Loved this book. Caught my attention at the beginning, slowed a little in the middle then a fantastic ending.

Reminds me why I have avidly read Linwood Barclay’s books over the years.

4.5 stars

You rise, then you fall. Horrifically. This novels pace and thrill mirrors the rise and fall of the elevator. A race against the final stop of the elevator, to solve the rise and fall mystery chilling New York. This novel is a triumph!

This was a true thriller in all respects. Somebody has taken control of some of New York’s elevators. After three ‘accidents’ causing numerous deaths, the hunt is on. NYPD detectives Bourque and Delgado are trying to find a motive for the crimes, but is reporter Barbara Matheson alone in suspecting that controversial mayor,Richard Headley, is somehow involved.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. It was a page turner that kept me guessing. I thought I had worked it out half way through, then events unfolded to show me I was wrong. The final scenes on the 98th floor of an apartment building, kept me engrossed in the book.

Linwood Barclay’s books are well loved by many, and this is another one to add to the list of must reads.

Unfortunately, this book failed to grip me. I was expecting so much more from one of my favourite crime thriller authors. I found that due to the numerous plots going on in this book the tension I expected never materialised. Likewise, the characters lacked depth which for me made me less interested in what happened to any of them. I did enjoy Elevator Pitch, but I've read better. books by this author. However, check out other reviews for this book as so many loved it.

Elevator Pitch is a book that left me with some mixed feelings. On the whole I really liked the idea of someone hacking into elevators and sending unsuspecting victims to some very gory deaths. It turns something which can be a bit mundane into something sinister and certainly made me wary getting into my hotel lift to the 15th floor after reading! The deaths portrayed are also nice and gruesome, they made me wince and shake my head quite a few times which was great.

My negatives were in all the padding around the crimes – for one there were way too many characters that we are introduced to and carried on hearing about all the way through the book. None of these particularly felt very fleshed out – perhaps because they didn’t get enough ‘screen time’ and some of the loose ends disappeared into oblivion towards the end. We heard from the Mayor, his son, his aide, his PA, a journalist, her daughter, two detectives on the case (one of which I didn’t even realise was female until the very end of the book), a shady businessman, his wife, a contracted killer as well as brief life histories and narration of a lot of the victims before their deaths – all of which felt way too much. It would have been better to just focus on Barbara, her daughter Arla and one of the detectives rather than trying to get into the minds of so many of the red herring or side characters.

The plot also seemed to jump around and provide way too many threads to keep the story sufficiently coherent. There was the menacing Russian government which felt too cliched to be real, a shady terrorist group called the Flyovers that I didn’t at all understand the motives of, two blossoming love stories, unexplained vague flashbacks which weren’t properly revealed until the very end, a detective facing psychological issues from a previous case which was also never properly clarified, family issues – it was just all too much.

Overall Elevator Pitch could have been more effective with a simpler approach for me – less characters and a more straight forward plot. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Stories for a chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am an avid Linwood Barclay reader so I knew before I started this book would be good. And it wasn't just good it was amazing. The writing, the tension and the plot captivated me straight away. So much so I think it's due another read.

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay is so well written that you actually get the jitters when you get into a lift. The descriptions of the incidents will leave you so shaken that you need to take a moment before reading on. In the same vein, you can’t wait to turn the page to read on. Think “Jaws” the movie and going to the beach or “Psycho” and getting in the shower. With this book you will be feel uneasy before getting into a lift. One lift incident followed by another in a space of 24hrs might be considered an unfortunate coincidence but when a third occurs in as many days, there is a race to find who the culprit is, what the motive is and how to put a stop to it. This book will get your pulse racing.

OMG this book was intense!

Right from the beginning I found this impossible to put down, it’s dark, it’s gripping and it made my heart race!

I’m not that familiar with Linwood Barclay books; I’ve read a couple but after this I am wondering why I haven’t read more.

Firstly I have to admit that I always enjoy Linwood Barclay’s books so knew I was in for a treat when I got this one. OMG from the very first pages I was hooked. What an incredible storyline and in the hands of one of the best crime writers made this a thrill to read. It is so refreshing to read a story that is unique, however scary the premise is. Well done Linwood Barclay i cant wait for your next one

Wow! What a roller coaster ride of a read that was, a superbly written thriller contains not only great characters but the storyline is so plausible in this day where we are so reliant on everyday machinery to help us, when having to take the stairs is such an outrageous concept that it causes total chaos. Of course though the real problem is the reason the Elevators are out of action in the first place. </p>


The book starts on Monday, and three deaths turn into four as a badly injured survivor of what appears to be a random elevator accident breathes her last breath in hospital. This doesn't appear to be so bad until Tuesday brings another elevator accident, this time involving a Russian scientist who happened to be a biochemist holding information regarding biochemicals and terrorism.


