This was a dark, cerebral techno-thriller with a really unsettling psychological edge 😳

I really liked Lucas as a protagonist—he starts off trying to defend his professional integrity, but quickly gets pulled into something far more complicated and morally blurry. I liked how the story questions whether therapy is helping or actually shaping behavior in dangerous ways, which made everything feel very uneasy in a good way.

What I enjoyed most: the Pinnacle Therapeutics VR concept 🖥️🧠 It’s immersive, creepy, and honestly a little addictive even just reading about it. I also really liked how Lucas and his sister Amara are both pulled into the same conspiracy from different angles, which adds tension and momentum as their investigations start to collide.

If you love psychological thrillers, tech gone wrong, unreliable perception, and “what is real anymore?” storylines, this one is intense, thought-provoking, and deeply unsettling 📖⚡

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Treatment Room is a tense, unsettling thriller that hooked me right from the premise. The clinical setting adds a really eerie, almost claustrophobic atmosphere, and there’s a constant sense that something is just slightly off. I appreciated how the story slowly unraveled, building intrigue and suspicion with each chapter.

That said, the pacing felt a bit uneven at times, and I found myself wanting a little more depth in certain character motivations. Still, the overall concept is strong and kept me engaged, especially as the tension ramped up toward the end.

A solid, quick read for thriller fans who enjoy psychological suspense in a contained setting.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book directly from #NetGalley.

In exchange for this ARC, I am providing my honest and unbiased opinion and review.

This novel presents a refreshing and distinct type of thriller, one that significantly deviates from the conventional murder/mystery/thriller formula that dominates the current literary market. It avoids the often-predictable tropes found in so many books released nowadays, offering a genuinely different experience for readers.

The setting of the story—primarily within an office environment and the intimate, often psychologically charged space of a treatment room—was a major factor in what made this such a uniquely suspenseful read. This workplace setting provided a foundation for a compelling mystery that I particularly enjoyed precisely because it was so different from the typical locations and premises of contemporary thrillers.

Although I am ultimately giving this book a 3-star rating, I want to emphasize that I genuinely enjoyed both the core storyline and the development of the characters. My engagement level remained notably high, finding myself about 85% engrossed throughout the reading experience. This strong level of interest propelled me forward, driving a desire to finish the book quickly to finally discover the ultimate resolution and all the crucial events that were unfolding. Based on my overall enjoyment and the unique premise, I do recommend this book to readers looking for a thriller that offers something a bit outside the usual.

This is an intriguing psychological thriller told from two perspectives. I gave the book the following SCORE:
Setting: Present day, Boston
Characters: Psychologist Lucas O’Rourke, his investigative reporter sister, Amara, his famous psychologist father, Patrick, and Tristan, the CEO of high-tech company, Pinnacle Technologies
Overview of plot: Lucas is accused of counseling a man and turning him into a serial killer so he intends to prove his innocence by determining that the therapy of new technology company, Pinnacle Technologies, was the actual cause. Lucas intends to uncover the source of the problem by enrolling in the therapy program himself while Amara remains true to her occupation and, in an unlikely series of events, interviews Tristan, with conflicting objectives.
Recommendation: 3 stars
Extras:. The story is told from alternating points of view from Lucas and Amara. The innocence and naivety of both characters make the story not quite as suspenseful as the standard psych thriller. The problem of relating concurrent stories with “Moments Earlier” chapters takes away from the flow of the book. The abrupt conclusion is somewhat unsatisfying and incomplete.
Thanx to NetGalley and Summit Ridge Publishing for the opportunity to provide this candid review