Breathless
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- Create Date：2022-04-26 06:19:37
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Amy McCulloch
- ISBN：0593315499
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Summary
A high-altitude thriller that will take your breath away--Cecily Wong is on her most dangerous climb yet， miles above sea level。 But the elements are nothing compared to one chilling truth: There's a killer on the mountain。
Journalist Cecily Wong is in over her head。 She's come to Manaslu， the eighth-highest peak in the world， to interview internationally famous mountaineer Charles McVeigh on the last leg of a record-breaking series of summits。 She's given up everything for this story--her boyfriend， her life savings， the peace she's made with her climbing failures in the past--but it's a career-making opportunity。 It could finally put her life back on track。
But when one climber dies in what everyone else assumes is a freak accident， she fears their expedition is in danger。 And by the time a second climber dies， it's too late to turn back。 Stranded on a mountain in one of the most remote regions of the world， she'll have to battle more than the elements in a harrowing fight for survival against a killer who is picking them off one by one。
Journalist Cecily Wong is in over her head。 She's come to Manaslu， the eighth-highest peak in the world， to interview internationally famous mountaineer Charles McVeigh on the last leg of a record-breaking series of summits。 She's given up everything for this story--her boyfriend， her life savings， the peace she's made with her climbing failures in the past--but it's a career-making opportunity。 It could finally put her life back on track。
But when one climber dies in what everyone else assumes is a freak accident， she fears their expedition is in danger。 And by the time a second climber dies， it's too late to turn back。 Stranded on a mountain in one of the most remote regions of the world， she'll have to battle more than the elements in a harrowing fight for survival against a killer who is picking them off one by one。
Reviews
Susan
，
Cecily Wong is a woman facing an over eight thousand meter climb and her own insecurities。 Oh， and btw， people are also being killed。 The narrative spends a lot of time focusing on setting the scene and what a scene it is！ A beautiful but brutal mountain full of hazards and challenges for even the most experienced climber。 It is no surprise that the author is a climber herself。 Which， btw， Cecily is not。 She spends a good portion of the time questioning her own abilities and asking herself why s Cecily Wong is a woman facing an over eight thousand meter climb and her own insecurities。 Oh， and btw， people are also being killed。 The narrative spends a lot of time focusing on setting the scene and what a scene it is！ A beautiful but brutal mountain full of hazards and challenges for even the most experienced climber。 It is no surprise that the author is a climber herself。 Which， btw， Cecily is not。 She spends a good portion of the time questioning her own abilities and asking herself why she was invited on this elite climb。 All of this plays into the mystery as it slowly unfolds， moving from the background to front and center by the climax of the book。 I figured out the murdered pretty early on but I am not sure if it was obvious or the guess of someone who reads a whole lot of mysteries！ As much as this book was a thriller， it was also a beautiful tribute to the wonders of nature and a the journey of a woman to find herself。Thanks To NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Katelyn
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An exciting and interesting murder mystery with an epic setting。 I loved learning more about the mountaineering process and Cecily's journey。 I do think that Cecily's journey and process climbing the mountain was more of the focus than the murder mystery aspect， but the authors descriptions were incredible and really set the stage。 I do believe that the book was good， but honestly the actual mountain was more scary than Charles。 An exciting and interesting murder mystery with an epic setting。 I loved learning more about the mountaineering process and Cecily's journey。 I do think that Cecily's journey and process climbing the mountain was more of the focus than the murder mystery aspect， but the authors descriptions were incredible and really set the stage。 I do believe that the book was good， but honestly the actual mountain was more scary than Charles。 。。。more
Hayley （meet_me_at_the_library）
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4。5 rounded up
Shannon Oglesby
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3。5 stars。 If you are into mountain climbing this is the books for you。 The action didn’t really start until the last few chapters。 I can appreciate the authors love for climbing。 Her writing was great and I loved how descriptive she was。 Thank you goodreads for sending me this ARC。
Marissa
