Seven Minutes Later

by Bonnie Kistler

Two women walk into a lift. Only one walks out alive.

Lucy is the envy of everyone who knows her. The career she's worked hard for is flying and she always looks perfectly put together with her beautifully styled blonde hair and designer clothes. But nobody knows she's harbouring a dark secret, one that would tear her family apart if it's ever revealed.

Shay is a hardworking young lawyer who's been thrown a lifeline with her new job at Lucy's company after being made redundant. She knows that she looks a little drab; she can't afford to dress any better. But nobody knows that her problems run far deeper than money troubles. Her once perfect marriage has become dark and twisted, and she fears what her husband might do next.

One fateful evening, Lucy and Shay walk into a lift. Seven minutes later, one woman makes a phone call, saying that the lift is stuck, and no, the other woman can't come to the phone right now... When the doors open, one woman is dead. The survivor tells the police it's suicide. But with no witnesses and only her word for it, one vital question must be asked - is she telling the truth?

Genres: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Crime, Contemporary, Mystery

361 pages, Paperback

Published February 17, 2022

About the author

Bonnie Kistler is the author of SHELL GAMES (on sale November 19, 2024); HER, TOO; THE CAGE; and HOUSE ON FIRE.

A former trial lawyer, she was born in suburban Philadelphia and educated at Bryn Mawr College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

After law school, she decided to seek adventure in Alaska––or at least as much adventure as she could manage while toiling away as a junior lawyer in a law firm. Perhaps her greatest adventure there was meeting her husband, coincidentally also a Philadelphian. She soon moved with him to Arkansas, and a few years later, full-circle back to Philadelphia. Having endured three different states' bar exams in four years (!), she decided to stay put.

Bonnie spent the remainder of her law career in private practice with major Philadelphia firms. She specialized in corporate litigation and successfully tried cases across the country.

But her love of writing eclipsed all else, and ultimately she left the law behind to become a full-time author.

She and her husband now live in Southwest Florida and the mountains of western North Carolina.

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

US Title:- The Cage. I much prefer Seven Minutes Later!!

4-5 stars rounded up.

Two women walk into a lift/elevator at CDMI fashion Empire… sounds like the start of a stand-up comedians joke but the punchline of this one is that seven minutes later one of them is dead. The two women are Lucy Carter–Jones head of HR at the company and the other is intern Shay Lambert, drowning in debt with a relationship gone sour if not rotted. So what’s the story here then? It’s a simple premise (or is it?), murder or suicide, truth or fiction? The plot rises and falls like the proverbial lift/elevator they stepped into and only one stepped out of.

This is a character driven, slow burner mystery thriller that is riveting especially Shays story. Is she reliable??? The mood here constantly changes just as the investigating detectives Cruz and Riley’s does from suspicion to congeniality to hostility and keeps flip-flopping so you read on keen to get to the bottom of it. It becomes a battle between the corporate giant and an individual, David and Goliath scenario or cat playing with a mouse and you have no idea who will be the winner. The corporate version of events is driven by the men in designer suits who make your teeth clench and your fists curl with their smug power. You would just love them to be taken down a floor or three.

The book is very well written, it’s slick and smart with a plot that becomes very fishy if not positively stinky and reeking as it takes a dark unexpected direction. I don’t pretend to understand the US legalese but it doesn’t matter, in the same way you can relish a TV programme like Suits or The Good Fight, you can enjoy this tantalising conundrum. I enjoy the way it’s set out like a play in two acts and what a devious play it is as you try to figure out who’s play this actually is. The conclusion and epilogue are possibly a stretch but I like it as we move to game, set and match which is a very satisfying doozy.

Yes, this is another take on a locked room mystery but this one is elevated above the rest (sorry!). It’s clever, deliciously dark, some parts don’t sit easy as they’re not meant to but for me it’s one enjoyable ride/read.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Canelo for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[Calliss · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it more, but it was just so slow paced...

