The Girl on Floor 29

by D E White

A BRAND NEW heart-pounding, high-concept locked-room thriller from bestselling author DE White, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.😮👀⚡ Everyone is trapped. Someone is lying. A luxury hotel in the heart of London. A routine journey to the twenty-ninth floor. Then the lift shudders… and stops.

Inside, six strangers are trapped, cut off from the outside world. Their only link to safety is a calm, reassuring female voice over the intercom. A woman they can’t see. A woman who knows more than she should.

Lift engineer Ellie Mason expects nothing more than a routine call-out. Three years after escaping a toxic relationship, she’s rebuilt her life around her young son, determined to keep her past buried.

But as the situation escalates, Ellie becomes the prime suspect in a major incident that threatens to turn catastrophic. With time running out and suspicion closing in, she must confront the truth she’s been running from.

Because if Ellie fails, six people will die.

Taut, claustrophobic and impossible to put down, this high-concept thriller will keep you holding your breath until the very last floor drops.

Genres: Thriller

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 11, 2026

Reviews

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping story which grabbed me straight away. Very intense and I didn't guess the outcome at all. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yikes! I may never go on an elevator again! This is a chilling and engrossing book about Ellie, a young engineer who works for lift maintenance in a posh hotel. But this time somehow the lift has gotten stuck between two floors and she can't quite figure out what happened or how to fix it. But apparently her past has caught up to her as she has secrets that she worries will be uncovered. It's a tense thriller that kept my blood boiling!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Janna (Bibliophile Mom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl on Floor 29 is an intense, one‑day, pulse‑pounding read that delivers far more than a standard locked‑room thriller. What begins as a terrifying elevator malfunction quickly unravels into a story full of heart‑stopping moments, devastating truths, and life‑altering revelations. It’s painful, tragic, and unexpectedly devastating.

Told through alternating narratives, the story moves between the six adults trapped inside the lift and the engineer‑survivor fighting to save them while running from her own monsters. This structure keeps the tension razor‑sharp while slowly peeling back each character’s hidden layers.

Each character brings a different emotional temperature to the narrative, creating a claustrophobic but compelling mix of fear, guilt, hope, and desperation.

What Worked Well
* First‑person narration
* Locked‑room trope
* Fast pacing

What Hit Too Hard
* A betrayal that shatters
* Overwhelming tragedy
* Act of terrorism

Breakdown:
• Setting: 3⭐️
• Characters: 4⭐️
• Writing: 4⭐️
• Message: 3⭐️
• Overall: 4⭐️

Final Thoughts:
Overall, The Girl on Floor 29 is a gripping, emotionally charged thriller that’s perfect for a long weekend binge. The premise is strong, the pacing relentless, and the characters memorable in their own flawed, fragile ways. Even with the heartbreak and tragedy, it’s a story that stays with you long after the final page.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and author DE White for my advance copy.

~ JaNnA ~

[VickydpBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A high‑concept locked‑room thriller set in a swanky London hotel: seven strangers get trapped in a lift heading for floor 29, with only a calm, knowing voice over the intercom guiding them.

Lift engineer Ellie Mason fresh from escaping an abusive ex and focused on her young son becomes the prime suspect as tensions spike, secrets unravel, and a deadly countdown begins.

Tense, twisty and claustrophobic, with shifting alliances and hidden agendas that keep you guessing.

Heart‑pounding standalone suspense perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.

[Cin (cinsnextchapter) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl on Floor 29 was not quite what I initially expected from the cover, but I was pleasantly surprised! Ellie must deal with the guilt over a tragic event from her past while simultaneously facing the anxiety and responsibility of what is currently unfolding. Will everyone make it out of the elevator? Fast-paced and tense throughout, this high-stakes locked-room mystery was a quick and fun read!

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl On Floor 29 is an intense, high stakes, locked-hotel thriller that will keep you in suspense!

A fancy hotel in London is running peacefully on its day-to-day activities. When a group of six strangers get stuck on the elevator, engineer Ellie Mason is called in. Will she be able to get them out just in time to prove her innocence?
These strangers have many secrets and someone wants revenge.

