Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for this eARC.

Was I ever wrong about THIS NOVEL (I will include some of my initial review, before I decided to continue reading this book, and boy, was I glad I did, as this novel quickly takes an abrupt turn (and the reasons for the main character's actions are revealed)..

Here's part of my earlier review, written before I decide to continue reading this novel...

"This is a well-written and clever "locked room" mystery, however if is hard to get past the fact that a man successful enough to wear a Rolex isn't smart enough to keep his mouth shut, well, after he says, " I want a lawyer" that is, when interviewed by the cops, ESPECIALLY with the "chips stacked against him" so to speak. This happened within the first few chapters, so I found that nagging inconsistency very distracting, and annoying.."

Well, the REST of the story is where everything comes together, so keep reading for a truly EXCEPTIONAL police procedural, because right around the corner, everything make sense!



Remember dear readers, if a cop EVER attempts to question you or your loved ones without a lawyer about ANYTHING, just say, NO!" ignore the police officer's attempts at emotional blackmail and bullying - and ask that same cop if he would advise his OWN loved ones to do
ANY situation.

The Killing Room" by Robert Swartwood is a riveting thriller that had me hooked right from the beginning. The story kicks off with a man waking up in a Las Vegas hotel room next to a lifeless body, finding himself accused of murder. The narrative is a masterclass in suspense, gradually unraveling the mystery while keeping you on the edge of your seat.

What sets this book apart is its unique approach to revealing information. The story doesn't spoon-feed you; instead, it offers puzzle pieces that you fit together as you go along. This kept me fully engaged, always wanting to know more. While I didn't immediately connect with the protagonist emotionally, the pacing and suspense carried me through.

As the plot progressed, the pieces of the puzzle started to click into place, making for a satisfying yet open-ended conclusion that promises more surprises to come. If you're a fan of thrillers that challenge your assumptions and keep you guessing, "The Killing Room" is a must-read. Swartwood's skillful storytelling and the dynamic narrative structure make this book a thrilling journey from start to finish.

This isn't my first novel by the author but it's one of my new favorites. I was intrigued by the idea of not having a complete picture of the main characters back story. It's been done in various ways lately but this was a unique take on it. The book begins with a recently divorced man waking up in a Las Vegas hotel room with a dead body and being captured by police who believe him to be the murderer. We don't even know for sure if our protagonist is even innocent of that charge. The complete story unfolds in fits and starts, revealing a deeper context and a tragic connection to slavery and murder. The twists come fast and I appreciate that all the connections weren't sprinkled throughout the book but we were given the narrative we required as it was needed. I am looking forward to reading more novels in this series. Even though we are given much of the complete picture by the finish of this book, I know there's many more surprises to be revealed. I didn't find an emotional connection to the protagonist until the entire complex narrative became apparent but the writing kept me engaged with the plot and the novel moved at a steady pace. I was afraid that not having a complete picture would ruin the story for me but that was NOT the case. All in all, a very good book and I'm very excited to see more from this author.

*4.5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

A really good read and great characters. The scams that people pull are really disgusting as they affect so many people in different ways. But these scammers picked the wrong person when they picked Stephen Walker. Was not expecting the ending.

Recommend.

Wow. I read this in one day.

It will be hard to review because of spoilers but here goes:
Synopsis: A man goes to Vegas after a divorce, meets a sexy lady at a bar. The next thing he knows he is waking up in a hotel room with no memory of what has happened, the lady is dead and he has blood on his hands. What will he do? Run? Call the cops?
That’s all you should know going in.

How much do I love this book? Let me count the ways:

Writing: excellent, can’t think of anything that I didn’t like.

Multi-faceted characters: Don’t want to say much due to spoilers but in the thriller genre there is a risk of going too tropey and clichéd but for me, this hit the sweet spot of humanizing many of the characters, even some of the baddies.

Sense of place: Vegas is perfectly depicted. Felt like I was there, running through the casinos and sweating on the sticky streets.

Action: I have a hard time visualizing things in books but the action scenes are so cinematic that it really felt like I was watching a movie in my head.

Twisty: I don’t read many thrillers so maybe I’m naïve but my jaw literally dropped at several points. (And I do mean literally: it physically opened and dropped down from my face).

Warning: there is a fair share of violence (not too gory but I might be desensitized).

Thank you @NetGalley and @BlackstonePublishing for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

How far would you go to prove your innocence?

Thank you so much to @robertswartwood @thrillerbookloverspromotions and @blondethrillerbooklover for this ARC

➡️Swipe for synopsis👉🏼

MY REVIEW::

This book started put with a BANG 💥 , I was entranced and couldn't put it down. I have to know what happened next 😱. I kept audibly 🗣 yelling NO, or RUN, at my kindle - my fiancé was giving me looks!😬

As the book went on it just kept getting better and better. One twist after the next. Like how could the story get ever better - oh let's just throw this tid bit in - YASSSSSS 🤯

I've never read an Avery Bishop or Robert Swartwood book before, but this had completely changed the game for me.
SIGN. ME. UP. ✍️🏼

This is a MUST READ, so I MUST NOT spoil anything for you 🤭

ℙ𝕌𝔹 𝔻𝔸𝕋𝔼: Aug 22, 2023

QOTD:: Have you ever been arrested? What for?

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#thrillerbooks #suspensethriller #thrillerreader #thrillerlover #thrillerobsessed #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #bookaholic #booklover #bookstagrammer #booklove #bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #booksofig #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookishfeatures #tbr #tbrpile #bookbuzz #mysteryandthrills #BookstaBFF23 #thrillerbooklovers #thekillingroom #robertswartwood #averybishop #arcread

A businessman wakes up in a Las Vegas hotel room that isn’t his and finds a dead woman in the bathtub. He promptly gets arrested for murder and some shady business goes down with the detectives.

I loved the premise of this but didn't love how it played out. I want to avoid any hint of spoilers, so I will leave it at this: the way the truth is revealed is one of my major pet peeves in thriller (or any) writing. There were some exciting moments and everything was super fast-paced which made for an engaging, quick read, so I'd recommend this for people looking for an action + crime thriller who don't mind some (to me) huge cheats when it comes to the plot.

First time reading Robert Swartwood and after what I thought was a very mundane start, the book became a really good page turner. The main character wakes up in a motel room with a dead girl in the bathroom. He freaks and thus begins the threads being pulled to uncover why and what he's up to in the first place.
So, if you want a really good thriller that will keep you guessing, then buy this book when it comes out! I received an ARC copy,
thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity
to read my 1st book by Robert Swartwood and already have 3 of his
books(different series) in my kindle queue.
I hope Robert Swartwood continues on with this series, because
you really left me hangin!

Great book! This book had plenty of suspense, action packed, intrigue, murder, mystery, trafficking, spies, and plenty of crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! The only bad thing is that its a cliffhanger! Ugh I don't like those lol but I'm sure some people do! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Waking up in Las Vegas with a dead woman is not what Stephen Walker had planned. All is not what it seems and no one is who you think they are. Another action packed thriller from Robert Swartwood. This one will keep you guessing from page one!

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Another drunken evening, beautiful woman with an obvious agenda, and a dead person in the morning. This time the mark has a conscience and makes a horrifying decision.
His brother has skills and is dedicated to making things as ok as possible-
There are all sorts of bad guys, worse because they are abuses of power and a very satisfying conclusion.
Violent!