Oomph, my stomach went into free-fall as I read this clever, on-point, and absolutely thrilling tale. Manhattan’s elevators have been taken over, as the death toll rises and Manhattan comes to a stop, a journalist and two New York Detectives investigate. The prologue sets a chilling scene, I knew what was coming, it was peek through fingers time! Linwood Barclay adds new characters to the boiling pot without missing a beat. Layers of intrigue coupled with heart pounding action ensured I was on high alert at all times. As the tale slid forward, chimes and occasionally towering bells of realisation rang out. I adore Linwood Barclay’s books, I always throw myself in with abandon and know I can just enjoy a stunningly good read. Elevator Pitch is a flaming humdinger of a novel, it’s one of those, where at the end and I thought back, I slapped my hand to my head and exclaimed “of course!”. Dynamic and just so readable.
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.
'You should read ELEVATOR PITCH by Linwood Barclay as soon as possible. It's one hell of a suspense novel' STEPHEN KING
`This novel moves as fast as a falling elevator and hits with just as much force. Linwood Barclay is a stone cold pro and ELEVATOR PITCH is a shameless good time' JOE HILL
`A great cast of characters, tension, humour and a thrilling ending; this book takes Linwood to new heights!' MARK EDWARDS
`Linwood Barclay presses all the right buttons. Rush out and buy this book, but make sure you take the stairs' MICHAEL ROBOTHAM
`Grabbed me from the very first page. Riveting and heart-pounding' MICHELE CAMPBELL
`An all stops-out thriller that will keep readers' pulses pounding' BOOKLIST
PRAISE FOR LINWOOD BARCLAY:
'A suspense master'
STEPHEN KING
'One of the world's finest thriller writers on the top of his game'
PETER JAMES
'No one can thrill you and chill you better than Barclay'
TESS GERRITSEN
'One of the best thriller writers in the world'
MARK BILLINGHAM
'Nothing is more satisfying than tucking into a new Linwood Barclay novel'
SHARI LAPENA
`Barclay's plots are a delight'
THE SUNDAY TIMES
'Barclay writes terrific thrillers'
DAILY MAIL
`The king of the thriller'
THE INDEPENDENT
`Outstanding'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
`Barclay knows how to keep readers turning the page'
ASSOCIATED PRESS
`The real virtues of Barclay's best-selling fiction lie in his characters, not just his plots. Families are as muddled and complicated in his novels as they are in life, generally bolstered by variations of loyalty and love as well as, sometimes, terrible forms of betrayal'
THE LONDON FREE PRESS
`Canada's current thriller king'
NATIONAL POST
`Linwood Barclay has become the master of the page-turner thriller'
IRISH INDEPENDENT
Author
About Linwood Barclay
Linwood Barclay was our Guest Editor in October 2013 - click here - to see the books that inspired his writing.
Linwood Barclay is an international bestselling crime and thriller author with over twenty critically acclaimed novels to his name, including the number one bestseller No Time For Goodbye. Linwood has sold more then 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.
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.
In the video below Linwood Barclay answer questions from LoveReading members.