This was a tense, claustrophobic fast-paced read that had me from the start. I enjoyed learning about each person stuck in the elevator and ones pulling the strings on the outside. Ellie's back story was interesting and tied in well with the present. My favorite character was Lindsey. This book gave us lies, secrets, shady characters and the dread that comes with being stuck in an elevator. An exhilarating read!

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seven hotel guests are trapped in a lift. This possibly happens more often than we think, only this time, there’s more to it than meets the eye. It’s a classic locked room scenario although which does create a certain element of tension. As life engineer Ellie tries to rescue them, it soon becomes clear there are other external forces at work. Threats, secrets and lies soon work their way to the surface as Ellie races agains time to save the guests. Whilst I did enjoy this book I felt the tension sometimes waned and I wasn’t a massive fan of the ending. However I was drawn into the plot so would rate it 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to review.

[Chapters_with_VDKeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y’all, this one had me side-eyeing every elevator I passed. 😳🛗

When seven strangers become trapped in a luxury London hotel elevator lift engineer Ellie Mason is pulled into a nightmare filled with secrets, suspicion, and danger.

The tension is tighter than a jar lid your grandma swears is “already loose.” The claustrophobic atmosphere, fast pacing, and nonstop twists kept me hooked from start to finish. Ellie is easy to root for, and her personal struggles add depth to the chaos.

Not every twist landed perfectly for me, but this was still a fun, addictive locked-room thriller packed with pressure, paranoia, and plenty of surprises. 🔥

Thanks to #NetGalley, D.E. White and #BoldwoodBooks for a copy of The Girl on Floor 29 for my honest, voluntary review.

[Karen Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A locked-room style mystery with seven people trapped in a lift and the woman sent to rescue them accused of holding them hostage.
From the outset we know there’s something behind this, but it takes a while to piece everything together. There’s a number of the characters who appear to be keeping secrets, but some of them are very much glossed over.
We spend time in the company of the people caught up in this event. We also get to see what’s happening in the minds of Ellie, the woman tasked with trying to free them, and the man behind the plan.
Naturally there’s a quite straightforward reason to explain this, but I liked the potential for it to. E quite a different story.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it started off well but it trailed off toward the last half and we had too many characters to follow where they didn’t really get as much depth as I would like.

The concept was good but lacked in execution slightly for me

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Girl on Floor 29
Author: D. E. White
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Genre: Psychological Domestic Thriller
Pub Date: June 11, 2026
My Rating:4 Stars
Pages: 286

Six strangers are staying at ’The Cordelia’, a luxury hotel in the heart of London. It is 5am and they along with Lindsey one of the Housekeeper enter an elevator heading to floor 29. As the elevator nears its destination it suddenly shudders… and stops.

They are cut off from the outside world. Their only link and hoped of getting off the elevator safely is to follow the calm, reassuring instruction a female voice offers via the intercom.
Hmm she somehow seems to know more than she should.

Ellie Mason is an engineer and has the responsibility of the elevator. She was just at the hotel a few days ago so is expecting nothing more than a routine call-out.

As Ellie investigates if it is an electrical or mechanical issue, the situation escalates. Those in the elevator are actually being held hostage in a terrorist bomb threat. Ellie gets a message that she can save these people but needs to hurry. Then she see the addition of… ‘for Alex’s sake’.

For three years Ellie has rebuilt her life around her young son Alex after escaping a toxic relationship. She has been determined to keep her past buried.

However, right now she seems to be a suspect and not a victim.
Story takes us into the elevator and how the passengers are coping as well as some who are not doing well. Lindsey suggests that they take turns using the flashlight (torch) on their mobile phones. Additional she is helpful in that she has her cart is provides towels etc….

Story is told from the POV of several including some trapped: Lindsey, Owen, and Grace and Michael Smithson, as well as from Ellie, Jace, and Nate (Lindsey boyfriend) .
Each character has a different emotion, some share the same such as fear but there is claustrophobic, hope, and desperation. Ellie, of course, is trying to save them while trying to deal with the monster she has been trying to escape.

The story was somewhat on the slow side which added to my dread. I was sure it was going to end okay, but I also was fearful that everyone was not going to be make it or be okay.
Story had a surprising twist that I should but didn’t expect!
I also enjoyed reading the Acknowledgements.

