"The Therapy Room" by Sam Baron is a profound and insightful novel that delves into the complexities of the human psyche with grace, humor, and empathy. Baron has crafted a narrative that not only entertains but also offers a deep dive into the intricacies of mental health, therapy, and the healing process. Through a cast of vividly drawn characters, each navigating their own struggles and revelations within the confines of a therapist's office, the book offers a unique window into the transformative power of therapy.

At its core, "The Therapy Room" is an exploration of the stories we tell ourselves and the courage it takes to confront our deepest fears and insecurities. Baron masterfully uses the setting of a therapy room—a space traditionally associated with vulnerability and introspection—to weave together the disparate threads of his characters' lives. These sessions become the heartbeat of the novel, a rhythm through which the characters' pain, hope, and desire for change are explored.

One of the novel's greatest strengths is its ability to portray the therapeutic process with authenticity and respect. Baron’s depiction of therapy avoids clichés, instead presenting it as a complex, sometimes challenging, yet ultimately rewarding journey toward self-discovery and healing. The therapist character is beautifully rendered, serving not just as a guide but as a testament to the human capacity for empathy and connection.

"The Therapy Room" is replete with moments of insight and emotional resonance. Baron’s writing is both accessible and deeply affecting, capable of eliciting laughter one moment and tears the next. The novel's structure, alternating between different characters’ perspectives, allows for a rich, multifaceted exploration of themes such as identity, trauma, and the search for meaning. Each character’s story is distinct, yet their shared experiences in the therapy room create a powerful narrative of interconnectedness and the universal quest for understanding and acceptance.

Moreover, the novel shines in its ability to capture the nuances of human emotions and the transformative impact of being truly heard and understood. It is a celebration of the human spirit, showcasing the strength required to face one's demons and the light that can emerge from the darkness. "The Therapy Room" is not just a book about therapy; it is a testament to the resilience of the human heart and the capacity for change.

In conclusion, "The Therapy Room" by Sam Baron is a compelling, insightful, and deeply moving novel that stays with you long after the last page is turned. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the power of therapy, the complexity of the human condition, or simply a beautifully told story that illuminates the profound connections between us all. Baron has delivered a work that is both enlightening and profoundly affirming, a reminder of the endless possibilities for growth and healing that lie within the therapeutic journey.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

I loved loved loved this book. Chilling. Gripping. Tense. Absolutely addictive. Once I started reading I couldn't stop. Just wow!

I can't wait to read more books by this author! Excellent story, diverse representation, and a kick ass neurodivergent main character in Susan. Couldn't be happier!

This story overall was really good! What took away from it was the ableism. The English language isn’t lip readable like the author alluded to. Wish he could have changed a few things before releasing it because the story itself was very good.

I love coming into a series with the very first book as I like to be where it all starts and whilst some can be a hit and some a miss, this is a semi-hit for me but it could have been an absolute stunner.

Susan is a great character; strong, tenacious and not afraid of ruffling some feathers but she is also a widow and a mum with a sad and tragic history -this is a bit of a cliché as are some of the other characters in the book which made me actually tut and give my head a little shake at times.

I did like the way she worked with her team and felt the camaraderie between them clearly and I am looking forward to getting to know them more in future books however, I found some of their dialogue strange and not what I would have expected.

The plot is intriguing and whilst I pegged the "bad guy" early on, I did quite like the way the story got there but felt it took a bit too long and was a bit long-winded even when, strangely, the time period jumped ahead which felt a bit out of sync. I also wasn't expecting the ending and tried to flick to the next page to keep reading only to find ... nothing ... I now have to wait until the next book!!!!

There are other little niggles and inconsistencies that I noticed however, it is a creditable debut and I would like to see how the series develops. Thanks to the author, Storm Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this, the first in an intriguing new series.

Wow. This one definitely sucked me in. I loved the premise. An old farm house,, 12 rooms containing 12 people, alive but severely malnourished and dehydrated, a dead therapist and directions to contact FBI’s SAC Susan Parker, who has been on leave got the last year after the death of her husband. Could they finally be on to catching Splinter, the notorious serial killer Susan was tracing people to her forced leave?

Even though Susan has been on leave for a year she immediately picks up where she left off with her team. They all welcome her back with open arms, no questions asked. In addition, she gets a bonus partner, detective Naved Seth from the local PD.

I loved the camaraderie of Susan and her team. Susan is pulled in so many directions- her home life with her sister in law Lata and her 7 year old daughter, Natalie, who has been deaf since birth, tracking splinter and trying to find out who murdered her husband.

I like Susan, I like her team and I like the mystery. There were a couple of odd red herrings, like Susan being ADHD and autistic, which just seemed like they came out of left field, but otherwise I really enjoyed it and I looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Great story, pulls you in straight away. I'm really pleased it's a series as I can't wait for more. Found I couldn't put it down and kept me reading until the early hours. New author for me but will definitely look out for more. Thank you

I was very excited for this book. Overall I really liked the plot, but there were some moments that I lost slight interest. This is the first book of the series so I am still looking forward to reading the rest of the series. The book started off strong but seemed to lack and fall apart towards the end. I would rate this book a 3.5 and still recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC of ‘The Therapy Room’ by Sam Baron.

I hadn’t got round to downloading this book but I did buy it so I could submit a review still. This book amazed me. It had me hooked from beginning to end and I cannot wait to continue this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the eARC.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book, and it hooked me pretty quick. I found the story to be easily readable. However, I struggled a bit with some of the repetitiveness and some of the unanswered questions we are left with. I realize now this is the start to a series, so I think that this was a good start to that and looking forward to continuing it!

The Therapy Room starts out great.

