Creepy, disturbing, dark, confusing!
Psychological trauma is at the forefront of this story, with SAC Parker grieving the loss of her husband and the investigation into "Splinter" leading those involved into a wormhole of depravity.
I enjoyed the story and the characters evoked strong emotional reaction but for me the identity of "Splinter" took to long to reach- I had already solved this part of the case some chapters before and the truth was too drawn out to keep the pace of the book moving wholly successfully.

4.25 stars.
I really enjoyed this thriller. I always say it is so hard to do something new in thrillers so it is very hard for me to rate one above 4 stars. But I loved this one. I, personally, found it unique and action packed. I adored the characters and relationships in this book. I also enjoyed some of the social commentary thrown in every once in awhile. There are two mysteries we are trying to figure out in this book. While one is uncovered, one is ongoing...... and that is all I will say. That ending though! I will definitely be picking up the next book. Thank you for NetGalley for providing me with an early release copy.

If it's not a chore to finish a book, it at least deserves 3 stars. This was a solid mystery. I enjoyed the DEI perspective of the characters, who could have been more fully developed, they were very surface. There was a good climax but it took time to get there that I could have done without. I wonder if this were written more for screen than print.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC of The Therapy Room. Book 1 in a new series told through 1st person POV Special Agent in Charge Susan Parker. The premise, the story line and the plot were all gripping and had my interest straight out of the gate. However, there were holes that I noticed and inconsistencies - - and to be honest, I wanted more information about the victims than I got – psychological thrillers are my #1 genre so I may be a bit of a stiff critic.

I was captivated by the title and the promise of the story. but it didn't deliver for me, a decent read for the mystery reader but sadly it wasn't for me.

I found the beginning slow and too focused on the main character instead of the plot. Mentioning race as a factor in the story was a little bit annoying, with "whiteness" being as very bad. and different colors being very good... the story did not have a smooth and coherent flow.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the eARC.

A special thanks to NetGallery and Storm Publishing for an early copy.

Susan is an FBI agent who's been hunting for years looking for the serial killer "splinter" Her husband tragically committed suicide less then a year ago and she's called to a crime scene on an abandoned ranch.

This book is a twisty novel. There were a few surprises for me but I was able to predict the ending. It seemed to start slow as their was a lot of background information to gather about the entire premise. I wasn't a fan of the main Character Susan but the novel was ok overall.

The Therapy Room is book one in a new series that is promising. The story was suspenseful and intriguing. The plot was unique and not one that's been done before. The only downfall was some of the dialogue between the characters was odd and it is clear that someone who is not from the US wrote this book. The book was set in California, but on multiple occasions things were included that were not consistent with how Americans would say/do it. More attention to those small details would make this a 5 star read. The ending left me hanging and I really hope book 2 answers one of the biggest questions of all. I will definitely keep my eyes peeled!

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

The premise was so intriguing however the characters were handled poorly at times. Some areas read silly. Still, I could not put this down and read it in one sitting. 3.5 stars rounded down.

The premise sounded great, but sadly it just didn’t deliver. I couldn’t not finish it and read just under half before giving up. I just didn’t find it believable and it felt somewhat contrived.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

By Sam BARON ⭐⭐

Unfortunately this book did not grab me. The premise of the book was dark, twisty and right up my alley, but unfortunately the overall story struggled to hold my interest.

I read this almost all in one go!
I was gripped. The main character is likeable and it brings in some different aspects I’ve not read in a crime book before!
Definitely looking forward to book 2!

To be honest, detective/agent books are hit or miss for me. That said some of my favorite books fall in this category, so there’s always hope! This didn’t hit the mark for me. The description pulled me in and I really did enjoy the plot and storyline (great mystery and suspense), but I struggled with connecting with the main characters.

The book is told through 1st person POV of Special Agent In Charge Susan Parker. I think it may have been better as 3rd person. Overall, I liked the narrative parts, but strongly disliked most of the dialogue throughout the book. The agent conversations seemed naive and unrealistic. It was hard for me to picture actual agents holding the conversations these characters did. Saying very obvious things, defining basic FBI lingo within conversations with each other, and trying too hard off as buddies instead of professionals. Ultimately I failed to trick myself into believing Susan Parker was an intelligent, competent, resourceful FBI agent.

I know this is the beginning of a series focused on Agent Susan Parker, but she was my least part of the book. I wish there was more focus on the victims and the psychological details.

Other specifics that were distracting:

-Multiple times complaining about GenZers, but the dialogue of the main adult characters were cringeworthy and sounded much younger than their characters.

-Text abbreviations, are they texting on flip phones?? “Where r u?” “Gr8…”

-Using Celsius instead of Fahrenheit in California.

-Referring to Boxing Day (not celebrated in US).

-repetitively stating “victims SLASH patients SLASH unsubs”. In the narration and every time they were discussed in conversation. Once or twice would be fine, but every single time?!

-referring to “Jeep Explorer” and “Ford Ram” (neither of these vehicles exist).

-Sudden jump to almost a month later. It felt abrupt and cut an exciting part short.

-Susan states: “Putting my life at risk is part of my job. Risking Natalie’s is unthinkable.” This statement comes a month after literally taking her 7 year old daughter/Natalie to a shootout where 5 people were shot dead.

