The Red Room is a gripping internet horrors thriller that keeps you hooked from start to finish. With its realistic portrayal of online dangers and relentless suspense, it's a chilling reminder of the dark side of technology. With each twist and turn, the tension builds, making it impossible to put down. A must-read for fans of thrillers that explore the dangers lurking in cyberspace.

Pace yourself with this. It starts and just is off like a dark and deadly ride. It is absolutely fantastic. I want to say so much about it, but I don't want to spoil the experience for anyone. I could have easily read this in a single go, but I paced myself a few chapters at a time a night. I was hooked from chapter 1.

This book caught my attention from the start. I really enjoyed it and talked about it for a week with my coworkers. I loved how the cop was sneakily telling Kayla this young college student parts of the investigation it gave me a chuckle. I would have liked to know more about the man in white though. I think a prequel would be nice. To have the back story in him and the others of the “13” known victims. Over all awesome read. Thank you NetGalley for this copy and Brandon Hugh’s for a gripping story that I can’t stop talking about!

Wowzers! Kayla, a college student, accidentally sees a video of a murder of two women that was live streamed on the dark web. After some sleuthing, they figure out where it occurred and alerted the authorities. But Kayla wanted to help more, and the police weren’t really doing anything. With her friend Marty, Kayla continues looking into those that are responsible for the murders, but she’s in danger. Those responsible know who she is and are determined to get rid of her if she doesn’t stop.

This was an excellent book! It’s a first for me by this author, and I am very impressed. Hughes started off the book with a bang, and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I read this in less than 24 hours because I just couldn’t stop reading! The author artfully built up the suspense and mystery in this book.

I haven’t quite read anything like this, which was nice. The book and the circumstances of the plot felt very refreshing. Was it another college student that was investigating? Yes, but it was smart. It wasn’t just luck. And while other reviews I’ve read ask why is there not more about being a college student such as exams, partying etc… it never crossed my mind because I was so intrigued.

There are a few reasons I didn’t give this 5 stars, but they are all just personal preferences: not enough dialogue in the beginning (so much prose) and the somewhat of a cliffhanger ending.

Overall, a really good read! I would recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing access to this book for review.

This is the first book I’ve read by Brandon Hughes, and I would definitely read more by Brandon. The dark web is one of those things that fascinate me because of all the scary stories about it, and yet people continue to use it for nefarious purposes. As graphic as this book could have been, it really felt relatively mild. The majority of the book is spent on finding where the red room is and who is involved. The actual violence is very limited and happens quickly, in my opinion.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. Would I recommend the author? I’d read more, sure!

Here’s a fun fact for y’all. In 2022, over 500 women filed a lawsuit against Uber alleging that they were kidnapped, sexually assaulted, or otherwise attacked by their Uber drivers. However, far less than 1% of rideshare rides result in sexual assault and abuse reported to Uber or Lyft. However, that still means thousands of individuals experience harm every year including sexual assault and rape.

The risk is enough that I would not take a rideshare by myself. I read too much true crime for that.

Brandon Hughes draws you into the Red Room, which is a quick and suspenseful thriller. This is one of my favorite genres, and I thought the author did a good job of keeping us on our toes.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fast read with less than 300 pages, and it was full of action from beginning to end. Kayla and Marty made an excellent team, and I don't know if it's just me, but I'd like them to continue solving and stopping Red Room murders. Would love to read more from the author and would love to get to know the characters better.

Yes! Just yes, yes, yes!! The Red room lore is quite a well used plot so it's not often you come across a different spin on it but this one gave me exactly that. I loved that it didn't focus on gore or shock tactics about what happens in the red room and instead focused in the story and the characters. They're well written and make logical decisions. Nothing felt too forced or so far fetched that it brought me out the story. I loved it

3.5 Stars!

For any true crime fan who has wondered what they would do if faced with a discovery of information that could lead to something very dark…well, this certainly is the audience for this book. I did enjoy this read, and I’m tempted to say it’s somewhat YA (partly because of the age of some of the main characters, partly because the author doesn’t use grotesque content for shock value, and partly because of the bit of romance in the storyline). I wouldn’t let a 12-year-old read this, but an older teen could handle it.

The first 2/3 of this book is pretty fast-paced, but I felt like there was a bit of a slump before the ending. The end is, however, rather satisfying. I found this book about amateur sleuths more interesting than most FBI detective novels (which seem to be a dime a dozen these days). Overall, The Red Room is a good book with a unique premise, and I’m glad I read it.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I voluntarily left this review.

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

Three friends get together after classes and decide to go out to celebrate the first day of college classes. They end up at getting drunk. When they leave, the bartender helps them get home. Kayla ends up in the bartender’s room as she goes up to his apartment to talk. When
Kayla Sinclair was going back to her place she stumbled in the living room causing the laptop to turn on showing a snuff film. Kayla gasps as she can’t believe what she saw. What will she do — call the police or ? She ends up going back to her room. As Marvin goes to his room in the hotel instead of going out with his business associates, Marvin Swiderski receives an odd phone text from his wife. There is a.photograph that makes him wonder why she would do that and her text is cut off suddenly. The photograph has a girl tied up to the bed with handcuffs. Marvin comes to understand which is showing him and with his wife’s message that was cut off, He tries to place where the cabin is and remembers. What does he remember? He decides to check out the cabin before calling the police. Why? When his wife hears footsteps, she hides herself in the closet. When Marvin’s wife is found, she is tied to a chair securely with duct tape. The man dressed completely white (with even a white ski mask) explains what he will do. He has the camera ready and kills the girl in the bed then turns around and kills Marvin then his wife. Will their bodies be found.

