Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme)'s Reviews > The Killing Room

While on vacation in Las Vegas, a businessman wakes up in a strange hotel room to find a dead woman in the bathtub.

Panicked, he runs. But before he can get far, a pair of detectives stop him.

Desperate, he tells them that he’s innocent. That there’s no way he killed the woman. That he’ll do anything not to go to prison.

That’s when they offer him a way out.

But there is no way out—as the detectives will soon learn.

I have to admit upfront that The Killing Room wasn’t the type of thriller that I would normally read. Just the same, when all of my friends and colleagues with Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse started clamoring over this one, I knew that I had to read it, no ifs, ands, or buts. And while my first statement is still definitely true, the action-packed thrills and chills were utterly addictive. Despite the fact that the plot had a definite “dad book” vibe, this thriller loving fiend still inhaled it from beginning to end.

With a fast-paced, propulsive storyline that just never let up, the claustrophobic feel simply oozed from the pages. But the twists were the true winners for me. Time after time, I was entirely blown away by a new unexpected link or surprising revelation. And as they quickly blew apart every one of my guesses, the action movie-like plot rolled on with adrenaline-pumping speed. Needless to say, there wasn’t much not to love.

The characters ran the gamut from cold-hearted villains to possible heroes. At the same time, they were all finely layered. Unlike a Marvel type film, they all had their good sides—and their bad. Up to and including our narrator. What I particularly liked, however, were the multiple POVs. Through it, I got a glimpse into all of their psyches. While perhaps not all that deep, each persona was on the cusp of fully fleshed out. Especially our hero. Now I look forward to learning more about him and his past in the sequel, Enemy of the State, which comes out in August.

All in all, while I wouldn’t have typically picked up this novel given the general vibe, I’m so glad that I did. With one epic game of cat-and-mouse and no end to the slights of hand, this was one book that truly kept me guessing. And with a conclusion that both deftly wrapped up the plot but also set it up perfectly for the sequel, there’s every chance that I’ll be diving straight into the next book in the series. So even if it sounds somewhat outside of your wheelhouse, give this crime thriller a try. It just might surprise you. After all, it certainly did so for me. Rating of 4 stars.

Thank you to Robert Swartwood and Blackstone Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: Out now (Enemy of the State comes out on August 20, 2024)

Trigger warning: gun violence, police corruption, mention of: domestic violence, human trafficking