Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
ST MARTINS PR (2019), 368 pages
Description
"In the lucrative world of Wall Street finance, Vincent, Jules, Sylvie and Sam are the ultimate high-flyers. Ruthlessly ambitious, they make billion-dollar deals and live lives of outrageous luxury. Getting rich is all that matters, and they'll do anything to get ahead. When the four of them are ordered to participate in a corporate team-building exercise that requires them to escape from a locked elevator, things start to go horribly wrong. They have to put aside their fierce office rivalries and work together to solve the clues that will release them. But in the confines of the elevator, the dark secrets of their team are laid bare. They are made to answer for profiting from a workplace where deception and intimidation thrive. Tempers fray and the escape room's clues turn more and more ominous, leaving the four of them dangling on the precipice of disaster. If they want to survive, they'll have to solve one final puzzle: which one of them is a killer?"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member BettyTaylor56
I was reluctant to read this book – ambitious Wall Street bankers and financiers – an escape room setting. It just did not really appeal to me. So I hesitantly put one toe in the water…then splash! I was all in by the end of the Prologue. Six pages! After that I did NOT want to put it down!
Vincent, Sylvie, Sam and Jules are living their dream. Financiers on Wall Street they make mega bucks. They are cold and ruthless. Masters of deception and intimidation. Their work is their life.
All four are “ordered” to a mandatory meeting on a Friday evening at an isolated office building under construction. Vincent knows they will be doing an escape room scenario as a team-building exercise. He thinks they will be fighting for their jobs, when in actuality they are fighting for their lives.
The four have worked together for years. They think they know each other’s secrets and lies. But now all the dirty secrets will truly come out when the elevator becomes their escape room. With no cellphone coverage they are truly isolated; their only hope lies in the clues provided within the elevator.
Hunger. Thirst. Heat. Cold. Fear. Anger. Desperation. All niceties melt away like the sweat running down their bodies. Their true characters emerge.
A story of deception and revenge, it kept me guessing. Who was behind it all? Suspenseful. Intriguing. Nail-biting.
The chapters alternate between the point of view of those trapped in the elevator and the story of Sara Hall, a former workmate of theirs. What is the link?
Megan Goldin is sure to be a big name in the publishing world with the release of this book.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing a review copy of the book.
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Vincent, Sylvie, Sam and Jules are living their dream. Financiers on Wall Street they make mega bucks. They are cold and ruthless. Masters of deception and intimidation. Their work is their life.
All four are “ordered” to a mandatory meeting on a Friday evening at an isolated office building under construction. Vincent knows they will be doing an escape room scenario as a team-building exercise. He thinks they will be fighting for their jobs, when in actuality they are fighting for their lives.
The four have worked together for years. They think they know each other’s secrets and lies. But now all the dirty secrets will truly come out when the elevator becomes their escape room. With no cellphone coverage they are truly isolated; their only hope lies in the clues provided within the elevator.
Hunger. Thirst. Heat. Cold. Fear. Anger. Desperation. All niceties melt away like the sweat running down their bodies. Their true characters emerge.
A story of deception and revenge, it kept me guessing. Who was behind it all? Suspenseful. Intriguing. Nail-biting.
The chapters alternate between the point of view of those trapped in the elevator and the story of Sara Hall, a former workmate of theirs. What is the link?
Megan Goldin is sure to be a big name in the publishing world with the release of this book.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing a review copy of the book.
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LibraryThing member jenn88
Vincent, Jules, Sam and Sylvie are high-flyers in the cutthroat world of Wall Street finance. They'll do anything to get more money. They're called into an empty building on a Friday night under the guise of a compulsory team-building escape room exercise. These four ruthless individuals have to
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!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book.
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set aside their rivalries and work together to solve the clues that will release them from the elevator. Tempers fray and the clues aren't getting any easier. The final puzzle for them to solve - which one of them is a killer?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!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book.
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LibraryThing member ewhatley
Certain aspects of this book reminded me of the 1980's when I was in mid-career. Our corporate team building exercises never went as far as trapping us in an elevator as these intriguing characters were, but the greed and competitive environment were similar. Will they escape? You'll find out and
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what happens along the way is chilling. Show Less
LibraryThing member jfe16
Review of advance reader eBook
The ruthless financiers of Stanhope and Sons make billion-dollar deals, live luxuriously, and have no qualms about doing whatever is necessary to get ahead . . . Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are experts in the fine art of cutthroat behavior.
