Breathless
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- Create Date：2021-12-29 00:51:07
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Amy McCulloch
- ISBN：0241534828
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Summary
IT'S ICE COLD。 YOU'RE MILES FROM HELP。 AND ONE OF YOU WILL BE NEXT 。 。 。 Pre-order next year's most gripping thriller now， and ensure you're the first to read the book that everyone will be talking about
'A high-altitude， high-stakes thriller that combines fascinating， authentic mountaineering experience with pure thriller entertainment。 I loved it' MATT HAIG， Sunday Times bestselling author of THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY
________
When struggling journalist Cecily Wong is invited to join an expedition to climb one of the world's tallest mountains， it seems like the chance of a lifetime。
She doesn't realise how deadly the climb will be。
As their small team starts to climb， things start to go wrong。 There's a theft。 Then an accident。 Then a mysterious note， pinned to her tent: there's a murderer on the mountain。
The higher they get， the more dangerous the climb becomes， and the more they need to trust one another。
And that's when Cecily finds the first body 。 。 。
'A high-altitude， high-stakes thriller that combines fascinating， authentic mountaineering experience with pure thriller entertainment。 I loved it' MATT HAIG， Sunday Times bestselling author of THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY
________
When struggling journalist Cecily Wong is invited to join an expedition to climb one of the world's tallest mountains， it seems like the chance of a lifetime。
She doesn't realise how deadly the climb will be。
As their small team starts to climb， things start to go wrong。 There's a theft。 Then an accident。 Then a mysterious note， pinned to her tent: there's a murderer on the mountain。
The higher they get， the more dangerous the climb becomes， and the more they need to trust one another。
And that's when Cecily finds the first body 。 。 。
Reviews
Rosemary
，
I was drawn to the cover of this book， it’s appealing and a very good fit for the story。The plot centres around Cecily， a journalist who has been invited on the trip of a lifetime to climb Manaslu， in the Himalayas。 If she manages to summit the mountain， she secures an exclusive interview with a famous climber， Charles。 Charles is undertaking a challenge to climb the fourteen highest peaks in the Himalayas， “alpine style”， so not using oxygen or rope lines。Cecily has climbed a few peaks in the U I was drawn to the cover of this book， it’s appealing and a very good fit for the story。The plot centres around Cecily， a journalist who has been invited on the trip of a lifetime to climb Manaslu， in the Himalayas。 If she manages to summit the mountain， she secures an exclusive interview with a famous climber， Charles。 Charles is undertaking a challenge to climb the fourteen highest peaks in the Himalayas， “alpine style”， so not using oxygen or rope lines。Cecily has climbed a few peaks in the UK and has had some traumatic experiences so is understandably reluctant about her mission。 Her career depends on it and she needs the money after getting into debt buying her kit。As she gets to know her team， she fears she’s being watched。 Then one of her fellow climbers dies in an apparent accident， but Cecily is suspicious。 This was quite a readable story， if you can suspend belief。 Cecily’s training for this huge mountain was to go up and down a local hill a few times。 🙄 I also found the ending a bit underwhelming。I wasn’t a big fan of any of the characters and felt the only one that was reasonably developed was Cecily。 One of the characters is never mentioned again and just seems to fizzle out。 He felt like a very obvious red herring and a bit pointless。From quite early on I had a theory and I was really disappointed to find I had pretty much guessed correctly and there wasn’t any shocking twist or surprise for me。 Usually my theories are way off！It was a bit predictable for me。Cecily is so scared and paranoid all the time that I found it diluted the emotion and potential tension。 This was a shame as it could have been very sinister and creepy。The setting is very well described and it’s clear a lot of research went into mountaineering and the Himalayas。 I would say this book is worth a read， but I was left a bit disappointed。2。5 stars rounded to 3。 Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for an advance copy for review。 。。。more
Madeleine Black
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Loved this pacy thriller set during a climb to the summit of Manaslu in the Himalayas。Struggling Journalist Cecily Wong has been given the chance of a lifetime to interview the alpinist climber Charles McVeigh， but she has to reach the summit first。 However， there are many unexplained events that take place and she's not sure if she's safe on the mountain。I had recently watched the movie on Netflix "14 peaks" about the fearless mountaineer Nims Purja who embarks on the seemingly impossible quest Loved this pacy thriller set during a climb to the summit of Manaslu in the Himalayas。Struggling Journalist Cecily Wong has been given the chance of a lifetime to interview the alpinist climber Charles McVeigh， but she has to reach the summit first。 However， there are many unexplained events that take place and she's not sure if she's safe on the mountain。I had recently watched the movie on Netflix "14 peaks" about the fearless mountaineer Nims Purja who embarks on the seemingly impossible quest to all 14 of the world's 8000 m peaks。 What I loved about this novel was not just the thriller angle but the insights into what it takes to climb a mountain。 I'm in awe of people that reach the summits！"Where better for a killer to hide than a place known as the Death Zone" 。。。more
