Category Archives: Linwood Barclay

May 3, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: Find You First by Linwood Barclay

Title: Find You First by Linwood Barclay
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 444 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

The New York Times bestselling author of Elevator Pitch and master of psychological suspense returns with a riveting thriller in which the possible heirs of a dying tech millionaire are mysteriously being eliminated, one by one

Tech millionaire Miles Cookson has more money than he can ever spend, and everything he could dream of—except time. He has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and there is a fifty percent chance that it can be passed on to the next generation. For Miles, this means taking a long hard look at his past . . .

Two decades ago, a young, struggling Miles was a sperm donor. Somewhere out there, he has kids—nine of them. And they might be about to inherit both the good and the bad from him—maybe his fortune, or maybe something much worse.

As Miles begins to search for the children he’s never known, aspiring film documentarian Chloe Swanson embarks on a quest to find her biological father, armed with the knowledge that twenty-two years ago, her mother used a New York sperm bank to become pregnant.

When Miles and Chloe eventually connect, their excitement at finding each other is overshadowed by a series of mysterious and terrifying events. One by one, Miles’s other potential heirs are vanishing—every trace of them wiped, like they never existed at all.

Who is the vicious killer—another heir methodically erasing rivals? Or is something even more sinister going on?

It’s a deadly race against time . . .

Review:

Find You First by Linwood Barclay is a fast-paced, suspense-laden mystery.

Tech millionaire Miles Cookson receives a devastating diagnosis that is fatal and hereditary. In his early twenties, he made a “deposit” at a local fertility clinic when he was running short on cash. Miles decides the only ethical he can do is locate any children he might have through the clinic. Fertility doctor Martin Gold refuses to provide him with the names, but Miles refuses to take “no” for an answer. Now with a list of the names in hand, his very competent staff tracks down their addresses for him. Informing his brother, Gilbert, of his plan, Miles first meets Chloe Swanson who works as a waitress while dreaming of becoming a film documentarian. When Chloe makes a puzzling discovery, she and Miles pair up to try to try to find answers

Chloe is an outspoken and spunky young woman. She recently submitted her DNA to an ancestry website in order to locate her father or any siblings. Delighted to discover a half-brother near by, the two meet and begin getting to know each other. Disappointed not to have other matches, Chloe is absolutely delighted when Miles locates her.

Miles’ arrival comes on the heels of Chloe making a puzzling discovery, and they first attempt to understand what is going on with her recent acquaintance. Unfortunately, Miles and Chloe don’t make much progress in their investigation. When they learn someone else on Miles’ list is missing, they decide to find the other people on his list in order to warn them they might be in danger.

Find You First is a gripping mystery that grabs keeps readers’ attention right from the first chapter. Miles’ diagnosis comes as a shock and takes his attention off his business as he determinedly carries out his plan. Chloe is stubborn and adamant about her decision to get to the bottom of the diabolical scheme that is unfolding. With stunning plots, Linwood Barclay brings this brilliant mystery to an action-packed conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this clever mystery to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Find You First, Linwood Barclay, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, William Morrow

September 15, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay

Title: Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 464 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

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 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 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.

Review:

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay is an absolutely riveting mystery with an ingenious storyline.

New Yorkers are soon in the grip of fear during a series of deadly elevator mishaps and a spate of bombings.  At the same time, Detectives Jerry Bourque and Lois Delgado are investigating the beating death of a hard to identity victim.  Are these three seemingly random acts of violence connected?

Mayor Richard Headley is in a quandary about how to handle the elevator deaths when hard-hitting questions from reporter Barbara Matheson force his hand.   She is certainly no fan of the Mayor and she wants answers about the elevator accident that led to the death of someone she knows. Barbara thinks she might have discovered what links the accidents, but will anyone take her theory seriously?

Equally troubling is the series of bombings that appear to be linked to the Flyovers, an alt-right group. The founder of the group, Eugene Clement, is currently in New York on an anniversary trip with his wife. But as the bombings continue, suspicions arise the trip might be a cover for his involvement.  There is also growing concern the Flyovers might be involved with the elevator deaths.  But why would the group use two very different methods of creating chaos?

