One of my fears is being stuck in an elevator. My other fear is being stuck with my nemesis. This book has both!!
If you are looking for a twisty thriller, pick up this book. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This gripping thriller held my attention until the final page. It was riveting!
The author writes the story from two character’s point of view, vacillating between “then” and “now.”
Two women strangers enter an elevator in a busy NYC building. No sooner do the doors close, and the elevator starts to rise, do the lights and power go out. The two women are terrified, but ultimately start to talk, in order to calm their fears. As time goes on, they begin to unravel their life stories to each other. In alternate chapters, the “then” back stories unfold.
The climax is stunning, full of twists and revelations.
I recommend this book with 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC, in return for my honest review.

I found The Elevator to be an OK read. One of my biggest fears is to be trapped in an elevator so I was already on edge when I started the story but unfortunately it all got a little confusing with the different points of view. I did like it but just not as much as I had hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

This was a ride! First, bring borderline claustrophobic makes this a more intense read than it otherwise may have been. What is it about a psychotic character that makes reading so compelling? I was living for a particular POV. Though it was a little harder to get into it initially, it was a journey! Ups and downs that ended in a 3.7 ultimately.

Two women are in the elevator when it comes to a stop. They are stuck. The phone doesn't work and the camera doesn't have a little light on it so they don't know if they are being seen. Hours go by. Maeve has anxiety and full-blown panic attacks. She needs her inhaler. Cerys thinks that if she talks this woman will calm down. It works and Cerys finds it so easy to talk to this stranger she'll never see again so she begins to tell all the details of her life.

The POV changes from Maeve in the past to Ceryl in the present. Cerys also thinks things and it is difficult at times to tell whether she is telling or thinking making for a choppy narrative. I figured out the twist halfway through and the story got boring. I never felt for either character making me not care if anyone was going to get hurt. However, the whole premise was interesting and unique. but it wasn't pulled off smoothly. I won't be reading the author again.

It’s a sweltering morning in New York City. Cerys walks into the Pearl Associates office building, hot from the sun and grateful for the instant relief the A/C provides. Now if only she could get relief from her nerves! As the HR director, she’s headed upstairs to conduct a meeting. It shouldn’t be a big deal. It’s part of her job. However, the last time she held a similar meeting, the results were devastating. She’s still in therapy trying to work through the trauma it caused.

Maeve is at the front desk when Cerys walks past her. Not wearing a corporate uniform like everyone else, she stands out and captures Cerys’ attention. There’s agitation in her voice as she talks to the receptionist in an attempt to get upstairs. She has an appointment, she says. She has an appointment, she insists. Even though Cerys doesn’t recognize her, she pauses to eavesdrop on the drama.

In front of Cerys, employees line up to get through security. A man in front of her swipes his badge at the gate. A red-light flashes, and he’s denied. The same thing happens to all the others — and to Cerys too. It’s obviously a glitch. Seeing their badges, the security guard waves them through to the lobby, along with Maeve. When Cerys grabs an empty elevator moments later, Maeve jumps in with her. Both are going to the 26th floor. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. But then the elevator jerks to a stop. The power goes out. They’re trapped together.

As the minutes slowly turn to hours with no sign of rescue, Cerys tries to calm a panic-stricken Maeve by sharing her darkest secrets. It feels good to unburden herself and, since Maeve’s a stranger she’ll never see again, no harm can come from it. Or so she thinks. However, before the two women are rescued from the elevator, they’ll realize they’re not strangers at all. They’re enemies. One is hell-bent on revenge. The other is determined to be the only one who walks out of the elevator.

Brilliantly deceptive, breath-takingly intense, and twistier than a corkscrew, The Elevator by Claire Cooper is nothing like you expect. It’s at least 100x better! Jam-packed with suspense, if you didn’t bite your nails before you picked up this book, you will once you start reading. A strong sense of foreboding starts as soon as the elevator stops and doesn’t ease up until the end. The same is true for the tension. Every page of The Elevator is brimming with it. You already know from the cover that the two women aren’t strangers, but their connection to each other will rock you down to your socks and bring the story to an unimaginable conclusion. Be careful what you think is the truth as you read. It’s probably not.

Very well written and perfectly paced so that it doesn’t move too fast or slow, The Elevator traps you inside with Cerys and Maeve. But you won’t mind. It’s hard to put the book down, because you want to figure out what happened to make them enemies — and what’s going to happen when they realize they are. It’s intriguing and addicting.

