This story tells of the power hungry people that work in a Wall Street type financial office. We follow the cut throat business dealings with Jules, Sam, Sylvie and Vincent, each trying to be top dog in their department and letting nothing stop them from achieving that goal. Sarah Hall joins that department and soon finds that she is at the bottom of the totem pole while the others try to step over here to get to the top. But Sarah is intelligent and knows her job and also makes a friend in the office. Lucy is quiet, but is an analytical expert. At one office meeting, she speaks out of turn when she points out a mistake one of the others has made. Then Lucy goes missing and soon after that the 4 main characters get a memo for a mandatory meeting. They already have their own plans for that evening, but as the meeting is compulsory, they have to attend. They find out that it is a carefully choreographed scenario to test them and they need to use every skill set they possess to win.
This book is so well written that you can just imagine the wheeling and dealing in a financial office where every one doesn't care what they have to do to get to the top. An interesting and surprise ending.

4.5 stars
This is a book that people will love or hate. It is going to have divided audiences for sure. Having said that, I fall in the love category. It was a tightly wound story, you could feel the tension in there. The plot is well thought of and Sara’s character development is brilliant. As you read it you will realize that this would make a great tv mini series. The suspense is well created and there are bits and pieces of information that the reader gathers as they move along. The ending ties everything in very well and nothing is left as a loose end. The book has many learnings that one can take from it. It makes you think hard about how our moral compasses are our most valued possession and how important they are in our lives.
This is a book that will likely end up being heavily discussed in book clubs and had the potential to make people re-asses how far they would go for satisfying their greed.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sara Hall can't wait to become a part of Wall Street. She is recruited by Vince a leader in a high rising establishment. There are Lucy, Sylvie, Jules, Sam, her and Vince is the leader in her team. She knows she is low man on the totem pole. Even being on the low end of the totem pole she is making more money than she could have imagined. And that doesn't include bonuses. Of course almost every spare moment is spent at work. Things seem to be going well, and then Lucy dies. Is it suicide or murder? Later Sara finds herself being frozen out of her group. Finally she is fired. She loses everything. Including her fiancee. Looking through some items that had belonged to Lucy, she discovers why Lucy was killed. There is a group in that office that are making millions through insider trading. The group is called, "The Circle".
Using a training method called the escape room, Sara is getting her revenge. But, first, she has to die.
Incredible, and enjoyable read. Kept me guessing.
Great characters, you love to hate. Storyline is spectacular!! Loved this read!

Though I can see this being a good read for others, it just didn't do it for me. I found myself losing focus on the actual story as it's easy to predict.

I am obviously in the minority, when I write that this book was a disappointment to me. I had high hopes, especially after reading lofty member reviews. Those high hopes quickly dissapated after the time I invested in reading this novel. Only after finishing the book and reading some reviews on goodreads, did I feel exculpated.
I will not dwell on the many errors, both grammatical and otherwise, as I hope the final product will be properly vetted. The read imploded when it detailed unbelievable and honestly, outrageous accounts by some of the characters. I do not want to interject any spoilers, so I am deliberately being vague. But I found myself shaking my head and wanting to escape as quickly as I could to finish “The Escape Room.” Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this fabulous ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Surprisingly amazing read. It all began with a dream for Sara. Sara went from a middle class or even lower class family. She worked hard in school and struggle to get into Wall Street, especially after the market crashed. To her good fortune she met Vincent who gave her dream job. However, it took a turn for the worst when a colleague died. It was a great story even through the end. However, I find some points in the end a little hard to believe.

*** SPOILER***

How did Sara get all that money to get everything that she needs to pull off her revenge? Such as, the bio-metric contact lens in order to by pass the system. On the black market it would have taken her more than $5000 in order to obtain that type of equipment. Her waitress job would not have given her that much cash. Overall, this is very different from anything I've ever read.

I'm so disappointed to have to leave a negative review for this book. It started out with so much potential, but man...it totally derailed by the end and I have to give it 2 stars.