Kat
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Wow！ This book is superbly written you really get a feel of being high up on a mountain the atmosphere is amazing and feels very real。 What I think makes this such a good read is that apart from the obvious excellent murder mystery the book is very interesting with lots of facts and descriptions about different mountains and mountaineering and I particularly liked the blog posts and interviews done by Cecily Wong the main character。 The feelings of isolation and fear really do come through in th Wow！ This book is superbly written you really get a feel of being high up on a mountain the atmosphere is amazing and feels very real。 What I think makes this such a good read is that apart from the obvious excellent murder mystery the book is very interesting with lots of facts and descriptions about different mountains and mountaineering and I particularly liked the blog posts and interviews done by Cecily Wong the main character。 The feelings of isolation and fear really do come through in the story and I was gripped especially towards the end when the tension started to rise and I wasn’t at sure what the outcome would be for Cecily trapped on a mountain not knowing who to trust。 So a fabulously written book that I shivered my way through it was exceptionally well researched， interesting and well crafted I really loved it and if you want a murder mystery with a difference then you have it here！My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Michelle
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Breathless by Amy Mc Culloch Is a chilling， tense thriller with a difference。 Struggling Journalist Cecily Wong has been given the chance of a lifetime to interview Charles McVeigh on the summit of Manaslu mountain in the Himalayas。 One of the largest mountains in the world over 8000m after completing reaching the summits of 14 mountains with out Oxygen or fixed lines。 Charles is at the top of his game and known to have rescue some people on his missions。 To get an opportunity to interview him i Breathless by Amy Mc Culloch Is a chilling， tense thriller with a difference。 Struggling Journalist Cecily Wong has been given the chance of a lifetime to interview Charles McVeigh on the summit of Manaslu mountain in the Himalayas。 One of the largest mountains in the world over 8000m after completing reaching the summits of 14 mountains with out Oxygen or fixed lines。 Charles is at the top of his game and known to have rescue some people on his missions。 To get an opportunity to interview him is the highest honor。Cecily is all known to help be a hero and help rescue a woman on the mountain of Snowdon。 But she is not experienced as the other members of the team climbing Manaslu and it shows when she is climbing the mountain。 But things start to go wrong on the mountain and people end up dead。 At first， they think it’s just an accident， but as other things happened， and Cecily gets a warning letter that there is a killer on the loose on the mountain。This is an intense thriller， set a cold death defying， mountain setting。 I thought it has an original storyline and well-developed characters。 This is great read if you need a murder with a difference。 I thought it was well researched and quite realistic and then realised when I browsed the authors Goodreads page that the author went on an expedition on the exact mountain herself and shows pictures of the base camp as described in her book。 5 stars from me。 。。。more
Karen King
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Cecily Wong has been offered the chance to interview world-beating mountaineer Charles McVeigh， who climbs without the use of oxygen and fixed lines。 The only catch is that she must join his team to reach the summit of the fourteenth 8，000m mountain that he's climbing。 Cecily had a bad experience climbing Mount Snowdon， but although scared， this interview will make her career so decides to take on the challenge。 It quickly becomes apparent how underprepared she is。 Altitude climbing can cause a Cecily Wong has been offered the chance to interview world-beating mountaineer Charles McVeigh， who climbs without the use of oxygen and fixed lines。 The only catch is that she must join his team to reach the summit of the fourteenth 8，000m mountain that he's climbing。 Cecily had a bad experience climbing Mount Snowdon， but although scared， this interview will make her career so decides to take on the challenge。 It quickly becomes apparent how underprepared she is。 Altitude climbing can cause a range of physical and cerebral problems and this cleverly written book keeps you undecided as to whether Cecily is correct in her suspicion of crimes， including murder， being committed， or whether she is experiencing paranoia。 The description of the stunning scenery， constantly changing with altitude and weather conditions， and the detailed information regarding mountaineering made this a fascinating book。 The conclusion is exciting and unexpected。 Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jacob Collins