This was my first D.E. White and she states Book Number 27 will be out December 1 and Yes! I am looking forward to it!

Want to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Publishing for granting me this eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 11, 2026

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Girl on Floor 29 is a tense, claustrophobic thriller that takes a simple but terrifying premise—a lift stuck between floors—and transforms it into a gripping, high-stakes psychological mystery that kept me turning the pages. I could not put this book down.

D.E. White expertly creates an atmosphere of escalating dread from the very first chapter. The confined setting of the luxury London hotel lift becomes a pressure cooker as six strangers find themselves trapped together, unsure who they can trust. The author does an excellent job of exploring the group dynamics, with suspicion, fear, and hidden secrets bubbling to the surface as the situation grows increasingly dangerous.

What really elevates the story is Ellie Mason. Far from being a flawless heroine, Ellie is a complex and relatable character carrying emotional baggage from a difficult past. Her personal struggles add depth to the narrative and provide an emotional anchor amid the suspense. As she becomes entangled in the crisis and finds herself under suspicion, her determination to protect both the trapped passengers and her own future makes her easy to root for.

The mystery itself is cleverly constructed. The unseen woman on the intercom adds an eerie and unsettling element throughout the novel, and the author skillfully drip-feeds information to keep readers guessing. There were several twists that genuinely surprised me, and while I managed to piece together parts of the puzzle before the reveal, there were enough unexpected turns to maintain the tension right through to the climax.

The pacing is one of the book’s greatest strengths. The short chapters and constant sense of urgency make it incredibly easy to keep reading “just one more chapter.” The locked-room concept is executed well, creating a suffocating atmosphere that perfectly suits the story.

The reason this isn’t quite a five-star read for me is that some of the secondary characters felt less developed than I would have liked. With six people trapped together, there was an opportunity to delve deeper into a few of their backstories and motivations. Additionally, some aspects of the final reveal required a little suspension of disbelief.

That said, these are minor criticisms in what is otherwise a highly entertaining and addictive thriller. Fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and fast-paced locked-room mysteries will find plenty to enjoy here. It’s suspenseful, cleverly plotted, and packed with enough twists to keep readers hooked until the very last page.

[Bo.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A claustrophobic, high-stakes setup makes The Girl on Floor 29 by D.E. White easy to get into, though it didn’t quite land the way I’d hoped.

Set in a London hotel, things kick off with seven strangers trapped in a stalled lift, cut off from help as tension and suspicion start to build. A routine call-out for lift engineer Ellie Mason soon becomes something far more serious, with threats, secrets, and the growing sense that someone is deliberately pulling the strings.

A locked-room thriller in an elevator is a strong setup, and there’s a constant sense of confinement and unease as the situation escalates. The ticking clock element and potential bomb threat raise the stakes, and the idea that someone inside the lift or watching from outside might be responsible keeps suspicion hanging over everything.

The pacing, however, was hit or miss for me. For a situation that should feel frantic and panic-driven, some of the lift scenes lacked urgency and didn’t fully deliver that heart-pounding tension. A few perspectives were much stronger than others, and some sections slowed the momentum instead of building it, which took me out of the story at times.

The multiple POVs still give insight into both the passengers and Ellie’s perspective on the outside, and I liked how the characters’ backstories gradually hinted at deeper connections between them. It added an extra layer of intrigue, even if not all of it felt equally developed.

While it didn’t quite have the grip I wanted, it’s still a solid, suspenseful read with a great concept and worth picking up if you enjoy multi-POV survival thrillers.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl on Floor 29 is a taut, breath‑tightening thriller that traps you in its grip from the moment the lift doors close. DE White takes a simple premise — seven strangers stuck between floors in a luxury London hotel — and turns it into a claustrophobic, high‑stakes nightmare where every voice, every silence, every flicker of panic matters.

Ellie Mason, a lift engineer rebuilding her life after escaping a toxic relationship, expects nothing more than a routine call‑out. Instead, she walks straight into a disaster spiralling far beyond mechanical failure. The trapped passengers grow restless, the situation escalates, and the calm, reassuring voice over the intercom begins to feel… wrong. Too knowing. Too controlled.

