Publisher's Description: "Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are ruthlessly ambitious high-flyers working in the lucrative world of Wall Street finance where deception and intimidation thrive. Getting rich is all that matters, and they'll do anything to reach the top. When they are ordered to participate in a corporate team-building exercise that requires them to escape from a locked elevator, dark secrets of their team begin to be laid bare. The biggest mystery to solve in this lethal game: What happened to Sara Hall? Once a young shining star—now 'gone but not forgotten'. This is no longer a game. They’re fighting for their lives."

With the current popularity of escape room challenges, I can see where Megan Goldin's "The Escape Room" might be an interesting draw. Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are all Wall Street investment bankers at the most prestigious (and vicious) firm in New York. Their entire story line takes p[ace in an elevator where they are thought to be participating in an escape room team-building exercise. Their chapters alternate with Sara Hall's, a former employee with the firm who is the "gone but not forgotten" piece of the puzzle.

Trying not to reveal any significant spoilers, I think the story here was seriously lacking. There wasn't a single sympathetic character, no one to root for, and I didn't find the ending plausible at all. Throughout the chapters, there seemed to be so many things that didn't make sense, and the more of these discrepancies I found, the harder it was for me to accept what was taking place. As just one example, at one point, the elevator is dark and Vincent's glasses are knocked off his face and broken. Yet there are later references to him looking for things and making out pictures. Even if his eyesight isn't horrible, without his glasses, those things would be ridiculously difficult in the dark. And this is a minor example. There are others that are much harder to believe.

I also feel like the author needs to do a little more research on how things work in the U.S. Sara is motivated to get a lucrative job on Wall Street to help pay her father's medical bills, which at one point in the book are suggested to run into tens of thousands of dollars when he is in the hospital for a couple of weeks. If you know anything about healthcare in the U.S., you would know that chronic medical issues and hospital stays could easily run much higher than that without insurance. There's no way that Sara would be able to pay those costs out of pocket and support herself in New York City.

The writing style in this book wasn't to my liking either. Sara's narration is much too formal, almost like a high school senior writing a formal term paper - using terms like "corridors" and "gradually through the rest of her schooling." When you're writing in a first-person narrative, it really needs to sound like someone would actually speak. The author also needs to have this edited to ensure that she's not using phrases that aren't used in the U.S. Sara is from Chicago and living in New York. Having grown up around Chicago, I've never heard anyone ask for their coffee "white, no sugar" or use the term "milk teeth" for "baby teeth."

Some of these things can be fixed in editing. There's definitely time before publication for that. Overall, though, I just don't think there's enough here to make any of the characters likable enough to give this book a decent ending. They're all greedy and vindictive, and I just didn't care about any of them.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This title is scheduled for publication on August 6, 2019.

#TheEscapeRoom#NetGalley#
Review By: I Love To Read:Librarian

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley.


A riveting read about the ruthless practices of some Wall Street investment banks where employees compete amongst themselves. A young woman lands a plum job at one of the Top Notch banks. Her invitation to interview came unexpectedly on an elevator ride. Is this a good thing she wonders trying to fit in with hostile co-workers?
Making money dreams are made of, she at first doesn't over-think about business practices surrounding her. She befriends a brilliant but socially inept team worker. She wonders why this young woman prefers their friendship remain a secret to others at the firm. This young woman's death, and the death of the girl's mother force the heroine to look around and ask questions.
What is going on? To ask questions proves deadly. Aware now and terrified the heroine plots a mind-blowing revenge.
Great characterization throughout. Truly a thriller with a fantastic ending.

I was a little concerned about liking this book before I started reading it, but I was hooked after the first couple pages. Told in alternating chapters, the story is tightly wound and doesn't lose slack in its entirety. Although the ending was pretty easy to figure out -- at least, parts of it -- the book's intensity was not lost by knowing the direction in which the story would go. I thought I would be bored because I have very little interest in the finance world, but fortunately the finance parts were easy to comprehend. This was a great book, full of intrigue, suspense, greed, secrets and karma at its finest. Definitely recommend this one!

This was a stunning page turner. I didn’t want to put this one down and the ending blew me away. Greed and ambition will sometimes be your downfall. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book kept my interest from the beginning. It is the first book I have read by Megan Goldin and I look forward to seeing what she brings to the world in the future.

I will gladly recommend it to patrons and friends.

"It was Miguel who called 911 at 4.07 a.m. on an icy Sunday morning"

Nice, sharp, clear, and intriguing opening. Excellent start author Megan Goldin.

I enjoyed the glimpse of the world of high finance. Such greedy, self centered and selfish characters! And therein lies one of my problems with the book, isnt our "hero" just as greedy, self centered, and selfish? That, combined with the unbelievable finale, and due to no "red herrings" nor possible other "suspects" you know fairly early "who dun it".

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

The story is kind of like an episode of The Office gone wrong. Imagine a group of ruthless ladder-climbers who are all accustomed to being in control. Now, take away their sense of entitlement and privilege. Being trapped inside an elevator with no hope of escape is pretty much as vulnerable as they get!

By describing the scene in the elevator so vividly, Goldin created a dark and sinister mood. Her chapters alternated with a narration from Sara Hall, a young up-and-comer in the high-stakes business world.

I couldn’t help but relate to Sara. Feeling responsible for family, trying to eek out a living, and hoping for better things — it all comes with being a child from poverty. Even middle class poverty like Sara’s background can be hard to overcome.

The ending was perfect. Goldin gave a bit of background to explain how it all came together, and things wrapped up just the way I’d hoped. The Escape Room was just the book I needed for a day in pj’s.

