"One hell of a suspense novel." —Stephen King

The New York Times bestselling author of A Noise Downstairs and No Time for Goodbye returns with an edge-of-your-seat thriller that does for elevators what Psycho did for showers and Jaws did for the beach—a heart-pounding tale in which a series of disasters paralyzes New York City with fear.
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 to 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 ribbon-cutting on Thursday.

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.

Linwood Barclay is a former columnist for the Toronto Star. He is the #1 internationally bestselling author of many critically acclaimed novels, including The Accident, Never Look Away, Fear the Worst, Too Close to Home, and No Time for Goodbye. Multiple titles have been optioned for film.

Linwood Barclay's profile page

“Read Elevator Pitch 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, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman and Strange Weather

“Barclay [is] always good for a touch of cardiac arrest. . . . Chilling . . . wildly inventive and really scary.” — New York Times Book Review

“Mr. Barclay’s books are distinguished by wit and startling twists. In Elevator Pitch, he surpasses himself with a premise suited for the big screen, a plot filled with stunning surprises—and an ending that leaves the reader greatly satisfied.” — Wall Street Journal

“A vivid story with a compelling cast of characters mixed with a truly terrifying scenario. . . . Barclay has crafted a great thriller with a surprising ending and readers will sweat a little the next time they get on an elevator.” — Associated Press

“Barclay’s latest combines an engrossing, fast-moving, well-twisted modern-day plot with believable characters. Fans of psychological thrillers and the author’s previous books will love this.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Elevator Pitch is a white-knuckled ride of a book with twists on every level and an unforgettable cast of characters brought to life with Linwood Barclay’s signature flair and acuity. I gulped it down.” — Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew and The Nanny

“An all stops-out thriller that will keep readers’ pulses pounding, particularly those of the acrophobes among us.” — Booklist

“Gripping. . . . Readers who live on high floors will glance nervously toward the nearest stairs as they tear through this exciting thriller.” — Publishers Weekly