The Red Room

Tess makes a simple trip to her family’s former cabin and stumbles into a nightmare. This was a fast paced story that is told through multiple points of view. Without giving too much away, it is violent towards women and revolves around the dark web. If you’re someone who is squeamish with real-life brutality it may not be for you. But, if you’re looking for a decent thriller, grab this one. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

I found The Red Room to be a fast paced suspenseful thriller that I was excited to read through. It isn't my typical style of preferred writing but I was intrigued and found the premise to be very interesting, enough to keep me hooked through most of the book.

While the subject matter is very dark and might not be for everyone, I was pulled into this book immediately and didn’t want to put it down because I was so eager to find out what was going to happen next. A big part of what made this tale so scary, and exciting, is the idea that things like this could possibly be happening out there. I’m really hoping that it’s all made up but the author makes it all sound so plausible. I’m already looking forward to reading more books by Brandon Hughes. Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this thrilling story.

The Red Room was one of those books you read, where you enjoyed it, because you know things like that do happen in real life. What a brilliant book it was. I loved Kaylas character so much. I would totally be like Kayla trying to solve the case because of all the crime shows I watch. Perfect twisted thriller that will have you wanting more.
Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This book is not for the faint of heart. You are immediately hooked in as the first red room video is accidentally seen. You are just as invested in these characters as they are in trying to help however they can. It’s an emotional roller coaster until the very end! You will be unable to put this down as pieces start to come together. You will need to know what’s next but also be equally afraid of what if….. it’s captivating until the end. This will be recommended. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

The Red Room is riveting. I couldn't put it down. Tracking down murders done for "entertainment" on the Dark Web is a rich ground for suspense and horror. Fabulous, well-written book.

This is only the 2nd thriller I have read all the way through and I really did enjoy it! I have tried over many years to get into thrillers but it has never meant to be... Until now. This book is my first Dark Web Thriller. The cover first struck my interest which, obviously, lead me to read the description, and I decided to give it a go, and I am so happy I did!
There was one moment I could really REALLY picture it (due to seeing horror movies when I was younger), and it made me CRINGE... Job well done!
I gelled well with the characters, and found that it was action packed and kept me thinking about what might be happen next and who the killer is. I really did have a hard time putting this down!
I recommend this book if you can stomach it.
#theredroom #netgalley

There’s a lot to say about this book, so stay with me!

The Red Room is a haunting rendering of the dark web and it’s secrets. The first few chapters follow Tess as she revisits her family’s old cabin that had been recently sold. She was unprepared for what she found…

The next part of the book follows who I would consider the main character, Kayla, a college student who stumbles upon a video that she wasn’t meant to see. This chance encounter unlocks Pandora’s box and suddenly her life is all consumed with understanding everything about the Red Room. Her attempts to investigate end with a target on her back and under the watchful eyes of this dangerous group.

Lastly, you have Amanda, the mother of a potential victim, who’s hoping her daughter is still alive.

There are many things I want to say about this book, so let’s start with some positives. The author has “two decades of experience in the criminal justice system”, and as I was reading, I felt some of that expertise come through. Nothing specific, not as easy as saying “nailed the police talk/banter”, or “that’s absolutely the protocols for an investigation”. The author seemed to have a believable understanding of how the dark web works and it was evident throughout the story.

Second, I thought the storyline played out nicely, for the most part. I wasn’t left guessing key parts about each narrator or character. I didn’t feel like the author was overly specific or got hung up on details either. The flirting between characters felt genuine- if not a little prudish. And the ending answers all the questions left to ask.

As for my list of cons regarding this book:

My biggest gripe was the use of thesaurus words. Especially in the beginning, a lot of the narration used words that are not only uncommon, but required me to look up the meaning because the context wasn’t there. Conversely, toward the end of the book, the same phrase was used twice within a chapter and felt repetitive, or the use of parenthesis to hint at something was almost comical.

I also felt lost in time. One chapter ends on Dec 23rd, but the next chapter is back to Thanksgiving break, only to return to Dec 23rd later. I was lost on dates and never really felt like I was in the right time frame for what was happening- but it didn’t ruin the book for me.