A little too predictable as to the outcome, but the "business office" theme was quite interesting. A few characters weren't as developed as I had hoped. The reach for the top in the business world, and the brown nosing is quite something. I wonder how much bullying does go on? Just not "thrilling" enough for me to garner more stars. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for sending me a copy to read!

Thank you #NetGalley for an advanced copy of #TheEscapeRoom!

If you weren’t already afraid of confined spaces or escape rooms, you will be now! This book seriously makes you feel every emotion possible. From sadness to envy to outrage to relief, Sara’s journey was a complete roller coaster but the ending was so incredibly satisfying! At times I did feel certain chapters could’ve been left out of the book as they were either irrelevant or unnecessary, but that wouldn’t stop me from reading/recommending this book. You truly get a feel for life in the corporate finance world and how ruthless people can be.

This is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat! I could not stop reading it so be prepared to cancel all plans and stay up all night finish reading this book! There were many twists and turns that I did not see coming! You might think you know what will happen next in the story but you will be surprised! It is suspenseful and engaging!

This was so unexpectedly great and SUCH an original story. All the characters felt real and I loved the duo plots. Definitely one of my favorite books this year. I will recommend this book to many, many friends.

Thank you Netgalley for this awesome book!

I flew through this! THE ESCAPE ROOM is a thriller/mystery set in two sections: third person which features four (despicable) people stuck in an elevator escape room, and first person featuring Sara Hall, who worked with said four despicable people. The novel goes between the sections; I liked the way we didn't get too much in the elevator at once. It felt apt for a thriller: will they or won't they get out?

Most of the characters were unlikable as hell, but that felt right for the novel. They <i>are</i> Wall Street bankers. I liked Sara, and I quite liked Lucy. I wish we had got more of the latter, but alas. It wasn't meant to be.

This novel isn't particularly new or fresh, but it was enjoyable. If you're looking for a quick thriller that is a little different than the rest, check it out.

I hadn't heard much about this book or author but was excited to read it based on its description. The premise was definitely unique and I was anxious to find out what would happen and to whom. While I liked 95% of the book, the conclusion left me wanting. It seemed to come out of nowhere, especially the last two pages, and then it just ended like that.

4.5 Stars

“Death, after all, was the ultimate equalizer.”

Sara Hall has everything she needs to get her foot in the door to be one of the high paid financial advisors on Wall Street. Impeccable grades, references from an acclaimed professor, and enough determination to fulfill her dream. But money has a way of changing people, and perhaps there is a reason greed is one of the seven deadly sins. When four colleagues find themselves trapped inside an elevator in what they believe to be a team building exercise in the form of an escape room, the sins of their past link to the clues behind what really happened to Sara Hall.

The Escape Room is a thriller that will cause your heart to race and get the little gray cells working to decipher between the truth and the red herrings the author tosses out to keep the reader guessing as to who is behind this revenge driven game. Highly recommend!

This was going to get 3 stars but the ending redeemed this novel for me- I was totally surprised and it was immensely satisfying. There were a lot of slow parts that were tough to get through. However, it had one of the best endings of any book I’ve read this year. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for fair review.

Four powerful Wall Street execs are trapped in an elevator. They think they've been summoned to an office building in the South Bronx on a Friday night for some kind of mandatory teambuilding exercise—an escape-room challenge—but this is no simple game.

In alternating chapters, we read the first-person account of Sara Hall, a young MBA who is hired by the prestigious firm of Stanhope and Sons, told in flashback, and the present-day story of the three men and one woman who gradually realize they are trapped in the elevator. What's going on? What does the supposed escape-room challenge have to do with Sara, who (we find out early on in the book) is now dead? The team's secrets and lies are laid bare over the course of the book, which was a hit in Goldin's native Australia and should be poised for success in the U.S. as well. This is an unusual and compelling thriller guaranteed to make you feel claustrophobic. (As someone who has actually been trapped in an elevator, it definitely made me feel uncomfortable at times... and yet I couldn't stop turning the pages.)

A huge, hugethank you to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the #arc of this seriously AMAZING story!!!
I wasn't a fan..at the very beginning BUT, it didn't take me long to literally sit on the edge of my seat trying to read fast enough to find out the ending. So now I sit here, a quarter till Christmas Day and I'm BLOWN away!!! I haven't seen a book like this in a very long time!!
Cunning, smart and the best example of revenge that I can think of, is what I'm left with. I'm now a fan of Megan Goldins. I'd never heard of her before this book and I'm thoroughly grateful, for the chance to read this heart stopping, suspenseful novel!
Never underestimate a woman who's been spurned...
Merry Christmas to all of you, I hope you all have a truly blessed day!!

Wall Street meets 9 to 5 in this thriller coming out in August 2019. 4 co-workers get into an elevator and find out the doors won’t open. They have been put into an Escape Room (like the team building exercises that companies use) and have to work together to figure out how to get out. In the meantime, lots of secrets are spilled and they wonder if they can trust each other.

“How much do you trust each other?” Things can never be good when your trapped in an elevator with three of your colleagues and that is one of the questions you need to answer to escape. However, they will have to work together and rely on each other even when the veneer of camaraderie has long since dissolved between this group.

Great face paced read! I felt like I was in the elevator sweating it out with them for an hour. I really thought I could smell their fear and hear their quickening heartbeats.

4 stars

Wow. What a ride! Excellent plot that I could envision as a movie. In fact I could see the entire story unfold in my mind while reading. It's a keen look into the world of high-fliers in the corporate world who get so enamored by greed and the lifestyle it affords that morals are gradually thrown out the window. From the start the book is engaging, and an adrenaline-stoking plot develops alongside the voice of a young ambitious graduate in alternating chapters. There are shocking revelations, a revenge plan that takes on a life of its own, and an ending that is the ultimate comeback. I will be open to reading another book by this author.