Of course, whilst all this is happening Detectives Jerry Bourque and Lois Delgado are hunting a killer who's left an unidentifiable body - on the highline - when they find out who he is and that he was a elevator repair man, they start putting two and two together and getting the correct answer.</p>

So, when Wednesday brings more deaths, and then a bombing the city becomes a chaotic mass of tourists, and employees trying to get home to safety and out of every other tourist attraction in NYC, for fear of more bombings. Just as the Mayor - Richard Headley asks for all elevators to be closed, until every elevator in the city is checked and passed for safety reasons. Two people are shot in a Hotel Bathroom - the more involved the plot becomes - whos behind all this?

The chaos continues into Thursday - but the elevators in the newest and tallest building in the city - Top of the Park - get checked in time for the opening night party, being attended by everyone who's anyone - including the Mayor and several of his friends who've donated thousands to his campaigns. Barbara Matheson, a journalist with a history of following Headley is also there, and secures the story of the century. Of Course, Bourque and Delgardo are also onto who's actually behind the elevator issues and crash the party - but do they make it in time?

Stunning - a real page-turner that had me thinking I knew who it was, nope - wrong again. Linwood Barclay is a true magician with words and knows how to keep the reader interested, Elevator Pitch is a top-rated 5/5 for me!

I can stop holding my breath now I have finished reading. This book is absolutely amazing. So gripping with lots of twists. I literally couldn't read the last few chapters quick enough. This is by far the best book to date by Linwood Barclay. This definitely needs to be made into a movie.

On Monday morning four people enter an elevator in an office building. They each press the button for their designated floors but the elevator sails passed them right to the top. Once there it sits idle for a few minutes before plummeting to the ground killing three immediately and one a few hours later from her injuries.

On Tuesday an elevator malfunctions in an apartment block and stops dead. Inside is a young boy on his way to school and a Russian scientist. They manage to prise open the doors and the scientist climbs out but upon reaching for her purse the elevator drops, killing her instantly.

On Wednesday an elevator door opens and two people step on, but there is no elevator and they fall, luckily not too far. Injured but alive people come to their rescue, that is until the elevator moves down crushing the pair.

New York is in terror as the residents and workers refuse to use the elevators leaving some people stranded in their high-rise buildings. The Mayor is catapulted into the limelight as people want answers and what does a fingerless man found dead on the Highline have to do with the issue? It’s up to detectives Jerry Bourque and Lois Delgado to work quickly and put the pieces together.

If you have a fear of elevators (lifts) then you might want to give this book a miss, for those that don’t have a fear of them this might make you think twice before stepping onto one!

Elevator Pitch is an intense thriller that weaves a lot of plotlines together. In the beginning, I was a little confused as the book moved from the initial accident onto a journalist and her dealings with the New York Mayor. We then meet two detectives who are dealing with a crime scene on the Highline where a man has been found brutally murdered and his fingers cut off.

I struggled a little to try to work out how all these characters and scenes would come together but once we find out who the murdered man is and the events that occurred on Tuesday everything starts to come clear and the book began to make sense again. It’s at this point the book truly came alive and I raced through it.

Not only do we have elevators malfunctioning there is also a terrorist on the loose blowing up things. Are the two connected?

This is the first book by Linwood Barclay that I have read and from how much enjoyment I had reading it, it won’t be my last. Elevator Pitch is chilling and exciting, yes, it begins slowly but keep going as it certainly will take you for a ride. The ending is perfect and I like how it incorporated the prologue too.

Unfortunately, this book failed to grip me. I simply found it too bitty and the core plot was lost amongst the sub-plots. Likewise, I failed to really get to know the characters, apart from Barbara, again they became lost with so much going on. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it and I did finish it, but I've read better. However, check out other reviews for this book as so many loved it.

