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