Summoned to an
Strong [but unlikable] characters, a ruthless working environment in which greed and corruption thrive, and an intriguing plot all work together to build tension while unexpected plot twists create a compelling, unputdownable narrative. This intriguing take on a locked room mystery ramps up the suspense as it races toward an astonishing conclusion; readers will find it impossible to set it aside before turning the final page. Don’t miss this one.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this digital galley from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TheEscapeRoom #NetGalley
The ruthless financiers of Stanhope and Sons make billion-dollar deals, live luxuriously, and have no qualms about doing whatever is necessary to get ahead . . . Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are experts in the fine art of cutthroat behavior.
Summoned to an
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out-of-the-way office building one Friday night, the four find themselves trapped in an elevator in an escape room challenge. Solving the clues that will allow them to escape requires them to work together but long before that happens, tempers flare. Ominous clues result in revealed secrets, but they’ll have to identify the murderer among them before they can solve the puzzle and free themselves.Strong [but unlikable] characters, a ruthless working environment in which greed and corruption thrive, and an intriguing plot all work together to build tension while unexpected plot twists create a compelling, unputdownable narrative. This intriguing take on a locked room mystery ramps up the suspense as it races toward an astonishing conclusion; readers will find it impossible to set it aside before turning the final page. Don’t miss this one.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this digital galley from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TheEscapeRoom #NetGalley
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LibraryThing member readingover50
I love the concept of escape rooms. I’ve never done one and am a little afraid I would not get out and be stuck there forever. Or get murdered. In fact this weekend I watched the movie No Escape Room about a haunted escape room. This book sounded really interesting and has a great title, so I was
It is not really about a traditional escape room. Instead 4 cut throat Wall Street investors are lured to a team building excercise in an abandoned building. They are trapped in an elevator and need to solve clues to escape.
At first I thought 4 people trapped in an elevator would not be a compelling read but I was wrong. The book was interesting and stressful. I had to know what would happen next. The narrative alternates between past and present. The story of Sara, a new hire at the company, and the story of the 4 in the elevator. They all have secrets and they are about to be revealed.
This book was a lot of fun and good escapism. If you are looking for an entertaining read, this is the book for you.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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excited to read it. It is not really about a traditional escape room. Instead 4 cut throat Wall Street investors are lured to a team building excercise in an abandoned building. They are trapped in an elevator and need to solve clues to escape.
At first I thought 4 people trapped in an elevator would not be a compelling read but I was wrong. The book was interesting and stressful. I had to know what would happen next. The narrative alternates between past and present. The story of Sara, a new hire at the company, and the story of the 4 in the elevator. They all have secrets and they are about to be revealed.
This book was a lot of fun and good escapism. If you are looking for an entertaining read, this is the book for you.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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LibraryThing member Cherylk
So, how to do keep readers very intrigued when the whole plot of the storyline takes place in just an elevator? Well by doing just what Megan Goldin did with The Escape Room. You write a "tight" storyline that is not only hyped with tons of intensity but one that is so engaging that it kept me up
The four main charcters Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam were not that appealing but because the storyline was that great it made up for this little flaw. The story starts in the present and flashes back to the past. Each time a little more is revealed about the past including who Vincent, Sylvie, Jules, and Sam really are.
What made this book so great is the "unknown". You never knew what would happe next. So I was left waiting in anticipation. The ending of this story does end on a high note. This is nice as I hate to read a book only to be left with a weak ending.
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all night. I could not stop reading until I was finished, which was a matter of a few hours. The four main charcters Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam were not that appealing but because the storyline was that great it made up for this little flaw. The story starts in the present and flashes back to the past. Each time a little more is revealed about the past including who Vincent, Sylvie, Jules, and Sam really are.
What made this book so great is the "unknown". You never knew what would happe next. So I was left waiting in anticipation. The ending of this story does end on a high note. This is nice as I hate to read a book only to be left with a weak ending.
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LibraryThing member Carmenere
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
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.
It's a well written drama but no surprises here. I was hoping for some sort of twist which
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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.
