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The Thirteenth Button: The children go up. They never come down.
In the city’s most exclusive high-rise, the rent is astronomical. The price for leaving is even higher.
When Maya accepts a nanny job at the prestigious Varandas Building, it feels like a generous pay, perfect views, and a charming little boy who loves puzzles. There’s only one rule—the children are not allowed to play in the hallways.
Then a child from another floor disappears without a trace, and Maya begins to notice the building itself watching her. Cameras blink when no one is there. The elevator moves on its own. And in the control panel, she sees something that shouldn’t exist—a button for a thirteenth floor.
The higher she climbs, the deeper she descends into a secret built from silence, surveillance, and fear.
The children go up. They never come down.
A haunting, fast-paced supernatural thriller for fans of Riley Sager and Simone St. James—The Thirteenth Button will leave you breathless… if you dare to press the button.
When Maya accepts a nanny job at the prestigious Varandas Building, it feels like a generous pay, perfect views, and a charming little boy who loves puzzles. There’s only one rule—the children are not allowed to play in the hallways.
Then a child from another floor disappears without a trace, and Maya begins to notice the building itself watching her. Cameras blink when no one is there. The elevator moves on its own. And in the control panel, she sees something that shouldn’t exist—a button for a thirteenth floor.
The higher she climbs, the deeper she descends into a secret built from silence, surveillance, and fear.
The children go up. They never come down.
A haunting, fast-paced supernatural thriller for fans of Riley Sager and Simone St. James—The Thirteenth Button will leave you breathless… if you dare to press the button.
109 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2025
1 person want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 25, 2025
Welcome to the Varandas Building, Where Trauma Pays Rent
Congratulations, you’ve stumbled into a haunted high-rise horror mystery that’s basically The Shining had a weird baby with The Platform and raised it in Black Mirror’s basement. The Thirteenth Button doesn’t ask if the elevator goes to hell—it just quietly presses the button for you and watches.
This book grabbed me by the throat with a nanny job interview and said, “Try not to scream.” We meet Maya, a guilt-ridden nursing school dropout turned babysitter, who applies for a position in a building where the floors lie, the elevators gaslight, and the doormen log disappearances like they’re Amazon packages. Honestly, the job should’ve come with a panic button and an NDA written in blood.
Maya, despite her trauma, is one of the most quietly badass heroines I’ve read this year. She’s not a final girl. She’s a final problem. And the building? It’s the villain you never see, but always feel breathing down your neck. A masterclass in atmospheric dread. This thing catalogues souls like it’s working on a midnight census.
The children disappear. The walls breathe. The silence is paid for in secrets.
And my sick, twisted little heart loved every second of it.
What Works:
• That prologue? I want it printed, laminated, and passed out at horror writing workshops. The pacing was knife-sharp, the vibe was unsettling, and Mrs. Nair deserves hazard pay and a hug.
• The concept of the 13th floor being real but hidden? A big, delicious YES.
• Maya’s notebook entries? Iconic. She journaled through her descent into hell and still made room for a to-do list. Love a girl with goals.
• Lucas. That creepy-serious kid drew puzzles that made Saw look like a Highlights magazine and somehow managed to be sweet. I’d die for him. He’d draw it.
What Could Have Been More:
• Look, if you’re coming here for romance or spice, take the emergency exit. This ain’t that. This book is so celibate it makes nuns look flirty.
• A couple of the side characters (especially the building management types) veered into villain exposition theater. I got what they were saying, but did they have to say it like rejected Bond villains?
Bonus Points:
• “Freezing isn’t cowardice. It’s trauma.”
I actually had to close the book and stare at a wall for a second. That line lives in my brain rent-free and has redecorated.
• “Some puzzles don’t have solutions. Just patterns.”
That’s it. That’s the whole existential thesis of this story. Are you screaming yet? Because I was.
Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5
Scare Factor: 4.9 / 5
Pacing: Slow burn thriller, full grip by chapter 3
Triggers: Child endangerment, surveillance, implied blackmail, gaslighting, emotional trauma, missing persons, grief (sibling loss), psychological manipulation, isolation
Final Thoughts
If you’re into slow-burn psychological horror with zero hand-holding, a female lead who doesn’t flinch, and a haunted building that’s less ghost and more corporate trauma hive, The Thirteenth Button will absolutely ruin your ability to get in an elevator without checking for hidden buttons.
And honestly? You deserve that paranoia.
File under:
• Female main characters who don’t need saving
• Horror that doesn’t rely on gore
• Mystery solved by vibes, trauma, and notebooks
• Elevators that absolutely need therapy
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking the stairs for the rest of my life.
Congratulations, you’ve stumbled into a haunted high-rise horror mystery that’s basically The Shining had a weird baby with The Platform and raised it in Black Mirror’s basement. The Thirteenth Button doesn’t ask if the elevator goes to hell—it just quietly presses the button for you and watches.
This book grabbed me by the throat with a nanny job interview and said, “Try not to scream.” We meet Maya, a guilt-ridden nursing school dropout turned babysitter, who applies for a position in a building where the floors lie, the elevators gaslight, and the doormen log disappearances like they’re Amazon packages. Honestly, the job should’ve come with a panic button and an NDA written in blood.
Maya, despite her trauma, is one of the most quietly badass heroines I’ve read this year. She’s not a final girl. She’s a final problem. And the building? It’s the villain you never see, but always feel breathing down your neck. A masterclass in atmospheric dread. This thing catalogues souls like it’s working on a midnight census.
The children disappear. The walls breathe. The silence is paid for in secrets.
And my sick, twisted little heart loved every second of it.
What Works:
• That prologue? I want it printed, laminated, and passed out at horror writing workshops. The pacing was knife-sharp, the vibe was unsettling, and Mrs. Nair deserves hazard pay and a hug.
• The concept of the 13th floor being real but hidden? A big, delicious YES.
• Maya’s notebook entries? Iconic. She journaled through her descent into hell and still made room for a to-do list. Love a girl with goals.
• Lucas. That creepy-serious kid drew puzzles that made Saw look like a Highlights magazine and somehow managed to be sweet. I’d die for him. He’d draw it.
What Could Have Been More:
• Look, if you’re coming here for romance or spice, take the emergency exit. This ain’t that. This book is so celibate it makes nuns look flirty.
• A couple of the side characters (especially the building management types) veered into villain exposition theater. I got what they were saying, but did they have to say it like rejected Bond villains?
Bonus Points:
• “Freezing isn’t cowardice. It’s trauma.”
I actually had to close the book and stare at a wall for a second. That line lives in my brain rent-free and has redecorated.
• “Some puzzles don’t have solutions. Just patterns.”
That’s it. That’s the whole existential thesis of this story. Are you screaming yet? Because I was.
Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5
Scare Factor: 4.9 / 5
Pacing: Slow burn thriller, full grip by chapter 3
Triggers: Child endangerment, surveillance, implied blackmail, gaslighting, emotional trauma, missing persons, grief (sibling loss), psychological manipulation, isolation
Final Thoughts
If you’re into slow-burn psychological horror with zero hand-holding, a female lead who doesn’t flinch, and a haunted building that’s less ghost and more corporate trauma hive, The Thirteenth Button will absolutely ruin your ability to get in an elevator without checking for hidden buttons.
And honestly? You deserve that paranoia.
File under:
• Female main characters who don’t need saving
• Horror that doesn’t rely on gore
• Mystery solved by vibes, trauma, and notebooks
• Elevators that absolutely need therapy
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking the stairs for the rest of my life.
December 4, 2025
Different from your normal supernatural/horror stuff out there. Definitely worth checking out as the story line flows smoothly without leaving too many questions. I would love for this to become a series or maybe for an anthology of other buildings and if people are able to find their way or if they freeze.
Quick and entertaining read that worked really well.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Quick and entertaining read that worked really well.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews