Finally! I’ve had The Escape Room on my list to read for ages, what better time then 2 1/2-years after pub day? So sorry to the publisher for the delay. This book was definitely worth reading!

The Escape Room is a locked-room thriller about a group of colleagues, tested to their limits for what appears to be a staff bonding activity. Everyone’s lives are vastly different, and while this was a thrilling suspense from the very beginning, I loved how each character’s lives are studied using multiple POV’s. Members of the corporate firm are not happy to be there, and are in a race to get on with their days and solve each clue, but when people are being killed, it becomes a race for their lives.

Without revealing too much, I think it’s best to go in blind. This was a super fun concept for a thriller and the author definitely executed it well.

Thank you to #netgalley and the @StMartinsPress for my advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

BEGINNING WITH A SENRYU.

Four swollen piggies:
Tip-toeing to the slaughter;
How sweet their bloodshed!

—Cat Ellington

THE WOLVES OF WALL STREET.

Stanhope and Sons, a world-renowned (fictional) investment banking firm planted in the heart of New York's monied Wall Street, serves as the primary setting of this infamous plot of greed and murder. Centered on a shrine of false idolatry, those willing to sell their souls for the sake of the so-called almighty dollar snagged their parts and played them well here. Meet the following:

• Vincent de Vries. Vincent is Senior Vice President at Stanhope and Sons and a man with whom one should not trifle. A former lieutenant in the Dutch armed forces with flawless leadership qualities, the tall and Nordic Vincent, a private man, by the way, can be one's dearest friend or their fiercest foe.

• Jules is the claustrophobic lawyer who's afraid of the dark – the result of an alleged "childhood trauma." Jules, an alcoholic; and a lost soul: unwanted, unloved, and orphaned by his father after the death of his mother. Jules, a former heir to a diminishing empire of wealth—no thanks to his pathetic father. To Jules, Vincent de Vries is a demigod: for Jules will do anything to win the approval and affection of Vincent.

• Sam Bradley is another shark of a lawyer at the investment bank, Stanhope and Sons. Despite his "investment portfolio," Sam is practically in debt – no thanks to his wife, Kim. Kim is high-maintenance, a woman who revels in living beyond her means. Hard to please and appease, Kim is nothing short of hateful and ungrateful.

• Sylvie is a senior analyst at Stanhope and Sons. Described on these pages as 'bitchy, hierarchical, and manipulative,' the statuesque Sylvie is an alpha female who hates other women on sight, particularly the ones she perceives as a threat to her womanhood. Formerly famous, Sylvie was once a top teenage model in another lucrative industry: fashion. But a disfigurement (severe burns from a car crash) ended her glamorous modeling career.

• Lucy Marshall is a financial wiz with an 'uncanny ability to make money.' Brilliant in finance and art, Lucy is the mousy, antisocial butterfly of team Vincent de Vries. A smart cookie, Lucy can be likened to the human equivalent of a computer. She never makes mistakes. And she is a valuable asset to not only Stanhope and Sons but also to Vincent's team at the multi-billion-dollar firm.

A LITTLE PAUPER SHALL LEAD THEM.

The investment banking firm, Stanhope and Sons, is like heaven on earth to many MBA graduates, including one named Sara Hall, a highly-educated native of Chicago. Sara originally wanted to work in the medical profession but settled for a career in finance instead. When she makes her entry on these pitiless pages, she is seated dressed in an expensive suit—that maxed out her credit card—and a pair of borrowed Louboutins. Sara is smart. But Sara is also poor. And as she sits before the very wealthy and arrogant Richard Worthington III, a brash Princeton grad, by the way, interviewing for a job she doesn't stand a chance of securing, Sara does her best to remain professional despite his sexist barbs. Sara has an MBA and the best grades in her graduating class, and still, she can't find a decent job: for Sara has mounting credit card debt, student loans, and rent to pay.
Richard Worthington III knows that it took Sara hours on an Amtrak train (because she couldn't afford to fly) to make it to New York for the interview, but he is not a man known for compassion. Instead, he's a pompous chauvinist. And he doesn't intend to give the job position to anyone except the brother of one of his old college buddies. His actions reveal his true spirit: cruel and hateful. Figuratively speaking, Richie spits in the face of Sara Hall, kicking her while she's down and in need. But what Richie, in all his Italian silk, doesn't know is this: Sara's earthly creator (Goldin) has given her honor. Sara is our leading lady. And she will lead a remarkable cast and carry the refined plot of this literary bar of gold to the most revered financial institution on Wall Street.

A DESPERATE FORTUNE.

Sara Hall had been holding out hope that she would get the call from Stanhope and Sons after her chance encounter with the powerful man named Vincent in the elevator. Meeting him had been welcome after that disastrous interview with the spiteful Richard Worthington III. He'd given Sara his business card, telling her that he was always on the lookout for financial hotshots, but he couldn't make her any promises. Still, Sara was hopeful. She wanted a career on Wall Street so bad that she could taste it. Sara had desperate needs: dump the waitress job (at Rob Roy) and the boss who treated her like dirt; and dump her lazy roommate and her roommate's lazy boyfriend. There were also her parents to consider. Both were up in age and ill in health, especially her dad. Sara needed a financial lifeline like yesterday. By now, she would probably do anything to escape her present situation. That's desperation for you. And when a person becomes desperate enough, they become ripe for the (soul) harvest.

Like clockwork, Sara finally gets the call that will forever change her miserly life.

FROM RAGS TO RICHES AND BITCHES.

Sara has now secured the job of her dreams. She's an investment banker on Wall Street. And Sara is getting on well, making good money, and getting in the habit of buying the best that money can buy. Thus far, Sara is coming up and feeling good. That is until she meets the beautiful Sylvie, a former model, an alpha female, and an arrogant, two-faced bitch. Sylvie lets Sara know, in no uncertain terms, that Sylvie is the one with the beauty, the brains, and the power to influence the men on their team. For she is the one with the most-powerful vaginal cavity, and the men all salivate at the mere sight of her, the great Sylvie. Yes, Sylvie is whip-smart. But Sylvie is also delusional. And her delusions, vainglorious as they are, are gearing up to speed her into a brick wall of self-destruction.

THE ILL-FATED.

Cocky as a flock of roosters, the money-making team of Vincent, Jules, Sam, Sylvie, Sara, and Lucy are the masters (and mistresses) of their Wall Street domain at Stanhope and Sons. They eat, drink, and sleep well despite the evil they sometimes do to keep the river of liquid gold flowing into the vats of their respective investment firm. But on the day the head honcho, Vincent de Vries, summons them all to a mandatory meeting in the firm's office tower, the gates of Hell burst open, and all the contents of its condemned intestines break loose. For it would have been better for them had they gone on their getaways with loved ones or stayed home with them than to have shown up for the meeting.

But when one is on the road to becoming a great proverb, who has time for sound wisdom?

LET THE GAME—of DEATH—BEGIN.

The things that got them way up there are about to cause their downfall: pride and self-indulgence. No one, not even Vincent, knows what the oh-so-important meeting is all about; it was only obligatory that they attend it. Therefore, they did. And before it was all over, each of them would regret their decisions. Once they step onto the luxurious, high-speed elevator, which transports them over one hundred stories above ground level, they lose all control. No longer big-bad wolves, they have now become vulnerable sheep—being led to the slaughter.

Here, the luxurious, high-tech elevator, an example of the great wealth to which team de Vries has become so accustomed, has become an escape room. And they receive their first message via a brightly-lit mounted wall monitor: Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.

THE BLOOD ELEVATOR SCENE.

The night watchman, Miguel, is chilling out during his graveyard shift. Doing the rounds while listening to music through his headphones, Miguel is oblivious to all else. It's just another night shift. Of course, it feels creepy sometimes when he's in the dark building all alone, but he manages. Miguel takes in the opulent setting all around him as he carries out his inspection. And all appears well until he hears it. Miguel is in the middle of switching his playlist when he hears it. A stifled scream. While it gets his attention at first, Miguel cannot allow himself to be creeped out about it because he hears things all the time. For all he knew, it could be the sound of the wind. And that green light flickering above the elevator? It could be nothing. The towering building is safe and secure, and that flickering light may only have to do with wiring. It doesn't necessarily mean that the freight is in use—especially not at this time of night. Miguel continues with his inspection, but he can't shake what he just heard. It sounded like a scream to him. And because Miguel is nothing if not punctilious, he sweeps his flashlight over the gigantic lobby again. Nothing. So be it. Miguel is about to get back into his music when he hears it. The unmistakable sound of gunshots. It is then that Miguel calls the cops.

Miguel was only being careful. He watched (and listened) as the two officers went through the motions of their duty. He answered their questions, too. Nothing seemed out of place, and the building was all quiet now. Well, at least it was before the elevator bell chimed.

Here is where the innocent Miguel has his "Danny Torrance" moment. Here he watches in horror, mouth agape, as the doors of the luxurious elevator open to let out the river of blood – more blood than Miguel has ever seen in his life.

SHOULDA, COULDA, WOULDA.

On Wall Street, compassion and empathy are too impoverished to afford even the most meager abode; and those affluent enough to have a place to lay their heads on the Street don't value their souls—above the almighty dollar—much less that of anyone else. And for our leading lady, Sara Hall, it would have been better had she stayed in Chicago and kept working as a lowly ol' waitress than to have left it all behind to move to New York, obtain a job on Wall Street, and become yoked with the proud and the perverse. Because when their backs are up against a wall, people show you who they (truly) are. And all it takes for the wolves of Wall Street to start feeding on their own is when they get desperate enough to survive. Here, the beasts within will finally break forth to gorge on their human hosts: for the evil within won't be satisfied under any other circumstance.

TENSION BUILDER.

On the pages of this callous, Gekkoean tale, author Megan Goldin trims the fat of her oxen to reveal the emaciation of dead men's bones. Wrapped in a plot so tight that it will give the reader pull bumps, The Escape Room reads like a hyperactive mystery thriller on amphetamines. And if truth be told, the first-rate storyline is one of the best I've read this year.

VERY FINE COMPLEMENTS.

Not to be outdone by the stars of the show—anchored by the dynamic Sara Hall—on these pages of excess, deception, and cold-blooded murder, Goldin's small but talented cast of bit players will also ingrain themselves into the reader's brain. They include the following:

• Cathy Marshall is Lucy's mother. Cathy tries to convince anyone who will listen, including Sara, that rather than death by alleged suicide, her mousy but intellectually-gifted daughter, Lucy, was murdered. But what Cathy should've done was keep the peace and left well enough alone.

• Eric Miles is the great-grandson of the original Stanhope family founders. The epitome of what it means to live a lie, Eric had never possessed the force of character to excel in investment banking; he only got in because of his stellar pedigree. A loathsome and incompetent menace, his name is now a clue in the escape room.

• Elizabeth is the kind of goody-two-shoes that Adam Ant sang about in the rad '80s. While her colleagues ride atop of the bull markets, ol' Lizzy is riding the White Horse.

• Amanda is a management consultant and Sara's former roommate. With a bubbly—and shamelessly extroverted—personality, the worldly and world-traveling Amanda is a woman with many friends and associates, including Kevin, the future beau of Sara.

• Kevin is one helluva sexy attorney who knows his way around not only the technology sector but also a wide range of cuisine. Aside from his masterful lawyering, Kevin cooks—both in his deluxe kitchen and Sara's bed. The two started dating after meeting for the first time at a mutual friend's birthday party.

• Fiona, Sara's other roommate, is a trifling college dropout. She is a bird whose feathers flock well together with those of her own drunken and hopeless kind.

• Darryl is the big-beefy-and-tattooed tattoo artist located on a dingy strip of land in Old Vegas. Aside from his artistic talents in ink, Darryl is a man who specializes in documents.

THE SUM-UP.