The author has written about the darkness that lurks on the internet. It is an unfilled exploration. Showing the darkness of the people who make this type of “entertainment” and those who watch it is creepy. It is a spine-chilling thriller that kept me on the edge of my chair. It is a relentless story of the awful consequences of the darkness morality and depravity of human beings. I can’t say that it was a fun book to read but it was definitely an eye opener for me. I had heard about these types of films but never thought of them. It is a worthwhile novel to read.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this!
I really enjoyed reading this book as it was a story that could be related to things that could potentially happen in real life. It also has given me a new fear of Uber and Lyft drivers, which let's be honest, can already be pretty sketchy these days. Reading everything unfold the way it did was super interesting and kept me hooked to the end. I really enjoyed Kayla and Marty’s characters, as they were probably my favorites in the whole book. Definitely will be recommending to my fellow thriller readers!

Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Brandon Hughes for an advanced copy of this digital book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick read (256 pages) that kept unfolding and getting worse with each turn of the page. It had me trying to connect the dots and I LOVED how it was all the different perspectives. It was just the right amount of thrill, horror, and suspense because it is a scenario that could happen/is happening which, personally, is my definition of the scariest scenario. I would totally recommend this to anyone who enjoys all things horror!

From the very beginning this whirlwind of a tale will sweep you and straight into it's world of cybercrime, the dark web, and a couple of nosy college kids. Unpredictable from the beginning, it kept my theories hovering around as I tried to see where it was going and was always unable to. This book will be lingering in my mind for a long while to come.

I can’t even put into words how much I enjoyed this book! Everything was perfect and I have no complaints!

When Marvin Swiderski receives a strange text from his wife Tess, he can't figure out why she would have sent it. Unbeknown to Marvin, Tess had decided to return to her family's old hunting cabin in the woods to retrieve her painting supplies & stumbled into the scene of a murder. Can Marvin reach her in time?

Kayla is a university student out partying with friends at the start of term when circumstances lead to her seeing a video she was not meant to. The downloaded video shows two women being murdered in something called 'The Red Room'. Further investigation leads her to find out that 'Red Rooms' are an aspect of the Dark Web where people pay to log-in & watch livestreaming of murders. Can Kayla trust the handsome bartender who offers to help her out?

Amanda's daughter has gone missing. Rachel is attending university but she disappeared & Amanda has heard nothing since, & the police don't seem to want to know. Looking through online forums for relatives of missing people, she sees a photograph of Rachel posted by a user named 'Daisy'. Contacting them, Amanda learns the shocking truth of what her daughter & other young women are going through in the name of entertainment.

I wasn't sure what to expect but the cover & synopsis drew me in. It was a bit wobbly to start with but it turned out to be a really good thriller. Out of the characters mentioned above, Kayla is the one that the reader spends the most time with & she's easy to like & just wants to do the right thing. It becomes a little fantastical in parts but it has good pace & the storyline kept me glued to the pages to find out what happened. Yes, it's another thriller based on violence towards young women & it's hard hitting, but I didn't find it salacious or exploitative. The jury is out on whether 'Red Rooms' are real or an urban myth, but real or not, this story is worth checking out. I would definitely read more by the author.

TWs: kidnapping, gun violence, gore, death.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, BooksGoSocial, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Excellent story of ordinary people trying to put a stop to horrible happenings on the Dark Web. This book was so realistic in that there are some seriously deviant people in the world. It is bad enough for these girls to be snatched off the street but to then be the victim of such a horrible deed is shocking. It is hard to believe but knowing that humans are our own worst enemy makes these kinds of stories only more real. If only solving some of themes crimes were as easy as this author surmises. I know law enforcement is becoming more knowledgeable about these activities so maybe there can be a dent in stopping this unacceptable behavior.

I absolutely ate this book up!
Between college students Kayla and Marty, grieving mother Amanda, officer Al Becker and the POVs of murderers and victims as well, this book showed the case from every aspect possible and it made for a very intricate story where you really became engulfed in it all!
Solving the mystery with average people like Kayla and Marty added a relatable flare to it all
At times sad, always exciting...I really, really enjoyed this thriller/suspense/mystery! I found it unique and it truly had me enraptured!
Plus the end was on point!

The Red Room: A Dark Web Thriller by Brandon Hughes is a gripping and suspenseful tale that delves into the dark and dangerous world of the internet. The story is centered around Kayla Sinclair, a college student who stumbles upon a horrifying website known as The Red Room, where viewers pay to watch murders unfold live. What follows is a thrilling and relentless pursuit as Kayla seeks to uncover the truth behind the Red Room and stop the twisted killer behind it. From the very beginning, the story grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. The concept of a secret, pay-per-view murder chamber on the dark web is chilling and Hughes executes it brilliantly. The characters are well-developed and relatable, especially Kayla, whose determination and bravery make her a compelling protagonist. The supporting characters, including a grief-stricken mother and a police officer, add depth to the story and help drive the narrative forward. Hughes's writing is sharp and engaging, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat throughout. The pacing is excellent, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. The way Hughes weaves together the various plot threads is masterful, leading to a satisfying and shocking conclusion that ties everything together. The Red Room is a thrilling and thought-provoking read that explores the darker aspects of human nature and the internet. It's a fast-paced, gripping thriller that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. Highly recommended for fans of suspenseful and chilling reads.

Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Brandon Hughes for allowing me to access this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

My favorite part of this book was the ending, the ending was rewarding and was a nice payoff.

The way I would describe this book is a fast paced thriller. It keeps you on edge but also pulls at your heart strings.

I will say that I wish the romance of the two main characters was explored a little more, it feels like the book just kind of dumped them towards the end. Also, in the beginning of the book some of the choices of the characters were irritating.

All in all I would say that this book is a solid thriller that just needs to be fleshed out more.