Breathless: This year’s most gripping thriller and Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month

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Our main character – Cecily -- is an adventure journalist and she’s landed the story of a lifetime, interviewing a famous mountaineer – Charles McVeigh -- as he completes a challenge to hike 14 summits without oxygen and the help of fixed ropes. The catch is that she’ll only get the interview if she summits with Charles. She has several failures to summit that she’s written about recently. and i gotta say - i was so invested in this story that it’s the first time i read an advance review copy the day it was granted to me. i devoured this, my heart pounding all the while. Soon you’ll learn what we already know, that while danger lurks up there, so too dues unimaginable beauty. I’ve tried to find it in other places but never succeeded… That’s what makes these eight-thousand-metre peaks so special. These are the pinnacles of Earth. And reaching them tests you. They challenge you to be the very best versions of yourself.

Breathless: A Thriller by Amy McCulloch, Paperback | Barnes Breathless: A Thriller by Amy McCulloch, Paperback | Barnes

Facts : Manaslu is the eighth highest mountain in the world at 8163 m above sea level. Manaslu means ‘mountain of the spirit’ and I believe the author has climbed it. Breathtaking. Totally immersive, I truly felt transported to Nepal, becoming a part of the expedition. Gripping, chilling and exhilarating' 5***** READER REVIEW She forced herself to think logically. Whoever left this hadn’t signed it. They wanted to be anonymous. Maybe that meant they were speculating. And unless others had received a similar note, it meant the warning was just for her. Why? Breathless is Amy McCulloch's adult fiction debut and is most certainly a vibe. It is very atmospheric thanks to being set almost entirely on Manaslu, and McCulloch clearly used all her knowledge from climbing the mountain to write this book. The story is really heavy with mountaineering terms which is honestly why it lost me, but I have been recommending it to people I know who love mountaineering. Even though it is supposed to be a thriller, it just didn't have enough of these elements for me thanks to getting bogged down with all of the terms and it is also a really slow burn. I think it will be best for someone who enjoys climbing and mountains and wants to read about these things through a murder mystery.It is difficult for Cecily to trust the people around her. Does she have the endurance and stamina to survive? Will she get her interview? The plot explodes with heightened action, jeopardy, more deaths, injuries and heartache.

Breathless by Amy McCulloch - Penguin Books Australia Breathless by Amy McCulloch - Penguin Books Australia

Overall, if like me you get vertigo climbing the stairs you’ll be swept off your feet by this one. It’s by far one of the better ones in this crowded market, principally because the author knows what she’s talking about. It’s a very enjoyable read. Plus one of my favorite nonfiction topics is the life of George Mallory... So, you can see how the puzzle pieces really came together for me to love Breathless... And Amy McCulloch delivered a great thrilling story with twisty turns within the story and the actual ins & outs of summiting a mountain over 8000 meters.

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But I struggled to describe my unimpressed reaction to McCulloch’s efforts to turn the Manaslu climb into a suspense thriller and a murder mystery. I think that I’ve put my finger on the problem, at least as I saw it. The murder scenario and the murderer’s motivations were way, way over the top (to stretch the climbing metaphor, LOL!) and the villain was actually vaudevillian – a Snidley Whiplash type who gloated over his victims as he twirled his mustache! Cecily Won is a journalist who needs, wants, to deliver an amazing article to the editor of her outdoor magazine.