A house of cards is the plot of The Escape Room. A house built on sand rather than solid rock is the plot of The Escape Room. A perfect example of folly is the plot of The Escape Room. A heart-racing nightmare is the plot of The Escape Room. A cruel full circle is The Escape Room. Contemptuous, vindictive, desperate, and bitter is The Escape Room. And nothing short of outstanding is The Escape Room. Well-researched, this literary script, a triple-cross between John Grisham's The Firm, Oliver Stone's Wall Street, and Meera Menon's Equity, is scandalous and vile. And those selfish and unpleasant cast members do it sublime justice. Indeed, they play their wicked parts flawlessly, from beginning to end.

To those of you who fancy an exceptionally written (and international) financial thriller, I recommend this poetic and icy tale of money, bloodshed, and mayhem, even highly so: for after viewing The Escape Room, you may never regard investment banking in quite the same way again: for you're sure to feel as if you're right there, in the heart of all the action, no sooner than you embark on the pages of this delicious gem. Incredible (and riveting) storytelling on the part of Megan Goldin!

Five supposedly-dead-and-buried stars.


• REVIEWER'S NOTE: It is my kind pleasure to thank St. Martin's Press, as well as NetGalley, for the advanced review copy (ARC) of The Escape Room in exchange for my honest review.

Analysis of The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is courtesy of the Reviews by Cat Ellington book series.

Date of Review: Saturday, November 27, 2021

©2021 Quill Pen Ink Publishing. Reviews by Cat Ellington. The Cat Ellington Literary Collection. All rights reserved.

The Escape Room was a thrilling read where everyone is lying and someone is determined to get revenge.

In the world of finance, Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are at the top of their game. When they're invited to an escape room as a team-building exercise, the group enters the elevator of a high-rise building. But when the doors remain closed it becomes clear this is more than just a game. Trapped in the dark, the group must put aside their differences and work together to solve the clues if they're going to have any hope of making it out alive. But as the game reveals their darkest secrets, they realize someone wants them to pay for the crimes they committed in their rise to the top.

The Escape Room begins with the final scene in the elevator before jumping back in time roughly a day and a half earlier to when the group first arrived at the building where this all plays out. This was a great choice by the author as after reading the prologue I needed to know how the characters ended up where they did. From there, the book is told in alternating chapters from present day with the group in the elevator to several years in the past following a woman, Sara Hall, who begins working at the firm the group in the elevator work at.

Through Sara's chapters we begin to learn about the group in the elevator and it quickly becomes clear how they ended up in the situation they did. None of them is a good person and they all did terrible things to get to the top. Money is king is the world of finance and Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam will do anything to make more. The situation in the elevator becomes increasingly tense as the group realizes getting out won't be simple as they originally assumed. I enjoyed watching as their secrets were revealed as they all quickly turn on each other which was interesting to watch as they're trapped together. Without going into detail I'll just say I thought the entire escape room scheme was quite clever and I loved finding out who was behind it and why. This book was a thrilling ride from start to finish and I highly recommend it.

Overall The Escape Room was a fantastic read and I definitely plan to pick up more of the author's books in the future.

This would likely be a new author to many I know. I have people that rely on me for good recommendations and this area is pretty particular about what it reads. Many are older but most like mystery, suspense and thrillers. I would recommend it.

When I first started reading this book I was irritated by it. I found the references to designer goods over the top and annoying, and figured I wouldn't like any of the characters. I decided to give it another chance after reading another review of it, and it was fantastic. A revenge thriller with a very satisfying ending. There was a lot about the trappings of a luxurious lifestyle but it was definitely part of a villainous downfall rather than aspirational. So glad I give this title a second shot and looking forward to reading other titles by Megan Goldin.

Sorry put a review in here for a different book will edit it once I have read the escape room. Sorry again

4.5 stars_What a book!! This grabbed me from the very first Chapter!

Someone described this book as Saw in an elevator; and I agree, granted a less gory version of Saw. This book was full of surprises and twists I did not expect or see coming! It was very well written, creative and entertaining.
This book is told in different POVs, which makes it even better and ups the surprise factor!

This isn’t quite a 5-stars for me personally, just because as much as this was suspenseful and gripping, I ended up really disliking the four colleagues stuck in the elevator and didn’t care for their backstory, that part was a bit slow-paced, and then out of nowhere, it took a major positive turn!

Great story, great premise, and great ending!

Highly recommend this book and Melanie Goldin has gained a fan!