As suspicion shifts and the pressure mounts, Ellie finds herself thrust into the centre of a major incident she never asked for — and suddenly her past, the one she’s fought so hard to bury, becomes a weapon that could destroy her. The tension is beautifully handled: tight, breathless, and threaded with that creeping dread of being watched, judged, blamed.

The alternating perspectives — the trapped strangers, Ellie on the outside, the unseen threat tightening its hold — create a rhythm that keeps you turning pages long after you meant to stop. And as the truth drops floor by floor, the story becomes not just a locked‑room thriller, but a reckoning.

A sharp, claustrophobic, pulse‑quickening read that delivers exactly what it promises: a high‑concept thriller that keeps you holding your breath until the final floor gives way.

With thanks to DE White, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Ivy Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big thanks to Boldwood Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

The story revolves around seven strangers who are trapped in an elevator at Hotel Cordelia with no way of communicating with the outside world. The only person who can talk to them through the intercom is Ellie, who's an elevator technician with a tragedy in her past that killed five people, including her fiancé, and left her both feeling and being considered guilty. The cyber attackers, acting with revenge in mind, give Ellie a very limited time to save the people in the elevator. As hours pass by, the reader witnesses not only Ellie's race against time but also a closer look at the people in the elevator and the very different paths they each have been walking in life.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read with a smooth and accessible writing style that made the story easy to get into. However, for such a high-stakes psychological thriller with a life-threatening, claustrophobic setting, whose mere idea terrifies me, the tension did not rise as high as I predicted. Some of the technical steps Ellie was taking were described in intricate detail, and made me disconnect from the tension of the situation at times. That being said, I loved taking a peek into the characters' lives and individual backgrounds, which were developed masterfully to reflect on a social issue each. The characters' connections to social and domestic issues are what made the book memorable for me.

Since this was a quick, easy, and overall enjoyable read, I would highly recommend it to psychological thriller readers who are chasing high stakes at all times.

[Rachel Sargeant]

How many of us have a fear of getting trapped in a lift? Me for one, so D.E. White had me nervously hooked from the premise.
As elevators go, this one, in a London hotel, is quite spacious. But with seven people trapped inside, it soon becomes claustrophobic and, as the time lengthens, panic-inducing.
The author does a great job of engaging the reader with chapters from each character. We learn something of their lives, backstories, motivations and, in some cases, secrets.
There’s Lyndsey, a hotel cleaner who’s escaped an abusive marriage and now thinks her new boyfriend is losing interest. Her housekeeping cart keeps the others in bottled water and towels.
Jace is a good-looking Division Two footballer, who’s keeping a devastating secret.
Grace and Michael are a well-off couple in their fifties who don’t let the inconvenience of being in the lift interrupt their latest argument.
Simon is trapped with his two-year-old son, Cooper. His sole aim is to keep the child entertained.
Owen, who was en route from the hotel spa to his bedroom, wearing only a towel, had very specific plans for the day, plans that are now badly disrupted.

Two other viewpoint characters are: Ellie, the lift engineer summoned to the building to fix the problem; and a remote operator, who is controlling not only the lift but also all of the hotel’s communications systems. He aims to manipulate Ellie and cause carnage.
This is a tense and characterful thriller. An easy page-turner with the heart-belting pace of a disaster movie. I really enjoyed it
This is an independent review of an early copy. I thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to read it.

[Andrea Hulme · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise for this book was really good. A claustrophobic, locked in thriller that sounded great and started off well. Set in hotel in London, 6 hotel guests and 1 member for hotel staff end up getting stuck in a lift. The stuff of nightmares. It should be a straightforward call-out for lift engineer, Ellie, but there is so much more at play here and this is teased out through the course of the book. Someone watching from the outside and controlling the situation should be as scary as anything.

It is tricky to know how to review this as it felt like it should have been a high octane, pulse pounding thriller. The scenario is one that really caught my attention. I usually avoid lifts, if I can and this definitely makes me want to take the stairs. It jut felt a bit flat and maybe a bit disjointed. There was a lot of action at the start of the book, but then it seemed to drift a bit. I found there were times where there didn't seem to be a lot happening. But at the same time in some bits there was a lot going on. But there was a lack of urgency.