This had really good potential. I think with more attention to detail and more realistic character development this would have earned 4 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sam Baron, and Storm Publishing for providing this ARC.

Pub Date 23 Feb 2024

The discovery of an old farmhouse which when inspected holds a basement full of torture chambers ….

Chambers that hold people prisoner .. purpose unknown as even when released the prisoners remain silent …

FBI agent Susan Barker is assigned to the case , the storyline is a little messy and confusing at times , that being said the suspense around the why and the revelation of a serial killer named Splinter would see me pick up the next book .

Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this prior to publication .- review on Goodreads left today - fingers crossed for the next book .

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Overall Review (spoilers)

Okay, so I have to be honest and say I was slightly disappointed in this book. I really expected it to be more thriller and psychological then it was, especially given the description. But, I did enjoy it overall and thus want to give a fair review.

Pros: The basis of the book was unique, and I can see the influences of psychology. The main character is not likable, but her actions make sense and she does come across as human. The concept of therapists brainwashing people into being killers is fascinating to me, as I am not 100% sure it could be done in the way they portrayed. I like that it took awhile to figure out who the bad guy is, though I will be honest that I clocked it pretty quickly into the book.

Cons: Lack of descriptions. The victims felt unnecessary as we never really learned what happened to them. There were a lot of inconsistencies in facts. The characters are very forgetful, and don’t piece things together that are glaring obvious, even if we go by “the characters don’t know what genre they are in”. Especially because the characters DO know what genre they are in. The conversations between the characters felt stiff.

Overall, I would probably read the next book in the series, but I am hoping a better beta reader is used next time.

Plot Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Spice Rating:

Genre: fiction, romance, travel,

Trigger Warnings: Mention of murder and torture.

I devoured this book in 1 day! A suspenseful thriller with plenty of twists. I enjoyed getting to know the back story of FBI agent Susan and her mission to find the splinter serial killer. The whole concept around the killer was really unique and gripping and kept me guessing. My only negatives with this story: there were a few inconsistencies with the time frame (at one point it's Thanksgiving then apparently the same night it's the start of November) and the amount of stab wounds on the perpetrator changed too. I also felt the dialogue of any character who wasn't English/American was a bit clunky and stereotypical. Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend. The cliffhanger at the end has left me really excited for the next installment!

The Therapy Room by Sam Baron
Reviewed by Rutendo Chitondwe
‘The Therapy Room’ The title is quite an eye catcher that immediately piques the interest of any reader as it actually,by itself mystifies what the whole story could be about.A win-win situation for both the author and the reader!

The story centers around Susan Parker,an FBI agent and her crime fighting universe that comes tumbling down on her after the untimely death of her husband, Amit that is somehow connected to her current case of a serial killer only identified as ‘Splinter.’Her whole world comes crushing down on her after she unleashes all her wrath in the form of fists at a psychologist she believed was in fact not a suspect, but the real culprit.This one moment of weakness earned her a suspension from the case,leave from work on mental health basis and a date with the bureau therapist.
Sam Baron strives to make this piece a ‘thriller’ ride for readers with twists and turns that all mystery readers love and crave.However readers of this ARC need to watch out for a couple of grammar and spelling mistakes.They could potentially annoy readers and even frustrate them from finishing the book.The fact that they are almost everywhere is a total turnoff that could deprive potential readers from following the series.

Reader will most definitely come across a few inconsistencies in the plot,especially with Susan Parker’s FBI character just to highlight one.Hopefully the author will be able to polish up the final product and give true crime and mystery readers a treat.

FBI Agent Susan Parker is currently on suspended leave after a physical outburst at a suspect last year. However, she receives a call from a local officer at remote farm location advising she needs to see what he has found. The crime scene is a dead psychiatrist and a basement full of catatonic captives, and a note with her name on. It links to the Splinter serial killer case she was working on before her episode. She knows she won’t be welcomed on the case, but soon links to her husbands recent ‘suicide’ become linked to this case and she can’t let go.
A gripping police procedural introducing some strong characters. The conclusion was rather satisfying and unexpected. Definitely recommended to any crime fan and hope there is more instalments from Agent Parker to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC. Unfortunately, this was very putdownable. This took me so long to read. I couldn't relate to the MC. She was almost a cartoon character of what an FBI officer would be? And things were so unrealistic, I kept just putting the book down because of the nonsense.

Special Agent Susan Parker gets the call she’s been waiting for for years. They have finally found the serial killer she’s been hunting, dead, and with 11 captives found in the basement in therapy rooms that look more like prison cells.

I found this book to be enjoyable. The characters were well written and I enjoyed my time with them. This book was interesting and kept me reading. However, it frustrated me that the FBI couldn’t understand the clues they were given in statements to understand what was happening when it seemed obvious to me.

Even so, I would definitely check out the next installment.

The premise of this book seemed very intriguing; however the delivery was not. I found this book very difficult to read and full of inconsistencies. It seemed like there was a great plot there, but no story to follow it. This is the first time I did not finish an ARC. I stopped at 75%. I tried really hard to keep reading, but just could not.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.