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LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
A very entertaining but highly unbelievable thriller. Fast paced and original - a great beach read. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
LibraryThing member hubblegal
Vincent, Sam, Sylvie and Jules are at the height of their profession. They have worked hard and their ambition knows no bounds. They have received an email telling them that they are to meet for an escape room test. They get into the elevator hoping that this won’t take long and they can get back
This was a fun, fast read. Although some of the plot didn’t come as a surprise to me and the book didn’t get my heart racing, I enjoyed the story. It was like watching a train heading for a wreck – you knew there was going to be a blow up scene and you couldn’t look away. The author does a very good job of bringing her characters to life and slowly building the plot. The only likeable characters were Sara and Lucy but it’s fun having Vincent, Sam, Sylvie and Jules to despise. And such an excellent moral lesson is in this book. Watching these people claw their way to the top with the only goal being to make more and more money was sickening. They worked so many hours, they never had a chance to enjoy what they were earning. Completely crazy but the author ensures that her characterizations are believable. She takes great care to show how these people got to where they are. The scenes in the stuck elevator are the best parts and the author has great fun getting these four ruthless people to turn against each other even more as their suspicions and distrust grow.
Recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
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to their busy lives. But the elevator stops, the doors won’t open and the lights go out. That’s when they realize that this isn’t a game and they’ll have all they do to survive. But these four people have always been dangerously competitive and the stress and fears from their confinement are soon combustible. This was a fun, fast read. Although some of the plot didn’t come as a surprise to me and the book didn’t get my heart racing, I enjoyed the story. It was like watching a train heading for a wreck – you knew there was going to be a blow up scene and you couldn’t look away. The author does a very good job of bringing her characters to life and slowly building the plot. The only likeable characters were Sara and Lucy but it’s fun having Vincent, Sam, Sylvie and Jules to despise. And such an excellent moral lesson is in this book. Watching these people claw their way to the top with the only goal being to make more and more money was sickening. They worked so many hours, they never had a chance to enjoy what they were earning. Completely crazy but the author ensures that her characterizations are believable. She takes great care to show how these people got to where they are. The scenes in the stuck elevator are the best parts and the author has great fun getting these four ruthless people to turn against each other even more as their suspicions and distrust grow.
Recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member susan0316
We have four high level members from a prestigious financial company who have worked on the same team for years but remain in competition with each other. They aren't really friends and will do anything to get a better bonus or a promotion even if they have to make their fellow team members look
In alternating chapters, we get the story of Sara Hall. She joined the team as a new member years before, eager to work with her new MBA degree in her hand. Her starting salary amazes her but the 90 plus hours a week are difficult to get used to. She tries to work with the team but is always treated as an outsider. The only person that Sara becomes friendly with is Lucy, a very intelligent analyst who is also on the autism spectrum, lacking in social skills and often made fun of by the rest of the team. After a tragedy occurs and Sara begins to question what really happened, she becomes even more ostracized by the rest of the team.
I can't really tell you much more because I don't want to give away any plot points. What I will tell you is that this is an exciting book to read and it kept me up way past bedtime to find out how it would all end and who was responsible for setting up the escape game.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
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bad. All four are ruthless and cruel. They all received an email to meet in a new building for a mandatory team building exercise and after they got into the elevator, the elevator suddenly stops and these words show up on the panel: "WELCOME TO THE ESCAPE ROOM. YOUR GOAL IS SIMPLE. GET OUT ALIVE.". They aren't really excited about a team building exercise but they know that it's almost time for bonuses so they want to do their best to succeed at the game - after all, it will only be an hour out of their lives. But things don't turn out like they'd all thought that it would and as the hours pass and each person's secrets are revealed, they realize that this is more than a game.In alternating chapters, we get the story of Sara Hall. She joined the team as a new member years before, eager to work with her new MBA degree in her hand. Her starting salary amazes her but the 90 plus hours a week are difficult to get used to. She tries to work with the team but is always treated as an outsider. The only person that Sara becomes friendly with is Lucy, a very intelligent analyst who is also on the autism spectrum, lacking in social skills and often made fun of by the rest of the team. After a tragedy occurs and Sara begins to question what really happened, she becomes even more ostracized by the rest of the team.
I can't really tell you much more because I don't want to give away any plot points. What I will tell you is that this is an exciting book to read and it kept me up way past bedtime to find out how it would all end and who was responsible for setting up the escape game.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
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LibraryThing member GrandmaCootie
The Escape Room was a very entertaining read, fast-paced, hard to put down, with the suspense ratcheting up every minute.
Jules, Sylvie, Sam and their manager Vincent are summoned to a mysterious meeting in an unfamiliar building. When they enter the elevator it stops between floors. Momentarily
The Escape Room is well-written, smooth and easy to read but not too simple or without complexity or detail. It was a very fast read, with quick chapters, not short but moved quickly and the jumping back and forth with people and time works well. It looked like they were going to find and solve all the clues and get out of that escape room pretty quickly, but then the code they discovered didn't work and I realized I was only a third of the way through the book. I was happy, feeling there was still a lot of excitement to come.
