The Cage: A Novel

Written by Bonnie Kistler

Narrated by Piper Goodeve and Chris Andrew Ciulla

“A delicious thrill-ride of breakneck twists and turns. . . . Evoking Grisham and Highsmith, Bonnie Kistler is a masterful plate-spinner of plot, deftly weaving together the worlds of fashion, high finance and white-shoe law to reveal their seamiest secrets and shared underbellies, all via characters who live, breathe, and scare the hell out of us on every page.”—Cassidy Lucas, author of Santa Monica

“An absolutely spellbinding thriller. . . . An utterly engrossing and thoroughly entertaining story.”—Booklist (starred review)

Combining the propulsive narrative drive of The Firm with the psychological complexity of The Silent Patient, a gripping and original thriller about two professional women—colleagues at an international fashion conglomerate—who enter an elevator together . . . but only one is alive when they reach the ground floor.

On a cold, misty Sunday night, two women are alone in the offices of fashion conglomerate Claudine de Martineau International. One is the company’s human resources director. Impeccably dressed and perfectly coiffed, she sits at her desk and stares somberly out the window. Down the hall, her colleague, one of the company’s lawyers, is buried under a pile of paperwork, frantically rushing to finish. 

Leaving at the same time, the two women, each preoccupied by her own thoughts, enter the elevator that will take them down from the 30th floor.

When they arrive at the lobby, one of the women is dead. Was it murder or suicide?

An incredibly original novel that turns the office thriller on its head, The Cage is a wild ride that begins with a bang and picks up speed as it races to its dramatic end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Feb 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063089198

Bonnie Kistler

Bonnie Kistler is a former trial lawyer. She spent her career in private practice with major law firms and successfully tried cases in federal and state courts across the country, as well as teaching writing skills to other lawyers and lecturing frequently to professional organizations and industry groups. She and her husband now live in Florida and the mountains of western North Carolina. They have two daughters.

Reviews for The Cage

[Cheska · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could never guess what happened! The story behind the incident in the elevator was shocking. The character's life was pitiful and at the same time casted doubts on her intentions. All I can say is there is so much evil in this world but secrets are meant to be revealed someday.

[Ashley McCullough · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book quite a bit! It was somewhat slow progressing at times, but overall the story is great. The epilogue includes a good ending reveal that I did not expect.

[Selina Cooper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well done! So much better than I ever expected. Very strong female lead with an impressive degree of intelligence turns lying, cheating high profile law firm on its head, and has a pretty good time doing it, except for one recurring pesky little memory of one nefarious little action she once did which, well, just won’t go away…

A fast paced thriller that will keep your attention right up to the very end.

Great narration!! Especially the male who, to be fair, had a wider range to work with including an interesting cast of very colorful and somewhat unstable characters.

[Linda Rivera · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An Epic ending - a must listen ! (Excellent narration).

[librarygeek33 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought the beginning was good but I was disappointed at the end. as it became predictable and overloaded with lawyerly jargon.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a well crafted legal thriller. When Shay Lambert and Lucy Carter-Jones both get on an elevator at their firm, CDMI (fashion conglomerate Claudine de Martineau International), only one gets off alive. Was it suicide or murder? Why would Lucy, HR Mgr kill herself? What is happening at CDMI? Shay Lambert is accused of murdering Lucy, but she swears she is innocent. When Shay goes to work for an adversary of Barrett, CDMI lead counsel, she is hired because she knows something. But Shay refuses to tell, due to the NDA she signed. Will she hold to this, or will she cave? I felt the tension of this novel the whole time I was reading it, never knowing who was the cat or the mouse in this game of manipulation.

[twink_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The premise of Bonnie Kistler's new novel, The Cage, really grabbed my attention. And held it through all 352 pages - I honestly couldn't put it down!What's the premise? "Leaving at the same time, the two women, each preoccupied by her own thoughts, enter the elevator that will take them down from the 30th floor. When they arrive at the lobby, one of the women is dead. Was it murder or suicide?"Now, you would think that the answer to that question would be quite easy, don't you? It's anything but. The lead character is Shay, a lawyer - and the survivor. The story unfolds through her eyes, but can we trust her? Her story changes a number of time as the tale progresses. We're also aware of other narratives and these factions have their own agenda as well. The Cage is a legal thriller that benefits so much from Kistler's own legal expertise. The machinations of all the characters is more than a little frightening. (And I'm sure there is lots of truth there as well.) The plotting is detailed and devious, going in a direction I hadn't foreseen. And I loved how the burning question of innocence or guilt is flipped back and forth, keeping me guessing. Kistler's writing makes for addictive reading. I look forward to her next novel. I can absolutely see this one as a movie.