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

# Elevator Pitch # Netgalley
This was rather different to what I normally read. At first I wasn’t convinced it just seemed a little unrealistic. However I read on. I was truly shocked and surprised how it took a turn with a real twist to this plot. Now I am hooked. I couldn’t read the pages quickly enough this twist and turns come thick and fast, you just genuinely do not know what to expect. Which is what I like about books, and that the storyline could actually happen. Definitely recommend you read this. You will be so sorry if you don’t

This thriller is an interesting twist on the fear thriller - a seemingly random elevator saboteur in New York starts causing lifts to malfunction leading to deaths. Shutting all the lifts causes chaos and it will fall to a journalist with a secret past and two detectives to work out who and why. Barclay writes tight, well plotted thrillers all hinging on a simple premise and then expanding to bring in the characters. Always a thrilling read and this latest novel is no exception. Recommended.

This is Linwood Barclay at his best - having used his great knowledge of middle America he now takes us to the BIG CITIES literally with a bang .

New Yorkers are used to living in a city where all the buildings go one way - UP and the only way to navigate them is to use the elevators .
What would happen if they all just stopped ?
Who would live ?
Who would die ?
And why ?

This is a fast paced thriller , full of well written characters and suspense . Highly entertaining , the chapters are short but full of content and action …… but most of all touches of humour that bring people to life .
There are many parties to the book - The Flyovers , The Politicians and the Police investigations into the murders .
What connects them ? Is there a connection ? Is it an act of Terrorism ?
It shows how reliant we have become on mobile phones - how absorbing they are , how to keep in touch and to keep up to date with what is happening around us..
Who has the motive and opportunity to bring the cities elevators to a stop ?
Only by reading this great book will you find out .

I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There are 63,000 passenger elevators in New York City. What could possibly go wrong?

Linwood starts off his latest novel with a plunge as the reader is launched into a very busy and crowded New York. The tension starts from the first page as you are thrust through short chapters and as each scene quickly unfolds you do not know what is going to happen next.

There are tons of content in this thriller, there is no padding and as you wade through this avalanche of data it becomes clear Linwood’s writing quality is spot on.

Elevator Pitch is a plot based thriller with an abundance of characters thrown in. The head count is very high but each character is concisely introduced no matter how small or large a part they play in this story. New York is a very busy city and this novel really conveys the buzz on the street.

Linwood explores the everyday threat of terrorism to the citizens of New York. Threats from the Middle East like ISIS plus home grown activists like the Flyovers. Henry Olsen explained the concept behind Flyovers in 2017 when he wrote…

Although originally coined by a citizen of flyover country, the term has become a pejorative description of the interior states of the USA and is largely attributed to coastal and liberal Americans who – in more ways than one – are said to ‘look down’ on these lands and their peoples during their high altitude journeyings from one fashionable seaboard metropolis to another.

...Linwood has little snips of subtle humour sprinkled throughout his story, for example…
“But isn’t that exactly what you have reduced the so-called coasters to? A cliche? Sushi-eating, latte-drinking, gluten-avoiding, Prius-driving elites?”

Barbara sat back on the bench. Oh, no, she thought. She’s gone to the dark side. She’s working for Facebook.

But Twitter was not typically where one posted photos of friends. It was for mouthing off, something Barbara did plenty of.

...I loved how Elevator Pitch is quite topical, it includes real past events and has many, many social observations. I loved the realism of this story and found the threat of everyday terrorism the man in the street has to live with, very engaging. Elevator Pitch showed just how much some people use a mobile phone and how it has become an integral part of their lives. This was quite shocking and a sad but true reflection on how society has developed with many people so absorbed and attached to their mobile phones. They may be connected but can miss out on the really important things happening around them.

I loved reading Elevator Pitch and found it a great, entertaining and thrilling book. I think that Linwood is at the top of his game and that Elevator Pitch is an OUTSTANDING read that gets 5 stars from me.

I am never getting on an elevator ever again. Never. I have never been a huge fan of elevators, but now I am even much less. As one of the characters of the novel said: “Take the stairs.”

New York City is built upward so elevators are a very important part of it. What would happen if you stopped all the elevators in one of the biggest cities in the world from running? Chaos, death, and panic. And Linwood Barclay portrays them perfectly in his new gripping novel, ELEVATOR PITCH. In three days, three elevators disasters cause multiple deaths so Richard Hadley, the city’s mayor, decides to stop all the elevators until they have been checked out. And while the entire city is on hold, an activist group called Flyover is planting bombs in the biggest cities around the United States. Are the two events connected? And how are they linked to the brutal murder of an elevator repairman?