From that point on, though, it began to be a little obvious how things were going to end. Maybe not exactly but enough to take a little of the edge off. I understand what the author was trying to do with building suspense through the prologue and the way the chapters were structured but she didn’t quite pull it off. I don’t need the big surprise or reveal so common in books these days to enjoy a story, but this author did try to ramp up the suspense as if the clues weren’t so obvious and there was a big surprise coming. There were a lot of small surprises I didn’t see coming, but unfortunately I figured out the big surprise way too early for me. A book also doesn’t have to be totally believable for me to enjoy it, but some of the events near the end of the book were a little too far-fetched. That said, it was still a gripping, very entertaining read. There are no heroes in The Escape Room but it provides a frightening portrayal of what greed, ambition and fear can do to people who just start out wanting a comfortable life.
Thanks for St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy for my honest review.
Jules, Sylvie, Sam and their manager Vincent are summoned to a mysterious meeting in an unfamiliar building. When they enter the elevator it stops between floors. Momentarily
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concerned, they soon decide it’s an escape room exercise and set about trying to solve it. These four people are driven, ruthless, hard, and that elevator seems pretty small with them in it. The longer they are trapped in it the more we learn about them, and about the firm’s history and recent events, including what happened to former employees Sara and Lucy. Learning about their introduction and indoctrination (brainwashing?) to the company reminded me of the book The Firm – new hires are wined and dined and then bluntly told work comes first or they will be sorry.The Escape Room is well-written, smooth and easy to read but not too simple or without complexity or detail. It was a very fast read, with quick chapters, not short but moved quickly and the jumping back and forth with people and time works well. It looked like they were going to find and solve all the clues and get out of that escape room pretty quickly, but then the code they discovered didn't work and I realized I was only a third of the way through the book. I was happy, feeling there was still a lot of excitement to come.
From that point on, though, it began to be a little obvious how things were going to end. Maybe not exactly but enough to take a little of the edge off. I understand what the author was trying to do with building suspense through the prologue and the way the chapters were structured but she didn’t quite pull it off. I don’t need the big surprise or reveal so common in books these days to enjoy a story, but this author did try to ramp up the suspense as if the clues weren’t so obvious and there was a big surprise coming. There were a lot of small surprises I didn’t see coming, but unfortunately I figured out the big surprise way too early for me. A book also doesn’t have to be totally believable for me to enjoy it, but some of the events near the end of the book were a little too far-fetched. That said, it was still a gripping, very entertaining read. There are no heroes in The Escape Room but it provides a frightening portrayal of what greed, ambition and fear can do to people who just start out wanting a comfortable life.
Thanks for St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy for my honest review.
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LibraryThing member teachlz
Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "The Escape Room" by Megan Goldin, St. Martin's Press, July 30, 2019
Megan Goldin, Author of "The Escape Room" has written an intense, captivating, riveting, intriguing, edgy and suspenseful novel. The timeline for this story is in the present and goes to the past when
Four major players of a Wall Street top firm, that are used to manipulation, and deception are summoned to an emergency meeting. The company they work for is extremely wealthy and competitive. Vincent is supposedly the leader, Sam, Sylvie and Jules all meet for what they think is a team exercise. They find themselves in a locked elevator, which they have to escape from.
Clues are left for the characters. The first is letters when unscrambled spell Sara Hall. Who is Sara Hall??? "Once a shining star--- now gone but not forgotten".The lights go out, and the heat goes on. This is not a game of Escape, this is now a dangerous and deadly game, of who will live and who will die. More clues turn up and turn each character against each other. Who will get out alive??
This story is uber intense and extremely edgy! This Psychological thriller is suspenseful and scary at times. I would highly recommend this novel. Pay attention to the clues, and the information that is given to you.
Megan Goldin, Author of "The Escape Room" has written an intense, captivating, riveting, intriguing, edgy and suspenseful novel. The timeline for this story is in the present and goes to the past when
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it pertains to the events or characters in the story. The Genres for this story are Psychological Thriller, Mystery, and Suspense. There are betrayals, lies and secrets and twist and turns. The author describes her dramatic characters as twisted, vengeful, greedy, ambitious, intelligent, dysfunctional, complex and complicated.Four major players of a Wall Street top firm, that are used to manipulation, and deception are summoned to an emergency meeting. The company they work for is extremely wealthy and competitive. Vincent is supposedly the leader, Sam, Sylvie and Jules all meet for what they think is a team exercise. They find themselves in a locked elevator, which they have to escape from.
Clues are left for the characters. The first is letters when unscrambled spell Sara Hall. Who is Sara Hall??? "Once a shining star--- now gone but not forgotten".The lights go out, and the heat goes on. This is not a game of Escape, this is now a dangerous and deadly game, of who will live and who will die. More clues turn up and turn each character against each other. Who will get out alive??
This story is uber intense and extremely edgy! This Psychological thriller is suspenseful and scary at times. I would highly recommend this novel. Pay attention to the clues, and the information that is given to you.
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LibraryThing member CathyGeha
The Escape Room by Megan Goldin
What are you willing to do to succeed? Is money everything? Who would you step on or perhaps even kill to come out on top? And, what about revenge? What would it take to make you seek it?
Such a well-crafted book this book proved to be! It begins with the
What I liked about this book:
* It drew me in little by little
* I was invested in the outcome
* I was given insight into the corporate finance world
* It made me think about values
* It was intriguing
* I just liked it – and am thankful that I cannot see myself as a character in this book
What I did not like:
* Most of the characters
* What happened to the innocent (there were a few)
* Probably exactly what I was meant not to like
I am not sure about the ending. I saw it coming...eventually...but knowing it was coming still left me unsettled and wondered how those that may have survived would carry on in the future.
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
What are you willing to do to succeed? Is money everything? Who would you step on or perhaps even kill to come out on top? And, what about revenge? What would it take to make you seek it?
Such a well-crafted book this book proved to be! It begins with the
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nightwatchman hearing something then moves on from there to move in alternating chapters that tell of the four in the elevator and of a woman named Sarah Hall. It took a few chapters to figure out what part Sarah had in the lives of the other four but as the story unfolded her part and that of another member of the team, Lucy, became abundantly clear. What I liked about this book:
* It drew me in little by little
* I was invested in the outcome
* I was given insight into the corporate finance world
* It made me think about values
* It was intriguing
* I just liked it – and am thankful that I cannot see myself as a character in this book
What I did not like:
* Most of the characters
* What happened to the innocent (there were a few)
* Probably exactly what I was meant not to like
I am not sure about the ending. I saw it coming...eventually...but knowing it was coming still left me unsettled and wondered how those that may have survived would carry on in the future.
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
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LibraryThing member fredreeca
Four coworkers are called together to perform a team building exercise. The exercise is a game of escape room….in an elevator! This exercise turns into a deadly game of revenge.
This book moved like lightening. I never knew who I was supposed to trust. And when I thought I had it figured out, it
There is not a single like-able character in this book. Every single one of them are greedy and so competitive you just want to “Gibbs slap” them all. You have to give the author credit! Anyone who can create a bunch of BAD characters like this…needs a high five. Plus, she kept a small elevator as her main focus and kept the reader entertained.
Need a fast-paced read….THIS IS IT!
This book moved like lightening. I never knew who I was supposed to trust. And when I thought I had it figured out, it
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twisted again!There is not a single like-able character in this book. Every single one of them are greedy and so competitive you just want to “Gibbs slap” them all. You have to give the author credit! Anyone who can create a bunch of BAD characters like this…needs a high five. Plus, she kept a small elevator as her main focus and kept the reader entertained.
Need a fast-paced read….THIS IS IT!
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LibraryThing member GirlWellRead
A special thank you to Edelweiss, NetGalley, Macmillan, and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are high-rollers in the world of finance. They are relentless in their pursuits and are masters of their craft and their lavish lifestyles are
The four are called in for an after-hours meeting on a Friday night. Given the out-of-the way location, and their recent failure to close on too many lucrative deals, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam fear that they've been summons as a result of their poor performance and that they are going to be made redundant. Vincent informs them that they are actually there to participate in an escape room challenge. Agreeing that it is smart to be on their best behaviour before bonus day, and their competitive personalities getting the best of them, they pile into the elevator. But when the doors shut and they are plunged into darkness, it quickly becomes apparent that they are trapped.
Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.
What starts off as a game turns into survival. Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam need to put aside their differences and work together to solve clues in order to be freed. But when the game reveals the secrets they've been hiding from one another, they realize that the terrible things they've done to get them where they are come at a high price. The final puzzle: which one of them will kill in order to survive?