So many un-needed details and so much "stuck in between" pages that seemed to go no where.

I did like the start, it seems promising, but as I read, it got more and more "meh" and things happened that seemed very unlikely.

The ending.. well it was okay, but when we finally got there, I found myself not really caring...

[Karen Shimmin-Munk · Rating 2 out of 5]

A promising synopsis - two women climb into a lift, only one leaves. What reason would a successful, well regarded family woman have to take her own life?

I enjoyed the start of this book, but found the climb from £1.5 million of debt to success a struggle to believe and there was so much weighty legalise that it slowed the whole pace of the book down.

[Ariane Bégin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sérieusement, je pense que j’ai rien compris. 🙃

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something happens and only one of them leaves the elevator alive. Now what has to be decided is was this suicide or a murder. As soon as I read the synopsis for this book I really wanted to read it, the whole idea sounded like it would make a great story and it did.

I found this legal thriller totally entertaining and was completely engrossed in the story, when I should have been sleeping I was still reading, always the sign of a good book. All characters played important roles in how this scenario evolves and I particularly liked Shay. She is not leading an easy life but somehow manages to roll with the punches. The plot had depth and there was plenty of suspense to keep the reader engaged throughout.

I had not heard of Bonnie Kistler before but I will definitely be looking out for more books by her. Highly recommended. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Very slow paced at times but by the end I was gripped

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Where are the doves?"
"In light of recent history, keeping any kind of living creature in a cage is not something we wish to associate ourselves with."

If you're looking for an edge of your seat thriller about what happened to two women in an elevator in which one ends up dead, this isn't for you. If you want a slow burn conspiracy novel with some of the most boring and lengthy legal paragraphs I've ever read, this is for you. Do not be fooled by the summery, the elevator scene is the first chapter only. However, there were parts I did enjoy.

Shay Lambert is an interesting multi faceted character that I would love to read again, in a different setting. The writing was quite good (bar all the technical legal jargon) and at it's heart, the story could have been an amazing cat and mouse game with the ultimate revenge ending. There were just too many slow parts that lost my attention that kept me from giving it more stars.

**Thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for my ARC.

[itsallaboutbooksandmacarons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book by accident on web. Then I read the synopsis and was interesting. After I heard the other title was great from some friends. And what a surprise finding out I had the book. I loved it. It was a low crime I have been searching for a while and was grupping and so claver. I admire what had been going on so much. Of course I was also very sad about certain difficult themes but the book was really special for many details and I can not wait to see if other books of this author are as good as this. People lose everyday, it is really hard when you lose everything. And on the other hand there are people that get a better life because they take advantage of innocent people. And there are addicted people who do everything just for their addiction, no matter what, who, when. It can happen to everyone. It depends on us how we live our lives, how we are adjustable to the new situations and how we cope with them. What is sure, there are really few people who has no problems in their life.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit of a weird one, had lots of potential but was just poorly written. The plot was decent but so much unnecessary information was shared, whilst major plot points (including the ending) were glossed over.

[Donna McEachran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Wow...kept me guessing from beginning to the very end. Some truly horrible characters that are written very well.

[Simon Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great. Simple premise, and a bunch of bait-and-switch moves. I tore through it.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant

[Sandhyni · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 87% — The premise was promising. But hey, it's slow and full of details that are useless to the story and chapters that don't go anywhere.

[Jemma Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh I didn’t really like this, it seemed very promising at the very beginning, however as I got more and more into the book it got very boring and slow paced. The whole story line was that two women get into a lift and only one leaves, it sounded very interesting but it let me down after a while that I didn’t care about the ending and I wanted the book to end.

2 stars ⭐️⭐️

[Ellie Waterhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this. Too much legal/corporate chit chat for me before getting to the juicy stuff, but some of the more action-packed parts were written well. Just feel a bit meh about the whole thing.