The story is told through multiple POVs. I usually like this and it did give us an insight into all of the characters but some were more developed than others and some didn't seem to add very much to the story. The people trapped inside the lift seemed far too calm. There was some tension but I think I wanted more drama and more sense that this was a life threatening situation.

Overall it was an okay read for me.

Thank you to Boldwood and NetGalley for the chance to read this eARC.

[Suesyn Zellmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seven people are stuck in an elevator, and it’s up to one engineer to save them. Except she’s also the one being framed as the cause of the incident that trapped the elevator. A tragedy in her past upset many people, and she fears someone is taking revenge; she needs to get the people out to safety before something even worse happens.

The implausibility of the situation aside, I couldn’t really get into this story. Except for the main conflict, there really isn’t any at all. Seven strangers, including one baby, are trapped for hours, yet everyone gets along great with no arguing or conflict. Only the married couple bickers, and that stops early on. Even the celebrity soccer player is just a normal, nice guy. Even the perpetrator (whose perspective we see for part of the narrative) isn’t as sinister and evil as it would take someone to be to even consider being involved.

The blurb made it seem like there’s a big secret that Ellie (or someone) is lying about, but there isn’t. She’s always taken accountability for the tragedy in the past, even though it wasn’t really her fault! That’s no spoiler, as soon as we get the story of what happened (which takes half of the book to get to), it’s completely obvious that it wasn’t her fault. So I just can’t see anyone being angry and planning revenge years later.

My thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free advanced reading copy of this book.

[Stephen Clynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl on Floor 29 is a British psychological thriller, set in a high rise, multi-storey hotel in London. Suddenly the lift stops and 7 people are trapped inside. Ellie Mason is the lift engineer called out to this breakdown and she becomes “The Girl on Floor 29”. Is this a routine jammed lift call-out or is something sinister at play?

I enjoyed reading The Girl on Floor 29 which has tension running from the first page. I loved the linear time frame and the whole story took place within 5 hours. Character development of Ellie Mason and the 7 people trapped in the lift was great, making the reader wonder if the breakdown was accidental/random or whether any one of them could have a hidden agenda.

I liked how many, many possibilities were fully explored as the story progressed with many twists and doubts along the way. Then the story moved away from the psychological aspect into action and thrills sequences, which I did not enjoy reading as much. It then became a quite regular rescue story. I liked the ending and felt the characters deserved what was coming to them.

I have not read any of the author’s books before and this is her 26th - so she is clearly doing things right. I like the clarity and quality of her writing. I consider The Girl on Floor 29 to be a GOOD 4 star read and I will be open to reading another book from her in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Boldwood Books for passing me an ARC on the understanding that I post a review.

[Mary Carbajosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl On Floor 29 is the first book I’ve read by this author and the premise of a locked-room thriller drew me in immediately. It started off as a gripping slow burn where you are never quite sure who or what to trust, and I enjoyed getting to know all the characters, however I felt I wanted a bit more from this story and unfortunately the final resolution was slightly anti-climactic after some really effective tension building.

In this book we meet seven strangers who are trapped inside a lift in the luxurious 5 star London hotel, The Cordelia. Ellie Mason, a lift engineer is called to a routine call-out, but as the situation escalates she becomes the prime suspect in a major incident.

Everyone is trapped. Someone is lying.

There’s a great mix of characters within this story, each offering the reader something different to focus on. I found them to be relatable and their fear felt claustrophobic and intense. I also enjoyed the switch in narratives, putting you right at the centre of the action, and the unknown narrator added suspense.

Overall, this book has most of the qualities of a great thriller - good pace, believable protagonists and a credible plot , but it lacked the killer punch to make it a stand out thriller for me. It’s not a bad book and it definitely has some gripping moments, it just didn’t hit the way I expected. 3.5 stars 🌟 rounded up.

Many thanks to @netgalley and @boldwoodbooks for the ARC.

[Mihaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and author DE White for the ARC.