What a rollercoaster of a read! Fast-paced, twisty, and engrossing, this novel made me hold my breath on more than one occasion. Sabotages, terror attacks, political scandals… the author knows how to keep the reader engaged. The story is told from multiple points of views, from the mayor trying to avoid criticism and scandal to the journalist who likes to portray him as the forever bad guy on her newspaper; from the police detective with PTSD who is trying to solve a murder and to prove to his colleague that he can do his job to the young woman who wants to impress her mother. Also, we get a front seat inside the sabotaged elevators and you can almost feel the fear of the people trapped inside. The tension (and my anxiety) during these moments was very high.

Linwood Barclay wrote a claustrophobic, suspenseful, and terrific novel that will surely give me nightmare and, yet, I couldn’t put down!

I’m a huge Linwood Barclay fan, more so since I met him at Harrogate and found him to be an absolute gentleman. So I always knew I was going to want to read Elevator Pitch. I love that word play in the title, don’t you? There’s always a bit of humour worked into a Barclay story, irrespective of how suspenseful it is, and gosh this one is chock full of suspense.

Oddly enough, it isn’t the first elevator story I have read this year, Megan Golding’s The Escape Room also had bad things happening to people in elevators, but these are, of course, two very different stories.

Elevator Pitch is first and foremost a strongly plotted, crackingly well-told story. It has characters you want to root for, whether you belong to the generation that identifies with our protagonist, journalist and commentator, Barbara or her daughter, Arla, just embarking on her first job.

Barclay takes the New York vista with its tall and imposing high tech buildings, all glass and steel, and shows us what it means to have to rely on one piece of technology to make them work. For without elevators to keep the buildings occupants flowing, these places are just useless hunks of masonry.

It starts one Monday morning, without warning. Four people get into an elevator and all perish when it malfunctions and goes into plummeting freefall. Then the following day, there is another, deeply gruesome event in which a woman is killed in the most macabre accident.

In a city that is sadly no stranger to acts of terrorism, the old adage of ‘once is happenstance, twice coincidence’, simply does not fly. The Mayor of New York, Richard Wilson Headley, rumoured to be interested in political advancement beyond the city, finds himself in the unenviable position of having to explain these incidents to the public and to try and re-assure them of their continuing safety.

Detective Jerry Bourque and his partner, Lois Delgado of the NYPD are investigating the murder of an unknown man on the High Line, way above the NYC sidewalks. Someone has gone to great lengths to hide this man’s identity, but is it connected to the elevator deaths?

Then there’s the ‘Flyover Group’ a bunch of malcontents who despise the big city dwellers for their money and corruption as they fly from coast to coast over, as they see it, the little people, the people whom, the Flyovers contend, are the ones who really contribute to the culture of the great country of the USA. Their leader, Eugene Clement, just happens to be in town with his wife, ostensibly to celebrate their anniversary. But when a bomb goes off and responsibility is claimed by someone claiming to be inspired by the Flyovers, all attention is directed to them.

Barclay pulls together a compelling cast of very well drawn characters to fuel the tension that comes from a deathly, high stakes, claustrophobic setting in which ordinary people are pawns in the hands of a ruthless killer or killers.

As Barbara, no fan of the Mayor, piles the pressure on at press conferences, Headley is forced to order all elevators shut down until they can be checked and a public relations nightmare ensues.

Short, fast paced chapters help to ramp up the tension and the body count just goes up and up as the reader tries to work out who has the motive and the opportunity to put such a deadly plan into action. A brilliant final scenario lends a sharpness and breathtaking edge to the denouement, which is both shocking and surprising.

Verdict: Suspenseful, claustrophobic and gripping, Elevator Pitch is an intense thrill ride on a rollercoaster that twists and turns until you’re not sure which way it’s safe to turn. Highly recommended read from a master storyteller.

I literally squealed with excitement at the opportunity to read and review this! This is a huge deal for me, Ive been a Linwood Barclay fan for some time and some of his books were my first venture away from romance. I Bleeding loved this book, but i wont be getting in any elevators any time soon - not many people like them at the best of times and this just chills the reader to the core.



On Monday a seemingly random elevator accident occurs, with four people dead - its awful but accidents do happen, so when Tuesday rolls around and another one happens, sometimes coincidences are not coincidence at all. With the city thrown into chaos and elevators out of action - who on earth is doing this? Is it linked to the explosions that have been occurring?



We follow the story from several different people, a journalist, the police & a random other person. We see as they all work alongside each other but separately trying to discover what is attempting to bring the city to a standstill.



This was gripping, thrilling and down right bloody chilling. I knew i would adore it, and even when i felt poorly with a shocking headache and my eyes were tired - i had to read more. This book literally deserves all the hype it has had and more!