Review: The Escape Room

Summary: Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.

In the lucrative world of finance, Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are at the top of their game. They’ve mastered the art of the deal and celebrate their success in style—but a life of extreme luxury always comes at a cost.

Invited to participate in an escape room as a team-building exercise, the ferociously competitive co-workers crowd into the elevator of a high rise building, eager to prove themselves. But when the lights go off and the doors stay shut, it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary competition: they’re caught in a dangerous game of survival.

Trapped in the dark, the colleagues must put aside their bitter rivalries and work together to solve cryptic clues to break free. But as the game begins to reveal the team’s darkest secrets, they realize there’s a price to be paid for the terrible deeds they committed in their ruthless climb up the corporate ladder. As tempers fray, and the clues turn deadly, they must solve one final chilling puzzle: which one of them will kill in order to survive? -- St. Martin's Press

I've been excited to share THE ESCAPE ROOM by Megan Goldin with you for many months. I actually read this book when I traveled to Florida for the Penn State bowl game (obviously I had no idea when the publication date was!) And then, I was lucky enough at this year's Book Expo to participate in an escape room challenge with bloggers and none other than Ms. Goldin herself! I also had a drink with the group later in the evening and even sat next to Ms. Goldin. Of course, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to ask her a few questions about the book... and I was so glad that I had read it earlier!

THE ESCAPE ROOM tells the story of four co-workers who find themselves trapped in an elevator after they are called to work to participate in a team-building exercise. Each one of them is extremely competitive and wants to prove that he or she is deserving of kudos and maybe even a promotion. However, they quickly realize that this is one very unique team-building exercise because they are stuck in an elevator in the dark; and it seems like they are in a fight for their lives!

Much like an escape room challenge, these four must work together to figure out the clues, but there are definitely larger stakes. The co-workers are forced to work together, but they also are pitted against each other. These individuals are incredibly selfish and greedy, and their worst traits are gradually brought to light as they become more desperate. Just how far are they willing to go to save themselves?

I really enjoyed THE ESCAPE ROOM. It's a tense suspense story that definitely played on one of my biggest fears -- being stuck in an elevator; and it also a page-turner. The novel alternated between the four co-workers' saga in the present and the story of another employee which takes place in the past. The back-and-forth story sets up a dramatic conclusion; and even though I wasn't totally shocked, it was a well-crafted story!

I will be the first to admit that each of the four co-workers was more despicable than the next. I really couldn't stand any of them, but I loved how the author used these individuals to show the true meaning of greed. They really were willing to do anything to protect themselves and their reputation (not to mention their wealth!).

There are also quite a few twists in the novel that brought the story to the next level for me. Because I thoroughly enjoy mysteries and puzzles, the challenges the characters faced in the elevator were especially intriguing to me.

THE ESCAPE ROOM is a not-to-miss thriller. Highly recommended for fans of mysteries and suspense!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.