Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Brandon Hughes for an advanced copy of this digital book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick read (256 pages) that kept unfolding and getting worse with each turn of the page. It had me trying to connect the dots and I LOVED how it was all the different perspectives. It was just the right amount of thrill, horror, and suspense because it is a scenario that could happen/is happening which, personally, is my definition of the scariest scenario. I would totally recommend this to anyone who enjoys all things horror!

I started "The Red Room" a little concerned that I had picked up a book a little more extreme than what I tend to read and was absolutely wrong. The story hooked me in and had me sitting on the edge of my seat in the first part, it was a glimpse in to the dark web that is chilling without going too far which is good for people who are new to the genre.

It addresses a lot of subjects that can be overlooked in these types of books. The grief of losing loved ones, the depravity of the human race and the issues women face when doing something as simple as going from point A to B. I loved the fact that it was written by someone with experience in the criminal justice system.

It slows down towards the middle but I didn't hate that as the investigation and the relationship between two of the main characters kept me intrigued before picking up at the end. I feel like the ending was a little unrealistic but it is something a lot of us would want to do if put in the same situation.

I'll definitely be checking out the authors other books. Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, BooksGoSocial, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

From the very beginning this whirlwind of a tale will sweep you and straight into it's world of cybercrime, the dark web, and a couple of nosy college kids. Unpredictable from the beginning, it kept my theories hovering around as I tried to see where it was going and was always unable to. This book will be lingering in my mind for a long while to come.

I can’t even put into words how much I enjoyed this book! Everything was perfect and I have no complaints!

When Marvin Swiderski receives a strange text from his wife Tess, he can't figure out why she would have sent it. Unbeknown to Marvin, Tess had decided to return to her family's old hunting cabin in the woods to retrieve her painting supplies & stumbled into the scene of a murder. Can Marvin reach her in time?

Kayla is a university student out partying with friends at the start of term when circumstances lead to her seeing a video she was not meant to. The downloaded video shows two women being murdered in something called 'The Red Room'. Further investigation leads her to find out that 'Red Rooms' are an aspect of the Dark Web where people pay to log-in & watch livestreaming of murders. Can Kayla trust the handsome bartender who offers to help her out?

Amanda's daughter has gone missing. Rachel is attending university but she disappeared & Amanda has heard nothing since, & the police don't seem to want to know. Looking through online forums for relatives of missing people, she sees a photograph of Rachel posted by a user named 'Daisy'. Contacting them, Amanda learns the shocking truth of what her daughter & other young women are going through in the name of entertainment.

I wasn't sure what to expect but the cover & synopsis drew me in. It was a bit wobbly to start with but it turned out to be a really good thriller. Out of the characters mentioned above, Kayla is the one that the reader spends the most time with & she's easy to like & just wants to do the right thing. It becomes a little fantastical in parts but it has good pace & the storyline kept me glued to the pages to find out what happened. Yes, it's another thriller based on violence towards young women & it's hard hitting, but I didn't find it salacious or exploitative. The jury is out on whether 'Red Rooms' are real or an urban myth, but real or not, this story is worth checking out. I would definitely read more by the author.

TWs: kidnapping, gun violence, gore, death.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, BooksGoSocial, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Excellent story of ordinary people trying to put a stop to horrible happenings on the Dark Web. This book was so realistic in that there are some seriously deviant people in the world. It is bad enough for these girls to be snatched off the street but to then be the victim of such a horrible deed is shocking. It is hard to believe but knowing that humans are our own worst enemy makes these kinds of stories only more real. If only solving some of themes crimes were as easy as this author surmises. I know law enforcement is becoming more knowledgeable about these activities so maybe there can be a dent in stopping this unacceptable behavior.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

I absolutely ate this book up!
Between college students Kayla and Marty, grieving mother Amanda, officer Al Becker and the POVs of murderers and victims as well, this book showed the case from every aspect possible and it made for a very intricate story where you really became engulfed in it all!
Solving the mystery with average people like Kayla and Marty added a relatable flare to it all
At times sad, always exciting...I really, really enjoyed this thriller/suspense/mystery! I found it unique and it truly had me enraptured!
Plus the end was on point!

