Frantic - (Black Gat Books) by Noel Calef (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

FRANTIC

Julien Courtois finds himself in a bit of financial bind. And the only way out is murder. He's even got the perfect plan. While his secretary believes him to be in his office, he climbs up a rope to an upper floor and stages his victim's "suicide." It all works according to plan. But on his way out of the building, he remembers that the rope is still dangling out of the window, leading right down to his office! Rushing back into the building, Julien manages to get stuck in the elevator when the janitor turns off the power for the weekend.

At the same time, a young couple steal Julien's car from in front of the building, and his wife, thinking she's watching Julien drive off with another woman, assumes the worst. And so begins a torturous set of circumstances. While Julien remains trapped in the elevator, his life gradually becomes unraveled by a vindictive wife and a couple of teenagers playing at being gangsters.

Filmed in 1961 by Louis Malle as Elevator to the Gallows, this classic French novel is a masterpiece of noir tension.

Review Quotes

"Ascenseur pour l'échafaud is a truly noir crime book, perverse and scathing, although better known for its excellent film adaptation by Louis Malle. At the micro level it is another detective novel with elaborate plan for crime, but on a macro scale it's a story about inevitability of fate."-- Agnieszka

"It is a good novel of suspense ... in the good old noir fashion, with each chapter ending with a cliffhanger and no characters to like, except maybe the poor murderous protagonist."--GoodReads

"Great Parisian noir. Written in 1956. Made into a film by Louis Malle in 1958 with a fantastic score by Miles Davis. Whether the book brings you to the movie and soundtrack album or the movie to the book and soundtrack or the soundtrack to the movie and book. All three are great. Not many books can you say that about."--Jeff Vorzimmer