The Therapy Room
By: Sam Baron

3 Stars

I wanted to love this book, but I ended up just liking it. The storyline is a grabber. I mean, it's about a crazy, Serial Killer Therapist that abducts and kills other therapists. It sounds awesome. I just did not connect to the characters as well as I usually like in a story.

The storyline follows FBI Agent Parker. Her husband was recently killed, and now, being back on the job has her chasing down the one known as "Splinter,". Who is this madman? And what did he have to do with her dead husband?

I found this to be more crime procedural than crime thriller. It seemed like their was a lot of info that was needed that wasn't given. While other info, like all the chatting and complaining, that made it a bit slow at times.

Like, I began with, I wanted to like this, but in terms of a hit or miss on this story. It was a miss for me, overall. I kept it rated a 3 because it was a good read. It was just not my type, currently.


*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

I could not get past the writing. The first chapter was annoying, Too many exclamation marks. The writing did not flow. It felt more like fragments.

I was drawn to this book by the description. A body being found in a farm house with 12 cells in the basement. What are they doing there?
I enjoyed the story, there were some good edge-of-my-seat moments. Some of the plot was pretty convoluted, particularly when trying to work out what the witness was trying to say.
The protagonist doesn't come across as Carrie Mathison smart and her team come across as more pally than is realistic. I enjoyed the foreign language dialogue. It felt like some of the characters had potential to be more in the novel e.g. the sister in law and there could have been more on the mother in law and her business background that could have added some extra twists and turns.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, though I'm put off reading more of the series by Susan not coming across as smart enough to be an FBI agent.

That was a book filled with action and it was fast-paced ! I really loved it. But the cliffhanger at the end aaahh.. Lol, I hope the second book will come out fast so I don't forget what happened in this first book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The therapy room consumed me, transporting me to a realm of pulse-pounding suspense that lingered long after I finished reading. I found myself deeply invested in Susan Parker's unrelenting quest for answers, as her struggles echoed my own experiences with personal struggle. The author's masterful storytelling wove a complex web that both terrified and fascinated me. What resonated most was how the book compelled me to confront my own dark corners and question my assumptions. Through its exploration of trauma, grief, and redemption, this thriller transformed into a cathartic journey that lingered long after the final page. If you crave a story that will leave an indelible mark, look no further. But be prepared to sleep with the lights on... and to confront the shadows within yourself!

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for my advance copy ♥️

Really enjoyed this book. Was fast paced without being rushed. I liked the main characters. Lots of action without too much going on. I'll be reading the rest of the series.

Quite fast paced and well written, I liked the way the ending made you want to read the next one! Not my usual genre and some of the descriptions were a bit too gory and unsettling for night time reading!

In this book we follow Susan an FBI agent as she tries to solve the murders by Splinters. Things never seem to be going her way and obstacle after every turn. Will she crack the case and maybe even find a breakthrough in her husband’s death?

Thank you to Sam Baron and Storm Publishing for letting me read this book before it comes out. I guessed some of the ending to this book pretty quickly. My biggest problem was being so close to knowing the details to her husband’s death but it ending on the biggest cliffhanger I’ve ever seen. I was blindsided by the ending as I thought this book was going so good. But I love that the author Sam Baron keeps you guessing so you’re looking forward to the next book. Which I’ll be thinking about what details I can put together to guess how that one will begin and end.

Book Review🔪📚

2⭐️

Synopsis: Susan Parker is an FBI agent who is starts the book off while she is on mental health leave as her husband died about a year ago which was deemed a suicide. She is known for investigating the serial killer, the Splinter. Imagine her surprise when she is called because her name and number is on the door to the basement of a psychiatrist who is dead at the kitchen table with victims held captive in "Therapy Rooms". This book follows her investigation as she unravels the threads that surround this mystery.

Review: I wanted to start off by saying, the premise of this book was what drew me to it. I love thrillers especially anything that has to do with serial killers. The idea that psychiatrists and their families are being targeted and killed is such a unique idea.

That being said, I felt like the implementation fell flat.

One of my biggest issues in books is when someone is supposed to be specialized in their field, like in this book she is a supervisory agent in charge, but still continues to make rookie mistakes like taking your 7 year old daughter to an active shooting or taking a suspect off the scene of the crime without permission. She made all these rookie mistakes, but was supposed to be an expert.

I also felt like the dialogue between all the characters was unrealistic and forced. It also felt like through these conversations, there was forced inclusion and felt the need to bring up every single person's race or disability. I absolutely think inclusion of diverse characters is important, but it should not feel overdone just to do it.

The writing also left something to be wanted. The characters said "victims slash unsubs" so many times that I was starting to get frustrated. There was also a point towards the end of the book when Susan directly addresses the readers which really took me out of the ending.

This book also ended in a "cliffhanger", but genuinely felt like it wasn't resolved. Why bring up that her husband's death wasn't a suicide and give us clues then not tell us even though it was tied to the serial killer. There were lots of other things about the victims that are left unresolved that I don't want to list because of possible spoilers. We also get the huge breakthrough about halfway through the book, but the FBI agents can't connect the clues.