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Breathless is an intense and an utterly gripping debut thriller by Amy McCulloch。 Amy is a writer who knows how to draw the reader into the setting。 This book is features a group of mountain climbers who are planning to tackle a formidable mountain and Amy McCulloch has definitely created a chilling setting。 It makes you feel as though you are there。There is a foreboding atmosphere which Amy continues to build on as the novel progresses。 As we get to know the group of climbers who are attempting Breathless is an intense and an utterly gripping debut thriller by Amy McCulloch。 Amy is a writer who knows how to draw the reader into the setting。 This book is features a group of mountain climbers who are planning to tackle a formidable mountain and Amy McCulloch has definitely created a chilling setting。 It makes you feel as though you are there。There is a foreboding atmosphere which Amy continues to build on as the novel progresses。 As we get to know the group of climbers who are attempting to climb the mountain and Cecily Wong， a journalist who is joining them， the atmosphere becomes very chilling。 You get the sense that they are all being watched and I had no idea what the reason for this was or who was watching them。 The mountain setting really provided a real sense of danger。 Of course， there is the suspicion that someone is watching the group， whose intentions might not be honest， but there is also the added threat of the icy temperatures and the mountain。 When someone dies early on in the book， the tension really begins to heighten， especially among the members of the group。 I had no idea who could have been behind the murder and my suspicions kept changing as the plot developed。 I really liked Cecily。 She is determined to get an interview with mountain climber， Charles。 She isn’t an experienced mountain climber， but she is determined to risk her own safety to get the interview。 As the tension heightens Cecily begins to discover clues as to who the murderer is。 Amy McCulloch delivers a nail biting ending that really took me by surprise。 I really enjoyed Breathless。 It is a highly entertaining read。 Psychological thriller lovers you definitely need to add this book to your TBR pile。 I highly recommend it！ 。。。more
Amanda Clinton
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I was initially attracted to read this book by the cover， and I've enjoyed some other novels which involve murders in snowy locations so I hoped that I might enjoy this one too。 Luckily I was right！I know absolutely nothing about mountain climbing， and I actually really enjoyed learning about it。 Manaslu is definitely the star of this novel and the locations are described so well that although I had no knowledge at all of what it's like up a mountain， I found that I could picture it quite well。 I was initially attracted to read this book by the cover， and I've enjoyed some other novels which involve murders in snowy locations so I hoped that I might enjoy this one too。 Luckily I was right！I know absolutely nothing about mountain climbing， and I actually really enjoyed learning about it。 Manaslu is definitely the star of this novel and the locations are described so well that although I had no knowledge at all of what it's like up a mountain， I found that I could picture it quite well。 I watched some videos afterwards as my interest was piqued and it wasn't far off what I had in my head。 The plot itself was interesting and I thought the pacing was good。 I really liked the side characters， especially the sherpas and I enjoyed getting to know a bit about their culture。 My one criticism would be that I was never entirely convinced by main character Cecily。 I never felt like I got to know her properly and I definitely couldn't get on board with some of her thought processes。 You do also have to suspend belief a bit towards the end， but for the sake of a good story I was happy to do that。Overall I would recommend this as it held my interest throughout， the sense of place was fantastic and the plot was very good。 。。。more
Nicole
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So breathtaking。 The views。 The climb。 The atmosphere thins the higher they go， the more dangerous it becomes。 The mountain takes lives every year。 It is an unforgiving environment， but that is the challenge。 High stakes as a struggling journalist risks all for the interview of a lifetime。 14 mountains over 8，000km alpine way all in one year。 But is the man breaking all these records the real deal？ If she can get to the summit on his last mountain as one of his team， she can get the exclusive ot So breathtaking。 The views。 The climb。 The atmosphere thins the higher they go， the more dangerous it becomes。 The mountain takes lives every year。 It is an unforgiving environment， but that is the challenge。 High stakes as a struggling journalist risks all for the interview of a lifetime。 14 mountains over 8，000km alpine way all in one year。 But is the man breaking all these records the real deal？ If she can get to the summit on his last mountain as one of his team， she can get the exclusive other journalists would kill for。 It starts with a body。 An accident。 Or was it？ Is there a killer on the mountain。 Hats off to mountain climber author Amy herself who decided to write this thriller。 It is a dizzyingly addictive read。 My heart rate is still settling after that break-neck pace ending。 What an exhilarating thriller。 If you loved Allie Reynolds Shiver， Thin Air by Michelle Paver or Hide by Nell Pattison this is on another level。Thank you Michael Joseph Books for my gifted proof copy。 。。。more
Ceecee