Overall, his was a good read for what it was. The thrill was there, the suspense, the questions of “what’s next?”. Grammar aside, it was a little fantastical in regards to Kayla’s role, but I enjoyed it none the less.
This book got 4 stars from me because it was a good, suspenseful thriller that kept me wanting more. I finished it in one day and didn’t want to put it down.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review, thank you!
The focus of the story is to uncover the location and operators of the Red Room. In the first part, we meet a brave woman, Tess, thanks to whom the investigation will be able to start. At first I thought she and her husband would be the main characters. Well, no... :')
In the second part, Kayla and Marty start investigating the Red Room after she accidentally stumbles upon the "killer" video. It's exciting how they manage to find out more than the small town detectives.
And just when I thought they were going to be the only main characters, there is a twist and the main roles are given to the parents (Sam and Amanda) of two missing girls. I really liked Kayla's character, but Amanda is a real badass mom :D The solution at the end of the story was awesome. It wasn't too lemonade!
This thriller provides pleasant entertainment, which tries to draw attention to a lesser-known but presumably real problem. Who knows what goes on in the dark recesses of the dark web...
Thanks again for the opportunity! I couldn't put it down, and it can rightly be mentioned alongside the books of the bigger thriller authors. I hope to read more from Brandon Hughes! 🙂

What a spooktacular book.

I really liked the idea of exploring modern-day urban legend and horror concepts, and so coming across this book, I was immediately intrigued.

You follow several different characters who are all tied to a horrible event in one way or another and their paths to dealing with what they know and what they've experienced.

While it is fiction, there were times when it felt too far out of the realm of reality, which left me annoyed with some characters.

The horror elements are set sparingly but are horrifying enough to leave you shocked, and more than a little nervous about venturing onto the world wide web without ample caution.


The narrative is a little messy, and often has long drawn out over descriptions that feel almost like they were placed there to beef up the word count, but the events are fast paced and your always left waiting for the next shoe to drop.

Overall, I liked this book. I feel it could have benefitted from more time to cook, to flesh out characters and trim down filler, but I still found myself wanting to finish the story. A solid 3.5 out 5 spookies 👻

The Red Room is a book about the horrors of the dark web and the perverse nature of some people in the world. That is about all I can give you about this book because you have to just dive in and trust me that you’re in for a ride!

I felt like I was watching an extremely gripping and fast paced thriller series in my head and I hope to God that there will be a book two of this because I have SO many questions. The ending left me wanting more. I want to know what happened to all the characters that were introduced in this book.

I can’t write down my questions here because I can’t ask them without spoilers.

The best advice I can give you is that pick this one up and go into it as blindly as possible! It is an epic ride!

I didn’t love the ending and that’s why it’s a solid 4 stars for me.

When I started this book, I didn’t think about how much it was going to stick with me. This book is a hard hitting thriller. It’s exceptionally written and it deals with so many different issues. It makes you think about what is truly going on in this world. How there’s a possibility that there is a real ‘red room’ out there. It addresses the challenges women face. How easy it is for a woman to become a target of a man. It deals with grief. I honestly really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the journey all these characters went on to try to find out the truth and to bring justice to these girls and their families.

The Red Room definitely hooks you in right from the beginning. I have to say though that this is not for the faint of heart as some of the events are something that I could see happening in real life. It makes you weary of your surroundings, for sure. It is definitely fast paced and I wanted to find out what happens next.

I loved this. Maybe it was the intrigue that comprises the dark web, or the mystery, but this was one of those all night reads. I could not put it down. Imagine being away from home and getting a text and photo of your loved one in handcuffs. I won’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil the story. Thank you to NetGalley and Brandon Hughes for the opportunity to read and review this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I received this as an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review and I like for my reviews to help the authors.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this and read it in a day.
My rating would be higher had the POV’s included more from the victims of the Red Room and their experiences, because this is marketed as a “heart pounding thriller” and missed the mark, coming off as a crime novel. Now, as a crime procedural novel I would give it a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, but since it’s a thriller it honestly falls in the ⭐️⭐️⭐️ category for me because I did not find it to have the thrill factor. But, like I said, including POV from multiple of the Red Room victims giving more details of their experiences would get it there. The ones it did include felt rushed and basic and not edge-of-my-seat thrilling. I needed to feel the emotion of the victims in those moments.

I really enjoyed Kayla as the FMC, but I feel like maybe the author could have gotten some feedback from college age girls on the emotional aspect of her experience. While I do love a mature FMC, her being threatened by these criminals did not leave her responding with adequate emotions. And I would have loved for Marty to have portrayed a little more of that “knight in shining armor” behavior the played around with for him. I needed a deeper emotional connection between them in that aspect.