Both women are well-developed and complex characters. Dual timelines take you back and forth between each woman’s present and past. You get to know them through their thoughts and conversations in present-day while also uncovering their darkest secrets through snippets of their past. It can get a little confusing going from Cerys in the past and present, then Maeve in the past and present too, but only a little early on. Each character has a very unique, distinctive voice that you’ll quickly come to know. Differentiating between them becomes easy after a few chapters.

When you read a lot of psychological thrillers, it becomes a challenge to find one that stands out. When you find one, you reach for your thesaurus to find every synonym you can to tell everyone how great it is. Take Roget’s word for it. The Elevator is one of those great books.

I enjoyed my time reading this book, It is Claire Cooper's debut. The story was good, unfolding in a specific way, Sometimes I could predict what would happen, and sometimes I was surprised with the twist. In some parts, I was confused about which POV I was reading. How chapters were unfolding and I found out what was happening I enjoyed more with the story and the well-developed characters. I can't wait to read another story written by Clare Cooper.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Elevator' by Claire Cooper.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Claire Cooper, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous


Publication date 22nd August 2023.


This is the first book I have read by this author.


This novel consists of a prologue and 65 chapters. The chapters are short in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


Omg!!! If I hated getting in claustrophobic elevators before I read this book then it has definitely put me of for life!!! Getting stuck in an elevator/lift is one of my biggest fears which had the hair raising on my arms and my breathe speeding up when the problems started in this book. Coopers fantastic writing skills definitely added to the tension and made me feel I was trapped in there with Maeve and Cerys at times and then when she takes us into their pasts I felt I was next to them in the various locations. This storyline is very complex and intriguing with loads of secrets and multiple storylines weaved into one main storyline. However, I did find it to be a slow burner and it took longer to read than I thought it would when I started it. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it and I absolutely LOVED the unique plot of the main characters being stuck in a lift together and I was intrigued reading what had happened in their pasts and what weaved everything together. I do want to say that I have read hundreds of thrillers so it is getting harder and harder to keep me hooked on a book through the day so just because I found it to be a slow burner that's not to say everyone will feel the same. It is ram packed with crime, mystery, murder, secrets, romance, twists and loads more!!! There were several twists that I was not expecting so congratulations to Claire on them as it it getting harder to shock me but you manage it!! Claire's talented storytelling ensures the characters and atmosphere come to life before your eyes.



The characters were all an eclectic mix and each one of them were realistic and strong. I was completely invested and compelled in each of them and what was going on in their lives. They were all very complex characters with each of the characters having different relationships towards each other. The two main protagonists are Cerys and Maeve and my feelings for each woman changed as the storyline unfolded. There were times when I felt sorry for them, disgusted, shocked and more. I loved that we got to see both of their histories as Claire slowly reveals the circumstances that led to the present day storyline. Immediately we discover that both of the characters have secrets but as the reader delves deeper into the storyline more and more secrets come out. I had no idea who could be believed and if any of them could be trusted. Claire has done a fantastic job of creating strong, multi dimensional and complex characters and regardless of whether you love or hate them they all worked perfectly together to create this intriguing book.


Overall a suspenseful, claustrophobic and tense thriller.


340 pages.


This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon, free with kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


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This one was tense and I'm a big fan of locked room novels! I really enjoyed the story being told in the past and present, but sometimes it was confusing figuring out whose point of view you were reading. I wasn't quite sure where the story was going to lead, but the ending explained it all and everything came together. I just love when stories are all wrapped up in a pretty bow for the reader. I've never been scared to ride elevators, but it certainly makes me rethink before I step into one who I may be stuck with in the event of something malfunctioning. I wouldn't want to be stuck with either of these characters! For a first debut novel, I say it was pretty good. Full of twists and turn at the end, making it worth the read. I would certainly read more by this author without hesitation!

Two women become stuck in an elevator, but as the shock and fear set in, they tell each other about their personal lives as well as secrets, but soon they will discover that their lives are interwined and there will be more emotions in the mix.

This novel is written with dual timelines of the past and present as well as multiple points of view between the two main characters of Cerys and Maeve.

I struggled a little at the beginning as I was trying to find the voice of the main characters and got a little confused, but I am glad I kept going as this turned into a narrative with twists I did not see coming.

So advise to other readers, keep going as it will be worth it.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

The story is about two woman in an elevator. One of them knows what the other one did....
Only one will get out??

I found it too much back and forth between past and present. You have to really pay attention or you will miss something. I finished the book but had a hard time. I found it slow at times.