The Red Room: A Dark Web Thriller by Brandon Hughes is a gripping and suspenseful tale that delves into the dark and dangerous world of the internet. The story is centered around Kayla Sinclair, a college student who stumbles upon a horrifying website known as The Red Room, where viewers pay to watch murders unfold live. What follows is a thrilling and relentless pursuit as Kayla seeks to uncover the truth behind the Red Room and stop the twisted killer behind it. From the very beginning, the story grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. The concept of a secret, pay-per-view murder chamber on the dark web is chilling and Hughes executes it brilliantly. The characters are well-developed and relatable, especially Kayla, whose determination and bravery make her a compelling protagonist. The supporting characters, including a grief-stricken mother and a police officer, add depth to the story and help drive the narrative forward. Hughes's writing is sharp and engaging, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat throughout. The pacing is excellent, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. The way Hughes weaves together the various plot threads is masterful, leading to a satisfying and shocking conclusion that ties everything together. The Red Room is a thrilling and thought-provoking read that explores the darker aspects of human nature and the internet. It's a fast-paced, gripping thriller that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. Highly recommended for fans of suspenseful and chilling reads.

Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Brandon Hughes for allowing me to access this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

My favorite part of this book was the ending, the ending was rewarding and was a nice payoff.

The way I would describe this book is a fast paced thriller. It keeps you on edge but also pulls at your heart strings.

I will say that I wish the romance of the two main characters was explored a little more, it feels like the book just kind of dumped them towards the end. Also, in the beginning of the book some of the choices of the characters were irritating.

All in all I would say that this book is a solid thriller that just needs to be fleshed out more.

Thank you @NetGalley and @BooksGoSocial for the ARC of this book by Brandon Hughes.

This is the first book based on the Dark Web that I have read and it scared me, tbh. The extent of cruelty and brutality those people at dark web were willing to watch and commit was horrifying, to say the least.

For someone who has heard numerous incidents happening on Uber/ other cab services, this book takes the fear to another level.

However, on the whole it was about a dark and evil Red Room being used to entertain those in power with enough money to spare with the most gruesome crimes.

Starts with an ordinary couple in which the wife is looking for something productive when she stumbles upon an crime in her father’s old cabin and how Kayla, a college student stumbles upon a video she was not supposed to even watch and spread in any way.

It is about solving the mystery behind the Red Room by going against the most powerful and calculated group of people who sponsored this whole thing on the Dark Web.

The suspense was great, I kept guessing if her partner whom she met on the night of stumbling upon the video was somehow involved or if those scary people will get to her. Or if this case could be solved eventually or not?

The details of the horrors behind the victims’ abduction were absolutely scary. But the only problem I had was the repetition of things and the focus on the descriptions of countless mundane happenings. Plus, the protagonist, the crime solver, Kayla was an English major, but she had skills better than the police? I mean, yes, watching crime shows or reading true crime novels can teach you a lot, but still.

But I am also glad that no matter how, but she could find stuff that others could not. The ending makes you think about numerous possibilities, given the fact that we are talking about Dark Web.

Lastly, it was actually an interesting thriller to read, the best thing is definitely the fact that author has real life experience of criminal cases and it always makes the details mentioned about how things go in the real world better.

This book had me hooked from the beginning, I was immediately drawn in with a mouth gaping OMG after the first few chapters. The "Red Room" is a dark web service where people sign in to watch some cruel things, in this case, someone getting murdered. College student Kayla comes across one of these videos accidently and is intent on figuring out what this video is, is it real, and who are these people. She is fully immersed into this and befriends a police officer and helps guide them to the scene. She then does some more research and ends up down the rabbit hole of the Red Room and missing girls. I was hooked and could see myself in Kayla as wanting to solve these and playing detective. After reading the "About the Author" and seeing that Brandon brings in his personal knowledge of the criminal justice system makes this story even more believable. I was very happy with how the book ended and how everything tied together. This is a great fast paced thriller that makes you grip the edge of your seat!

