This stand alone novel by one of my favourite authors Linwood Barclay was good but not great. It started well and the end was dramatic and very good but a lot of what came between did not do it for me.
The book start with four people getting into an elevator in a Manhattan office tower. They all press the buttons to indicate their destination but the elevator proceeds to the top of the building before pausing and then plummeting to the bottom. This appears to be an horrific accident until the following day when the very same happens again in another high rise building. Further incidents occur and the city is reduced to fear and resulting chaos. The question is who is behind it and why.
There were plenty of high spots in this book so I don't want to be too negative about it, I did enjoy it and love the writing of Linwood Barclay so I fully understand why other reviewers will give more favourable ratings.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and HQ for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read lots of Linwood Barclay books over the years and although I enjoyed this one the writing style seemed different somehow. It really did spook me as I'm not a fan of lifts, fortunately, I don't use them that often. There is lots of suspense in the book and the last chapter is amazing and very cleverly written.

I enjoyed the book but not as good as his other ones I felt it could have been better with the characters coming to life more and being able to connect with them more. The end was very good and didn’t guess the ending at all.

Thank you to Netgalley, HQ & Linwood Barclay for my arc of Elevator Pitch in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: a series of disasters paralyse New York with fear, the first elevator accident leaves 4 people dead. It seems like a random accident, until a day later it happens again, and then again. Who could be behind this and what do they want?


I must admit that I didn't enjoy this one as much as Barclay's previous novels. It felt like there were far too many character perspectives, it didn't give me the level of fear I expected or even any paranoia about getting in an elevator. A lot of topics get touched on without ever going into depth. It felt really unstructured and didn't hold my interest. I did read it to the end but felt disappointed with the ending too.

In Elevator Pitch, Linwood Barclay writes brilliantly about the fear and mayhem experienced by New Yorkers when elevators appear to take on a life of their own, killing all those on board.

It begins when four people board an elevator in a Manhattan office tower. Each of them have pressed a button for their particular floor, but the elevator ascends right to the top, stops for a few seconds and then plummets right to the bottom of the shaft. On Tuesday it happens again in another building . Wednesday yet another high rise tragedy occurs, plunging the city into complete chaos. Elevators are closed throughout the city - people are unable to work - medical emergencies on top floor apartments go unanswered, but just who is responsible? Is it a terrorist organisation, or the Russians, or an individual with some ulterior motive. One thing’s for sure, the perpetrators need to be caught, and fast, or the whole of New York and its economy will be brought to it’s knees.

I think what makes this a compelling read is, that given the high tech world in which we now live, I can imagine that this scenario could be entirely plausible, and one can only imagine the adverse effects on the financial markets and of society as a whole.

This was a gripping read, and it’s literally no smooth ride, as the story picks up ever more speed, bowls along, broadens out and takes the reader on a journey to hell. With expert use of smoke and mirrors, I never did guess who was behind these horrific events, and as expected, Barclay carries the plot forward to a thrilling climax.

A set of elevator incidents in New York high-rises, a bombing. Are they the work of terrorists? Is there a link to the mayor? A pair of cops and a sassy journalist investigate.

A gripping thriller with engaging characters.

Brilliant gripping read. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. The plot was so well thought out and the writing style added to the suspense.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is an intriguing plot which succeeds very well in misleading readers. It seems pretty obvious early on that a random organisation is setting up these elevator disasters to embarrass the mayor who has further political aspirations. He is more concerned to start with about a journalist who seems to be out to bring him down. He tries to buy her off unsuccessfully but it is she who cracks the conspiracy which has its origins closer to the mayor than he ever considered to be possible. Then the reader is treated gradually to further bits of information which bring the whole business of elevator sabotage closer to the circle of the mayor. There are many surprises in there. It is a roller coaster which would make a good film.

Elevator Pitch is a fast-paced thriller with a credible and somewhat disturbing premise. Every single day, millions of people in New York City use elevators in order to go about their lives. In a city of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, what would happen if terrorists could take control of the elevators and crash them at will?

The usual elements of this sort of novel are present (the damaged cop, the sassy reporter, the corrupt politician, etc), but Barclay crafts the story into more than just a sum of its parts. The plot device will cause a few sleepless nights among readers who already worry about the possible dangers of travelling to and from great heights in a metal box that they have little control over. I sincerely hope that it’s an invention of the author’s fevered imagination, but somehow, I doubt it. There are a couple of clunky parts, but on the whole it’s a great read.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In true Linwood Barclay style, Elevator Pitch kept me captivated and riveted with its false sense of character security and blood-curdling situations and scenarios throughout. And just when you’re sure you’ve solved the case, as usual, a spanner out of nowhere is thrown into the mix! A fab read!

I have read most of Linwood Barclay's books and this one was a little different in writing style. The story set in New York has plummeting elevators, an astute newspaper reporter who is on the Mayor's back, a terrorist group and great characters. After a slow start the story gets really scary and I did not predict the ending. A great read.