I'm not too sure how I would react to getting caught in an elevator. The elevator suddenly stopping and no idea how long you will be waiting to be rescued.
Would I remain calm, would I panic, I honestly don't know. It hasn't happened to me yet in my life. I'd like to think I'd stay reasonably calm but you never know how you react in certain situations.
We meet two women in this story. Two women whose day is about to get a whole lot worse.
Both on their way with their own agenda's and suddenly the elevator they just stepped in to stops with no sign of movement.
With limited knowledge of what to do and limited water supplies, these two women must work together to keep each others spirits up while they wait for help.
Soon they begin to see each other in a different light and the way the story is told from a number of different points of view gives us a great insight in to the lives of both characters.
We can feel the tension and know that these two women know more about each other than they even realise.
Jealousy, envy and revenge are paramount to this story and at times I could almost feel my hand cover my eyes and half read it between my fingers.
I enjoyed her characters particularly Maeve. She seemed to want it all and not take responsibility for any of her actions.
Plenty of surprises and twists along the way for the reader to enjoy..
A great read...

🎉Book Tour🎉
Thank you Bookouture and author Claire Cooper for having me on your book tour.

The Elevator
By: Claire Cooper

It’s clear from the beginning two women are trapped in an elevator. Is this planned or an accident?

This novel alternates between the past and present and you need to pay close attention. We also know someone will live and someone will die.

Thank you Bookouture, Netgalley and author Claire Cooper for advanced copy which is out August 25th.

#theelevator, #clairecooper, #bookreview, #bookouture, #booksconnectus, #bookstagram

Wow ! What twisty thrilling read this was. Getting stuck in an elevator would be one of my worst nightmares. So reading this book actually made me feel quite claustrophobic and that was from just reading it. I could actually imagine being in the elevator so well did the author describe everything. There’s a lot going on in the book and I did have to read back a few times to get it all straight in my head. Over all a very good read, 4⭐️

📖 The Elevator by: Claire Cooper | 📅 Pub Day: OUT NOW!!!

Boy, or boy was this a tense one! Ever since I got stuck in an elevator in college, I’m always slightly apprehensive to get into an elevator so this read was extra psychologically thrilling!

Perfect for readers who like:
✨Tense and claustrophobic reads
✨Revenge plots
✨Dual POVs
✨Unassumingly sinister characters🐍
✨Dual timelines

This was another read that leaves you asking more questions than you’ve ever had, before you start getting answers (which I’m definitely getting more fond of, because it’s much better than guessing all the plot twists from the get go). By the end it all pays off. Overall this was a solid well crafted thriller, that will have you flipping the pages feverishly to see what will happen next!

3.75⭐️

Special thanks to @Bookoture and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book on its publication date.

Told from more than one perspectives, the elevator does jump back and forth a lot. Not the gripping read I was hoping for but overall an okay read.

Had a LOT of high hopes for this one! I felt very lost throughout the entire novel. I believe that it was the way it was written, the alternating POVs possibly that did this. I wish I could recommend this one!

Cerys works as the HR Director in the New York office of a large company. Maeve has come to the office to see someone and managed to get past the guard and sneak through. Both women get on the elevator for the 26th floor when it suddenly stops. It’s a very hot day and they are unable to communicate with the camera or the emergency phone. They are stuck.

As these women start to talk, their fear makes them release secrets from their past. The more they talk, the more they realize their lives have crossed in the past in devastating ways. Now, there is anger and fear and they are afraid someone is going to get hurt.

This book was compelling but as bits and pieces are revealed, it’s like a huge jigsaw puzzle coming together. Getting there was rather like swimming in a pool of Jello - not easy. But I stuck it out and I’m glad I did. Such a tense and scary book and this author is very good. Don’t miss it!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

As Cerys and Maeve ascend to the 26th floor of Pearl Associates offices, the elevator jolts to a halt and they find themselves trapped and suspended, unable to fulfill their days' plans and intentions. As the hours dwindle, the two women find themselves sharing their stories with each other, their past regrets and their secrets. As the stories unravel, the tangle of their experiences come into focus. There's nowhere to hide in an Elevator, not from their pasts and not from each other.

This dual narrative story moves from past to present and between the viewpoints of both Cerys and Maeve. Each of the characters are hiding their true selves, experiences from their pasts making them cautious of their futures. Both elicit sympathy from the reader, and as we are carefully and cleverly fed the circumstances of their past, I felt gripped and invested in them both. The revelations throughout are impressively timed and I couldn't out this book down.

Thank you to author Claire Cooper, Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.

The Elevator by Claire Cooper will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.
The author's writing was great, and I never found myself bored with detail. There was never a dull moment with the main thread of the plot.
A very well written and gripping novel by Claire Cooper.
The vivid descriptions fitted the settings perfectly.
The characters, the storyline, it all worked so well together.
This was an enjoyable read for me, and I do plan on reading more from this author in the future.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing
eARC!