The Red Room is a story about the dark web. It begins with a married couple Tess and Marvin. Tess travels back to an old family cabin in the woods that has been sold to someone else. Tess is hoping to find some painting supplies that she had left in the basement. What Tess finds in that basement is more than supplies….
With a cryptic message to her husband, Marvin is left trying to figure out what the heck is going on.
Meanwhile university student Kayla, stumbles upon a video that was on another students computer. A horrific video. Not knowing if what she saw was real, or fake, she confides in her new love interest Marty. The two then try to piece together what she actually saw on that video.
This book was a good, quick read showing the terrible things that happen on the dark web. The fact that this stuff happens in real life, to real people, makes it even more chilling.
My biggest gripes with this one was, I wanted to know more about the actual world of the dark web, and I found Kayla and Marty’s involvement in the case very unrealistic. But overall, I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Publisher BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for my honest review. Publication date - April 16, 2024

This was a pretty interesting mystery book and loved the ending. I was fairly annoyed by some of the beginning of the book, but I don't want to ruin any of the book by saying why. I will say that eventually the kids did the right thing, but took them longer than I thought it should and it always annoys me when kids are the main characters and they're doing something dangerous because they feel they can do it better. Although, the author does kind of fix that problem a little later with the police giving a kind of go ahead for something specific to the story. I did enjoy the later part of the book with some other characters and though, about time! It was a good mystery/thriller book, though, and I think if you like that kind of story, you'll enjoy this one. I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily and honestly.

The Red Room was a nice page-turner! I couldn’t read it fast enough! I was so curious to find out what was gonna happen. It was fast-paced and short chapters, just how I like books!

I love books that have a realistic element of something that could actually happen. That’s exactly what The Red Room was. The scariest thing about it was the idea that something like this could actually be happened in the world, and probably does happen. And the fact that there are people who are deranged enough to watch. It reminded me a bit of the Hostel movies.

While, I wouldn’t say there are twists in this book, it is very suspenseful. It’s a lot of cat and mouse action, trying to figure out how to stop the Red Room murders from happening. I thought there would be some big twist reveal, so I was a little sad that there wasn’t. However, it was still an exciting read.

I was interested in the authors input on this subject and it delivered. I was intrigued on how he would handle such a dark subject without the extreme horror element. The other author I’ve seen them deliver this subject before without getting to extremes was Karin Slaughter on Pretty Girls. This was super interesting and while I don’t agree that one will stumble on this stuff like Kayla did. I still liked the conversation about how vulnerable we are and how much of society is part of these “dark clubs”. It leaves you wondering about the missing people out there and where they are now. I recommend this for somebody looking into getting into a dark subject that is handle well and won’t leave you trigger.

The first half of this book had me hooked me a couldn't put it down. After the the pacing was kind of slow and I lost interest so unfortunately I did not finish this book

Absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed the writing style, it was fast paced but still took time to explain important things like scenery and locations. I dislike when the author rambles about a characters past or other things that we don't need to know. That does not happen in this book!
However I think I would have liked a different end for the bad guys but it was wrapped up well.

Wow, what can I say about this book. This is the first book in a very long time that I have read in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down.
Don't get me wrong, some parts of this book were not very believable, a young college woman taking it upon herself to investigate this seems over the top.
However I enjoyed all the characters and I would definitely like to see more of Kayla and Marty.
Overall this book gripped me from start to finish and I would definitely read more from this author.

Thanks to @netgalley & @booksgosocialgroup for the opportunity to read this ARC. The Red Room is a dark web thriller and I was expecting some splatterpunk horror, but alas there was hardly any bloody action at all. The synopsis is that a Red Room video is accidentally seen by a female college student and she obtains a copy of the killings and inadvertently gets herself involved. Her and her friends take on the task of identifying the women and solving the case, which gets them in the crosshairs of the bad guys and bff’s with the police where the killings took place. This would be a good read for someone who doesn’t like the more gruesome scenes. I had issue with the unbelievable premise that #1 Uber rich people pay like 25k to watch the Red Room and the guy on camera shoots the victims within 60 seconds, like no sir.. if I’m spending that much money I wanna see some messed up ish, ya know? Also, the idea that college student is able to locate not just the one, but all of the victims from different states and time periods is insane and not possible. I’ve spent hundreds of hours on missing persons databases and it’s just too far fetched to be believable.