So much unnecessary back story, so many boring details, and a ludicrous ending. I was truly giggling by the end, and not in a good way.

Also, I found all of the characters absolutely revolting. What horrible people. I had a visceral reaction to them and it actually made it hard to finish the book.

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin just didn't capture my attention. Right from the start, all of the characters seemed all too self-involved, living over their collective means, and frankly, none of them were appealing. I could not root for any of them to figure out the riddle of getting out of the "escape room", in this case an elevator. I did finish the book, but would not recommend it to anyone. Thanks to Netgalley.com for an advance copy.

I'm sorry to report, but this ARC did not format properly and was not readable. I've never had that happen before with a book through NetGalley. I tried deleting the download and reloading it on two different devices, to no avail.

My apologies for not being able to post a proper review.

I'm posting a star of rating of 4, since that tends to be my average baseline.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an early release of this book.
What a ride!! Kept me interested all the way through, great suspense and keeps on giving.
Great book.
First for me from this author will be on the lookout for more from her.

Ooh! This was fantastic! The very beginning grabs you and doesn't let go until the very end. It goes back and forth between four money/power-hungry people who work crazy hours and will do whatever it takes to keep living in the lap of luxury and Sara Hall who, once upon a time, worked with these people. What happened to her?! Both stories were excellent. They were so thick with tension. I didn't get far into the book when I just wanted it to be over - I couldn't stand not knowing anymore! Sara Hall tried her best to fit in and do a good job while also trying to do the right thing. I really liked her. She was thrown so many curveballs and worked so hard to overcome everything and stay on top. I hate to say this, but the last little chunk of the book when things unravel and we figure out what's going on is when the author lost me. I'm so disappointed I couldn't give this five stars, but it was a hell of a ride anyway!

Co-workers Jules, Sam, Sylvie and their boss Vincent are trapped in an Escape Room puzzle.

The four Wall Street team members are sent a memo from HR insisting they attend a team-building exercise late at night. After boarding the elevator, they discover they are already in the Escape Room. As they attempt to solve the puzzles to escape, their situation becomes increasingly desperate.

In alternating chapers, the story of Sara is told. Several years prior, Sara is hired as the most junior member of the team. Ignored by most of the team, Sara becomes friends with another ostrasized team member, Lucy. Lucy is a brilliant mathematician, who also is on the Asperger’s spectrum.

It is very hard to explain what I liked best about the Escape Room without releasing spoilers. Therefore, you’ll just have to take my word that it is an excellent read. The breadcrumbs to the end of the riddle are artfully interspersed within the plot with only subtle foreshadowing. Every loose end is tried up by the end. The dialogue and writing style are very cinematic making it easy to picture the story in your head (or up on the big screen where I predict it will appear soon).

The Escape Room is a great gift for any recent finance graduates to ensure they steer clear of any Wall Street jobs. It is a cautionary tale about how greed can quickly pummel any remaining ethics into shreds. It is also an amazing thriller that was impossible for me to stop reading once I started. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was well written, suspenseful and a great "revenge" plot you didn't see coming. The chapters go back and forth between the present and the past, which I don't usually like as it can be hard to follow, but this was really well done. It wasn't confusing, to go back and forth, it flowed nicely and didn't feel like you were jumping around or really had to 'think' to follow. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

Super unique book for me. Paranoia, secrets, lies, back stabbing coworkers, murder, fast paced Wall Street lives with money, power and LIES! It’s all in the Escape Room! it was unique but good.

My family and I have been to a few escape rooms so this concept really intrigued me. Four coworkers are told to meet in a newly built building on a Friday night and get into the elevator. Turns out the elevator is THE Escape Room. Because it's a new building and over a weekend, the entire building is deserted. The book alternates chapters with these 4 people who don't trust each other but must work together to get out and Sara Hall (one of their coworkers who came on years earlier as a new hire). From Sara's perspective, you see the cut-throat competition within the financial world and how her coworkers treat others. I'm not sure if the numbers were based on facts but I was floored to find out how much financial professionals make on Wall Street! It's a novel based on revenge and I could not figure out who was behind it. This one kept me up late into the night trying to finish it!

