Breathless, Amy McCulloch
3.5⭐️

Synopsis: A young woman's once-in-lifetime adventure in the world of extreme-altitude mountaineering takes a chilling turn when a series of deaths can no longer be written off as accidents.

🔪🏔

I fancied a bit of a change so a thriller set on a 8000 ft mountain sounded like fun! I devoured this in a couple of days; I was hooked!

I would've liked a more diverse set of characters, all the men in this book sort of blended into one and I struggled to keep up with who was who. By around 75% I sort of got it!

I would've loved to rate this higher but I guessed the killer and the main twist, so not ideal.. but still a fun and refreshing read!

Thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review.

Atmospheric, and a nice twist on a "closed environment" style story. The main character was easy to empathise with, but the book itself felt a bit odd in places. It was good, but there was just something lacking. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't go back and read it again.
But it is worth a first read, for sure.

If you are interested in mountain climbing, or like reading endless in depth descriptions of climbing, then this is the book for you. Personally, it sounded more interesting from the blurb - but the reading was slow and as much of a slog as the summit attempt was for the characters. It was a slow slow read, all wrapped up in the last few percent of my ebook - though even then, we only see who was behind it all, not the consequences.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the delay in providing this.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I think it was more of a case of the wrong book at the wrong time. But this book failed to pull me in
I had high expectations for the book. The concept has been done a fair few times before in previous novels by different authors and I have loved and enjoyed them. However, I just found that there were too many characters in this book with no real story and I found myself not wanting to return to the book
I am however going to keep the book on my kindle and return to it at another time
I will not be posting a review online as this review may change at a later date

I loved the setting- cold locked room mystery. This is a well written book with well developed characters. The story became repetitive. It was an enjoyable entertaining read.

A gripping thriller, and an interesting take on the classic locked-room concept. This book was extremely easy to read and, whilst the writing style is quite simple, the story draws the reader in.

The main character is sweet and I like the references to her heritage- although thos never really ties in to the storyline. The flashback/forward method works well, and the ways in which the murders happen is great, as is the use of the altitude to instill doubt in the protagonist and readers minds.

I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it

What a brilliantly atmospheric read that left me literally breathless! It's a story that pulls you in from the start and keeps you enthralled till the end. What makes it even more captivating is the fact that the author herself is a mountain climber who has climbed quite a few mountains. You can definitely see the real-life experience coming through in the telling of the story.
Highly recommend!

This was so well described and I really got into the scenery and the characters, I really felt I was there. This was my first read by this author but I am really going to investigate more as she was so descriptive.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Journalist Cecily Wong has been offered the chance of a lifetime. Mountaineer Charles McVeigh has invited her along to witness the last leg of his incredible record breaking attempt to conquer all fourteen of the world's highest mountains in a single year, 'alpine style' without oxygen or the benefit of fixed ropes. If Cecily can make it to the summit of the final mountain, Manaslu in Nepal, she will be granted an exclusive interview with Charles - an interview that will establish her as a serious journalist in her field. More than that, if she can finally make it to the top of a mountain, she will be able to prove to herself that her previous climbing failures are a thing of the past.

Almost as soon as Cecily arrives in Nepal, she begins to doubt that she has made the right decision. The training for the ordeal ahead is tougher than she anticipated, and she is surprised to learn that she will be climbing with a group of complete strangers - some of whom she is reluctant to trust in such a dangerous place. It does not help that rumours abound that Charles might not be quite all he is cracked up to be, and there are disturbing whispers that a far higher number of climbers have fallen foul of the mountains this season than usual. As the group head up the mountain, Cecily's suspicion that something is not right about this climb refuses to go away. Is there a killer on the loose, or is she letting the extreme altitude get to her...

Breathless is Amy McCulloch's first foray into writing a thriller for an adult audience, and it has all the tense, snowy vibes that I love. As you follow Cecily's attempt to make the summit of one of the world's most dangerous mountains in pursuit of the story that will make her reputation, McCulloch's own experience of climbing Manaslu brings a solid punch of authenticity to the technical, physical and mental strain she must endure. McCulloch holds nothing back about the dangers involved, and quite how challenging this environment is to simply exist in, let alone to attempt a feat that will push to your limits... and beyond.