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Ice cold… You’re miles from help… Yes， we have us are trapped up the mountain murder mystery！Mission Fourteen Clean : Manaslu， Himalayas。Charles McVeigh， pure climber， is deemed the worlds greatest alpinist， he is a legend and renowned as superhuman in the death zone （above 8000m） and he’s a hero rescuer of climbers in trouble。 He is soon to enter the record books as the first to climb 14 mountains over 8000m without supplementary oxygen and all within a year。 Cecily Wong is a journalist and she Ice cold… You’re miles from help… Yes， we have us are trapped up the mountain murder mystery！Mission Fourteen Clean : Manaslu， Himalayas。Charles McVeigh， pure climber， is deemed the worlds greatest alpinist， he is a legend and renowned as superhuman in the death zone （above 8000m） and he’s a hero rescuer of climbers in trouble。 He is soon to enter the record books as the first to climb 14 mountains over 8000m without supplementary oxygen and all within a year。 Cecily Wong is a journalist and she is prepared to go to any lengths to interview him hence her presence in Katmandu to join this expedition。 She’ll get her interview when she conquers Manaslu so it’ll make or break her career。 She is part of a team of seven， some are complete strangers as they set off to conquer a dangerous peak。 The story is told from Cecily‘s point of view and interspersed with her excellent blog。What I love about the book is the fantastic atmosphere the author creates， its as if you were there。 There are some awe-inspiring descriptions that transport you to Nepal and it feels like you climb the mountain with Cecily。 It captures vividly the inherent dangers of climbing and the difficulties of altitude， you feel that breathless pain and it seems extremely authentic。 There’s a good blend of characters and I like the contrast of the humour and good-natured banter and excitement at the start as they acclimatise compared to the seriousness of the actual climb。 There are some glacial frissons of dread up and down the spine from the start and a feeling of unsettling doom as suspicions and danger intensifies。 There are some moments where it’s unbelievably creepy and if you add in the claustrophobia of being stuck in a hostile environment it makes it an absorbing read。 I feel a bit let down by the ending as basically it just had to be but it doesn’t detract too much from this being a gripping thriller。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。 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。With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin， Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Nigel
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Pacey and enjoyable at times， unconvincing at other times。 Probably 3 or 4 and full review nearer publication
Alison
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Review to follow
Jenny
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I liked this book， even though the world’s 14 death-zone peaks have been a subject for other authors too。 Here is a true whodunit， in this most unusual setting， which drew me in。 The lead character was very real in her insecurities， and the wide ability gap between her earlier climbing fails and a death-zone peak was eased for the reader by a good narrative pace and a credible storyline。 I thought that the technical accuracy was fine， although I am not an alpinist myself。 Well worth a read for t I liked this book， even though the world’s 14 death-zone peaks have been a subject for other authors too。 Here is a true whodunit， in this most unusual setting， which drew me in。 The lead character was very real in her insecurities， and the wide ability gap between her earlier climbing fails and a death-zone peak was eased for the reader by a good narrative pace and a credible storyline。 I thought that the technical accuracy was fine， although I am not an alpinist myself。 Well worth a read for those who like murder mysteries or high mountains， or both。 。。。more
Susan Hampson
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Cecily Wong had been offered the chance to interview world-class mountaineer Charles McVeigh， on the summit of the fourteenth mountain that he is climbing， without the use of oxygen and fixed lines。 The condition of the interview is that she has to climb this final mountain too。 The other climbers in the party are all experienced， whereas she has done an intensive course to prepare her for what has to come。She hit the headlines herself， not too long ago， when she led a rescue team to the body of Cecily Wong had been offered the chance to interview world-class mountaineer Charles McVeigh， on the summit of the fourteenth mountain that he is climbing， without the use of oxygen and fixed lines。 The condition of the interview is that she has to climb this final mountain too。 The other climbers in the party are all experienced， whereas she has done an intensive course to prepare her for what has to come。She hit the headlines herself， not too long ago， when she led a rescue team to the body of a dead woman， on a much smaller mountain in the UK。 Cecily has poured everything into getting this interview， as she couldn’t get anyone to subsidise the cost。 If she fails， she will lose everything。 She has no idea how underprepared she is。 The story gets creepy early on， with little things to start with， but the intensity and severity grow the higher they go。It is a very atmospheric read， With the description of the stunning scenery constantly changing with altitude and weather conditions。 I hadn’t a clue where the story would go and what the underlining stories would be as there are a lot of red herrings， and other climbers had their reasons for doing this particular climb。 It is like ten little Indians as they won’t all come back。 It isn’t just the elements that are working against the climbers。I loved the twists that this story threw at me and didn’t know who could be the rouge in the group。 The build-up is tremendous， and the delivery is perfection。 It takes you right to the edge of your seat。 OMG， when it comes down， it comes down。 It is a brilliant round-up。I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for an e-copy of this book， which I have reviewed honestly。 。。。more