I found this book neither thrilling nor particularly enjoyable. Five greedy people trying to undo one another’s careers made it difficult to care about the outcome. I also felt that the situation in which they found themselves was over the top for credibility, a feeling that was not assuaged by the explanation of how it all came about. Too much exposition at the end and a pat finish finalized it all for me. Two stars.

Really fun psychological thriller. Loved the main character and how the story unfolded. Received a preview from NetGalley, much appreciated. Tons of editing still needed.

Four executives are told by HR to go to a building for what they are told is a mandatory team building meeting. Once there they get into an elevator where they learn it's going to be an exercise in how well they work together to get out of an escape room. When they see that the elevator is the room, they start to have second thoughts.

Wow, this was an exceptional read for me. At first I liked the characters but as Goldin starts peeling back the layers, you see them for who they really are. Goldin also gives you a glimpse into the lives of the white collar worker, and what they do to make the big bucks. This book is told in alternating chapters taking place in the elevator and Sara Hall, who was top in her MBA class but is having a hard time getting a job. By chance she is hired on in a high powered world which she is not used to.

I was totally enthralled with this story and actually stayed up until almost 2 AM to finish it. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A Wild Elevator Ride in 2019.
The story opens with a bloody office building elevator.
Kind and unassuming, Sara Hall rolls the dice and interviews with Stanhope and Sons, a prestigious Wall Street financial firm who selects just a minute percentage of applicants per year. Hailing from the Midwest, Sara has the education and the grades and ends up being hired as an analyst for the firm. She immediately goes to work for an unscrupulous team who plan and execute corporate takeovers. The team treats the new recruit with contempt and disdain and Sara quickly learns the hierarchy of power. Even her boss Vincent, who is the one who took a chance on her, starts to appear imminently different once Sara starts working for him. Sara’s life begins to dramatically change once she starts making the kind of money that most can only dream of. She can finally take care for her sick parents but the grueling hours and the own-your-soul mentality of her employer starts to take a toll.
The sudden death of a co-worker, Sara’s only work friend, seeds a suspicion as to the circumstances surrounding her death. Sara makes a grave miscalculation and her life takes another dramatic turn, this time not so good.
Suspense heightens as the chapters alternate back and forth between Sara’s story and her comeuppance at Stanhope and Sons and the “elevator” scenes when four of her colleagues, including her boss, find themselves unexpectedly trapped in their building’s elevator for what they believe is a team-building exercise, an escape room situation where they are provided clues to solve the puzzle that will lead to the doors opening. These four are ruthless and fiercely competitive types who will stop at nothing to further their own gain and cooperation isn’t in their lexicon.
If you like psychological thrillers, heavy on mind-games, then you will probably love this razor-sharp thrill-paced story about a bunch of the most entitled and inhumane white-collar professionals and what can happen when you mess with the wrong person.
BRB Rating: Read It.

I have always wondered about people working in places like NYC. The young ones in their suits in bars after the day closes, the ones hurrying to trains and buses to return home. How do you get to such a position and how do you maintain it?
The Escape Room answered my questions. What happens when a group of people who would most likely never be friends are teamed up in the business world?
Sara Hall comes fresh out of school to work with a narcissistic group. She works long hours to help her ailing parents. She has one friend in the office. Her friend kills herself while Sara is away. Sara is suspicious, She pays for it with the loss of her life.
The rest of the team continues with their work. They are distrustful of each other and worried about losing their jobs. One Friday night they are summoned to a new building for a meeting. Each of them have plans, but are forced to attend out of fear for their jobs. All have secrets.
They enter an elevator which becomes a sealed escape room. Cut off from the world for days they must try to figure out the clues before they die. Why are they there? Who is behind this?
I was hooked from the beginning and didn't see the end coming as it did. Each person in the elevator had a price to pay. I felt no remorse for them as their reasons to be there unfolded.
I would love to read more by Megan Goldin.