Goldin's debut is a stomach-dropping ride. Alternating between past and present, the cast of characters are completely ruthless and will stop at nothing to succeed. They are fuelled by the rush that comes with making high-profile deals and will do anything that the company asks of them. Despite the unlikeable characters, or in spite of them, this story is totally compelling.
There are a few times where the reader has to suspend their disbelief and in this case, I'm willing to overlook it because it was so enthralling! Also, there were pockets in the narrative where it got repetitive and a touch (dare I say) predictable. But because it was so entertaining, I was completely captivated.
Whether it is a commentary on corporate finance or greed itself, the writing is clever and razor-sharp and I can't wait for more from Megan Goldin.
Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are high-rollers in the world of finance. They are relentless in their pursuits and are masters of their craft and their lavish lifestyles are
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proof of their successes. But this life of luxury comes at a great cost—a gruelling schedule and oftentimes unrealistic expectations and deadlines.The four are called in for an after-hours meeting on a Friday night. Given the out-of-the way location, and their recent failure to close on too many lucrative deals, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam fear that they've been summons as a result of their poor performance and that they are going to be made redundant. Vincent informs them that they are actually there to participate in an escape room challenge. Agreeing that it is smart to be on their best behaviour before bonus day, and their competitive personalities getting the best of them, they pile into the elevator. But when the doors shut and they are plunged into darkness, it quickly becomes apparent that they are trapped.
Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.
What starts off as a game turns into survival. Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam need to put aside their differences and work together to solve clues in order to be freed. But when the game reveals the secrets they've been hiding from one another, they realize that the terrible things they've done to get them where they are come at a high price. The final puzzle: which one of them will kill in order to survive?
Goldin's debut is a stomach-dropping ride. Alternating between past and present, the cast of characters are completely ruthless and will stop at nothing to succeed. They are fuelled by the rush that comes with making high-profile deals and will do anything that the company asks of them. Despite the unlikeable characters, or in spite of them, this story is totally compelling.
There are a few times where the reader has to suspend their disbelief and in this case, I'm willing to overlook it because it was so enthralling! Also, there were pockets in the narrative where it got repetitive and a touch (dare I say) predictable. But because it was so entertaining, I was completely captivated.
Whether it is a commentary on corporate finance or greed itself, the writing is clever and razor-sharp and I can't wait for more from Megan Goldin.
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LibraryThing member Twink
I love twisty suspense novels and Goldin's premise was a great one. Four co-workers believe they're doing a team building exercise by participating in an Escape Room. Believable right? Uh huh, until they realize that the elevator itself is the room - and getting out alive is the goal. Love it!
Each
The Escape Room is a heckuva page turner - I couldn't wait to see what would happen next! The ending is a bit implausible, but perfect for this story and didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Oh, this one has movie written all over it! What a great debut.
Each
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of the four in the elevator are selfish, self-serving and just downright unlikable. (And that's just right for this book.) As the heat turns up in their box, we learn more about each one, their secrets and their true natures. They are all financiers determined to make deals and more and more money - at the cost of just about anything. I wondered if the depictions of their cut throat practices were true. Alternating with the action in the elevator are chapters from a former employee named Sara. Details from the past are slowly played out until they collide with the present.The Escape Room is a heckuva page turner - I couldn't wait to see what would happen next! The ending is a bit implausible, but perfect for this story and didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Oh, this one has movie written all over it! What a great debut.
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LibraryThing member Virginia51
This book was hard for me to describe. I love the suspense that runs through this whole story. Each of these characters that are all financial advisers are not very likable. Each of them seems to only be after money. I loved to hate each of these people. There were many twists and turns throughout.
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I was rooting for the “bad”.guy at times. I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. Show Less
LibraryThing member NelisPelusa
Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) When I read the blurb I was super excited I mean this was a new concept, but unfortunately it didn't keep my excitement. I found it dragging and it couldn't keep my interest all that much, I was a expecting a thriller and didn't feel like I got that.
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Don't get me wrong I didn't hate it and I would still recommend you giving it a try but don't expect a whole lot. I didn't care about the characters they were not the greatest of people. Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
These high flyers are used to the company making unreasonable demands on them, imposing impossible deadlines, requiring them to sacrifice personal and family interests in the name of billion dollar contracts. They are used too to riding rough shod over anybody they need to, taking risks, cutting
They enter the elevator thinking this is yet another one of those team building exercises that usually take an hour. But conditions in the elevator become intolerable, the clues seem incomprehensible, and when the doors don't open after an hour, or even after the last puzzle appears to be solved, it becomes obvious that this is no bonding exercise.
