The Red Room by author M.S. Morris is an intense and gripping read! Packed with character and dark twist at so many corners! I really enjoyed this dark thriller by Morris!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of The Red Room in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 42%

***SPOILERS FOR FIRST HALF OF BOOK***

I started off intrigued by the mystery of what happened to the MC in the 'red room' but I found the story lacking.
The plot of the husband having a second wife was good to start with, but the MC does next to nothing about it, except for small, barely there 'rebellions'
I found it weird how he had total control over everything so I guess that could have been a strong plot point, but I felt the plot moved far too slow to hold my attention. There has been little to no information about the Red Room at the 42% mark and I just don't think I can continue with the story because it isn't holding my attention.

The writing also felt a little jarring. The lack of contractions made it feel this way, but perhaps it was done for a reason, I'm not sure.

All in all, this one just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

Mrs. Jane Harvey receives a letter. Odd as that is, for her, there is no postmark. Jane opens it with, of course, her husband, Adam. It is a New Year's Eve invite from Diana & Michael Potts (retired teachers). Cath, from the general store in the tiny village, introduced Diana and Jane. Eventually ADAM gives in and says that they can go to the party for an HOUR. The relationship between Jane and her husband is a bit trying; he is in London 5 days a week and at home for 2 days. Adam has an apartment in London. She vaguely wonders, at times, if perhaps Adam has a woman on the side... Jane opens a letter addressed to Adam and finds that his account has been credited with $250,000 GBP. Since Adam calls Jane EVERY night at exactly 9PM, that night she asks him about the money. He tells her that it is from a distant cousin that passed away. No one, not even the reader, believes this one!

After the New Year's Eve party at Diana and Michael's (at which Jane faints), the 4 girls; Cath, Diana, Bridget (the vicar's wife) and Jane, form a book club. At one meeting, Diana asks Jane how often she visits Adam in London. Jane's reply, "I've never been..." A flashback occurs to Jane - everything is red"...Now, we also find out that Jane cannot have children. Another flashback for Jane at the meeting.

Jane can no longer stand it!!! She breaks into her husband's study at home - and finds out that his "cousin" was actually Victoria, his WIFE!!!  Is THIS marriage even valid? She cannot leave Adam; no job, no experience, nowhere else to go. Now, the book club happens to be reading Jane Eyre - (there is a red room in this book). Jane remembers more of her former life and fears that her life mirrors that of Jane Eyre. Jane, at home, looks up Victoria Harvey on the internet. Victoria was just declared dead after missing for 7 years! WOW! Jane's life here began 7 years ago. She realizes that she must have lived in London. Besides, every "fact" she knew about her life was told to her by Adam. When she sees a picture of Victoria in the internet news, it is her - Jane. She remembers coming home one day from work and her house had been ransacked. and about the Red Room...and blood... After what happened in the Red Room, why did they not go to the police? Why to Yorkshire - 2 hours away from London?

Eventually Jane heads out to London to go to her husband's house (under the guise of attending a play with her book club friends). She remembers being Victoria (an ad executive) at a New Yea's Eve party - she had just got a promotion...

She leaves her friends at the play and goes to the house in London where she had lived. Jane then finds the red dress she had worn at the New Year's Eve party as Victoria - torn apart, dried blood... (Adam had told her he burned it). Now, she HAD to go to the Red Room... She reaches out to touch the key - she hears a sound downstairs... a key turning in the lock...

Anything more would be a spoiler! Such a great book that I kept forgetting to take notes! Lots of interesting parts and a ton of suspense! A super read!  I definitely recommend!!!

Many thanks to M.S. Morris and NetGalley for a chance to review !!!

I received this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review.

I ended up DNFing this book at 10%. I understand the premise of the book and that it's supposed to be a creepy book but the idea of a wife having virtually no say in any aspect of her life just makes me uncomfortable. This book just wasn't for me.

His name is Adam ... married to Jane ... living in a small village.  Adam works in London during the week and spends weekends with his wife.

Jane thinks she has the perfect life.  A man who loves her, takes care of her, controls every part of life.  They've been there 7 years and she knows no one ... Adam doesn't want her talking to anyone because they might ask questions.  She has no car, Adam doesn't think she needs one ... she can walk or take the bus when she needs to go grocery shopping.  She doesn't have a cell phone .. Adam only allows a landline ... he calls every night at 9PM and she needs to make sure she is there to answer.  Because Adam would worry if she isn't there.

Something happened to Jane, something traumatic. She just doesn't remember exactly what, She knows it was terrifying and traumatic, but her memory is gone. She doesn't remember anything prior to 7 years ago.

A letter arrives one day ... a letter that makes Jane question her entire life. Has Adam been lying to her?  Can she trust anything he has told her?  To get to the truth she's going to have to face her biggest fear ... what happened in the red room?

This is a highly suspenseful psychological thriller, well-written, with a few twists and turns along the way leading to a surprising ending.  The first half of the book, my mind was all over the place.  And then things started to make sense ... it became a little predictable at this point. 

M S Morris is the pseudonym for the writing partnership of Margarita and Steve Morris. Together they write psychological thrillers and crime novels.

Many thanks to the authors / Netgalley for the advance digital copy of THE RED ROOM.  Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

3.5 Stars

This wasn’t exactly your typical thriller. It did leave me wondering till halfway through the book then it hit a lull for me. I guessed the rest of the book till the ending. I am going to suppose it was supposed to be ambiguous. But it left me with more than a few questions. It served its purpose. 

I give it 3 out of 5 stars.