It was a great book of whodunit and definitely kept me guessing. The characters were relatable and were well defined. I enjoyed this book as it kept my interest throughout. This is definitely a type of book to follow along with notes of your own. Overall, this was a well written book that keeps you guessing.

I was hooked on this book from the first page. I flipped the pages from one to another, completely engrossed in this imaginative, unique, original crime thriller. I was engrossed in the whodunit until the very end.

I think part of what makes this book so fantastic is the characters. You don't always know who exactly the good guy or the bad guy, but either way you feel connected to them and their part in the overall story. There is no unnecessary character in this book.

The plot of this book is intriguing, at best. I enjoy a good mystery. And this one sure is. I found myself trying to put the pieces together from the start. Every time I thought I had it nailed down, the author would make me second guess myself. I definitely was not disappointed.

This author is new to me. I see she has many other books out already. I will definitely be looking into her other books soon after getting a taste of her writing and story telling in this one.

What a clever, mysterious, thriller Stratagem ending up being!! This author kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. My mind kept jumping from one suspect to another every chapter. Robin kept throwing twists after twist so I had no clue what was happening. Stratagem was so much more than I expected and a definite must read!
I can't wait to read more from Robin Caroll!

Robin Carroll's Stratagem was a good read. Gray Thibodeaux's ex-wife is murdered and he is the number one suspect. Gray is grief-stricken but doesn't have time to grieve now as he works to clear his name. He and his friend own a company that specializes in customized games that promote team building for their employees. Unfortunately, his ex-wife Anna Belle dies during one of these games that his company created. As the story unfolds the reader becomes aware of other possible suspects but one of the detectives only has eyes for Gray as the killer. Definitely a twisted mystery.

I just finished Strategem by Robin Caroll. It was a good book, but not great. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 4 solid stars.

The book centers around a game (don't all books, in one sense or another?) created by a doctor for the company he owns. His company, you see, creates games for companies who want to see team building, or who would be better at using certain skills, or in this case, who would be best suited for a promotion. This game centers around four people...one of whom is recently divorced from the game's creator. Which normally would be a minor detail...until she turns up dead.

I must admit, I pegged a certain person from the beginning based on very little except a certain vibe I got. Much to my enjoyment, the person I pegged was not the killer - but the person it was had a great, well thought-out motive, and had just rewards coming to them as well. The book definitely had a Christian slant, but didn't go overboard with the religious overtones; it was a good ratio of religious /crime elements. All in all a very well-done book and I look forward to trying more from this author!

I have read several of Robin’s books. They each take you on an interesting journey with a delightful mystery along the way. He has great characters, settings and interesting backgrounds.

I’ve always been a fan of Robin Carroll, and Stratagem did not disappoint. The main storyline centers around a psychological game/escape room created by Grayson Thibodeaux. A game in which his ex-wife is murdered, and all signs point towards the ex-husband. The plot develops with police interviews of all of the participants in the house during the game. It creates a “who-dunnit” feel as I found it intriguing to see a crime scene through the various character’s accounts of the same event. Several characters had the motivation to commit the crime, and the reader gets caught up in putting the pieces together along side the detectives on the case.

This is a different style from some of author’s romantic suspense novels. This seems to fall more into the mystery/police procedural category. I rather enjoyed the departure from the traditional girl-meets-boy-on-the-first-page type of scenario, and if you’re a fan of romance, this might not be your favorite plotline. But it worked for me. While not action-packed suspense, this story dives into the psychology and motivations behind the crime. I’d recommend this book anyone looking for an intriguing mystery.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Have any of you played the new reality games here you have to solve a series of clues to get out of a locked room? This book is about one of these puzzles, but it involves a group of people that are trying to leave a room in a haunted house to gain a much - coveted job and one of these people is murdered!
Grayson is the co founder of a company that devises games for companies that want to test out their employees’ worthiness for a job or build their team building skills. But this time, a murderer uses the game to kill Grayson’s ex-wife, Anna Belle, and the police suspect that Grayson killed his ex wife because of her unfaithfulness.
You will keep guessing “who killed her” until the end of the book!