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I picked this up expecting simply another iteration of the locked room mystery/thriller set in a mountain （in the vein of One by One and The Sanatorium， but this was so much better。 This wasn't just a thriller， it was an adventure novel; Amy McCulloch's vivid descriptions of mountaineering and what it's like to be climbing one of the world's tallest mountains was fascinating to me。 I've seen a few complaints that the descriptions of time acclimatizing and waiting the basecamp were boring， but I I picked this up expecting simply another iteration of the locked room mystery/thriller set in a mountain （in the vein of One by One and The Sanatorium， but this was so much better。 This wasn't just a thriller， it was an adventure novel; Amy McCulloch's vivid descriptions of mountaineering and what it's like to be climbing one of the world's tallest mountains was fascinating to me。 I've seen a few complaints that the descriptions of time acclimatizing and waiting the basecamp were boring， but I found them to be some of the most interesting parts of the story。 Knowing that McCulloch has actually summited Mt。 Manaslu and that the experience Cecily was experiencing in the story is likely very close to reality only added to the reading experience。 I also felt like the author did a great job of dropping hints about the killer without making it too predictable， but for me， the thriller aspects of the story were just the icing on the cake of an amazing adventure novel。 I would love nothing more than for McCulloch to publish a memoir。 。。。more
RMazin
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What would a young journalist do for the scoop of a lifetime？ Cecily Wong has the opportunity to find out when she has a chance to interview the world’s leading expert on mountain-climbing。 The catch: she needs to go with him and his party to summit the 8th highest peak in the world。 What makes her target so appealing， is that Charles McVeigh is a legend and gives few interviews。 What makes her mission so dangerous is Cecily’s lack of experience， past failure， low-confidence and the fortune she What would a young journalist do for the scoop of a lifetime？ Cecily Wong has the opportunity to find out when she has a chance to interview the world’s leading expert on mountain-climbing。 The catch: she needs to go with him and his party to summit the 8th highest peak in the world。 What makes her target so appealing， is that Charles McVeigh is a legend and gives few interviews。 What makes her mission so dangerous is Cecily’s lack of experience， past failure， low-confidence and the fortune she needs to invest to make this climb possible for her。 Worse is yet to come。 Besides the known dangers of climbing （avalanches， bad weather， equipment failure， crevasses， oxygen deprivation， fatigue， etc。） Cecily is convinced there is a real killer on the mountain。 When people start dying she knows her fears are real。 Who to trust？ Who will be next？ And can she still summit to get her interview？ This is an over-the-top （irresistible pun） thriller！ Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title。 。。。more
Crystal Rees
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A bit of a slow start but it was an adventure。 The main character started off naive and unsure of herself but quickly evolved into a badass。 Overall a good read with lots of climbing jargon making it easy to immerse yourself in the story line。 Thank u NetGalley for this arc
Gabrielle
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Journalist Cecily Wong has landed the ultimate story for her outdoor magazine: the opportunity for an exclusive interview with international climbing legend， Charles McVeigh。 Charles’ only ultimatum？ She must summit Manaslu， the eight-highest peak in the world， alongside him; the climb that marks the end to the definitive， record-breaking Clean Fourteen challenge。 Still， it’s an offer she can’t refuse and she finds herself on the mountain three months later。 Unfortunately for Cecily and the rest Journalist Cecily Wong has landed the ultimate story for her outdoor magazine: the opportunity for an exclusive interview with international climbing legend， Charles McVeigh。 Charles’ only ultimatum？ She must summit Manaslu， the eight-highest peak in the world， alongside him; the climb that marks the end to the definitive， record-breaking Clean Fourteen challenge。 Still， it’s an offer she can’t refuse and she finds herself on the mountain three months later。 Unfortunately for Cecily and the rest of the crew Charles has personally selected to make this trek， her biggest obstacle wouldn’t be the treacherous mountain and the countless ways to die upon it but rather a very human threat: a killer picking them off one by one。 “Where better for a killer to hide， than somewhere already known as the death zone？” Breathless is a brilliant， fully immersive， real-deal thriller， taking place on the ultimate killing ground: a recreation known for claiming countless lives in its wake。 McCulloch’s mountaineering knowledge and experience lend to the authenticity of this pulse-pounding story。 She brilliantly builds suspense while intertwining a story of hope， victory， and redemption。 This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read yet that adrenaline-junkies will devour。 Packed with incredible detail on what it costs one’s mind and body to take on a climb on such a unfathomable， grandiose level is so chilling you’ll be left with frostbite。 。。。more
m d oates
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high tension at high altitude I enjoyed this book it had a good pace only criticism is the amount of murders on one Mountain makes it a bit far fetched。 Still it was a good read。
Laura