Someone in New York City is targeting elevators in high rise building and people are being killed when the elevator gets out of control. Also terrorists are setting off bombs in public places. Detectives Bourque and Delgado have been assigned to help with these incidents and to see if they are connected.
Mayor Headley is desperately trying to sort out this mess and Journalist Barbara Matheson is determined to make things difficult for him.
A fast paced thriller that I enjoyed with some really good characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this but did not love it as I have previous books by this author. If this is your first Linwood Barclay please choose another.
The concept is someone is tampering with elevators in New York leading to deaths of innocent people. Two New York detectives are investigating a murder, the Mayor is trying to improve his profile and a journalist is trying to find the truth.
I didn’t find it gripping and I got to the end but wasn’t enamoured.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for honest review.
#NetGalley #ElevatorPitch

Absolute confession, I have never read anything by this author before, but this will not be my last read.

A body is found on the High Line, with fingertips cut off and a mangled face. The case is being handled by Detective Bourque, who after suffering a trauma, has trouble coping with lots of issues and is constantly on an inhaler to stop him wheezing, something he tried to hide from his partner Delgado, who to be honest we don't interact with as much, and certainly not on the same level as Bourque.

We then carry on to elevator incidents, which are seemingly unconnected, but to have three in three days, something is obviously wrong, compounded when they find out the body they previously found was an elevator mechanic.

We also have a domestic terrorist group, The Flyovers, a mayor, Richard Headley, 'Dick Head' to his enemies of which there are many, Barbara who is a journalist and a fierce critic of the Mayor, is there more to that relationship, and also Arla who is Barbara's daughter, but they have a difficult relationship.

This was a seriously good book, I was holding my breath on a number of occasions while reading it and it will certainly make me think twice about going in an elevator unless absolutely necessary. Something you take for granted and use every day, can be turned into an instrument of death.

The end was full of surprises and I didn't see it coming at all.

Highly recommended

You might think twice about using the elevator next time you visit a high rise after reading this story. Wonderfully crafted scenes of mayhem appear throughout the book and a delicious sense of tension accompanies you throughout.

A huge cast of characters appears throughout the book and wonderfully even those characters who have only a passing part have sufficient back story to make you feel for them when the worse happens.

A satisfying ending with a well thought out cyclic finish.

Recommended

Fantastic novel from Linwood as always. Did not see the final twist coming and was fooled as to the main protagonist throughout.

This was an pok thriller for a holiday read, but not as gripping as Linwood Barclays other titles. It seemed a little stilted, and I found it very easy to put down, A little disappointing!

In this day and age this is a believable story line but for some reason I just couldn't get into it . Not for me, I'm afraid

My thanks to NetGalley and Publisher HQ for the ARC.
Oh, this is scary!
In the early hours of Monday morning the bloody mess of a male's body is found on the High Line. Detectives Bourque and Delgado are called to the scene. Any means of identifying him have been removed, but the detectives pick up on clues and start their investigation.

You're in New York on Monday morning, taking the elevator skywards to the umpteenth floor for work; you and 3 fellow passengers duly select your floor buttons, but - the elevator ignores your wishes and continues past your floors where it halts. Then you're in freefall as it plunges to the basement. Then you are no more - well, almost: one of you is still alive, just for a short while. Your name's Paula and one of your friends is Barbara Matheson, a columnist for a Manhattan daily.

Barbara reports local politics and is always on the Mayor of New York's back about his bullish ineptitude. Mayor Richard Headley (Dickhead to his critics) is at pains to rectify his poor image but Barbara is a thorn in his side.
Tuesday morning, a different tower, a different elevator which malfunctions between floors.
Wednesday morning, a different tower, a different elevator where doors open to nothing but a long drop. The same day a Prius cab explodes at the front of a hotel.
The death toll is starting to mount and the mayor cannot guarantee all elevators are safe.
Meanwhile, following Paula's death, Barbara starts asking questions around the bereaved relatives of these incidents being approached by obvious Federal agents, instructing them not to talk about it.

Bourque and Degado's investigation leads to identifying their murder victim as an elevator engineer. The two investigating teams come together to find the connection.

There are hints at domestic terrorism. A city-wide inspection of elevators and the realities of people faced with hundreds of stairs to climb or descend. individual tragedies ensue.
Who is messing with the City's elevators and why? There must be a connection between them and Barbara is determined to find it.

A suspenseful, scary read.

3. 5 stars


Avery good idea,to take a huge city like new York and murder a few (let's be honest,not actually that many) people,and turn the whole city into meltdown as elevators are no longer considered safe.
The impact this would have is staggering.
There was an age old good journalist,bad politician storyline that went exactly where I thought it would.
I've always picked up Barclay books based on the name alone,not plot details,and this one hasn't changed that.
A very enjoyable read,that didnt have me guessing to the end,as I'd figured out who was behind it all..... well,until I was proved wrong. 😁