Actual rating: 4.25 ⭐️

A brilliant read that keeps you wondering what will happen next. While it happens over the course of a few hours, it feels like we are stuck with the characters inside the elevator and that time moves at a snail's pace.

There could've been a few less details that add up to nothing, or even a chapter that was not needed, in my opinion, and could've been described in a few sentences throughout the book. Loved the fact that we had chapters from everyone's point of view, letting us know how they think and act as their own people.

The claustrophobia of being stuck in a small space with other people, not knowing what's happening outside that small space, is maddening. And you feel it with every page you read, gnawing at your imaginary nails as you try to think about how they can get out of their situation.

You go between characters enough to learn about them, what might tie them to their entrapment, and you get attached and wish all of them could escape. And the bond they create while inside makes them go from strangers to friends that might've never interacted unless for the trauma bond between them.

It is a great, quick-read with enough tension to keep your attention hooked.

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to D.E. White, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books for the copy of The Girl on Floor 29 in exchange for an honest review.

Let me just say this: if elevators were on my “manageable fears” list before… they have now been promoted to full-blown villains. This book didn’t just push the panic button—it ripped it off the wall.

From the jump, this story traps you in that claustrophobic, sweaty-palms, “is the air getting thinner or is it just me?” kind of tension. It’s quick, it moves fast, and it absolutely leans into that survival-mode energy. You know the vibe: we either make it out of here alive… or we don’t. No in-between. No chill.

Now, was it perfect? No. Some moments felt a little rushed, and I wanted just a bit more depth to really sink my teeth into. But as a fast-paced, anxiety-fueled ride? Oh, it delivers. This is the kind of book you read in one sitting while side-eyeing every elevator you’ve ever trusted.

Sassy Take:
This book said “you like small spaces?” and then slammed the doors shut and cut the lights.

Final Verdict:
3 ⭐ — A tense, quick thriller that cranks your fears all the way up. Not flawless, but definitely worth the ride… even if you’ll be taking the stairs afterward.

[The Chapter Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Girl on Floor 29 by D.E. White follows Ellie, an elevator engineer and mother rebuilding her life after a toxic relationship that ended in disaster. When called to what should be a routine service visit at The Cordelia, a luxury hotel in London, she arrives to find an elevator stuck with seven passengers inside and seemingly no reason for the malfunction. Then, because it’s a thriller and things always have to get worse, Ellie suddenly finds herself the prime suspect in what could become a catastrophic incident.

Told through multiple POVs over the course of several tense hours trapped inside the elevator, this was definitely a unique premise. I’ve never read a thriller centered around an elevator engineer before, which made it especially fun for me since both my stepdad and my children’s father are elevator mechanics.

While I loved the concept, this one ultimately fell a bit flat for me. I wanted more depth and dimensionality from the characters, but most of them felt fairly forgettable. That said, it’s a very short and fast-paced read, making it a good choice if you’re looking for an easy locked-room thriller or trying to boost your reading count for the month.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inside, six strangers are trapped, cut off from the outside world. The only link to safety is a calm, reassuring female voice over the intercom. A woman they can't see. A woman who knows more than she should.

Lift engineer Ellie Mason expects nothing more than a routine call-out. Three years after escaping a toxic relationship, she rebuilt her life around her young son, determined to keep her past buried. But as the situation escalates, Ellie becomes the prime suspect in a major incident that threatens to turn catastrophic. With time running out and suspicion closing in, she must confront the truth she's been running from. Because if Ellie fails, six people will die.

An elevator breakdown quickly turns into a high-stakes locked-room story. It's told through multiple points of view over several hours, it's quite a claustrophobic read, and the pace is steady. Thankfully, it has not put me off going in lifts.

Published 11th June 2026

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #DEWhite for my ARC of #TheGirlOnFkoor29 in exchange for an honest review.

[Claire - TheBookendReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A stalled lift, seven strangers, and a situation that quickly becomes far more dangerous than it first appears.

The Girl on Floor 29 has such a strong locked-room premise — I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a hotel lift trapping its passengers while tensions slowly build and secrets begin to surface. With Ellie, a lift engineer, trying to work out what’s going on from the outside, there’s a constant sense that something more sinister is at play.