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Cecily is a journalist made famous by her blog detailing her failed attempt at climbing a mountain peak。 Charles McVeigh， a superstar of the mountain climbing world， invites Cecily to join his climbing group as they summit Manaslu， an 8000 meter high peak in Nepal， promising her a much-coveted interview if she successfully summits the mountain。 After two climbers die suspiciously， Cecily fears there may be a killer on the mountain。 The atmospheric writing of this book will absolutely suck you in Cecily is a journalist made famous by her blog detailing her failed attempt at climbing a mountain peak。 Charles McVeigh， a superstar of the mountain climbing world， invites Cecily to join his climbing group as they summit Manaslu， an 8000 meter high peak in Nepal， promising her a much-coveted interview if she successfully summits the mountain。 After two climbers die suspiciously， Cecily fears there may be a killer on the mountain。 The atmospheric writing of this book will absolutely suck you in。 I could picture all of the scenes with such detail from McCulloch’s magnificent writing。 I learned so much about mountain climbing from McCulloch- she climbed Manaslu herself in 2019！ While the ending and thriller aspect of the novel did make me have to suspend belief a little， this book was an absolute page turner and very entertaining。Thank you to Anchor Books for the advanced reader copy！ 。。。more
Bobbi Wagner
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I enjoyed this suspenseful story。 This is a new author for me which I look forward to reading more from her in the future。 This is a well written story about being stranded on a mountain with a killer。 Who will survive as the killer is killing one by one？ This is a fast paced story that is full of action。 It is an engaging story that has twists and turns that I didn't see coming。 A story that has characters that not only bring the story to life but also made it hard for me to put down。 I enjoyed I enjoyed this suspenseful story。 This is a new author for me which I look forward to reading more from her in the future。 This is a well written story about being stranded on a mountain with a killer。 Who will survive as the killer is killing one by one？ This is a fast paced story that is full of action。 It is an engaging story that has twists and turns that I didn't see coming。 A story that has characters that not only bring the story to life but also made it hard for me to put down。 I enjoyed being pulled into the story from the start by them。 I also enjoyed their growth throughout that made the story easy to read。 This is a great story that filled my afternoon with suspense and mystery。 I highly recommend reading this story and find out who survives on this mountain。 。。。more
Diane Nicole Demers
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4/5 Mystery Thriller， 352 pagesNo Spoilers ReviewMystery thrillers are my favourite genre， and I find that my expectations are a little bit higher with this genre than others。 Nonetheless， Breathless did not disappoint me。 I would have rated it 4。5 stars if I could， and I just couldn't quite give it that fifth star， so 4/5 it is！The author does an amazing job of describing the characters， the atmosphere and mountain climbing itself and never once goes overboard with the details。Right from the be 4/5 Mystery Thriller， 352 pagesNo Spoilers ReviewMystery thrillers are my favourite genre， and I find that my expectations are a little bit higher with this genre than others。 Nonetheless， Breathless did not disappoint me。 I would have rated it 4。5 stars if I could， and I just couldn't quite give it that fifth star， so 4/5 it is！The author does an amazing job of describing the characters， the atmosphere and mountain climbing itself and never once goes overboard with the details。Right from the beginning， I felt like I was right there with the group。 Everything felt so real and engaging， and then things got real when the first murder occurred and I found myself hooked。I definitely felt the suspense take hold， and not once did it ever let go until the end of the book。 Things were exciting， fast paced and very believable。 I could feel Cecily's emotions as though they were my own。An overall solid story from an experienced author！Things I liked: * The suspense - not knowing what was going to happen next。 Cecily's suspicions。* The way I felt like I was right there with the group， even though I've never climbed and didn't know the first thing about climbing。* The storyline， its pace and its and how I couldn't predict what was coming next。Things I didn’t like: * I'm hard pressed to come up with a negative here， but I'm going to have to say it was the ending。 Don't get me wrong， I'm quite satisfied with the resolution of the book， but I also felt a bit like it either slowed down too quickly too soon， or went on a bit too long after I felt the story had been told。I would recommend this book to anyone！ It's a great read that will keep you at the edge of your seat。 。。。more
Paula Lovell
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Breathless was an incredibly unique read。 The concept took you on a complete journey。 Detailed accounts of mountaineering for majority of the novel led to a bit of repetitiveness as the plot didn’t pick up until 3/4 of the way through BUT it was a full alpinist experience。 The setting descriptions were beautifully written， setting chills through me… and making me slightly envious of those that brave this avocation。 Overall this book was an adventure！
David
