In the world of Wall Street, where people would do anything to climb that ambitious corporate ladder, by simply being ruthless. Where sometimes nursing your egos is larger than humanity. Where everyones speaks only one language - money. Where, being a woman meant you work twice as hard as men to be taken seriously. This book takes the meaning of a psychological drama a notch higher.
“Men never act grateful; we always complain,” said Sam. “It doesn’t matter how much we’re blown away by the amount, we always look disappointed. Like it’s a major financial blow. Like we’ve been screwed over royally. Women act grateful, and that’s a fatal mistake.”
It’s that time of the year, annual reviews and bonuses are about to go out. And four investment bankers, working in one of New York’s biggest firms, are called in on a weekend to an under constructed building for a meeting. Vincent, Sylvie Jules and Sam enter the elevator bickering and about this last minute meeting, to get it over with so they can get back to their lavish weekend getaways.
A few moments later the ascending elevator comes to a sudden halt. A message flashes on the small screen - “Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.” They all assumed it was a team building activity set by the company and as their bonuses were round the corner, they had to bring their A-game to prove their capabilities, and took up the challenge to solve this escape room and get out!
As more clues start flashing in and as each hour passes by they realise that solving these puzzles was more than just a game now. Every clue they solved brought up secrets they hoped they would take to their graves. The more that unraveled, the truth about what they thought of one another started spilling out and the more they felt the elevator closing in on them. Their jealousy and greed was bringing out the worst in them. Clues about dead ex-employees left them confused and distressed. The temperature is rising and the lights are out in a flash. These four co-workers, who now despised one another, were stuck in a tin box, with shattered glass everywhere and a gun is pulled out.
The Escape Room was a fast paced page turner! It was such a breeze to read through this captivating thriller. Goldin really gets into the little bubble of Wall Street and writes about the ambition, the greed and what it all does to a person. She even taps into the gender disparity and how differently women employees are treated in a corporate world like that. It’s all well and good till that bubble bursts.
“Men could snarl or look angry with impunity; women had to smile serenely regardless of the provocation.”