I think an epilogue here showing Sam, Amanda, Marty, and Kayla together several months down the road would have been great. Maybe expanding on their sleuthing together or the progression of their relationships. The romance was built up but not concluded and I needed that. Even with the inclusion of Becker working with them to investigate these crimes that couldn’t have been solved without them.

This has potential to become a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, especially considering the authors experience in the field. There are just a few holes that I needed filled. I would absolutely recommend this book though!

Thanks Netgalley and Booksgosocial for this arc.....It was a good read!!!!!

Description

A cryptic text message, a gruesome image—the descent into terror has begun.

In the heart-pounding thriller "The Red Room," Marvin Swiderski's reality shatters with a single mysterious text message from his wife—a chilling photograph that is about to unleash chaos.

The image leads him to a neglected cabin that exposes a sinister plot orchestrated by a sadistic killer, an unfolding horror set to live-stream on the notorious Dark Web, captivating viewers hungry for terror…and willing to pay for it.

In a small college town, Kayla Sinclair stumbles upon a virtual murder site known only as The Red Room. Her accidental discovery triggers a lethal chain reaction as she seeks to identify the anonymous women who are victims of a twisted serial killer and works to uncover the sinister truth behind the Red Room.

The truth she seeks, however, is a double-edged sword—one that could not only expose a heinous underworld but also make her the site’s next victim.

Facing imminent danger and supported by a friend and a grief-stricken mother hell-bent on vengeance, Kayla embarks on a relentless pursuit among the treacherous waters of the Dark Web, vowing to find the killer and put an end to this horrifying pay-per-view murder chamber before it claims more innocent lives.

"The Red Room" is an unfiltered exploration into the darkness lurking in the corners of the internet. As the monsters behind the Red Room are pursued, this spine-chilling thriller will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final, shocking conclusion. Brace yourself for a riveting tale of the harrowing consequences of a secret world where darkness thrives in the shadows.

"The Red Room" is a relentless story of suspense that explores the darkest depths of human nature. This captivating tale will leave you questioning the boundaries of morality and the depravity of mankind.

This one really grabs you. I couldn’t put it down and I just wanted to keep going all night. But of course I do need to sleep. Definitely a nail biting read

I had the pleasure of reading The Red Room through NetGalley. Bellow is my honest review.

The concept of this book was truly thrilling. You start off following an innocent Tess, who unfortunately unbeknownst to her, finds herself involved in The Red Room. In part two you follow Kayla and Marty, who by happenstance stumbles upon the video which includes Tess in The Red Room. They work together, and with police trying to solve the mystery of what is happening to these innocent people. Which then leads you to part three that includes a victim of The Red Room’s mom, Amanda and her grief and willingness to make these horrific killings stop with the help of Kayla and Marty, and also Sam who was introduced to her by Kayla and is also a parent of a victim of The Red Room.

With them all working together, Sam and Amanda manage to save the next victim and hash out a plan to send all the information they’ve uncovered to the police anonymously in hopes they can stop these murders from continuing in the future.

Overall, I enjoyed the thrilling aspect of the book. It kept me intrigued and wanting more and I read it in less than a day.

What I did enjoy about the book was the unique plot and the inclusion of characters. From victims, to college student/crime solvers, and victims parents. It gave you a well balanced story and idea of how everyone on all sides felt while perusing the dangerous world of the dark web.

I did feel that each chapter was very over scripted, and the use of large, unneeded words to be overbearing and unrealistic. In part three, the timelines kept jumping back and forth, to current events, then back a month, then back to the present, this made it very confusing and hard to follow and kept me having to reread or go back and read to figure out where in the timeline I actually was.

I was left with many questions after finishing the book and ultimately wishing the author had elaborated more on the ending. I would have loved to know how Kayla and Marty felt after Sam and Amanda saved Izabel, since after all, they were the ones who made the plan to find the missing people and location in the first place. I also wish there would have been a follow up with Amanda and Sam and how they were coping with everything they witnessed and done.

Overall, I would rate this book 3.5 stars. It kept me intrigued enough to continue reading, but with the disappointing ending that left me with more questions than answers, I wish there had been more.

I want to thank Netgalley and Booksgosocial for the opportunity to read this ARC. The story grabbed me from the start with an exploration into the dark web. It then morphed into more of a crime investigation thriller, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was full of suspense and had me longing for more.

I approached this with some trepidation. I thought it would be some torture porn gore-fest. It was not.

It’s actually a chilling and clever read. There’s definitely some violence, but most of it isn’t slash/dash violence without reason. You’ve also got a very plucky pair of main characters to love.