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I was intrigued by the plot of the story， is the "death zone" on the tallest mountains in the world the perfect place for a murderer to fulfill their needs？I am not an experienced mountain climber on even the peaks in the US， let alone those in Nepal。 I don't know if my thoughts and opinions would change if I were。 I felt like the book gave enough explanation of the jargon that I could visualize what was happening， and I appreciated that insight from the author。The storyline moves at more of a s I was intrigued by the plot of the story， is the "death zone" on the tallest mountains in the world the perfect place for a murderer to fulfill their needs？I am not an experienced mountain climber on even the peaks in the US， let alone those in Nepal。 I don't know if my thoughts and opinions would change if I were。 I felt like the book gave enough explanation of the jargon that I could visualize what was happening， and I appreciated that insight from the author。The storyline moves at more of a slow burn than a fast pace， but I also found that parallel to the climbing and acclimation process to work well with the story。 So much time is spent in preparation for the climb， and waiting for weather cooperation that a climber may spent a month on or near the mountain to be ready for the few days needed to make the actual climb to the summit。 While at times the story of moving up the mountain or deaths on the mountain weren't zooming， I don't feel like there was extraneous stuff that could be removed。 It is a well told story。 There are also sequences where the action is intense and gripping。I thought the approach to character development and introduction to the reader was well done， using interviews Cecily conducted with different characters。 She's a journalist working on the scoop story of her career thus far， so it was a perfect way to see character development。I liked this book。 The setting on Mt Manaslu， the eighth highest peak in the world， was excellent。 Some of the twists in the story caught me off guard and some I saw coming。 All in all， it was enjoyable。I received an advance copy of the book in exchange for my thoughts and opinions。 。。。more
Iris
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Journaliste Cecily Wong wordt uitgenodigd voor een expeditie naar de top van één van de hoogste bergen ter wereld。 In ruil daarvoor mag ze de beste klimmer interviewen， echter moet zij wel de top halen。Vanaf het moment dat Cecily aankomt in Nepal gebeuren er vreemde dingen。Hoe hoger ze komen， hoe gevaarlijker de berg wordt。 Het team moet elkaar vertrouwen， maar wat als er misschien wel een moordenaar op de berg is？In Ademloos volg je Cecily Wong die een poging gaat doen naar de top in ruil voor Journaliste Cecily Wong wordt uitgenodigd voor een expeditie naar de top van één van de hoogste bergen ter wereld。 In ruil daarvoor mag ze de beste klimmer interviewen， echter moet zij wel de top halen。Vanaf het moment dat Cecily aankomt in Nepal gebeuren er vreemde dingen。Hoe hoger ze komen， hoe gevaarlijker de berg wordt。 Het team moet elkaar vertrouwen， maar wat als er misschien wel een moordenaar op de berg is？In Ademloos volg je Cecily Wong die een poging gaat doen naar de top in ruil voor een interview。 Meerdere mensen twijfelen wel of dit haalbaar is。 Cecily heeft namelijk niet veel klimervaring。 Het was prettig om vanuit Cecily te lezen。 Ze is een interessant personage en door het hele verhaal heel leer je haar steeds beter kennen。 Zo ook haar klimverleden。 Hier en daar krijg je blogs te lezen die zij bijhoudt。 Hierdoor krijg je nog een beter beeld van wat zij meemaakt。 De andere personages in het team waren leuk en goed uitgewerkt。 Zo zijn Elise en Galden mijn favorieten。 Het verhaal is beeldend geschreven。 Het is te merken dat de schrijfster zelf de berg beklommen heeft。 Zelf weet ik helemaal niks van bergbeklimmen， gelukkig wordt alles goed uitgelegd waardoor ik het beter begreep。 Echter kwam ik totaal niet in het verhaal。 Pas na ruim 200 bladzijdes kwam ik er echt in。 Door de verschillende twist probeert de schrijfster je steeds op het verkeerde been te zetten。 Vanaf het begin had ik al een vermoeden en deze werd aan het einde inderdaad bevestigd。Ik geef dit boek 3，5 sterren。Recensie-exemplaar 。。。more
Sara Ellison
，
At heart， I'm the kind of girl that would love to climb a mountain。 In reality， I'm the girl that loves to read books about other people doing the actual climbing， because that stuff is way too dangerous and COLD for me。But this book combines two of my favorite things—a good old fashioned mystery/thriller， and a mountain-climbing experience from the safety of my own home。 The mountain climbing details are excellent。 According to the author’s note， the author has actually climbed the mountain des At heart， I'm the kind of girl that would love to climb a mountain。 In reality， I'm the girl that loves to read books about other people doing the actual climbing， because that stuff is way too dangerous and COLD for me。But this book combines two of my favorite things—a good old fashioned mystery/thriller， and a mountain-climbing experience from the safety of my own home。 The mountain climbing details are excellent。 According to the author’s note， the author has actually climbed the mountain described in the book （Manaslu， the eighth highest mountain in the world）， and she captures the difficulty and danger of ascending a mountain over 8000 meters and entering “the death zone”。 While there’s definitely a mystery going on， it’s a little weak and overshadowed by all of the climbing details。 However， this book shines once the thriller aspect comes into play。 The first 75% or so of the book moves a little slow as we go through the steps of acclimatization on the mountain， but the last portion of this book is non-stop， fast-paced action that will leave you （forgive me） breathless。 I stayed up until 3 am finishing this one when I made the mistake of reading it before bed one night。 Absolutely a must-read if you are also a fan of “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer， or if you just need a good reminder on why you definitely do not want to try high altitude mountain climbing。*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jean Potter