This is an FBI book starring Agent Susan Parker. I liked getting to know her and her background and what motivates her to be doing her job.
The more that is revealed the more I wanted to know about her.

Creepy atmosphere that reminds me of the tv series Criminal Minds. I liked this as the show is one of my favorites.

Action filled. Slow at other times. I am a bit disappointed that we didn't get to learn more about the victims themselves. This is the first in a series, so maybe that will come in the second book?

Looking forward to the next book. Some clues were given toward the end of this one on what we can expect nexty.

Thanks to netgalley and Storm Publishing for the arc.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this read. Wow. This book started strong. It pulled me in and held me tight. Haha! I had to keep reading it but the book was not the all and all but it was for sure a good read. I have read way too many thrillers and have read some of these exciting things before in other books but I think this was a good start to a series.

The Therapy Room • By Sam Baron
✨Crime✨Thriller✨Horror✨
_____________________
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Netgalley Arc Review :

A year ago FBI Agent Susan Parker lost her husband to suicide, in the midst of grief she’s taken time off work to rebuild her new life with her daughter.

But when a psychiatrist is found dead in a ranch house with a post it note taped to a door with her name and phone number Susan is pulled back into her job and what is found in the basement is 12 individual therapy rooms each with malnourished, dehydrated and battered victims inside.

For a first book in the series it was a really strong start that makes me intrigued to see what book two will entail, I enjoyed the characters and the dynamic of the team. I enjoy crime thrillers where the team actually acts like a proper team.

Some minor issues I had I felt there was a bit of repetition, it was like Susan’s whole personality trait was her dead husband, which I understand it’s something she’s gone through but it was like she needed to remind us nearly every page or so.

Overall not bad for a first book.

The opening scene in this book will pull you into the story. Soon you learn that FBI agent Susan Parker is called to the scene when her name and number appear on a body. A good thriller will some twists and turns along the way.

✨My Thoughts✨

The opening chapters had me eagerly wanting more it was really creepy and so chilling , I needed to find out exactly what kind of place The Therapy Room was and what exactly happened to Susan’s husband?. It was so intriguing.

I devoured this in a few hours, I actually couldn’t put it down, Susan is one hell of a woman she gets the job done that’s for sure even thought she’s had such devastating things happen to her.

The story was twisty and definitely kept me on my toes, it was definitely not predictable that’s for sure.

I can’t believe the last page, how could it be left on that HUGE cliffhanger, I need the next book in my hands asap!.

An excellent thriller, FBI agent Susan Parker is called to a crime scene when a body is found with her name and phone number on the body. Plenty of twists and turns. Good characters. Keeps you guessing till the end. Thanks to Storm publishing and Netgalley for this review ARC.

This sounded like a book that I couldn't resist, and I'm a big fan of FBI and police procedural stories. I had really high hopes for this series starter, since the premise sounded strong and very interesting.

Once I started reading, I quickly got invested in the story. It begins with a crime scene, where a post-it with Susan Parker's name and cell phone number is found. Susan is called out to the scene, despite her being on leave for nearly a year after an incident shortly after her husband's suicide. She's been seeing a therapist for the last year, and then the therapist suddenly clears her to go back to work without any notice or warning.

This immediately had me worried. In the majority of the books I read where therapy is portrayed, it isn't represented accurately. And this book was not an exception, sadly. Working with a therapist is a joint process, where the patient and the therapist work as a team. It isn't the 1920s or the 1800s or any other time period anymore, where the doctor says something and the patient just follows direction blindly. Nowadays, mental health treatment involves preparation in advance of any changes. Ending treatment doesn't simply occur suddenly, it's a process that occurs between both parties. No ethical therapist would ever just show up and inform a patient that they're able to go back to work and therapy is done. So I was already a bit jaded when this happened fairly early in the story.

As the story goes on, it started to feel like the author had a diversity checklist, and went down the list, checking off boxes. Susan is of Indian descent, is autistic and has ADHD; her sister-in-law, Lata, is of Indian descent, is a military veteran, and is a lesbian; and Susan's daughter, Natalie, was born deaf and communicates through lip reading and sign language. However, we don't really get to see any aspects of how these diverse categories play a role in their life. As for the ethnicity of the characters, the only time it is mentioned is in reference to their in-laws and when the Indian word for grandfather is used, and some microaggressions at work, but it doesn't really have much of an impact on their life. Even more so, there were so many instances where Susan's autism could have been discussed and how it impacts her life, especially when it comes to her work, but aside from it being mentioned briefly, it isn't mentioned again. While it technically has autism and ADHD representation in the fact that these diagnoses are mentioned in the story, there really isn't much representation other than that. Natalie's deafness is represented much better in the story, since she can't communicate with others without using sign language, although it seems that every child in the story just automatically knows ASL, and the one who didn't, had a parent who does.

The story itself started really intriguing, but gradually became less so. I quickly figured out who the suspect was, but I spent the whole book waiting for answers to questions that never came. There's some plot holes in the story that aren't ever addressed, and while the story alludes to answers coming in book two, I can't quite bring myself to read another one of these books in the hopes of possibly getting some answers and maybe not getting them, only to be strung along for another book.

An interesting psychological thriller with a decent storyline. It involves a previous case, a suicide and murders. Some likeable characters, others not so much. Easy to follow with a few twists thrown into the mix. A worthy read.

This is the first book I have read by Sam Baron and I was not disappointed. I tend to venture towards the same types of thriller books and recently I have trying to venture outside my comfort zone of those books. I loved every minute of this read!

I loved this book! At the beginning, I thought the writing could have used a little help, but I was quickly immersed. I'm glad I didn't listen to my hesitations. From the plot to the characters and even the cover, I am impressed. I've never read anything from Sam Baron before, so I was pleasantly surprised.