Thanks to Harper Collins, NetGalley, and Mr. Barclay for the opportunity to read his new novel “Elevator Pitch” that will be available September 17, 2019!
I have recently discovered Linwood Barclay, thanks to twitter and book forums and he has quickly became one of my favorite authors. I really enjoy his pacing and his unique plot ideas.
I would classify Elevator Pitch as a dark thriller mystery. His new novel is set in New York, which is a “vertical city” if there ever was one! I have never visited NY, so the setting was particularly interesting to me and Barclay described in detail the building and where they are located in the city. I found myself looking up some of the areas, and it helped bring a realism to the book. I do have a small problem with anxiety, and I have always wondered if I would be nervous visiting the city, well I know that I will at the very least remember this book if I am riding an elevator to an observation deck! The setting is a dark and interesting premise with strong characters that have some mysteries of their own! I don’t like to spoil books talking too much about characters. I felt invested in the characters in the book, and their opportunity for redemption and answers about their past. I did think that it kind of wrapped up quickly, but it was certainly plausible and tied in nicely with the characters back stories. Thanks for reading, and think about taking the stairs, it wouldn’t kill you! #netgalley #harpercollins #elevatorpitch

4.5 stars. Another fantastic book by Linwood who is one of my favourite authors. A unique storyline full of twists and turns. I loved the whole idea behind it and some of the characters were brilliant. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was I found it a bit slow to get started. What a great ending as well.

This was a good read but I usually get more than a good read from Linwood Barclay. This was very much a psychological thriller tapping in to a very common fear and/or discomfort in elevators and it worked well. Thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Another great read from Linwood Barclay. Political intrigue, vendettas and a mother daughter relationship.

Makes you think twice about getting into a lift though. 😊

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for a copy of Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay. It has been a while since I have read a book from this author, but I am so glad I did because this was an interesting read but, didn’t help my fear of Elevators.
The story in set in New York, where there is a series of Elevator incidents in tall buildings. A corrupt mayor and a journalist called Barbara and they seem to be connected in some way. Cops Bourque who has anxiety problems and his partner go to investigate the incidents. They first think its terrorists like Isis then a lift engineer. There is a lot of red herrings in this story to keep you guessing right up to the end.
This story was a slow burner at first, but if you keep going it is well worth the ride. It had a lot of twists and turns and I liked the idea of the story, different to other stories I have read. 4 stars from me.

Sadly I think I’ve been generous giving three stars.

I was so excited to get this through Netgalley as I am a fan however, the book is badly written and so disappointing.

I like a book that starts off and you don’t know where it’s taking you but this one feels like the author doesn’t know where it’s going or they do but don’t know how to get there. The dialogue is clunky and reaches to the point where you reread bits thinking ‘how did they get that from that?!’.

I wouldn’t recommend this as it is an unusual flop from a usually stand out writer.

I have read many of Linwood Barclay’s books so was excited to receive this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The premise was interesting- Elevators being sabotaged but unfortunately this book did not really hold my attention.
There were many characters and sub plots and by the time I reached the half way point I really had lost interest and contemplated not finishing the book. However I persevered and found the second half and ending slightly better. I didn’t guess the perpetrator nor the several twists in the novel.
The story jumped around a lot between the different characters’ back stories, Bourque, the cop with anxiety issues, the difficult relationship between journalist Barbara and her daughter Arla and the nasty Mayor Headley and his son. There is also a sub plot about domestic terrorists which did not add much to the story. In fact Estelle, her husband, Clement and Bucky were two dimensional and lacked real motivation to do what they did.
This is definitely not one of his better novels and I really found the plot less than compelling. I am afraid I cannot recommend it at all.

Probably not the best choice of book to read when on holiday in a hotel that you had to get in the lift every day! That aside, it was a great read & I couldn’t put it down. Kept me hooked until the end!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher & Linwood Barclay for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story is unusual in that all characters feature prominently in the storyline each with their own agenda but all intrinsically tied to the series of events taking place in New York City. We have a high profile journalist intent on highlighting the inadequacies of the mayor. However people in glass houses should not throw stones and she has skeletons which must remain hidden as well as being a single parent to a grown daughter hugely critical of her mothers parental skills. A couple on a wedding anniversary holiday in New York City , although events lead the wife to believe it is a ploy by her husband to engage in a hidden agenda. A Mayor with a clouded history compounded by his difficult relationship with both his son and the general public struggling to retain the confidence of the people of New York. What role do any of these characters have in the discovery of a body by two police officers. And what has caused an elevator to crash with fatalities to be followed by more bizarre and unexplained incidents resulting in even more fatalities and increasing panic within city hall and across New York City. As all protagonists race to deal with events as they unfold we learn the back story of all characters and their role in ensuing catastrophic events. Current events and political activities plus a universal reliance on modern technology are cleverly interwoven in this complex story involving a breakdown in the infrastructure of a dynamic city. This demonstrates how relatively easily the smooth running of a major city can be brought to a standstill alongside the disintegration of individuals under stress and resilience under pressure. As always the author keeps us guessing and double guessing to the last page with a book moving at the speed of an out of control elevator.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elevator are plummeting to the ground in Manhattan and no one know why.