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A gripping read if a little weak at times。 I love books about mountaineering so forgave her some faults。
Irene Mckay
，
Almost true to life story。 I find the journey of this enticing which make you think what goes into the minds of people when they see the mountains and its majestic power。 However this book have entered into a different story pathway which the characters have to face。 Is it really the drive to climb or something else。The story of Cecily a journalist who accepted a job to go to the mountains with her fellow mountaineers。 Though its not her kind of adventure， she was obligated to write an article f Almost true to life story。 I find the journey of this enticing which make you think what goes into the minds of people when they see the mountains and its majestic power。 However this book have entered into a different story pathway which the characters have to face。 Is it really the drive to climb or something else。The story of Cecily a journalist who accepted a job to go to the mountains with her fellow mountaineers。 Though its not her kind of adventure， she was obligated to write an article for somebody who she thought is well respected person。 Now she was faced to go through the journey only to discover something else going on in the mountains。 Supposed to be a good article content instead she found herself into a myriads of murder。I enjoyed the pacing of the book。 No dull moment。Thankyou @Netgalley & @PenguinRandomHouse for the ebook copy。3。8/5 stars 。。。more
Julie
，
My thanks to Knof Doubleday and Net Galley for this arc to review。 Cecily Wong is a journalist and gets to cover the world famous climber as they take on the highest peak in the world。 She's not sure she is cut out for the climb， and there's some stuff happening to people。。。This was good， although a little less of a thriller than I expected。 It was a bit predictable， but it held my interest throughout。 I liked reading about the climb itself！ Can't wait for more from this author！ My thanks to Knof Doubleday and Net Galley for this arc to review。 Cecily Wong is a journalist and gets to cover the world famous climber as they take on the highest peak in the world。 She's not sure she is cut out for the climb， and there's some stuff happening to people。。。This was good， although a little less of a thriller than I expected。 It was a bit predictable， but it held my interest throughout。 I liked reading about the climb itself！ Can't wait for more from this author！ 。。。more
Nan Williams
，
It would have helped this plot immensely to have had a likeable protagonist – someone to cheer on in her journey。 Cecily was， alternately， whimpering or in your face。 She was， alternately， determined or cry-baby insecure。 She was demanding of others， but yet did really stupid things， herself （like putting her gloves down or following someone in the dark）。 She， obviously， had a really big chip on her shoulder， blaming others for her lack of successes。It was interesting to learn all about the ins It would have helped this plot immensely to have had a likeable protagonist – someone to cheer on in her journey。 Cecily was， alternately， whimpering or in your face。 She was， alternately， determined or cry-baby insecure。 She was demanding of others， but yet did really stupid things， herself （like putting her gloves down or following someone in the dark）。 She， obviously， had a really big chip on her shoulder， blaming others for her lack of successes。It was interesting to learn all about the ins and outs of alpining。 Somehow it never occurred to me that novices were allowed to climb the 8 tallest mountains – especially when they’ve “failed to summit” their previous 3 attempts at easier climbs。 However I did enjoy learning what all goes into an expedition and the preparation （or lack thereof） required。 Somehow “running up and down a flight of stairs” doesn’t seem adequate prep for mountain climbing， but then I’ve never climbed a seriously high mountain。And the mystery？ Not much there。 I kept thinking this was another Agatha Christie wanna-be with her “And Then There Were None” story。Best wishes to Amy McCulloch in her new career as a novelist。 I’m sure many will enjoy this novel – just not me。I’m thankful for this ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher， Anchor Books。 。。。more
Jenna
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🔪 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 🔪 By Amy McCullochPublisher: Anchor Books （May 3。2022）Genre: Suspenseful thriller 𝘎𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴。 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰， 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵。 Then I’m going to say， I could never do it。 😂🙈 nope， not a chance。 Someone can go right up there and take some stunning photos for me while I sit safely at the bottom。 This book （𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺） was one that I wou 🔪 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 🔪 By Amy McCullochPublisher: Anchor Books （May 3。2022）Genre: Suspenseful thriller 𝘎𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴。 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰， 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵。 Then I’m going to say， I could never do it。 😂🙈 nope， not a chance。 Someone can go right up there and take some stunning photos for me while I sit safely at the bottom。 This book （𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺） was one that I would say was more suspenseful thriller than your avg thriller。 It was about the adventure of the sport and the teetering between life and death。 