 This provides a solid base for her to weave an atmospheric tale full of menace and suspicion that plays beautifully alongside Cecily's self-doubt. Despite the constant reassurances of those around her that she is only letting the mountain get to her, Cecily's suspicion that dark deeds are afoot prove to be true. The murderer on the mountain is not easy to spot, because McCulloch throws a lot of red herrings your way about the methods and motives of several of the characters Cecily meets on her journey, and I second guessed myself a lot as this story unfurled. The suspense builds nicely as the climbers get ever closer to the 'death zone', and as the weather worsens, the truth is revealed in a blow by blow climax that leaves you as 'breathless' as Cecily herself. 

I learned so much about serious climbing in this tale - more than enough to know it is not for me. However, McCulloch also explores nicely what makes people decide to head for the roof of the world, as well as the reality of the costs involved in human and monetary terms. I think this highlights the role of the incredibly courageous sherpas who make it possible for not only serious climbers, but those who are sometimes little more than tourists, to visit these mighty peaks too.

Katie Leung does a marvellous job of narrating the audio version of this thriller. She tackles the accents well, and she completely drew me into the story. I really felt I was alongside Cecily as she battles the mountain, and tries to lay her own ghosts to rest while following her journalistic instincts. I was terrified for a good portion of the book, which I think is the best compliment I can pay to Leung's voice talents. 

If you love a snowy thriller as much as I do then this book should definitely be on your reading pile. It was so good that I immediately bought McCulloch's brand new thriller Midnight as soon as I finished it - I cannot wait to read it!

Unfortunately my copy expired before getting the chance to read, but I’ve bought my copy and can’t wait to read and my review will be available on Goodreads upon completion. Thanks for the approval!

If I never wanted to climb a mountain before I certainly don't want to now! Like an unexpected avalanche this book will knock you off your feet, and sweep you away with it as you race through the pages to uncover what is really happening on the mountain.

Cecily Wong is a journalist who has been granted an interview with Charles McVeigh, one of the most accomplished mountain climbers in the world., he has climbed 14 mountains without using oxygen in a year.

BUT

Cecily will have to climb Mount Manaslu with Charles to get the interview. This is her opportunity of a lifetime and will do wonders for her career.

Cecily is a novice climber who has trained for months and is using all her savings for this trip. But when one climber dies in what looks like a freak accident she fears the expedition is over.

This is a great atmospheric book that makes you feel like you are actually there. Full of tension this tale will keep you gripped from the start.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Exciting book that had me hooked right from the beginning. It was an intense fast paced read. I couldn’t put it down, Had me on the edge of my seat. Good plot that was written well

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy McCulloch and the publisher for my opportunity to read Breathless in return for an honest review.

I read this book whilst on a flight and I have to say it definitely passed the time as I could not stop reading it. Cecily Wong is a journalist with one chance left to save both her career, and her financial situation. All she has to do is reach the summit of Manaslu so that she can get an exclusive interview with famous mountaineer and adventurer Charles McVeigh. The climb is hard enough, but with a potential killer on the mountain things turn dark very quickly.

This story is one that will grip you until the very end. I was urging Cecily to run far from that mountain, but at the same time I wanted her to summit. I especially wanted her to prove to her very petty ex-boyfriend that she was capable of achieving this feat.

I had an inkling about how the story would pan out, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I also loved the descriptions of the mountain and felt I learnt a lot about the mountaineering process (as had minimal knowledge into this previously).

It took me a little while to get into this story, but once I was captivated, it was really hard to put down. I would have loved an epilogue to find out a bit more about what we learn in the last chapter, because I would like for there to be justice. As someone who has never hiked, let alone climbed a mountain, it was really interesting to learn more about what exactly goes in to mountaineering. Minus the murdering of course. I would definitely recommend this book. I liked the stories perspective being fixed to our main character, so that we got a clear picture of what was happening, from someone who was also not a pro.

Wow! No wonder this has been the Sunday Times book of the month. It starts as it means to go on. A low level sense of unease. I read this in 2 sittings. It’s just one of THOSE books where you can’t stop reading and now I can’t stop thinking about it! Just bought a copy for my mum and my daughter.

