“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 terrorize 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? What do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line? Two seasoned New York detectives and a straight-shooting journalist must race against time to find the answers . . .

Pulsating with tension, Elevator Pitch is a riveting tale of psychological suspense that is all too plausible . . . and will chill readers to the bone.”

Welcome to damppebbles today and to my review of one of my most eagerly anticipated books of the year, Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay. Elevator Pitch is published in hardcover, audio and ebook formats today! Happy publication day to Linwood Barclay and the team at HQ. I received a free eARC copy of Elevator Pitch via NetGalley but that has in no way influenced my review.

I love the idea behind this book. A maniac takes control of Manhattan’s elevators finding clever and inventive ways to kill random strangers. But to what end? Ah well, you’ll just have to read the book and see for yourself. And it’s not just any old city that’s being terrorised either. It’s one of the most vertical cities in the world – New York. The thought that the next elevator (or lift to any Brits reading this, lol!) you took could lead to your terrifying and grisly death immediately grinds a busy, thriving city to a dramatic halt. Or if you look at it from another angle; you live on the 38th floor of a skyscraper and the lifts are taken out of service because of the danger. You’re trapped. Unable to leave your apartment – and if you do, that’s a heck of a lot of stairs to tackle to get home again. Are you fit enough? Will your heart take the climb? What if you have children? Such a wonderful premise for a book and, as it’s a Linwood Barclay novel, it’s very well written too.

The reader is introduced to reporter Barbara Matheson who is so beautifully flawed that I was immediately on her side. She is opposed to the current Mayor, Richard Headley, and fights to prove that he’s corrupt and no good for the City via her Manhattan Today column. We also get to spend a good deal of time with the Mayor and discover that despite his poor reputation, he does have a softer side. That is until he opens his mouth and belittles his poor son, Glover. Then you have the discovery of a fingerless body on the High Line (I had to Google the High Line to find out what it was) and Detectives Bourque and Delgado are sent to investigate. And finally, Eugene Clement and his wife are on an anniversary break to New York. Except Eugene is the leader of a pressure group called The Flyovers; is this trip business or pleasure? These different threads run alongside each other for a large proportion of the book. They were all interesting and I was, of course, looking out for how the different threads fitted together. But I would have liked the story to move along a little faster than it did.

There are red herrings galore and the author has done a wonderful job of duping his readers into thinking they know where the story is going when in truth, we really don’t. There are some beautifully written twists at the end of the book which gave me goosebumps. Elevator Pitch is a well written slow burn of a novel until you get to the last few chapters when things really HOT up! There are things about this novel which I will remember for a long time to come. But is it wrong to have wanted more elevator tragedies? A little more blood spilt? Probably, but you must be used to me by now, dear reader 😂🤣.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would. I love the premise and it’s well written. I’ve been incredibly nervous using a lift ever since I read Elevator Pitch. A totally feasible, panic-inducing and very enjoyable read. Recommended.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Elevator Pitch.  The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay was published in the UK by HQ on 5th September 2019 and is available in hardcover, audio and ebook formats (please note, some of the following links are affiliate links which mean I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Book Depository | Goodreads |

Linwood Barclay is an international bestselling crime and thriller author with over twenty critically acclaimed novels to his name, including the phenomenal number-one bestseller No Time For Goodbye. Every Linwood Barclay book is a masterclass in characterisation, plot and the killer twist, and with sales of over 7 million copies globally, his books have been sold in more than 39 countries around the world and he can count Stephen King, Shari Lapena and Peter James among his many fans.

Many of his books have been optioned for film and TV, and Linwood wrote the screenplay for the film based on his bestselling novel Never Saw It Coming. He is currently working with eOne to turn the Promise Falls trilogy into a series. Born in the US, his parents moved to Canada just as he was turning four, and he’s lived there ever since. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Neetha. They have two grown children. Visit Linwood Barclay at www.linwoodbarclay.com or find him on Twitter at @linwood_barclay.