There’s an array of characters that all pose as secondary storylines rather than importance。 The main story follows Cecily who is a novice climber and journalist that has been asked to join a famous alpinist on his last climb of 14。 Its here that he hopes to claim a world record and he wants Cecily to document it。 The problem is that both the murderer and the mountain could ensure that she never gets back down。 This one was atmospheric。 Very descriptive。 Kept the tension。 But tied it up too quickly once we knew what was happening。 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦。 That said， I was fascinated at the level of detail that went into the book and the connection to the authors journey herself mountaineering。 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳， 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦。 3。5 stars ⭐️ i 。。。more
Jeremy Reppy
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Climbing a mountain is not something I necessarily ever want to do， especially not a mountain that is higher than 8000 meters。 However， I certainly respect and admire those who successfully attempt such a feat。 Although the mountain climbing trip portrayed in "Breathless" is more hazardous than normal， as there is a saboteur and murderer on the mountain， the author does a great job of portraying the difficulties， hazards， and tediousness of a successful summit。 While it makes sense that a proces Climbing a mountain is not something I necessarily ever want to do， especially not a mountain that is higher than 8000 meters。 However， I certainly respect and admire those who successfully attempt such a feat。 Although the mountain climbing trip portrayed in "Breathless" is more hazardous than normal， as there is a saboteur and murderer on the mountain， the author does a great job of portraying the difficulties， hazards， and tediousness of a successful summit。 While it makes sense that a process of gradual acclimatization would be required， I had never thought about or realized that the climbers would repeatedly climb up and down the same stretch of mountain and only when they were acclimated， and the weather was cooperative， would they permanently ascend to the next level of the mountain， repeating the acclimatization process before proceeding to the next stage until they reached the final camp before the summit。The author has created an eclectic group of characters， with different motivations to reach the summit of Manaslu， different perspectives on mountaineering， and plenty of secrets， many of which would prove costly。 The reader knows from the very beginning that there is someone dangerous on the mountain， and that Cecily Wong， journalist and fairly novice mountain climber， is at great risk。 However， the author keeps the reader guessing， as there are multiple plausible suspects for the saboteur and murderer， and multiple possible motives。 I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Claude
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I was really intrigued by this novel because it's about mountain climbing， which is a subject I've never read about before。 Cecily is a journalist who is promised an interview with acclaimed mountaineer Charles McVeigh， providing she summits Manslanu with him。 When deaths start mounting， Cecily is the only one who believes those deaths aren't related to the dangers of the mountain。I enjoyed this very much！ I learned so much about mountaineering， respecting the mountains， and the physical， and me I was really intrigued by this novel because it's about mountain climbing， which is a subject I've never read about before。 Cecily is a journalist who is promised an interview with acclaimed mountaineer Charles McVeigh， providing she summits Manslanu with him。 When deaths start mounting， Cecily is the only one who believes those deaths aren't related to the dangers of the mountain。I enjoyed this very much！ I learned so much about mountaineering， respecting the mountains， and the physical， and mental， strength needed to achieve such a feat。 It felt slow at times， but I honestly think it helped me feel more immersed in the story。 There's a lot of waiting around on such a trek: whether they are acclimating or waiting out the bad weather。'Breathless' is advertised as a thriller; I'd call it more of an adventure with a thriller woven in。 As a thriller lover， I preferred the adventure part。 The thriller part was just an extra bonus。Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC。 I offer my review freely。Publication date: 03 May 2022 。。。more
Dawn Ellis
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I was recommended this book by a friend and despite some misgivings about few characters trapped on a mountain scenarios， I really enjoyed this。 Just the right amount of technical information showing that the writer knows and understands high altitude climbing， this was tightly plotted and very readable。 The description of Manaslu is breathtaking and very atmospheric。 The relationships between the very diverse group of characters is also well done， although I would have sat it out at base camp i I was recommended this book by a friend and despite some misgivings about few characters trapped on a mountain scenarios， I really enjoyed this。 Just the right amount of technical information showing that the writer knows and understands high altitude climbing， this was tightly plotted and very readable。 The description of Manaslu is breathtaking and very atmospheric。 The relationships between the very diverse group of characters is also well done， although I would have sat it out at base camp if I’d been there！ 。。。more