Sarah Bonner
，
A chilling and brilliantly plotted thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat。 Cecily was a throughly relatable heroine who I was compelled to root for as her predicament worsened。 Breathless is fast-paced and full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end。 I loved this book and would absolutely recommend it。
Beth
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Wow， wow and once more for the people at the back: wow！This has got to be the most thrilling and addictive book I have read this year by far。It's been a long time since a book has grabbed me from the first page and hasn't let go until the end。This is a read in one sitting type of story， with interesting characters， intrigue， mystery and tension through the roof。 I felt like I was holding my breath throughout （no pun intended！）The setting on the mountain really added something extra as it's not a Wow， wow and once more for the people at the back: wow！This has got to be the most thrilling and addictive book I have read this year by far。It's been a long time since a book has grabbed me from the first page and hasn't let go until the end。This is a read in one sitting type of story， with interesting characters， intrigue， mystery and tension through the roof。 I felt like I was holding my breath throughout （no pun intended！）The setting on the mountain really added something extra as it's not a setting I usually read about， so to me it felt fresh。 You can really imagine this as a movie。Whilst I found it totally obvious from the very beginning who was behind all the goings on， it never ruined my enjoyment of the story。There are lots of good reviews for this book。 Believe the hype。Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph & Netgalley for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
KathVBtn
，
A murder mystery with a difference， with its setting in the elite mountain climbing world。 Cecily Wong， a relatively new journalist， has been invited to join the crew of the world's most famous free-mountaineer， Charles， who has pledged to climb the 14 highest mountains in the world without oxygen or assistance。 The mountaineering world is agog at his challenge and wants to know more， but he is enigmatic and mysterious and insists on Cecily summiting with him before he will give an interview。In A murder mystery with a difference， with its setting in the elite mountain climbing world。 Cecily Wong， a relatively new journalist， has been invited to join the crew of the world's most famous free-mountaineer， Charles， who has pledged to climb the 14 highest mountains in the world without oxygen or assistance。 The mountaineering world is agog at his challenge and wants to know more， but he is enigmatic and mysterious and insists on Cecily summiting with him before he will give an interview。In the base camp and along the journey， some dangerous moments put Cecily on edge， but without the interview， her career will never take off so she has to continue on despite her misgivingsI really enjoyed the storytelling and despite reading it by the pool， the cold and snow felt very real。 Im pretty sure mountain climbing is not for meI have seen lots of praise for the story and can certainly say its well deserved 。。。more
Melissa Delport
，
“There was only one way that anyone ever got up a mountain: by putting one foot in front of the other。”4。5 stars for this 'breath-taking' book！ Breathless by Amy McCulloch read like a high-octane action movie， with a gripping "whodunnit" thrown in for good measure。 A few contractions in the dialogue wouldn’t go amiss - but I’m sure they’ll be caught before publication and in children’s books speech is more sing-song stilted so I suspect its just a habit that needs breaking。 Wannabe travel journa “There was only one way that anyone ever got up a mountain: by putting one foot in front of the other。”4。5 stars for this 'breath-taking' book！ Breathless by Amy McCulloch read like a high-octane action movie， with a gripping "whodunnit" thrown in for good measure。 A few contractions in the dialogue wouldn’t go amiss - but I’m sure they’ll be caught before publication and in children’s books speech is more sing-song stilted so I suspect its just a habit that needs breaking。 Wannabe travel journalist， Cecily Wong， has already had one terrifying experience climbing， but for the story of a lifetime， she's prepared to brave the treacherous peak of Nepal's Mount Manaslu。When press-shy， mountaineering legend， Charles McVeigh， invites Cecily to accompany his team on their final summit， she knows the climb will be brutal。 Over 8000 meters， they will face the death zone - that lethal altitude where oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life for an extended period。 But， with multiple teams racing for the summit， a storm brewing on the horizon， and a possible murderer in their midst， it is impossible to know who to trust。 The technical expertise and knowledge in this book shines through - a result of McCulloch's personal experience。 When not writing， she loves travelling， hiking and mountaineering。 In September 2019， she became the youngest Canadian woman to climb Mt Manaslu in Nepal – the world’s eighth highest mountain at 8，163m （26，781ft）。 I've never read one of her children’s books， but if they are anything like this one， I bet she keeps the kids up at night！ A thrilling rollercoaster ride that just keeps climbing！ 。。。more