Bourque and Delgado are finally making progress on identifying their victim but they are having difficulty uncovering a reason for the murder.  The information they discover is not exactly providing a motive for the crime or a suspect. Their investigation soon takes a rather stunning turn, but will they figure out if the murder is connected to the elevator deaths and bombings?

Elevator Pitch is a fast-paced and compelling mystery that is quite suspenseful. The storyline is intriguing and the main characters are interesting.  Linwood Barclay keeps the perpetrator(s) identity and motive for the crimes cleverly under wraps until the novel’s explosive finale. An outstanding mystery I absolutely loved and highly recommend.

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Filed under Contemporary, Elevator Pitch, Linwood Barclay, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, William Morrow

July 25, 2018 · 11:58 pm

Review: A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay

Title: A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

The New York Times bestselling author of No Time for Goodbye returns with a haunting psychological thriller that blends the twists and turns of Gillian Flynn with the driving suspense of Harlan Coben, in which a man is troubled by odd sounds for which there is no rational explanation.

College professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer disposing of a couple of bodies. That’s when Paul’s “normal” existence is turned upside down. After nearly losing his own life in that encounter, he finds himself battling PTSD, depression, and severe problems at work. His wife, Charlotte, desperate to cheer him up, brings home a vintage typewriter—complete with ink ribbons and heavy round keys—to encourage him to get started on that novel he’s always intended to write.

However, the typewriter itself is a problem. Paul swears it’s possessed and types by itself at night. But only Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs; Charlotte doesn’t hear a thing. And she worries he’s going off the rails.

Paul believes the typewriter is somehow connected to the murderer he discovered nearly a year ago. The killer had made his victims type apologies to him before ending their lives. Has another sick twist of fate entwined his life with the killer—could this be the same machine? Increasingly tormented but determined to discover the truth and confront his nightmare, Paul begins investigating the deaths himself.

But that may not be the best thing to do. Maybe Paul should just take the typewriter back to where his wife found it. Maybe he should stop asking questions and simply walk away while he can. . . .

Review:

A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay is a riveting mystery that is quite eerie.

Several months after catching fellow colleague and friend Kenneth Hoffman disposing of the bodies of two murdered women, college professor Paul Davis is still dealing with anxiety and PTSD. Barely surviving the ordeal, he is suffering from nightmares and the residual issues of a traumatic brain injury.  Trying to put the incident behind him once and for all, Paul decides to write about what happened to him and talk to Kenneth to understand what drove him to murder. To inspire him, his wife Charlotte gives him a vintage typewriter and soon after, a series of troubling events make Paul doubt his sanity. With the help of his therapist, Dr. Anna White, he tries to make sense of what is happening to him. Is the typewriter haunted by Kenneth’s victims? Is Paul experiencing a mental break of some kind?  Or could their a far more ominous reason for these harrowing occurrences?

Before Kenneth’s attack, Paul is well-liked professor who enjoys his career. But the months since the fateful night with a murderer, he has struggled with short-term memory loss, frustrating hallucinations and horrible nightmares. With his return to teaching on the horizon, Paul wants to put the incident behind him for good. To achieve his goal, he tracks down newspaper articles which detail Kenneth’s murders. However, understanding what turned Kenneth into a killer remains elusive.

Charlotte is extremely supportive of her husband’s efforts to recover from the life-changing event. However, her gift of the typewriter sets off an unforeseen chain of incidents that greatly worry her.  Growing increasingly concerned, Charlotte reaches out to everyone in Paul’s life in an effort to help him. But will she be able to save him from whatever is haunting him?

A Noise Downstairs is a very clever mystery with an imaginative plot and an atmospheric setting. Paul is a very well-defined character whose behavior is somewhat irrational but understandable under the circumstances. Anna is a compassionate and caring therapist who is struggling with issues of her that she tries to keep from interfering with her professional life. With very clever red herrings and misdirects,  Linwood Barclay obscures the truth about what is happening to Paul and why until the novel’s twist-filled, jaw-dropping conclusion.  A suspenseful read that will delight fans of the genre.

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Filed under A Noise Downstairs, Contemporary, Linwood Barclay, Mystery, Rated B+, Review