Breathless I certainly was! Thank you fir the ARC what a great book. I thought nothing could beat the last book by Amy but this did.
Great characters wnd storyline and kept me gripped.
Highly recommended

I have absolutely no intention of ever climbing a huge mountain - entering the 'death zone', needing oxygen, fighting altitude sickness, etc. Not for me at all - which is why reading this book was such an adventure!

Cecily Wong is a journalist with a pretty dodgy track record of mountain climbing - which is why she faces the ultimate challenge when asked to join legendary alpinist Charles McVeigh and his team as they tackle one of Nepal's highest mountains. However, the attempt seems doomed from the start and Cecily is soon fighting for her life against the elements and an altogether more sinister - and more human - enemy.

What won me over to this book early on was the way that the mountain climbing was so well-described and the book was absolutely packed with information about surviving in such inhospitable conditions. I learnt such a lot along the way - even if it did reconfirm that it would be my idea of hell! The setting was written so well that I could visualise the different camps en route to the summit and the challenges the team faced - in that sense, it reminded me of the excellent 'The Dark' by Emma Haughton which painted a credible and intriguing picture of living in another brutal place, the 24 hour darkness of an Antarctica winter.

The characters were engaging - Cecily herself has an interesting back-story and the narrative is interspersed with blog posts and pieces that she is writing. The other team members were a mixed bunch - but fairly easily distinguishable, which is sometimes a problem with these types of mysteries where you have a large cast to keep in mind.

The narrative is fast-paced and keeps the reader on their toes - there's lots to take in and plenty of perils along the way. I did wonder where the ending was going - and I did spot the culprit though not the motive - but it was all tied up with reasonable neatness. It did feel like a huge amount of twists and events were packed in towards the end after a slower start, but I was just happy to go along for the ride and learn about mountain climbing!

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who likes high-stakes murder mysteries - no pun intended on the high, but it's quite fascinating to see a thriller set at over 8,000 metres above sea level where even the conditions are able to kill! There's plenty here to keep you reading and you might enjoy your foray into deadly adventures from the comfort of your armchair.

The only mountaineering thriller you need this year.

This one is worth a read for all the thriller reasons and all the outdoor adventure reasons. Reading BREATHLESS, you’ll be full of anticipation, appreciative of effort and training, more than a little apprehensive, then cold, cold, cold. You’ll be tired, ploddingly determined, and uneasy, chilled even inside your down jacket. You’ll be guessing madly, desperately, and wondering if your own eyes and oxygen-starved mind are playing tricks.

Journalist Cecily Wong, a British–Asian reporter for Wild Outdoors magazine, risks all her savings on a bid to summit Manaslu in Nepal, the eighth-highest peak in the world, in order to get a career-making interview with mountaineer Charles McVeigh. The small expedition will take a month or so, needing to acclimatise to the high altitude and do some serious training. People die in the Himalayan mountains. Every year.

Cecily starts worrying about how often a climber dies, given she was invited although her blog was about her tragic climbing failure. Charles McVeigh, the golden boy of the extreme sport, intends to summit Manaslu as his fourteenth peak over 8,000m not using oxygen or fixed ropes. This is called Alpine climbing and he can still bring his own ropes and fix them himself. Extreme travel vlogger Elise Gauthier is a popular French woman, who contends that male mountaineers were happy to use arranged safety supports until women started keeping up with them. Elise was one of my favourite characters.

Charles, annoyingly, deliberately joins the expedition with only a short time to go. Cecily has been using the time to learn about Nepal and the stocky, brave, talented Sherpas such as Mingma and Galden who risk their lives to guide mountaineers. In charge of the expedition is Doug Manners, who isn’t much for the internet and is therefore unimpressed by anything except climbing ability. Every inch of effort will be needed, every tip for survival, as Cecily becomes gradually convinced that someone among the climbers is responsible for deaths. And that’s before she even gets near the death zone, where just sitting still long enough will kill you from lack of oxygen.

Author Amy McCulloch tells it as only someone who has been there can. Raised in Canada, she was the youngest Canadian woman to climb Mt Manaslu when she reached the summit in 2019. BREATHLESS is a cracker of a read. Grab your ice axe before you start.