Angela Lawman
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A book that left me breathless as a reader！Cecily is invited to join the most famous mountaineer of the modern age as he attempts to summit his 14th mountain without oxygen。 Cecily agrees to join in return for the mountaineering story of the century - the tale of Charles and his career highlight。 Shortly after joining the team on location， things start to wrong and an early death shocks Cecily to her core。 Was it an accident or something more sinister - is there a murderer with them on the mount A book that left me breathless as a reader！Cecily is invited to join the most famous mountaineer of the modern age as he attempts to summit his 14th mountain without oxygen。 Cecily agrees to join in return for the mountaineering story of the century - the tale of Charles and his career highlight。 Shortly after joining the team on location， things start to wrong and an early death shocks Cecily to her core。 Was it an accident or something more sinister - is there a murderer with them on the mountain？ I raced through the ending of this book and gasped out loud more than once at the twists and turns of the tale。 Would recommend。 Thank you NetGalley for my copy。 。。。more
Louise
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Possible spoilersThis appears to be a very well researched book，I say appears，because I know nothing about mountain climbing。Or I knew nothing。Now I feel like I know a bit and probably need to know more。I was a bit puzzled by the main character，who seemed to think walking up a few slopes to be decent training for the climb。Although I enjoyed the story，I felt it lacked a certain urgency that you'd usually get when the body count goes up。 At least until almost the end。So for me，the highlights were Possible spoilersThis appears to be a very well researched book，I say appears，because I know nothing about mountain climbing。Or I knew nothing。Now I feel like I know a bit and probably need to know more。I was a bit puzzled by the main character，who seemed to think walking up a few slopes to be decent training for the climb。Although I enjoyed the story，I felt it lacked a certain urgency that you'd usually get when the body count goes up。 At least until almost the end。So for me，the highlights were the descriptions of the climbing，the equipment and the prep。。。 not the murders。 。。。more
Allie Reynolds
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A killer who stalks their victims in the Death Zone of Himalayan mountains？ Written by a female mountaineer？ How AMAZING is that concept！ I was so excited about this one from the moment I heard about it。 And I finished it in a day， as I just could not stop reading！I always love books with interesting settings， especially dangerous natural settings like mountains， forests or beaches and the setting in this book is about as dangerous as you can get！ There are SO many dangers everywhere in this sto A killer who stalks their victims in the Death Zone of Himalayan mountains？ Written by a female mountaineer？ How AMAZING is that concept！ I was so excited about this one from the moment I heard about it。 And I finished it in a day， as I just could not stop reading！I always love books with interesting settings， especially dangerous natural settings like mountains， forests or beaches and the setting in this book is about as dangerous as you can get！ There are SO many dangers everywhere in this story - cliffs， avalanches， ice seracs and altitude sickness， not to mention a killer on the loose！ I loved that the entire story was set in the mountains， so isolated from civilisation。 My parents were keen mountaineers， all their friends were mountaineers， and every childhood holiday our family went to the mountains， so this book， with all its vivid and authentic detail， brought back SO many memories of damp cold tents， crampons， ice axes， make-shift meals cooked on a camp stove。。。 I loved the insight into the reasons people risk their lives to climb high mountains and the portrayal of the mountaineering world， which I've never seen in a thriller before。There was a death early on in the story， and I was suspicious of every character at some stage！ The plotting was so clever I kept changing my mind - the killer could have been any of them， with lots of clues and red-herrings and suspicious-seeming activities。 A tense， action-packed story of survival， adventure and murder in one of the world's most inhospitable places。 Perfect for fans of The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse and The Dark by Emma Haughton。 。。。more
Jennie Godfrey