I will admit that the rather stark change in main players toward the end of the book was disconcerting. It made total sense for the story, but it was a dramatic shift of focus. I didn’t love that part.

Still, it was a very entertaining read that surprised me more than once!

• ARC via Publisher

(this review has been published on my goodreads account as well)
Thanks to NetGalley I was able to read the ARC for this one and I cannot say how happy I am about it.

I'm not a big reader of mystery or thrillers or those genres but recently I've come to actually enjoy them. And this book was definitely a good hit!

I finished this book within 24 hours 🙃 Safe to say I was hooked from page 1! The whole book was fast paced, intriguing, and so easy to read and I found myself not wanting to put it down.

The aspect of the dark Web in this was amazingly done. Obviously I have no idea how the dark Web works or any of that but I found myself thinking that the way it was done in this book could be exactly it. It was terrifying go see how people connected with the dark Web might find their victims and part of me already knew some ways but reading about it kinda brings it more to reality if you know what I mean...

However, the praise for this book aside...
I really didn't like how the author portrayed some conversations. On a few pages it was written in a way that you'd expect from a play in a theater as in: said

Kayla: (insert whatever she said)
Sam: (insert whatever he said)
[you get the gist]

This way just seemed lazy and as if the author ran out of ways to make people talk?
Following that, there were a lot of instances where every single sentence in a paragraph started with the same word like "He did", "He took", "He saw" and so on which made it annoying to read on those parts and made me think that these sentences could have been slightly reworded to not all start with the same word.

But I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to other 🥰

Many thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story that could be straight from the headlines. A group of college women spend a night of partying and trip across a dark web video on a laptop of a murder committed live and for sick entertainment. The group then starts down the path of determining whether the video is real with real people and try to solve the crime.

I was not sure if this was going to be a 'torture/porn' type of read, which is not my jam or a really good, dark, suspenseful read. Its definitely the latter. I found the pacing to be fast and the story a really quick read. The characters are likeable and well developed. I kept coming back to this one when I had time to read, which is always a good sign.

If you like dark, suspenseful murder mysteries, definitely pick this one up!

An original and modern premise drew me to this - there is something really creepy about the dark web to me and I’ve never seen another horror about the dark web.

The plot kept me on my toes and there were definitely a few twists I didn’t see coming, which again, is always appreciated.

The writing wasn’t my favourite and was a little bit basic and clunky.

I came across this one a few weeks ago and after reading the description and some of the reviews I could not stop thinking about it. So I let my curiosity get the better of me and came back and downloaded it. I could not put this book down after starting it. I loved Kayla and honestly wasn't sure where this story was going or how it would end. I felt like the author did a great job at keeping me guessing on what direction he was going to take for the ending as it could have gone a few different ways. The story is told through a few different POVs so you get a bit more insight with each one. I feel like if you are someone who enjoys being an armchair detective then this would be a book for you.

I went into this book expecting one thing and got something completely different. This was my first approved ARC and by the description, prepared myself for something disturbing. Instead, what I got was a book that felt genuine and characters I loved.

I didn’t feel like I was left with any questions once the book ended which was great because I had a few of them!

The one area of feedback I have is at times I felt like timeline were hard to follow. This could have been a me thing but I found myself confused / lost on some jumping back and forth.

Other than than I would absolutely recommend.

4.5

I won't lie, I didn't expect this one to be the best. From the first few chapters, I thought it was going to pretty much be torture porn throughout, but thankfully, it wasn't. It was kind of like a good girl's guide to murder but for a much more mature audience.

It could have easily been a full 5 stars, but I wasn't satisfied with how it ended.

This was a roller coaster of a book! I loved it!! It grabbed me from the start and when a book does that, I know it'll be good. I thought the intensity was perfect. I was a little nervous about some of the characters from the start, but settled into getting to know them. The main character was someone to be admired. I liked how it was fast paced the entire time. Great read!!

4.5/5.

Oh. My. God. The Red Room was so good. I need to give kudos to Brandon Hughes in handling so many point of views and intertwining stories. The stories intertwined so heartbreakingly perfect. Loved Kayla and her perseverance to finding the killer. I don't want to name too many characters because I'm afraid I may spoil the story. Just know that each character was brought to life in the best and sometimes in the creepiest ways.