The perfect police drama!! I could not put this book down! This story is told in flashbacks, police interviews, present, and it builds and builds with every page. I never would have guessed who the murderer actually was! it was pleasant to read a book and not know right away who the culprit was and to be kept on my toes trying to figure it out. This beefy story was fleshed out nicely and I really appreciate it!

Fast paced book with plenty of clearly written dialogue. Events occur quickly and keep you wondering who the culprit may be. There is no profanity. There are several examples of people learning to trust others and follow Christian beliefs of forgiveness and redemption without being 'preachy'. Good Christian mystery. I read this book as a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

This book was an mystery involving a murder committed during an Escape Room type of experience. The novel kept me guessing all the way through, but the tempo plodded. Many of the main characters seemed one-dimensional, but I really liked Monique and her gift of a Saint Jude medallion. I debated giving this book 4 stars because it gave a fresh look at feelings experienced upon the loss (through divorce or death) of a person that you once loved. We don't often have a chance to read fiction about missing an ex-spouse, even when the relationship was difficult and the divorce was painful. Even less frequently do we read about these emotions from the man's point of view. I enjoyed the faith aspects and insights. In the end though, I decided that three stars was what I could offer -- it was ok.

This was a tense read and a page turner for me, full of twists and turns. The setting was New Orleans and I loved that! This will keep you guessing til the end. Thanks to Shiloh Run Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Deets PR hired an outside agency to help them with a project so that they could choose the next Senior Account Rep for their company. This involved selecting the final four individuals, and informing them that they would spending a weekend at a house, completing various projects. This would enable the company to see how they operated, both as individuals and as a team. It would also give the company enough information to make the correct choice for the promotion of Senior Account Rep. Little did the group know that they were actually going to be playing a game. The four individuals were to complete packets of information pertaining to their medical and financial histories. All of this information would me utilized to complete all of the parameters of the game. However, Grayson, Colton’s partner of Game’s On You, is the brains behind the actual setup and customization of the game. There’s just one problem. Grayson’s ex-wife, Anna Belle, works for Deets PR. During one of the rest periods between the game, Anna Belle is found dead, on the floor, in her room. She died due to anaphylactic-shock. Apparently, there was cherry juice in her energy drink. There are so many hidden secrets with everyone of the people involved in the game. Of course, since Grayson is the ex-husband, he’s on the top of the list of suspects. Did Grayson murder her? Who murdered Anna Belle? Where were all of her EpiPens? Grayson knew that she was a fanatic about her EpiPens, and she never went anywhere without them. Who knew about her cherry allergy? Why would anyone want to murder her? Did the game have anything to do with her death? The plot was very detailed and keeps the reader constantly guessing who the murderer is. Just when the reader thinks they know who murdered Anna Belle, another suspect seems to be on the horizon. The character development was great. The mystery and intrigue keeps the reader on their toes until the very end of the book. I also lived the location, which was in New Orleans. I really enjoyed this book. The only issue I had was that the formatting was really horrible and it detracted from the actual flow of the book. I had to read sentences over again on quite a few occasions. I realize that this was a review copy, but the formatting was a huge issue for me. This should be corrected for further books reviews.

Stratagem is a very well laid out murder mystery that Robin Carroll will keep you guessing as to who the real murderer is. This story will keep your attention and keep you wanting to read until you find out who is at fault. I thought all the characters were very well developed and fit together perfectly. Very well done by Robin Carroll for sure!

Grayson is part owner of the company Game's On You. This company devises games for other companies to encourage team building among its employees. When they get a contract for his now ex-wife's company, Grayson questions it all at first. Colton, Grayson's business partner assures him it will all be ok and they should go ahead with the contract. What Grayson wasn't expecting was for Anna Belle, his ex-wife, to come up murdered while she was at the game house. Who are the police going to point fingers at from the get go on this one? You got it, Grayson, even though he was out of town when it all happened.

