momofwestnpop's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! Lots of twists and turns that kept me wondering who did it! I liked the subtlety of faith balanced with reality of how life truly is :)
christygsp's review against another edition
1.5
This book had so much promise, with such a great idea/hook, but it just didn’t follow through.
It ignored show don’t tell completely, it doubled up on scenes - our main character would find out information on the murder, the ONE scene later the police would find the SAME information - and tried to convey research and information, but instead came across as shallow information or just I researched in general.
It reads like someone who hasn’t read many (if any) well written police procedural books, and the cops were either unrealistically clever, or so biased that I wanted to scream. Most cops don’t let personal bias affect them to this extent!
Everyone in this book, had their “guts tighten” all the time. Words like “privilege” are thrown out and woman are Instantly believed as victims just because they w ere cheated on??? Nope.
Very serious issues were thrown in there regarding divorce, infidelity and abortion - just a content warning.
For me, this book was not well written, not well researched, and in general not a nice reading experience.
It ignored show don’t tell completely, it doubled up on scenes - our main character would find out information on the murder, the ONE scene later the police would find the SAME information - and tried to convey research and information, but instead came across as shallow information or just I researched in general.
It reads like someone who hasn’t read many (if any) well written police procedural books, and the cops were either unrealistically clever, or so biased that I wanted to scream. Most cops don’t let personal bias affect them to this extent!
Everyone in this book, had their “guts tighten” all the time. Words like “privilege” are thrown out and woman are Instantly believed as victims just because they w ere cheated on??? Nope.
Very serious issues were thrown in there regarding divorce, infidelity and abortion - just a content warning.
For me, this book was not well written, not well researched, and in general not a nice reading experience.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Abortion, Infidelity, and Murder
Minor: Violence
alice_hen0720's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed that there were so many characters with possible motives so it was hard to guess. I wish there had been more of a connection built with the guilty character to be more of a shock though.
meezcarrie's review
4.0
Stratagem is exactly the type of suspense/thriller novel that I like to read – a plot that plays at your mind even as it plays with the minds of the characters, characters by the way that you aren’t entirely sure you can trust. The whole lot of them. Just when you think you can relax around this character or the other, another layer of their lives or the plot is revealed and you just don’t know anymore. I love it! It keeps me guessing, keeps me invested in the outcome, and lets me play detective right along with the actual (fictional) detectives.
Grayson Thibodeaux is in a very complicated situation, one which continues to get more complicated as the book progresses. Not only does he have a career which is at once horrifying and fascinating (he creates ‘escape room’ type games with psychological twists based on the participants’ history and medical records, etc.) but he is also the number one suspect in the death of his ex-wife, who died during a game he had created. The lead detectives make the situation even more complicated – one is a good friend who is considered biased toward Grayson’s innocence and the other is bitter at Grayson having not called her sister back after a blind date. So, you know which side she falls on in terms of whether he’s guilty or not, and her opinion really keeps her laser-focused on Grayson and unwilling to consider other possibilities.
Now… brace yourselves, y’all… there’s no romance in this book and I STILL LOVED IT. It’s pretty much a straight suspense novel with a very moving subthread on forgiveness. Particularly a scene at the end that really touched my heart. While my mind was whirring with romantical possibilities throughout the book, I really didn’t miss that sort of tension because there was plenty of other tension to be had as the suspense plot continued to unfold.
Bottom Line: Gritty but touching. Complex but easy to read. Intriguing but… nope, no opposite here… intriguing and riveting. Stratagem by Robin Caroll is the perfect choice to read on blustery, cold fall/winter nights when you’re snuggled up under a warm blanket. It’s impossible to put down once you start reading, so don’t plan to sleep until you’ve finished it. Skillfully plotted suspense, layered characters, and a vivid setting all make this a must-read. Loved the nod to Darkwater Inn, from another of Caroll’s current reads.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
Grayson Thibodeaux is in a very complicated situation, one which continues to get more complicated as the book progresses. Not only does he have a career which is at once horrifying and fascinating (he creates ‘escape room’ type games with psychological twists based on the participants’ history and medical records, etc.) but he is also the number one suspect in the death of his ex-wife, who died during a game he had created. The lead detectives make the situation even more complicated – one is a good friend who is considered biased toward Grayson’s innocence and the other is bitter at Grayson having not called her sister back after a blind date. So, you know which side she falls on in terms of whether he’s guilty or not, and her opinion really keeps her laser-focused on Grayson and unwilling to consider other possibilities.
