killing them myself.

The characters in the elevator remain dull and underdeveloped; they are nothing more than selfish, overpaid investment bankers, and this made it really hard for me to care about what would happen to any of them. Plus, the way the book is set out means there is no twist or reveal-- it is obvious pretty much immediately what is going on and who is responsible.

Also: Can people really go 34 hours without needing to pee?

OMG! This book was amazing! So darn good! What a powerful web this author weaved. This is the first book of Megan Goldin’s that I have read and I am definitely looking forward to reading more. What a brilliant plot! Compelling characters. A fantastic ending. I just don’t know if anything I read next is going to compare.

Brilliant and Mindblowing The Escape Room by Megan Goldin
Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.
How well do you trust one another?
Vincent, Sam, Jules, and Sylvie are 4 ruthless, greedy wall street executives who are stuck in an elevator. Playing what they think is a team building, escape room event.
This was an absolutely incredible read. Thank you #St.Martin'sPress and #netgalley for the copy of #theescaperoom for an honest review.
4 out of 5 stars from me.

When four executives get trapped in an escape room together, they realize that the challenge is more than just finding an exit. It’s about getting out alive. Author Megan Goldin deals her characters harsh circumstances but lets the plot slide toward the end of her debut novel The Escape Room.

On a Friday night, Wall Street executives Vincent, Sylvie, Jules, and Sam receive a mysterious invitation to a team-building exercise. They’re invited to an escape room in one of the company’s new high rises still under construction. None of them want to go, but none of them can decline either. The company, Stanhope and Sons, has been in trouble lately, and rumors of layoffs have everyone nervous. The four execs are nothing if not ambitious, and they’ll do anything to keep their jobs—including participating in a stupid escape room.

They enter the elevator in the skyscraper and realize soon enough that the elevator itself is the escape room challenge. As the senior-most administrator among them, Vincent tries to take control by looking for clues. Sylvie, Jules, and Sam make efforts to help, but the clues are few and far between. Meanwhile, they suspect that Vincent lured them into the elevator in an attempt to make them look bad in front of upper management at the end of the exercise.

The clues go from scarce to bizarre, and it becomes clear that they no longer need to worry about who will win: they need to worry about who will survive. As they try to work out who would bring them into this situation and why, the four discuss the last few years at the firm. The name of a former employee comes up: Sara Hall, newly hired out of college. Their working world is one of ruthless hours and even more ruthless tactics, and Sara just couldn’t keep up. Her dismissal from Stanhope was almost inevitable. Each of the executives can’t help wonder if they’re next.

Author Megan Goldin builds a fair amount of suspense in the novel. The narrative alternates between the executives caught in the elevator and Sara Hall’s experience in working for Stanhope and Sons. Sara’s portions of the book move at a steady pace, and readers will find their curiosity mounting in wondering how she fits into the other half of the book.

Unfortunately, it’s that part of the book that drags down the entire story. The novelty of the executives caught in the elevator wears off after it’s made clear that they’re not making much progress in getting out. They hurl insults at one another and even injure one another during heated arguments; beyond that, however, and the odd clue, Vincent, Sylvie, Sam, and Jules don’t engage in much action.

More astute readers may figure out about halfway through why the four have been brought together, and because the novel starts with the end of the story they’ll already know the outcome of the escape room exercise. What is left, then, is the why and how. For those readers who make it to the big reveal at the end, they’ll find it rushed. Details are shared in what could be imagined are breathless tones, as if the characters were running to the end of the book and trying to fit in every single little detail before they get there.

Sara Hall’s portions of the novel are much more interesting than the elevator scenes; it’s a shame the entire book didn’t revolve around her. Goldin could have taken her time to develop Sara’s rise and fall within the company and the consequences of her actions. As it is, because Sara must share time with the four company sharks, readers don’t get to spend as much time with her as they would probably like.

The ambiance of the world of Wall Street feels somewhat familiar; there isn’t much new information offered on the strain of the working hours of real-life executives. Readers may not be able to stick with this one to the end. I recommend they Bypass The Escape Room.

A compulsive read, absolutely engaging. I read this book in two sittings.

Four competitive and highly ambitious Wall Street executives get called on a Friday night for a mandatory meeting. Once they arrive to the meeting point, they get locked on the elevator. Is this part of a team-building exercise or is it more than what it appears? You have to read it to find out.

This was an entertaining page-turner. It is part corporate thriller and part unsolved mystery. I was hooked from page one, there were compelling characters but also those you love to hate. A great read.

Received ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

The Escape Room was a very intriguing novel that I really enjoyed. It exposes the dark side of a job, a finance job on Wall Street, that would seem very glamorous and that I am sure is highly sought after. Anyone thinking that may be the career path for them should read this book!

The story is told from many perspectives and on two different timelines. One timeline and story is told by Sara Hall, a now deceased finance employee who ended up disgraced and fired from a team at a fancy firm shortly before her death. The other timeline is told from the multiple perspectives of her former team members, who are alive and well, and have been summoned for a weekend team building exercise in an escape room. Who is behind this meeting? What is their goal? And what does it have to do with Sara?

I don’t want to give anything away so that’s all I’ll say about what happens. I was surprised by the end of this book and there were a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming. This book was a fast, easy read and I highly recommend it for a fun summer read!

*thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!*

I wanted to read this book because I really enjoy doing Escape Rooms and enjoyed the Escape Room movie. So I wanted to see what Megan Goldin would do with the premise in a book. While the escape room clues themselves were easy and didn’t play a huge part in the story, they still helped to add another layer to the novel.

Goldin really excelled at describing the characters, which makes sense, since most of the book takes place inside of an office building or an elevator. But with these two main environments, she was able to write an atmosphere with a sense of stress, menace, and dread.

And with the characters themselves, Goldin did such an amazing job at making you feel for them, but then dislike them, but then, maybe feel for them again. Only to turn it back into hate. She engineered the roller coaster of emotions like a master.

One of the things that makes if difficult to write reviews for mysteries and thrillers is that I don’t want to give too much away. I want you to experience all the red herrings and twists that I do. For me though, The Escape Room, had twists that I saw coming and clues that were easy to solve. Normally this would make me give the review less stars, but Goldin kept me intrigued, and the story was so well put together that I not only want to give it five stars, but highly encourage you to read it.

3.5 stars.

(Review contains spoilers)

This book had me hooked from the very beginning and didn't let go until I turned the last page. It is a compulsively readable thriller: fast-paced, characters you love to hate, and a smooth, accessible writing style. I liked that the chapters alternated between the elevator "escape room" and Sara Hall's story. As the story progressed, the growing desperation and anxiety in the elevator really drove up the tension. It was horrifying, but also a little satisfying, to see Vincent, Sylvie, Jules, and Sam turn on one another as their survival instincts took over. The revelation that Sara Hall is actually alive was not at all surprising. It's was a bit too GONE GIRL, and I think most readers will see that coming. The ending was wrapped up too nicely, with Sara enjoying the profits of her former colleagues and living a life of leisure in paradise. Not that she didn't deserve it, but I think a darker ending with a shocking twist would have been a really good fit here. Overall, THE ESCAPE ROOM is very entertaining and the perfect beach read for this summer.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.