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 in 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? Why are they doing it? 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 before the city’s newest, and tallest, residential tower has its Friday night ribbon-cutting.
With each diabolical twist, Linwood Barclay ratchets up the suspense, building to a shattering finale. Pulsating with tension, Elevator Pitch is a riveting tale of psychological suspense that is all too plausible . . . and will chill readers to the bone.
The Author:
Linwood Barclay, a New York Times bestselling author and with nearly twenty novels to his credit, spent three decades in newspapers before turning full time to writing thrillers. His books have been translated into more than two dozen language, sold millions of copies, and he counts Stephen King among his fans. Many of his books have been optioned for film and TV, a series has been made in France, and he wrote the screenplay for the film based on his novel Never Saw it Coming. Born in the US, his parents moved to Canada just as he was turning four, and he’s lived there ever since. He lives near Toronto with his wife, Neetha. They have two grown children.
My Review:
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
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.
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 behond 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!
To get your copy, click here- https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Elevator-Pitch-by-Linwood-Barclay-author/9780008331993
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