[T.S.C. Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, this book went on and on longer then it needed to. It was good, the plot was good, but I will admit at times it lost me as it seemed to just go oooon and ooooon. Therefore, it was a meh from me.

[Leah Toole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incredibly boring. Gave the entire ending away within first few chapters. There's no need to even read past halfway

[Karen Rufus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, superb, best book I've read in forever!! So cleverly written! What a plot, so exciting. A real thrill ride!!

[Eirwen Abberley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible but my reading goal could not afford a DNF

[Annmarie Hogg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall pretty good 👍

[Val Asker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book with unexpected twists and turns. The story begins with two work colleagues, Lucy and Shay, getting into an elevator. Seven minutes later when the elevator arrives on the ground floor, Lucy is dead. Shay claims it was suicide, but as the only witness to the shooting, will she be believed? Although the subsequent investigation which leads to Shay’s arrest and detention are central to the story, as I read on it became clear that this was part of something much bigger and that Shay had discovered evidence which would incriminate the CEO of the company she has been working for.

I liked the way the story unfolded through flashbacks, as is becoming increasingly common these days. Gradually the strands of the story come together and as Shay is released from the Detention Centre the pace of the story picks up and what had been an enjoyable read became a real page turner. I liked the ending and especially the way that Shay rewarded those who had helped her clear her name.

Shay was fortunate to have skills that helped her endure the time she had to spend imprisoned. As a lawyer she was helpful to her fellow inmates, many of whom were sex workers trafficked from the Far East. She becomes friends with her first cell mate and although the second one annoys her by her constant chattering, she does inadvertently provide crucial information which helps bring down Barrett, the CEO who has tried to frame Shay.

There were some strong female characters, notably Shay herself who from a troubled childhood and toxic marriage used her brain and wits to survive and eventually thrive. Jingjing likewise was very smart. The men though were an unappealing bunch. Barrett is utterly vile, David, Shay’s husband, is nasty, weak and selfish and Mark believes he is God’s gift to women. Definitely the women win out in this story!

One aspect that I found interesting was Shay’s financial situation. As a result of the financial crash of 2008 both she and David were out of a job and living in an apartment they could not afford. They downsize but with David frittering away their money on booze and drugs, Shay ends up barely having enough to eat, even after she has started in her new job. There is free coffee at work, but nothing else and on the day that Lucy dies in the elevator Shay has been in the office all day having eaten nothing. Ironically she has better domestic arrangements when she’s in prison - no drunken husband and three meals per day!

All in all very enjoyable!

[Riry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those novels with a premise which means you will just HAVE to read it.

Shay is a hard-working lawyer who finds herself in locked in a lift with a colleague, Lucy. Seven minutes later, only one walks out the lift......who walks out and why?

This had me hooked from the first chapter and didn't let go until the dramatic conclusion. This is one of those books that you will race through in a day or so, once you start put aside a few hours as you will not want to put it down.

This is my first novel from this author and definitely won't be my last.

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ at a push.. I enjoyed the beginning and the story and finding out what actually happened, but then over half the book was just about the company she worked for and tbh I was just bored. I skimmed chapters because it was all just boring lawyer stuff I didn’t care for. I just wanted to know if it was murder or suicide. I appreciated the gap filling as the plot twist wasn’t great and very suspected but still…

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too full of descriptions of how the American legal system works for me . The death takes place within the first couple of pages, and the book further follows the lives of the two women and the business. It did not really hold my interest
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Mel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately not for me at all. The plot was so and convoluted, the characters didn’t feel authentic and were stereotypical with stilted dialogue. At times, this had an Erin Brockovich movie feel, but the twist was predictable.

[Vicky Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley for the advanced ebook.
Overall enjoyable, just found that there were a few too many characters to keep track of who was who and what they did at times.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling

[Linda Hopkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Kept you guessing from the beginning.

[Lauren Pollard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book but the ending knocked it down a star for me. I think I’ve read too many thrillers as I keep guessing the endings, which makes them less enjoyable!