Meanwhile the reader is seeing the other side of the scenario, through the eyes of a previous employee, and becomes aware that over the course of the years some very nasty stuff has indeed happened.
I'm not sure that I swallowed the entire plot but certainly it made compulsive reading.
This was Megan Goldin's second thriller, and I'm looking forward to her third: THE NIGHT SWIM
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others off. But they've left behind them an incredible path of destruction, two deaths, and they share dark secrets. They enter the elevator thinking this is yet another one of those team building exercises that usually take an hour. But conditions in the elevator become intolerable, the clues seem incomprehensible, and when the doors don't open after an hour, or even after the last puzzle appears to be solved, it becomes obvious that this is no bonding exercise.
Meanwhile the reader is seeing the other side of the scenario, through the eyes of a previous employee, and becomes aware that over the course of the years some very nasty stuff has indeed happened.
I'm not sure that I swallowed the entire plot but certainly it made compulsive reading.
This was Megan Goldin's second thriller, and I'm looking forward to her third: THE NIGHT SWIM
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LibraryThing member flourgirl49
Entertaining and intriguing read - UNTIL the ending which was pretty far-fetched.
LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
"My mother used to tell me that the best revenge is to live well. I couldn't agree more."
Nothing beats a page-turning revenge thriller, especially when the targets are greedy Wall Street bankers. Good times.
Goldin is a new-to-me author and I look forward to reading more from her in the near future.
Nothing beats a page-turning revenge thriller, especially when the targets are greedy Wall Street bankers. Good times.
Goldin is a new-to-me author and I look forward to reading more from her in the near future.
LibraryThing member jnmegan
Megan Goldin combines the premise of Faust with some elements of the movie “Wall Street” and even a touch of “She-Devil” in her latest novel The Escape Room. Her protagonist, Sara Hall, covets the sumptuous lifestyle of the financial sector’s elite and sees her entry into that world as an
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an objective review.
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escape from her current life of subsistence. Sara has the right combination of desperation, ambition and naivete to be a willing victim of a system that encourages a lack of empathy and flexible ethical limits. When an opportunity arises at Stanhope in NY, she immediately immerses herself in the competitive culture of the firm, with its grueling hours and back-stabbing colleagues. The chapters in the novel alternate between Sara’s experiences as a new hire and a future in which the other members of her team find themselves trapped in an “escape room” situation that proves to be much more than a game. How these two scenarios tie in together is skillfully revealed as the story unfolds. The Escape Room addresses issues of sexual harassment, income inequality and gender discrimination in the workplace. It also raises the question of how far a person would compromise his/her values in order to wrest some of the riches that are so esteemed in our culture. Despite some plot elements that stretch credulity and some well-worn stereotypes, Goldin’s novel is a fast-paced and gripping read. This would be a great pick for a captivating beach read this summer.Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an objective review.
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LibraryThing member techeditor
If you are the type of reader who quits a book after 50 or 100 pages if it hasn’t grabbed you by then, you might regret this in the case of THE ESCAPE ROOM. It has a great second half.
Most other reviews of this book say that it is can’t-put-it-down good. But they aren’t speaking of the first
Sara gets a job in finance on Wall Street. She’s making six figures so doesn’t want to quit even though her coworkers, four of them in particular, are so unfriendly, even nasty.
Sara’s story is in chapters that alternate with those of her four coworkers. Sam, Jules, Sylvie, and Vince are caught in an elevator, which they assume is an “escape room,” their employer’s idea of a training exercise.
Even though the second half of THE ESCAPE ROOM is better than the first half, most readers will find some difficulties in the latter part of the book as well. The most glaring of these is the impossibility of Sara’s revenge.
Most other reviews of this book say that it is can’t-put-it-down good. But they aren’t speaking of the first
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half. If you can wait 150 or so pages, you really will see why they say that.Sara gets a job in finance on Wall Street. She’s making six figures so doesn’t want to quit even though her coworkers, four of them in particular, are so unfriendly, even nasty.
Sara’s story is in chapters that alternate with those of her four coworkers. Sam, Jules, Sylvie, and Vince are caught in an elevator, which they assume is an “escape room,” their employer’s idea of a training exercise.