A thriller that will capture your attention from the very first page. A team building exercise that slowly turns into something else. A plan for survival was all that mattered. You do not want to miss this page turner!

3.5 stars! This was certainly a fun read but the ending was outlandish. I didn't overly enjoy the writing style and the pacing of the novel fall flat at times.

I loved this highly entertaining and fast-paced read. I found Vincent, Sam, Sylvie and Jules to all be very interesting characters with incredibly fascinating lifestyles. Their work first, high stakes lifestyle was incredibly interesting to me as I tend to live an opposite life. Overall, I really enjoyed the way this was written and the choice to flip back and forth between the elevator and the past events leading up to the team building exercise. I will be recommending this to all my suspense and thriller fans.

One of the best thrillers I've read this year. I was thinking it would end one way but it actually ended a different way. All around clever novel.

In a world where thrillers are a dime a dozen, it takes some real creativity to write one that stands out, and I feel that Megan Goldin did just that. So twisted, but so real too. Alternating between one of the employees at a financial institue past background and then views of a group of coworkers trapped in an elevator "escape room" in real time. I absolutly loved watching it all come together and how it all played out. Megan Goldin has found her way into my auto buy cattegory!

This book took me five days to read (and that’s only because I have a marriage, a job and other commitments). It was so hard to close this book at the end of the night!! What an incredible story!

It starts out with a security guard opening the elevator to find people inside and from there, we go back to the beginning of the story to find out what happened…

Told from two perspectives: The Elevator and Sara Hall, the story shifts between them to explain the past and real time. Sara Hall is down on her luck, has parents who need assistance paying medical bills and happens to have an interaction with Vincent, a man from upper management, in an elevator when she’s leaving a poor interview. Given his card, she schedules an interview with him and lands a job at one of the most prestigious investment firms.

Learning the ropes and the games played by the employees at Stanhope & Sons, she learns quickly the culture of “dog eat dog” and no sleep. She works under Vincent and most of his team: Jules, Sam and Sylvie. Sara is an outsider, but soon makes her way to become valuable as an employee.

One night the employees are brought to a team-building exercise in an elevator and have to solve clues to get out. But this isn’t your typical escape room. And the way in which the story is told, is so suspenseful that you don’t want to put it down. Vascillating between the events in the elevator and Sara’s perspectives, the entire story is told and we finally find out at the end what leads to the escape room.

Fantastic read, would love to see it become a movie, and told the way that it was in the story. Everything was perfect and the ending MAGNIFICENT!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 (http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html): “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

This was the biggest waste of my time, even if it did get me published in a magazine. I did not enjoy this and I won't be reading any more from Megan Goldin

I really liked The Escape Room by Megan Goldin. It was a new and fresh take on a thriller, this one taking place at a workplace and beginning with the end of the story. I think it was so well done how we went back and forth between present time with colleagues stuck in an elevator as a type of escape room and learning about another colleague through the other chapters. While not totally unpredictable, it was still highly entertaining and I flew through it!

What a ride! Escape Room is about cutthroat employees. Great psychological thriller. Edge of your seat. This is what happens when the employees are doing a team building skills. How far will they go?#netgalley #goodreads

This is from the same author as The Night Swim. This author doesn't click well with me. I gave it three stars because that is a me thing, not anything against the author. I couldn't force myself to finish this book.

I really enjoyed this book; it was compelling and fast-paced. It seemed to wrap up quickly, but I enjoyed that; I don't need a long, drawn out ending. I kind of guessed where the story was going, but I was still happy with how it ended. Revenge is always good!

I actually read this after reading the author's other book, The Night Swim. I can't say that I loved The Escape Room. It was entertaining enough, but there were parts that dragged on and a lot going on to keep track of. I was excited about the dynamics of those stuck in the elevator, but they didn't seem to spend a lot of time in there (most of it is flashbacks) and when they did it was pretty boring.

Also, the characters were all pretty unlikeable and it was kind of hard to believe they are all such terrible people with little to no remorse.

Overall not a terrible book, but not great either. Based on her other book I read, she's a good author, so I think she'll continue to improve with each new book.