Grayson Thibodeaux is a psychologist who created a business with his best friend, Colton York, a sociologist. They create virtual games for businesses that build trust and team build. He recently went through a divorce, and his wife Anna-Belle had unfortunately cheated on him with her boss. He tried to salvage the marriage, but she wanted out. At the onset of the book, they have a public argument in his office, and his staff witnesses her slap him when terms of their divorce agreement are discussed.

He and Colton create a game for her company, per the direction of her boss. Members of her office attend a team-building game to determine who will get a promotion. All office workers have to go to a certain location and follow certain rules. Only the CEU and board members know it’s a game. While attending meetings and accomplishing tasks, Anna-Belle falls ill because she has an allergy to cherries and passes away! Grayson immediately becomes the primary suspect, being the recently divorced husband.

Two investigators get assigned to his case, who know him pretty well, and have to overcome their bias to prove his innocence. Anna-Belle’s boss, his wife, other employees and Grayson all become suspects and one-by-one they get ruled out.

The pace of the book was fantastic. It was well-written with little things happening during the investigation that made me question a few people. I also loved the faith-based aspect attributed to Grayson as he tries to prove his innocence. It makes a strong character and was a great read! The outcome wasn’t predictable until the moment it was revealed, so it ended very well. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a fast-paced, faith-based, suspenseful novel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I think of all the "crime investigation stories" I've read this might be the most real of all of them. Long sessions of hearing witness stories, piecing parts together, investigating and re-investigating evidence, and poking into every nook and cranny for missing pieces, but for me, this wasn't enough in a whodunit, crime story. I like the unreality of a roller coaster. I like the story to progress, pulling and tugging on my emotions and my brain cells, and leading to the culmination of finding out who did it.

Stratagem probably leans to more reality in the crime investigation process. The premise was intriguing. The main character in the story was a great protagonist and the author did an excellent job of making you feel what he was going through. It could have been a great roller coaster ride, but it wasn't, and I like coaster-ride books. So, this book is a great one for people who don't like the tension of whodunit, crime story, but enjoy the very slow unfolding of a crime investigation.

Technically, there was a lot of repetition, as we heard the story over and over, without a whole lot of deviation or variety. There was very little story structure, it jumped through time loops, and everyone seemed guilty until proven innocent. I didn't get immersed in it and it didn't draw me in, due to the repetitiveness of dialog and discussions, hearing the story over and over again, maybe with one detail added. about 75% in, I committed the ultimate no-no for readers. I skipped to the end to see who did it. The story just felt flat for me. I'm sure it won't for everyone, so I'm not going to completely pan it, it's just not my type.

I received this book as a gift, I was not obligated to provide review or compensated in any way, except have a great read.

This was a really good mystery with great characters, Christian focus, and psychological mind games.  There are lots of twists and turns, family drama, constant guessing of whodunit, and a fast-paced story line.  You never have a moment of sitting back and relaxing.  Clues are constantly thrown at you to keep you trying to figure out the end of the book.

I loved so many things about this book.  The mystery was well developed; the psychological twists were well delivered; the psychology/therapy view of the characters and situation; the fact that the characters were struggling with faith and forgiveness of the behavior of others as well as personal forgiveness; and Christian values and  beliefs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shiloh Run Press for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.  I can't wait to explore additional books by this author!

I kept losing interest in this book.  I felt like it dragged.  I wanted to read it because of all the good reviews.  

I received this galley from NetGalley.

This is a crazy book that will stick with you until the end. A team-building escape room game is created for his ex-wifes company. Someone wanted her dead and the blame is placed on him. You wont see it coming until it hits you in the face.

A team building exercise ends in murder and false accusations. ***ARC received from NetGalley for an honest review.*** This is the first mystery book I have read with Christian undertones. Was very well written and had me stumped until the end. This story finds us and one of the main characters, Grayson, wondering who dunnit. As part of a possible promotion, four employees of a company are asked to submit themselves to an unknown team building experience. They are tested on their fears without knowing they are part of a game. When one of them are found dead the police set out to find the possible killer. We go on the journey with the main suspect while at the same time glimpsing what happened to the victim. Of the cast of characters I had a few suspects but was unsure until the end when the main characters started piecing together the clues. I really enjoyed and would recommend this book to anyone who loves clean books.

The premise of this book is sounded great.  Escape rooms are of course very cool these days.  

But I was disappointed to find that, primarily, this book is a murder mystery.  There are very few interesting details about the actual puzzles of the escape rooms.  That was just a backdrop.  

But even though murder mysterys aren't really my thing this book did hold my attention fairly well, which says a lot for it.  

Overall, not what I expected, but not terrible either.