The concept is definitely the strongest part for me, and I liked the claustrophobic setting and shifting POVs as we got insight into both the passengers and Ellie’s perspective. There’s a good foundation of tension and mystery, especially as backstories start to hint at how connected everyone might be.

However, the pacing was a bit uneven for me. Some sections felt like they lost momentum when I expected things to ramp up, which meant the tension didn’t always land as strongly as I’d hoped for such a high-stakes setup.

Overall, a solid and intriguing locked-room thriller with a great concept, even if it didn’t fully grip me throughout.

[Meg Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

D.E. White absolutely nailed the claustrophobic tension in The Girl on Floor 29. The premise alone had me hooked — seven strangers trapped in a hotel elevator while lift engineer Ellie races against time to save them — but the execution made it impossible to put down.

The locked-room atmosphere was so intense and unsettling, and the multiple POVs added even more suspense as secrets, fears, and hidden connections slowly came to light. I loved how the story balanced the panic inside the lift with Ellie’s own emotional struggles outside of it. Her backstory gave the thriller an extra emotional layer that made me even more invested in what would happen.

The pacing kept me flying through chapters with that constant “just one more chapter” feeling, and the twists kept me second-guessing everyone. The setting made everything feel so claustrophobic and high-stakes, and honestly… I may avoid elevators for a while after reading this.

A tense, fast-paced, and addictive thriller that locked me in from the very first chapter.

[Julie Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this book should come with a warning - don't get into it unless you're prepared to stay until the very end. I don't know what I was expecting but not this.

It started off so lightly with a bit on insight into two women's lives and then BAM! Everything shifted and the whole plot was literally hanging in the air (in a form of a suspended elevator), and every action could be final...

This isn't just a thriller. This is a very high tension plot that basically will make you forget how to breathe between certain chapters. And then sigh a relief when it's finally over.

I think it's a real gem for those readers who cherish high stakes situations that unravel over a few hours, not days or weeks. Every minute in this book counts, or else someone (or more than one person) could die.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

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[TJ Wynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually enjoy a well-executed locked-door thriller, so I went into The Girl on Floor 29 by D. E. White with high expectations. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite land for me.

The pacing felt uneven, which made it harder to stay fully engaged as the story unfolded. I also struggled with the central premise, particularly the way Ellie’s situation was framed. It was difficult for me to fully buy into the extent of what happens to her, especially given that so much of the conflict hinges on something that ultimately wasn’t her fault.

That said, this may come down to personal taste. I’ve read several revenge-driven thrillers recently, and it’s possible I’m feeling a bit fatigued by the trope, which may have impacted my experience here.

While this one didn’t work for me, I can see how it might appeal to readers who enjoy character-driven suspense with a heavy focus on consequences and moral gray areas. Many thanks to D.E. White, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Mya Joan Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I really enjoyed the story itself and found it easy to get invested in what was happening from the very beginning. The mystery and tension kept me turning the pages, but what stood out the most to me were the characters. They all felt important to the story in their own way, and I loved watching their relationships grow and change throughout the book.
One of my favorite parts was how, after everything they went through, everyone came together in the end to support and be there for each other. It gave the story a really emotional and heartfelt ending that I appreciated a lot. Seeing the characters put aside their differences and lean on one another made the ending feel satisfying and meaningful.
There were a few moments where the pacing felt a little slow for me, which is why this wasn’t a higher rating, but overall I still had a great time reading it. The mix of suspense, emotion, and character relationships made this a memorable read, and I’m glad I picked it up.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Girl on Floor 29 by D. E. White is a fast-paced thriller centered around seven people trapped inside the elevator of a high-end hotel. With communication cut off, they have no choice but to put their lives in the hands of Ellie, an elevator engineer, and hope she can rescue them before it’s too late.

This book was tense, claustrophobic, and at times-heart pounding. I really enjoyed the multiple points of view and how each character’s backstory added depth to the story. Learning more about each person helped me feel connected to the characters and understand their reactions throughout the ordeal.

That said, there were moments where the extra details slowed the pacing and pulled me away from the tension of the main storyline, making it a little harder to stay fully invested at times. Even so, the fast pace and suspense kept me turning the pages to see how everything would unfold.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.