Woven into this story is the life lesson of learning to forgive someone for what they have done to you, preferably before it is too late. You also learn how some people can keep things from you that you would never guess they would. I love how Robin Carroll keeps us guessing with the clues she throws at us as to who really murdered Anna Belle. This is a good Christian mystery that all adults can appreciate.

Stratagem has a pretty cool concept but ends up falling on cliche events.
Grayson sets up Escape Rooms and other team building type games for a living. After his partner gets him to agree to take on the firm his ex-wife works for, Grayson takes a much-needed vacation. But when he comes home he finds his ex-wife has died during the game and that is the police's number one suspect.
I figured out the killer less than a third of a way through but Robin Caroll fascinates readers with the game set up. I wanted to know what was next and why the game was set up a certain way. I loved reading the psychology behind it and enjoyed the character interactions and responses.
There are good Christian themes that are worked in. For nonreligious people, they don't overpower until the last chapter. For Christians, the discussion of forgiveness and allowing others to have choices continues a dialogue that is rooted in our ideals.
Overall, I was disappointed in the overall mystery. It was easy to see what was coming and what would happen next. There is nothing bad about this other than it's predictable.
I enjoyed the psychological aspects and I look forward to seeing how Caroll develops her stories as she grows as an author.

This is a different kind of book than I normally read. I usually read romantic suspense thrillers or anything with a bit of a romance. This book is totally mystery with no romance. But, with that said, I'm a big fan of this author..So I thought I'd check it out. This book reminded me of cop movies or tv shows with a cast of characters and you get to guess who done it. That was fun because I really didn't guess until it was revealed. If you are a huge fan of murder mysteries, you will enjoy this book.
3 and a half stars.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. A great thriller with plenty of twists. Anna Belle was not a likeable person. It was no real surprise she ended up dead, but who did it? Naturally the ex husband is top on the list. Really enjoyed this one. A very quick read too.

A romantic suspense or suspense novel for that matter should have the characters running for their life and trying to solve the crime that has occurred near the beginning of the novel. Robin Carroll's Stratagem is a hunt against the clock to solve the murder that occurred in the first chapter to Grayson's wife, Anna Belle. The murder happens, and then the rest of the novel is interview after interview after interview. After completing the whole novel, I would have liked to see the actual action leading up to the murder instead of hearing it second hand from the characters. This novel would have been more enticing to me if it was laid out like the movie from the eighties Clue. I see the guest arrive, then we see the action leading up to the interview, then we end up with the aftermath. It felt like I was getting everything second hand, and it didn't satisfy my suspense loving mind. The ending with the layout of what happened was the most interesting part of the novel. I enjoyed seeing who murdered Anna Belle and why. No I didn't figure it out early enough. The person who I thought did it, didn't do it. Overall, Stratagem by Robin Carroll didn't hit out of the park for me. I wish I could have seen the actual murder instead of learning the story from interview after interview.

I received a complimentary copy of Stratagem by Robin Carroll from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Strategem was an easy and quick read. Not much depth and not as interesting as I thought it would be. Fairly predictable. Not outstanding, but good for a short, entertaining break.

Stratagem by Robin Carroll is a mystery that is hard to put down. Full of suspense and surprises as you turn each page it will keep you reading to the end. Grayson Thibodeau is a psychologist who creates mind games for corporations, generally for team building exercises. He uses detailed information from participants to use their fears and previous failings create the opportunity for them to deal with and sometimes heal from them. When the company his ex-wife, Anna Belle, works for wants a game he is very hesitant but convinced by his partner. The participants in this game will not know it is a game as they compete for a promotion. Tragically, Anna Belle dies during the game and Grayson becomes the prime suspect. Can he clear his name or will his life be destroyed?
I was unsure about reading this book when I received the offer from Barbour Publishing. I am so glad I did; I could not put this book down. I was drawn into the story line from page one by the characters and the mysterious situation. The characters are multi-faceted people and have many underlying motives for their feelings and reactions. Some I didn’t care for at first are redeemed when I learned issues they were dealing with at the time or limited information they had. The characters are very well written in this respect. This is a page turner that will appeal to a broad audience. I give this book 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.