★★★★
SYNOPSIS
It all begins on a Monday, when four people board an elevator in a Manhattan office tower. Each presses a button for their floor, but the elevator proceeds, non-stop, to the top. Once there, it stops for a few seconds, and then plummets.
Right to the bottom of the shaft.
It appears to be a horrific, random tragedy. But then, on Tuesday, it happens again, in a different Manhattan skyscraper. And when Wednesday brings yet another high-rise catastrophe, one of the most vertical cities in the world—and the nation’s capital of media, finance, and entertainment—is plunged into chaos.
Clearly, this is anything but random. This is a cold, calculated bid to terrorise the city. And it’s working. Fearing for their lives, thousands of men and women working in offices across the city refuse leave their homes. Commerce has slowed to a trickle. Emergency calls to the top floors of apartment buildings go unanswered.
Who is behind this? Why are they doing it? What do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the finger-less body found on the High Line? Two seasoned New York detectives and a straight-shooting journalist must race against time to find the answers before the city’s newest, and tallest, residential tower has its Friday night ribbon-cutting.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
I have read a few Linwood Barclay books and always find that they suck you in completely with high levels of suspense. They are normally easy reads and page-turners; you are just desperate to find out what is behind the mystery/crime that is taking place. Elevator Pitch was no different. It was all of these things with a dose of added fright!!
Things I loved about the book:
The Setting and Plot: I love the city of New York so was thrilled that the setting was here. Of course in a city that has an abundance of high-rise buildings and relies heavily on its elevators, the plot behind this novel was terrifying. I honestly don't know how I would feel if I was reading this book in NYC, I would probably be using a lot of stairs to get around in the buildings! This is how realistic the plot felt for me.
The Characters: Although there were lots of different characters I soon adjusted to who was who and enjoyed following all the subplots that each character provided. This added to the realistic nature of the novel and I loved how each character and story line wove together to create a fantastic read.
The Ending: In true Barclay fashion the ending was fast paced, action packed and ended with a bang (not literally - no spoilers here). Although I did guess who was behind the elevator crime I only cottoned on on the last few chapters and I hadn't made the connection as to why.
The Psychological aspect: For me this was the best part. I found at times I was literally holding my breath due to my own anxiety levels rising (mainly at the elevator scenes)!! Who would have thought that elevators could be so terrifying?!
Final Thoughts:
I would definitely recommend this to all Linwood Barclay fans out there and to those who love to be psychologically scared. For me this was a great thriller and in true Barclay style an action packed ending that had me literally sitting on the edge of my chair. Thank you to Netgalley and HQ publishers for a copy of this e-book. It is one that I will be recommending to all my family and friends, although perhaps to those who don't rely on an elevator in their daily lives.
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