Even though the second half of THE ESCAPE ROOM is better than the first half, most readers will find some difficulties in the latter part of the book as well. The most glaring of these is the impossibility of Sara’s revenge.
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LibraryThing member fastforward
This was one of my most anticipated books coming out this year. I can't even tell you how excited I was when I was offered the chance to read this one because the early reviews for it were overwhelmingly positive. Sometimes though when you have high hopes for a book, it doesn't manage to deliver
It's no secret the world of corporate finance is competitive and the employees at Stanhope, a Wall Street firm, work long hours attempting to earn as much money as possible for both the company and themselves. Employees Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam aren't too happy when they are ordered to participate in a team building exercise but this isn't the time to skip out on anything as their jobs are potentially on the line. When the four get trapped in an elevator they soon realize this is one of those trendy escape room challenges and they better work together solving clues in order to get out as quickly as possible. But they will soon realize something ain't right here and their jobs aren't going to be the only thing on the line.
The book is a combination of thriller and mystery. The author did an amazing job with the elevator scenes as it made me feel claustrophobic as if I was actually stuck in there with them. It's like I was part of the action which is was a cool feeling. I enjoyed how the story went back and forth between the current thriller elevator portions and the mystery of what happened to Sara Hall who worked at the company. It was a nice balance as they both easily held my interest.
I will say I agree with other readers who state some of the story isn't all that realistic. However, just like with movies, I don't need the books I read to be 100% believable in order to enjoy them. I had fun and that's really all I was looking for when I picked up this book. The only other thing that is a slight negative about the book is some of the reveals aren't all that surprising. But even that wasn't a big deal to me because even though I had an idea of the direction the author was going in, I still wasn't sure on the details which is why I still had an interest to keep reading.
This will make the list for sure of my favorite books of 2019. Highly recommend if you are looking for a good vacation type read.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
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but I'm happy to report that was not the case here at all. This book completely lived up to the hype and I had a blast reading it.It's no secret the world of corporate finance is competitive and the employees at Stanhope, a Wall Street firm, work long hours attempting to earn as much money as possible for both the company and themselves. Employees Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam aren't too happy when they are ordered to participate in a team building exercise but this isn't the time to skip out on anything as their jobs are potentially on the line. When the four get trapped in an elevator they soon realize this is one of those trendy escape room challenges and they better work together solving clues in order to get out as quickly as possible. But they will soon realize something ain't right here and their jobs aren't going to be the only thing on the line.
The book is a combination of thriller and mystery. The author did an amazing job with the elevator scenes as it made me feel claustrophobic as if I was actually stuck in there with them. It's like I was part of the action which is was a cool feeling. I enjoyed how the story went back and forth between the current thriller elevator portions and the mystery of what happened to Sara Hall who worked at the company. It was a nice balance as they both easily held my interest.
I will say I agree with other readers who state some of the story isn't all that realistic. However, just like with movies, I don't need the books I read to be 100% believable in order to enjoy them. I had fun and that's really all I was looking for when I picked up this book. The only other thing that is a slight negative about the book is some of the reveals aren't all that surprising. But even that wasn't a big deal to me because even though I had an idea of the direction the author was going in, I still wasn't sure on the details which is why I still had an interest to keep reading.
This will make the list for sure of my favorite books of 2019. Highly recommend if you are looking for a good vacation type read.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
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LibraryThing member Lisa5127
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I wish I had gotten to this book before the official release date so I could have helped more with the hype when it was released. The book was not at all what I was expecting it would be. That made for a lot of twists and turns
I thought the characters were all developed really well. You could feel the ups and downs along with them. I also really liked that it took a while for the full story to develop.
#EscapeRoomBook
I wish I had gotten to this book before the official release date so I could have helped more with the hype when it was released. The book was not at all what I was expecting it would be. That made for a lot of twists and turns
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that I had not predicted. I am a huge fan of actual escape rooms, so I was expecting to read about puzzles and such that I could work on solving on my own. The book was set up such that the clues really only made sense to the 4 people in the elevator. At first, that was disappointing but as the story developed it made more sense that it was written that way.I thought the characters were all developed really well. You could feel the ups and downs along with them. I also really liked that it took a while for the full story to develop.
#EscapeRoomBook
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Awards
Davitt Award (Longlist — Adult Fiction — 2019)
Language
Original publication date
2018-05-28
Physical description
368 p.; 9.42 inches
ISBN
1250219655 / 9781250219657