I thought The Red Room would be really gory considering it was about the dark web and we hear just horrible that network can be. Brandon did really well in showing that part of the story in a dark yet not overdone way. Even had me chuckling in some parts. Some parts had me holding my breath or forcing me to toss my Kindle away in the twists or certain creepy scenes. And in some parts I wanted to shed a tear or two. I think murder mysteries can sometimes brush pass a murder and not really have us think twice. From the first story, I knew my heart was going to ache for a character or two. Really enjoyed Brandon letting us get to know each character, especially those that met a really horrible demise.

Honestly this could do well as a series or a movie.

Thank you to Tension Books for making the ARC of 'The Red Room' by Brandon Hughes available for review on Netgalley

I once again find myself having started a book in the evening, telling myself that I'd just read for a couple of hours before moving on to something else, only to have kept reading through the night and into the morning in order to finish that book. Clearly, I'll never learn my lesson.

In this case, I can also lay some of the blame at the feet of Brandon Hughes, who wrote himself a compelling and well-paced story.

'The Red Room' follows the accidental discovery of a dark web snuff live streaming operation by college student, Kayla Sinclair. With the help of her friend Christine, and the chivalrous bartender Marty, Kayla is able to solve part of a murder mystery. Rather than bringing her closure, doing so drags her further into danger as she realises that this isn't an isolated incident, but one of many deaths that will continue to happen - unless she can stop them.

Hughes has a history in the criminal justice system, so I wasn't surprised that he was able to construct a cohesive narrative from that side of things. What I was surprised by is that he did this whilst also constructing distinct characters with organic-feeling relationships. It was nice to have what felt like genuine interactions between his characters to break up the more bleak main storyline.

My only complaints are that the final act of the story, while definitely achieving its cathartic function, does require a bit more suspension of disbelief than I was prepared for at this point in the story; and that there were also some missed opportunities to utilise already established characters at times when it would have felt appropriate to do so.

That said, these issues were relatively minor, and I felt mostly pleased by my reading experience as a whole. I would recommend giving it a go.

Rating: 4.5/5
Note: This will be a 5/5 on Goodreads.

'The Red Room' is set to be published on the 16th of April

This was such a great thriller novel, I enjoyed the idea of this book and it was executed well. The characters were everything that I was expecting and enjoyed the overall feel of them in this book. Brandon Hughes has a great writing style and was able to create interesting characters that worked with this tense atmosphere.

𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗥𝗖 & 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗜𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻, 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!

-Tess Swiderski has Empty Nest Syndrome… Her loving husband Marvin, who is on a business trip in another city, persuades her over the phone to paint again and put her works on 'Itsy' as a way to cope. But for that, she has to make a little trip to get her old painting utensils back. It quickly becomes clear that she should have stayed at home and not let her husband persuade her.
-Kayla is an intelligent student, but her curiosity gets the better of her one night when she gives in and watches a video. Quickly she gets involved with something that is far bigger than she can handle, or can she?
-Amanda is a grieving mother, a mother who wants revenge. But first, she has to endure the waiting game before she could even have the slightest chance of getting what she wants.

Will Tess find a way out of this, more than precarious, situation? Can Kayla trust Marty Jones? Will Amanda return to a normal life, or is it too late and the hatred has already taken hold of her?

The book is divided into 3 parts, each of which has a different amount of chapters. Each part carries a woman’s name, as we have the main protagonists of the respective parts… Tess, Kayla, and Amanda.

To be honest, the topic was a bit harder to read as a woman than I thought. Once again, it made me realize how we girls/women are still too often perceived as the ‘weaker sex’ and only as objects. How something simple as a short taxi ride or a walk in the dark can end up with us still being found on the side of the road, strangled with our own panties or simply never being found again while we have to exist as a sex toy in the basement of a pervert until the end of our lives.

As for the author’s writing style, I must say that it was generally written in a simple and bold way, and easy to read. Unfortunately, there were also parts where he started every sentence with the same pronoun. And sometimes up to over 15 times in one text passage/paragraph. An annoying shortcoming that sometimes made it hard for me to continue reading.

Nevertheless, it's just a 'technical thing' and I liked the book well enough to give it 4 Stars.

𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒘𝒆𝒃. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this!
I really enjoyed reading this book as it was a story that could be related to things that could potentially happen in real life. It also has given me a new fear of Uber and Lyft drivers, which let's be honest, can already be pretty sketchy these days. Reading everything unfold the way it did was super interesting and kept me hooked to the end. I really enjoyed Kayla and Marty’s characters, as they were probably my favorites in the whole book. Definitely will be recommending to my fellow thriller readers!