I think this book could be great if it went through one more read through and resolved some of these issues. Overall, it's a fast paced book and could be enjoyable if you don't overanalyze the little details.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

Susan is an FBI agent who has been suspended for almost a year now due to an incident. One day, another officer that she does not know, randomly calls her and tells her to come to the scene of a crime. Only when she gets there, they discover that there are rooms in the basement that have been holding people prisoner. The only thing is once these people are released, no one will talk.

The theme? Someone is killing therapists and their family members. Who is targeting these people?

I thought the story was extremely suspenseful. I absolutely could not put this down and finished it in 24 hours. However, I did have a problem with some of the dialogue between the FBI agents. I felt like some of this was dialogue straight out of the SWAT movie. I could picture these people literally being in their early 20s other than the agent in charge. There were also times whenever these agents would be on to something and questioning a suspect, and then the suspect would give them an answer that they had suspected themselves only to NOT believe the very answers they were looking for. Lost yet? That confused me. Plus…. Words like ‘Buster’ and ‘Pardner’ were used and these people live in California. No one talks like that unless it’s a comedy.

A world-famous psychiatrist lies dead in the kitchen above; eleven people kept in separate rooms in the basement, while - and they're not speaking. The only clue is the post-it note with Susan Parker's name and number... but Susan's been suspended for months. Who are they? Why are they there? Who murdered the therapist?

Enjoyed the set-up, REALLY enjoyed Susan's family and I thought her daughter's deafness was really well handled (I'm deaf so I really got it!). I liked her relationship with her work colleagues, too. I did guess some of the plot but there were also a few unexpected twists. Good diversity in the cast.

Not over-gory, so I didn't have to skip pages :) Nice fast pace.

Couple of minuses: I would've liked to know a bit about the rest of therapist's victims (we get two of them), or perhaps their stories will be part of future books in the series. I also think Susan would've put her daughter before her job and found a different solution, but I guess when you're really caught between family and work it's a tough call. And the British police didn't work for me (mainly the dialogue - possibly because I'm a Brit!).

A good debut. Four stars.

I really enjoyed this book. It was like Criminal Minds only much better. The story had me guessing throughout the book and it was difficult to put down.
I enjoyed the family aspect of the book as well. You can see elements of everyday family life and the characters were believable.
Don’t start this book late at night because you will not get to sleep. I was constantly going for just one more chapter.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my approval to read and review this book.

Back story, FBI SAC Agent Susan Parker is put on medical leave following the death of her husband Amit about a year ago and an incident at work. Susan is called by Detective Seth to come out to a house in the middle of nowhere. They search the building, finding a dead body in the kitchen, and in the basement, they discover 11 people still alive. She returns to work the following day as SAC of the Splinter Task Force, and with the help of Lata her Sister-in-Law, who helps with her 7 year old daughter Natalie. Who are they? How did they end up here? Where did they come from? Why was Susan singled out? The characters were well written and believable. The plot was full of twists and turns with a few red herrings, which led to a surprising conclusion. I hope there will be a book 2! I will recommend this book.

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley and storm publishing and the author Sam Baron for a early copy of his book.

This is the first book,Susan husband dies from suicide, she goes to a farmhouse and discovers a body,who is he? Theres 12 therapy rooms in the basement,a post it note on the door of Susan name and number.the captives are not speaking...this was an okay read for me wasnt exciting enough so my rating is 3.5...

I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment of this series and look forward to the hext! I loved how it was narrated in a way it seemed Susan was talking as opposed to a story. It kept me guessing til the end on the possibilities of who the Therapist was.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review!

The Therapy Room is a well-written visual thriller with unique concepts, particularly with the serial killer, Splinter. I liked the character of FBI Agent Susan Parker and enjoyed how we saw her tough professional side balanced with her love and compassion for her daughter.

The potential here was huge, abandoned farmhouse, chilling serial killer, underground rooms.... But sadly, it did not quite live up to what I imagined. I found the writing a little clumsy - I'm sure FBI agents don't really talk like that, it was a bit stiff and forced, almost like a dialogue. The suspect SLASH victim really got on my nerves after a while. But I did warm to Natalie, what a great kid! With a bit of polishing, I think this author can go a long way.

2 and a half stars, rounded up to 3.

Special Agent Susan Parker is trying to track down the truth behind a killing spree that involves 12 patients and a therapist. She soon find her husbands death of 1 year ago may be related.

Just as think you’re finally going to get some answers, the book ends on a cliffhanger!!!!! I was a little frustrated

Over all I enjoyed the book.

Loved this book! Therapists and their loved ones are being killed… such an interesting storyline. I will be recommending this to my thriller-lover friends!

DNF @ 54% The story really drew me in but I really just can't get past the clunky writing. The characters are incredibly stereotypical and the way information is revealed is very "tell don't show" in the sense that they're just asking questions like "oh, this happened, right?" "yes and xyz." They say weird things like "pardner" and have catchphrases that made me feel like I was watching an old timey detective show, not reading a modern novel. I think it's fair to assume that most people picking up a crime novel would have a basic understanding of law enforcement terms and wouldn't need "EMT" spelled out for them. I'm disappointed as I want to know how the story ends, but just can't get myself to finish reading the second half of the book.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.