This was a 4.5 star for me. Based on the synopsis I didn’t think one would be that great but since Linwood Barclay is a favorite author of mine, I had to give it a shot. This book was much better than I expected. It starts out with 3 different story lines, a journalist that is always seeking dirt in the mayor, the mayor who is fairly crooked like any politician and two cops who are investigating a dead and someone mangled body. I didn’t know how all of this would go together but this one turned out to be a pretty suspenseful page turner with what I thought was a surprising ending.

This is the first Linwood Barclay book that I've read but he is now definitely on my 'find more books from.....' list!! Gripping and fast paced throughout, the book is a tense psychological thriller that keeps you guessing till the very end and would make a great film. I will now be using the stairs more often! 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Linwood Barclay is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I’ve read a few of his books now and I’ve loved all of them. This one is a fast paced and gripping story, which left me shocked at the end. I thought I had worked everything out but I was wrong. I loved all of the characters in this one and enjoyed reading about them. I have been left with one question, which has disappointed me a little, but not enough to effect my rating. Linwood Barclay really is a master of suspense! I read the last 73% of this book in just a few hours, as I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. It’s definitely made me want to read more of his books and soon! With a storyline I haven’t seen before, this one definitely stands out as a great book. Highly recommend and thoroughly enjoyed!

I am ashamed to admit this is my first ever book by this author and it certainly will not be my last. What a book! What a Story. Well written, clever and fast paced. Amazing xx

I’d like to thank HQ and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Elevator Pitch’ by Linwood Barclay in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Four people get into an elevator in Lansing Building and despite pressing buttons it goes into free-fall until it hits the bottom of the shaft killing all on board. The following day the elevator in the Sycamore Residences apartment tower stops mid-floors and although Professor Fanya Petrov tries to climb out she also dies. The elevators malfunction in another two buildings causing fatalities and it soon becomes clear that these could be acts of terrorism. But is there a connection between these and the fingerless body that Detectives Jerry Bourque and Lois Delgado are investigating?

Wow, what a fantastic thriller! I’ve just reached the end of ‘Elevator Pitch’ and from page one the tension starts building and the suspense increases so I have to keep reading but scared at what’ll happen next. There are several sub-plots going on which add substance to the story including the domestic extremist group ‘Flyovers’ whose leader just happens to be in New York and has an agenda of his own. There are compelling characters, terrifying twists and turns, and red herrings to throw us off the track. By the time I reached the end it was so horrific it’s left me breathless with shock! Linwood Barclay has yet again written a fantastic thriller that’s compulsive reading and I can only recommend it to anybody who enjoys an action-packed thriller.

First book i read by this author and won't surely be the last.
I liked this gripping thriller that made me turn pages as fast as I could.
I liked the style of writing, the fleshed out cast of characters , and the entertaining and engrossing plot.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I really enjoyed this gripping page-turner. I am a fan of Linwood Barclay anyway, and this book certainly didn't disappoint. I was completely hooked from the first page, and would thoroughly recommend this great thriller.

Well, this is my first ever Linwood Barclay book so now I am biting at the reins to get stuck into the others that I have already in my bookcase. Firstly, I loved the play on words with the title as a young man was trying to 'pitch' his book to a would-be publisher while they were in the elevator and then, of course, the elevator 'pitch' as it plummeted toward the ground floor at tremendous speed. What an opening! Well to say I was shocked just wouldn't hack it!
Once can be put down to a fault but when it happens again, then the question becomes whose fault? It isn't long before fear becomes a reality for anyone in the city that uses an elevator. I must admit that I loved the build-up to the actual drop and especially the additional drama with the second elevator, that ok you could see coming but whoa it still got me when it happened.
Now Manhattan is just one sky scrapper of sky scrapper block of buildings with a hundred plus floors. The race is on to find the person responsible for the deaths of, so far influential victims but were they the targets or just a means to an end? Police, newspaper reporters, and the Mayor all have their hopes on finding the person or group responsible.
There are additional storylines taking place too with their own little twists. There were some pretty neat surprises too. Nice touch! I loved Barbara, the persistent reporter, and Detective Bourque and Delgado who were assigned to investigate what the hell was going on! The story dips into the past which explains present-day relationships.
Stunning ending!
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

An impressive, hair-raising thriller set in the most vertical city in the world which is quickly plunged into chaos when daily and deadly elevator accidents start happening across Manhattan skyscrapers.

A fast-paced novel that will keep you on your toes and taking the stairs in the future.

This brilliant psychological thriller plays upon most people's fear of being trapped in an elevator which plunges out of control.

On three consecutive days in New York city, there are 3 elevator incidents resulting in 7 gruesome deaths. The police, Mayor's office and city works departments work alongside each other once they realise that the incidents are actually sabotage rather than tragic accidents. New York is described as a 'vertical city' in which lifts (sorry, elevators) play a huge part in both the working and living environments for much of the population, so when they become something to be feared this effectively brings the city to a grinding halt.

The build up of tension is executed brilliantly, and there are many suspects, red herrings and revelations along the way. There are several sub-plots going on which definitely enhance the story and make this an unforgettable read. My favourite characters were the journalist and the detective - both play a significant role and have well-developed backgrounds. Highly recommended!

This novel will make you second guess yourself each time you think you want to use an elevator. Do you really need to take the elevator, or could you walk up / down? This story is told at a relentless pace and difficult to step away from, there are some particularly gruesome scenes as well as some heart melting ones.