The Cage

At the start of this exciting psychological thriller from Kistler (House on Fire), Shay Lambert, a lawyer at Claudine de Martineau International, and Lucy Barton-Jones, the company’s HR director, get on an elevator in the fashion conglomerate’s administrative headquarters in White Plains, N.Y. A power outage stalls the elevator in mid-descent. Shay’s frantic calls from a cell phone that’s losing power suggest that Lucy is having a panic attack. When the elevator arrives at the lobby, Lucy is dead of a gunshot wound, the gun still in her hands. With only two people stuck in a dark elevator, Lucy’s death is either homicide—or suicide, as Shay insists. The police lean toward suicide, until the firm’s executives show evidence implicating Shay. The executives fear Lucy left incriminating paperwork about their nefarious business practices; charging Shay gives them the chance to bury the documents. Each detail of Shay’s life becomes fodder for suspicion, even the most innocent action. The suspenseful plot careens among various surprising twists toward a satisfying finale as Shay attempts to clear herself and expose the executives. Kistler is a writer to watch. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, JVNLA Literary. (Feb.)