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Having just read another ‘cold’ set thriller I wondered whether Breathless might be too much but I was enthralled by this book from the very beginning。 With just the right amount of climbing information for the story， and descriptions that made ME want to go mountaineering this is a whip smart thriller that kept me guessing， and throughly entertained while I was guessing。 The protagonist is someone I was rooting for from the beginning and I loved seeing her get stronger and more sure of herself Having just read another ‘cold’ set thriller I wondered whether Breathless might be too much but I was enthralled by this book from the very beginning。 With just the right amount of climbing information for the story， and descriptions that made ME want to go mountaineering this is a whip smart thriller that kept me guessing， and throughly entertained while I was guessing。 The protagonist is someone I was rooting for from the beginning and I loved seeing her get stronger and more sure of herself as the book went on。 This has a filmic quality to it along with a really well-drawn cast of characters/suspects。 Loved it！ 。。。more
Dannii Elle
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There are a few buzz words I have， concerning thrillers。 These are private academic settings， snowy isolated settings， extreme sports， and modern fame such as reality TV or influencer lifestyle。 When I discovered that this contained two of them I just knew it was going to be a book I loved。 I was not wrong。Cecily Wong is a journalist invited to join an expedition to climb one of the world's tallest mountains。 An interview will be granted to her on completion of her climb and so she attempts to f There are a few buzz words I have， concerning thrillers。 These are private academic settings， snowy isolated settings， extreme sports， and modern fame such as reality TV or influencer lifestyle。 When I discovered that this contained two of them I just knew it was going to be a book I loved。 I was not wrong。Cecily Wong is a journalist invited to join an expedition to climb one of the world's tallest mountains。 An interview will be granted to her on completion of her climb and so she attempts to forget her fears and lack of experience as she joins the crew and begins the ascent。 However， it becomes quickly apparent that their harsh surroundings is not the only thing to fear。This was such an addictive and immersive read。 I read it whilst sick and over one sleepless night。 It kept me company whilst I sweated out a fever and I definitely attribute this icy setting to aiding me in returning to a normal temperature。I did not read about the perils of the snowy climb， I lived it。 McCulloch showed a clear skill in conjuring snowy settings and the dangers involved in it。 I felt the title on more than one occasion， either from awe at what the character's were witnessing or through fear at what they were becoming exposed to。 It was a read that truly defines the word nail-biting and I loved all it contained。I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you to the author， Amy McCullock， and the publisher， Michael Joseph， for this opportunity。 。。。more
Milly Reynolds
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A thriller set on a mountain - sounds exciting。 And in most parts it was。 It was very close to a five star。Cecily is a journalist waiting for that one big story that will make her name and when Charles invites her to join his team climbing an 8000m mountain， she thinks she has found it。 Charles is the mountaineering man of the moment as he is one summit away from completing his 'Fourteen Clean' challenge。 Charles climbs without oxygen and without following the fixed lines to the summits。 He had A thriller set on a mountain - sounds exciting。 And in most parts it was。 It was very close to a five star。Cecily is a journalist waiting for that one big story that will make her name and when Charles invites her to join his team climbing an 8000m mountain， she thinks she has found it。 Charles is the mountaineering man of the moment as he is one summit away from completing his 'Fourteen Clean' challenge。 Charles climbs without oxygen and without following the fixed lines to the summits。 He had climbed thirteen 8000m mountains and now is about to embark on his final summit。 He has gathered a hand-picked team to join him and Cecily is surprised to be invited。 She is not an experienced mountaineer， her ex-boyfriend took her along on his Three Peaks challenge which she failed to complete and it was her totally honest article describing her failure that caught Charles' attention。 She will get her exclusive interview when she reached the summit。So that sets the story up - Charles and his hand-picked team setting out in treacherous conditions to enter the Death Zone of a 8000m summit。 On a mountain there is no where to run and when there are strange accidents and a death， Cecily starts to feel that something is wrong。 She is convinces that there is someone on the mountain with them， someone who is going to kill them one by one。This was very close to a five star for me。 the description of the mountain， the icy environment were excellent， the premise too was excellent and as for the final chapters - wow！ So tense。 For me ， I felt that the pace slowed a little in the middle - but that is a personal opinion only。On the whole， I thoroughly enjoyed this chilly thriller。 Did I work it out？ No - I was as much in the dark as Cecily。Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this。 。。。more
Karen Barber
，