I typically stick to romance, but the plot of this book really grabbed my attention. After reading it I was not disappointed. Sometimes things look like they are cut and dry, but they aren't Grayson really is a great guy in a terrible situation.

If you like whodunit’s this is definitely a book you will love.  It was part mystery & suspense, part “The Game” with Micheal Douglas, and part corporate espionage.

Caroll killed off a character, like many authors do, but gave this one a twisted and haunted backstory. But she didn’t stop there. She gave those backgrounds to other characters in the novel as well. They were more than one dimensional, which I think was why this story worked so well! Even the setting of the novel works to set the characters (and thus the reader) on edge. A game that plays on your deepest fears? Well, that is terrifying. 

While you thought, ‘I know who killed her in one moment,’ in the next you are convinced it was someone else. As the motives for the murder are seemingly uncovered, yet another motive pops up and you are guessing all over again. All while protagonist is fighting to figure out what happened as well.

This is a fast and fun read that you will not want to put down until the very end!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy to read.  All opinions are my own.

Great mystery with a lot of character development. 

This was an enjoyable, believable mystery with sympathetic characters. The mystery was suitably mysterious and the culprit was not initially the most obvious candidate. I really liked that the victim, while a person who had acted badly, was not demonized, but built into a sympathetic character. The hero was also sympathetic, and other major actors were well-rounded characterizations. Overall, a very enjoyable mystery, so much so that I’ve checked out some of the authors other books and will be checking out future releases.

Though I found the first half of this book very interesting, I was unable to finish because I found after the first half it began to drag. I did not seem to connect to the characters, and was uninvested in the story. For that reason I will not be able to post a full review.

It's a rare book that makes me go “Whoa!” & “Wow, what a ride!” at the end, but this one certainly did! It surprised me how much I liked this as I tend to be very picky about books labeled psychological thrillers. Some are way to edgy or questionable for my taste. Not “Stratagem”! This one engaged my mind as well as my senses, and had me trying to untwist all the curve-balls Robin Caroll included. As each layer unfolded in the police investigation of the murder of Anna Belle, more and more questions kept popping up. At the same token, more and more pieces fell into place and began to make sense. It's very heavy on police procedure, but that's the kind of writing I love! I think if I were to go back and choose a career path, I would want to be a homicide detective. But since I can't, I'll settle for my arm chair sleuthing abilities. A very surprising ending once the killer was revealed, one person I never even suspected. A good suspense writer will keep you in the dark until just the right time & I think Caroll did her job well! Everything about this book was fantastic. I applaud an author when they can engage you on every level and tick all the boxes of just WHY you love their book! I would say she made me a forever fan of her work, both past & future stories.  

Summary: this is a mind-boggling thriller that kept me on my toes and thoroughly hooked me from page one! 

*I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing via Netgalley and was under no obligation to leave a review.  All opinions are my own. *

Stratagem is a mystery that really keeps you guessing who had committed a murder right up to the end. I would think it might be one character, but then as I read further, another character appeared to have motive. 

Grayson Thibodeaux is a psychologist who partnered with a friend to create a "game" that companies can use to screen employees or to build teamwork in a company. Things go terribly wrong when Grayson designs a game for his ex wife's company and she is murdered during the game. 

Grayson finds himself working to prove his innocence. But as he investigates the crime, he learns more and more about his ex wife that disturbs him. She was not a nice person, and that is putting it mildly. Many people who surrounded her had motive, it is up to investigators, Brandon and Danielle to solve the murder. As you travel along with both investigators and Grayson the pieces fall together and then you get the big reveal. 

I enjoyed Stratagem a great deal. It was disturbing to have a character murdered that was such a terrible character. I could not find one trait about her that made me like her. Perhaps that is what Caroll was striving for. I did however like Grayson, the main character. I wanted the case to be solved so he would not be arrested for a crime he had not committed. 

I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest feedback.

I loved this book...all the twists and turns had me guessing all the way till the end. The characters are very likeable.

The book’s back cover blurb grabbed my attention immediately. It’s a unique story where a corporate game goes horribly wrong and one of the owners is accused of murder. 
Grayson Thibodeaux is a divorced psychologist who says yes when he should’ve said no. He agrees to create a game where his ex-wife is involved and when she dies during the course of the game, all eyes are on him. 
I absolutely loved Grayson. He’s calm and intelligent when most people would be absolutely freaking out over the situation. Pam is by far my favorite. Her spunk and attitude are refreshing and keep the story moving. 
The mystery is enthralling and captivating right to the last page. I’d definitely recommend Stratagem.

Grayson Thibodeaux creates games, but they aren’t your normal run-of-the-mill games. The games he creates tests people on how well they perform under pressure and stress. Imagine being confronted the things you fear the most. How would you react?

On a day you consider to be the worst ever, it is imperative that you do a great job. Your finances are in ruin. Your spouse has just left you. Your life is going down the tubes. How would you do? Would you still have a job?

It is things like these that Grayson’s “game” tests you on. His company is making a killing. Businesses hire him to decide who to promote. All is great until the company his ex-wife works for hires him to create a game, one that his ex will be participating in. Those playing the game don’t know that they’re being tested. They don’t realize it’s all a game.

When his ex turns up dead during the game, he is the prime suspect.

Even though one of the police officers is one-hundred percent sure that Grayson is the guilty party, there are so many other people who had a motive to do in his ex. She just wasn’t a very likeable person.

As the list of those who had a motive grows, the plot thickens. This book is full of edge-of-your-seat suspense and is hard to put down. My husband is very picky about what he reads. The second a book slows down or loses his interest, it is put down and not picked up again. He loved this book from the first page to the last just as I did.

This storyline is out there. An escape room murder and she died from cherry juice put in her energy drink. I was just caught off guard by how wild and crazy of a plot line this book has. It really takes you on an adventure. Interesting characters and backgrounds on these characters. It was a bit hard for me to follow at some points but it was an interesting read.

It was a game. It ended up being a deadly game.

This corporate game was requested by Tim DuBois, CEO of Deets PR, in order to help his board work through an upcoming managerial promotion, from Game’s On You. The original request was made to Colton York, though he and Grayson Thibodeaux, the co-owner of Game’s On You, would both need to approve the contract before it was finalized. Grayson would design the game, Colton would administer it. And Grayson’s ex-wife, Anna Belle Thibodeaux would be dead before the game was over.

There were a number of suspects, but the evidence seemed to point to one person. It would take the work of Detective Brandon Gibbons and his partner, Detective Danielle Witz, and Grayson and his assistant, Pam, to independently stumble upon the guilty party. And the discovery came almost too late.

Robin Caroll has managed to weave together a bit of mystery and faith into a captivating story. Though at least one location is shared with previous books from this author, it is unclear whether this story is a sequel to those - and reads well as a standalone book.

Though Robin Caroll is an experienced writer, this was the first book of hers that crossed my path. I was satisfied - and will look forward to reading others. It easily is a five-star book.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

I will have to say, I’ve never heard of mind-bending adventure games. So this was a new adventure for me. Grayson Thibodeaux ended up in the middle of his ex-wife’s murder,  being the prime suspect. All leads ended up with Grayson. Or was someone else trying to throw the blame on Grayson and get off scott free?

The investigation was interesting, I am always amazed at how investigators end up with so many leads, and figure out the person they need. And this one seemed like a cut and dry case, but the more I read the more holes came up in the investigation. I like Grayson. He was just all around a good guy, and loving Anna Belle wasn’t an easy job! But Anna Belle’s mom was a different thing. I love her, her character was well created and she was just the sweetest lady. It warmed my heart that their relationship started and would continue

I feel like I’m jumping around with this review, but there’s a lot going on in this story. A lot of interesting issues, and some not so fun. If you enjoy a good suspense/thriller, I highly recommend Stratagem by author Robin Caroll! I have read many of Ms. Carrol’s books and love them all! I encourage you to check out her other books when you check this one out!

A copy of this book was provided by Celebration Lit Tours for me to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are mine only

I really liked this book. It's not something I saw very often from this particular publisher, but the book was really good. It kept me captivated and trying hard to finish the book. It is one of those stories that you think about when you aren't reading the story.

Most of my reading was on a Kindle, so the formatting was just a bit off, but I expected that. The cover of the book I wasn't aware of until now, when I'm writing this review. That said, while I do like the staging of the text below the balcony, the rest of the scene doesn't quite make sense to me. It doesn't feel like New Orleans, outside of the over-enhanced Mardi Gras beads. Then the image on the balcony just feels forced. As a Graphic Designer, it just doesn't vibe. However, the story more than made up for the cover design.

The story is about Grayson who designs some really intense escape games. It's a type of game I hope to never be involved in. I have a hard enough time in the typical escape rooms. His ex-wife is in competition for a top spot in her PR firm, but first her firm has decided that the four people who are most likely in contention, must compete for it. Now I do have to admit, that part of the plot was perhaps a bit disturbing. Plus the set up as to how the game came into play. But, I put those aside and just enjoyed the story.

Basically, Grayson's ex-wife ends up dead and needless to say, with Grayson the executor of the game, he is the prime suspect.

The story has several points of view, and I did appreciate having Anna Belle's point of view. There were spots in the story where I did want to rush ahead in the story and see what happened. The pacing was well done and each twist and turn had me guessing.

I would definitely consider reading more stories by Robin Caroll.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Barbour Publishing.