Linda
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Breathless could refer to the backdrop of the Himalayas， or to the lack of oxygen at 8，000 feet。 It could refer to Cecily and her anxiety and fear as the book progresses。I liked Cecily's character development。 She went from being anxious and jumpy to able to think for herself and make solid decisions。 I did wonder about such an inexperienced climber tackling one of the few 8，000 ft mountains in the world for the sake of a story。 Would someone with her background and anxiety actually do that？This Breathless could refer to the backdrop of the Himalayas， or to the lack of oxygen at 8，000 feet。 It could refer to Cecily and her anxiety and fear as the book progresses。I liked Cecily's character development。 She went from being anxious and jumpy to able to think for herself and make solid decisions。 I did wonder about such an inexperienced climber tackling one of the few 8，000 ft mountains in the world for the sake of a story。 Would someone with her background and anxiety actually do that？This has elements of an unreliable narrator （one of my favourite tropes）。 Is that Paranoia？ Reality？ Hypoxia？The ending was perhaps a bit （dare I say it？） over the top， but a really good read overall。 。。。more
Sabrina Crawford
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Overall， I really enjoyed this book！ There were some slow parts for me from time to time but lately， I have been a mood reader。。。the story was really good！ I enjoyed Cecily's journey and storyline。 She's a journalist and is trying to get an interview with the popular mountain climber， Charles， but his only condition is that she summit the mountain。 There are a lot of people I like， and a lot of people I assumed were murderers。 The ending may come to a shock to some of you and maybe not to others Overall， I really enjoyed this book！ There were some slow parts for me from time to time but lately， I have been a mood reader。。。the story was really good！ I enjoyed Cecily's journey and storyline。 She's a journalist and is trying to get an interview with the popular mountain climber， Charles， but his only condition is that she summit the mountain。 There are a lot of people I like， and a lot of people I assumed were murderers。 The ending may come to a shock to some of you and maybe not to others！ This really was a good read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys murder mystery books！ 。。。more
The Rose Post
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Book Review: Breathless by Amy McCullochMy Rating: 4/5 stars Release Date: May 3 2022 Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for an early review copy of this book！ My Thoughts: This book follows a young journalist named Cecily Wong who was chosen to write an article on Charles McVeigh， a famous mountain climber。 We follow Cecily as she goes through the perils of mountain climbing， and tries to survive the terrain as well as a murderer。 Overall this book was great！ I love sur Book Review: Breathless by Amy McCullochMy Rating: 4/5 stars Release Date: May 3 2022 Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for an early review copy of this book！ My Thoughts: This book follows a young journalist named Cecily Wong who was chosen to write an article on Charles McVeigh， a famous mountain climber。 We follow Cecily as she goes through the perils of mountain climbing， and tries to survive the terrain as well as a murderer。 Overall this book was great！ I love survival thrillers and it was great reading about a mountain climbing one！ You could tell the author had experience and passion on the subject。 The plot twist at the end definitely threw me off balance because I was expecting it to go one direction and then it turned around。 There are definitely red herrings in this book。 At first I was kind of disappointed because the prologue made it seem obvious， but that was not the case！ Some people will rate thrillers or mystery books lower for having a reveal that is too obvious， and while I’m sure many people will discover who the bad person is before the ending， the thrill of the book itself made up for it。 While this book wasn’t a 5 star， I still think it’s a great book and I’m glad I read it！ Overall I’d recommend this to lovers of thriller and mystery books and I advise you to give it a read when it gets released！ 。。。more
Andge （Down the Rabbit Hole）
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**Breathless comes out May 3， 2022**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review。‘There’s a murderer on the mountain。 RUN。’ Breathless quite literally lives up to its name in this spellbinding story that had me gripped from the moment。 Equal parts exhilarating and knowledge seeking， I was thrilled with the tension and mystery as the author intended， but I also learned so much about mountain climbing that I lived these experiences almost vicariously through **Breathless comes out May 3， 2022**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review。‘There’s a murderer on the mountain。 RUN。’ Breathless quite literally lives up to its name in this spellbinding story that had me gripped from the moment。 Equal parts exhilarating and knowledge seeking， I was thrilled with the tension and mystery as the author intended， but I also learned so much about mountain climbing that I lived these experiences almost vicariously through these characters。Cecily Wong is part of an exclusive team assembled to climb the last of the 14 mountains greater than eight-thousand-metres above sea level， Manaslu， alongside the legendary mountaineer Charles McVeigh。 