Now… brace yourselves, y’all… there’s no romance in this book and I STILL LOVED IT. It’s pretty much a straight suspense novel with a very moving subthread on forgiveness. Particularly a scene at the end that really touched my heart. While my mind was whirring with romantical possibilities throughout the book, I really didn’t miss that sort of tension because there was plenty of other tension to be had as the suspense plot continued to unfold.
Bottom Line: Gritty but touching. Complex but easy to read. Intriguing but… nope, no opposite here… intriguing and riveting. Stratagem by Robin Caroll is the perfect choice to read on blustery, cold fall/winter nights when you’re snuggled up under a warm blanket. It’s impossible to put down once you start reading, so don’t plan to sleep until you’ve finished it. Skillfully plotted suspense, layered characters, and a vivid setting all make this a must-read. Loved the nod to Darkwater Inn, from another of Caroll’s current reads.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
angelkat556's review against another edition
4.0
I just finished Strategem by Robin Caroll. It was a good book, but not great. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 4 solid stars.
The book centers around a game (don't all books, in one sense or another?) created by a doctor for the company he owns. His company, you see, creates games for companies who want to see team building, or who would be better at using certain skills, or in this case, who would be best suited for a promotion. This game centers around four people...one of whom is recently divorced from the game's creator. Which normally would be a minor detail...until she turns up dead.
I must admit, I pegged a certain person from the beginning based on very little except a certain vibe I got. Much to my enjoyment, the person I pegged was not the killer - but the person it was had a great, well thought-out motive, and had just rewards coming to them as well. The book definitely had a Christian slant, but didn't go overboard with the religious overtones; it was a good ratio of religious /crime elements. All in all a very well-done book and I look forward to trying more from this author!
The book centers around a game (don't all books, in one sense or another?) created by a doctor for the company he owns. His company, you see, creates games for companies who want to see team building, or who would be better at using certain skills, or in this case, who would be best suited for a promotion. This game centers around four people...one of whom is recently divorced from the game's creator. Which normally would be a minor detail...until she turns up dead.
I must admit, I pegged a certain person from the beginning based on very little except a certain vibe I got. Much to my enjoyment, the person I pegged was not the killer - but the person it was had a great, well thought-out motive, and had just rewards coming to them as well. The book definitely had a Christian slant, but didn't go overboard with the religious overtones; it was a good ratio of religious /crime elements. All in all a very well-done book and I look forward to trying more from this author!
amandainpa's review against another edition
4.0
I love a good mystery and this one was great. Set in the historical city of New Orleans, the story was very atmospheric and the pacing was brisk.
The story focused on a murder that occurred during a team building simulation adventure in a creepy mansion. There are many characters (suspects) and as the crime is unfolded through police interrogations, there are more questions than answers. The story reminded me several times of the movie “Clue” as there were many characters and the setting was dark and creepy.
I found the story to be original and fun and although I guessed the culprit ahead of time, I was guessing throughout the story.
Overall, this was a very fun mystery that I highly recommend!
I received this book from the author/publisher to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The story focused on a murder that occurred during a team building simulation adventure in a creepy mansion. There are many characters (suspects) and as the crime is unfolded through police interrogations, there are more questions than answers. The story reminded me several times of the movie “Clue” as there were many characters and the setting was dark and creepy.
I found the story to be original and fun and although I guessed the culprit ahead of time, I was guessing throughout the story.
Overall, this was a very fun mystery that I highly recommend!
I received this book from the author/publisher to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.