Unfortunately， she feels she has so much to prove to him （and the rest of the very experienced team） because she’s known as the girl who could NOT summit even a smaller mountain。 But getting to exclusively interview Charles on the condition she summits is the chance of a lifetime and everyone plus their mother knows that。I love Cecily’s perspective throughout this whole book。 She’s a rather newbie climber so the logistics and extensive training that comes with mountain climbing is explained in the book for us who have no idea what this world is like。 However， I don’t feel it’s too technical and boring at these parts because it’s so ingrained into what is happening in the story。 The team requires acclimatization at higher altitudes before they can climb so high so of course， we follow that journey with them。 It’s never an overload of information and everything is potentially relevant。Besides the newbie perspective， Cecily is an empathetic protagonist because she sees people with a less detached attitude。 Perhaps it’s because she’s yet to really experience the life and death moments in a place literally called “the death zone” like her fellow experienced climbers。 But in this way， her heart and journalistic instinct leads her down a path that may be hold more secrets than she’s prepared to find。Most importantly， the pacing was fantastic！ I never felt bored as the team moved their way up the mountain。 The first death occurs not too far into the book so it really sets the tone – is there something more to this death or is it her paranoia？ In low oxygen atmospheres， it’s even a possibility hallucinations run rampant so we’re left questioning Cecily’s （and our） judgment of what’s really happening。I will say this book balanced thriller and mystery very well。 There’s the whodunnit if these deaths really were attributed to homicides instead of accidents， but also that tense feeling that something’s not right in the most remote landscape on Earth。To end off this review， I can’t emphasize enough how much I loved the experience of reading this book。 It’s like McCulloch took us on this journey to Manaslu’s summit with the amount of details and descriptions。The peak stood out， its enormous bulk an ominous black mass against the sparkling night sky。 It dominated the horizon， stretching up into the heavens， and the summit wore the stars like a crown。 It’s truly an adventure in a book but also a reminder to sometimes take a breath and admire this world and our tiny place in it。 When faced against the elements found at such high altitudes， we may appreciate more what life entails when death may be just a breath away。Note: all quotes are subject to change upon final publicationOverall Recommendation:Breathless takes you on the most amazing journey that mankind can partake in – climbing one of the tallest mountains in the world。 The prose is so immersive I truly felt like I was there with our protagonist， Cecily， facing the unknowns and her fears。 Unfortunately， there’s also something else afoot on the mountain but we may not be able to trust our judgment when the high altitude sickness comes in。 This is the best kind of thriller/mystery and Amy McCulloch did it so well。 I promise you， you won’t be disappointed if you pick this up。 。。。more
Jo
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Journalist Cecily is given the opportunity of a lifetime; to interview wunderkind mountaineer Charles McVeigh。 First， though， she must reach the summit with him on his next climb。 The going is hard enough but someone is killing off other climbers and Cecily must find the truth before she's next。 This was a tense thriller and I enjoyed the setting as it made a change from the usual locations in crime novels。 Journalist Cecily is given the opportunity of a lifetime; to interview wunderkind mountaineer Charles McVeigh。 First， though， she must reach the summit with him on his next climb。 The going is hard enough but someone is killing off other climbers and Cecily must find the truth before she's next。 This was a tense thriller and I enjoyed the setting as it made a change from the usual locations in crime novels。 。。。more
Rainelle
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I was excited to read this book。 I instantly dived into the world where Cicely was at her finest。 I was intrigued to read about the turnout of how a person who works for the government unravel a murder case on top of an ice mountain with a crew of no experience on how to capture suspects。 The suspense was entertaining。 I thought the story reads at a slow pace， but there were different background stories to plug into the plot that helped keep the story moving。 The story had a lot information on t I was excited to read this book。 I instantly dived into the world where Cicely was at her finest。 I was intrigued to read about the turnout of how a person who works for the government unravel a murder case on top of an ice mountain with a crew of no experience on how to capture suspects。 The suspense was entertaining。 I thought the story reads at a slow pace， but there were different background stories to plug into the plot that helped keep the story moving。 The story had a lot information on the ins and outs of mountain climbing。 From your gear that you choose。 How to harness that gear and were to travel beat up the mountain and with what。 A number of people seemed suspicious on this trip， but Charlie was in for the plug to his career。 The ending was great！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Breathless
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Breathless&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Breathless&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0