Be bothered…this is the mantra that our main character has taken to heart。 Be bothered to check your equipment。 Be bothered to take note of your surroundings。 This mantra could well save her life。Cecily Wong is known in the press as the Snowdon hero。 The woman who stayed with a climber who fell， who guided emergency services to the site。 But sometimes what happens on the mountains isn’t clear-cut and Cecily knows that better than anyone。When Cecily is promised an exclusive interview with mountai Be bothered…this is the mantra that our main character has taken to heart。 Be bothered to check your equipment。 Be bothered to take note of your surroundings。 This mantra could well save her life。Cecily Wong is known in the press as the Snowdon hero。 The woman who stayed with a climber who fell， who guided emergency services to the site。 But sometimes what happens on the mountains isn’t clear-cut and Cecily knows that better than anyone。When Cecily is promised an exclusive interview with mountaineer Charles McVeigh it’s on the understanding that she makes the summit of one of the world’s highest mountains-his final climb in his quest to climb the fourteen highest mountains without oxygen or fixed lines。To anyone with climbing experience this man would seem pretty incredible。 To anyone without climbing experience you might think this man is slightly mad。 Is either response justified？Cecily is determined to overcome her own fears in order to get this interview。 Once on the mountain she is struck by some unusual circumstances and is convinced someone might be out to cause harm。This is a thriller that you cannot fail to get caught up in。 Twists and turns aplenty， some breathtaking mountain descriptions and some utterly terrifying scenarios that had me desperate to see how things would resolve。 The talk of the thriller of 2022 might well be justified， and I’m so grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this early。 。。。more
Chloe
，
Breathless is a tense， chilling thriller about one woman's quest to reach the summit of a treacherous mountain - but there's a murderer amongst the climbers。 As journalist Cecily Wong faces her own personal fears in order to secure a career-changing interview with a renowned explorer， a lack of oxygen plays havoc with her mind and when suspicious events occur， Cecily is left wondering if it's paranoia or something worse putting her life in danger。 Being a experienced mountain climber herself。 Am Breathless is a tense， chilling thriller about one woman's quest to reach the summit of a treacherous mountain - but there's a murderer amongst the climbers。 As journalist Cecily Wong faces her own personal fears in order to secure a career-changing interview with a renowned explorer， a lack of oxygen plays havoc with her mind and when suspicious events occur， Cecily is left wondering if it's paranoia or something worse putting her life in danger。 Being a experienced mountain climber herself。 Amy McCulloch weaves her expert knowledge into this page-turning thriller， making the cold and the peril a claustrophobic and visceral experience， even for a reader who has never even set foot on a mountain！ As the situation becomes more desperate for Cecily， where the terror is both human and environmental， McCulloch's vivid scene setting puts you right there beside Cecily， clinging to the edge。 。。。more
Jade
，
Breathless by Amy McCulloch was such a good read。 The atmosphere from where the book is taking place was interesting to read and the book always kept you engaged with everything going on。 The characters were interesting in their own ways which I liked。 Overall I really liked this book， it always kept me wanting to find out what is going on and I would recommend this book， very excellent book！Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book
Carole
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I half-expected not to enjoy this book too much， simply because I have no interest in mountaineering， but I really enjoyed it。 So well written that I felt as if I was there。 Such vivid and dramatic descriptions of the ice and snow， and how Cecily was feeling at any given time。 Absolutely wonderful。 What let it down for me was the plot。 Intriguing， different and gripping to start with， but as the story unfolded I thought it became far too unbelievable to the point of being silly， especially the e I half-expected not to enjoy this book too much， simply because I have no interest in mountaineering， but I really enjoyed it。 So well written that I felt as if I was there。 Such vivid and dramatic descriptions of the ice and snow， and how Cecily was feeling at any given time。 Absolutely wonderful。 What let it down for me was the plot。 Intriguing， different and gripping to start with， but as the story unfolded I thought it became far too unbelievable to the point of being silly， especially the ending which I found very disappointing。 So， a definite 5 for the way it was written， and a sad 2 for the plot。Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read the novel in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Liz Barnsley
，
One of the most addictive novels I've read so far this year， Amy McCulloch's Breathless is a rollercoaster ride of a read， a chilly thriller written descriptively and with a flair for scene setting that really digs into the readers consciousness。 A summit attempt， chasing an interview with the world's most famous mountain man， a killer lurking in the icy darkness plus a hugely engaging main protagonist and a truly unpredictable plot makes Breathless a must read for anyone chasing psychological t One of the most addictive novels I've read so far this year， Amy McCulloch's Breathless is a rollercoaster ride of a read， a chilly thriller written descriptively and with a flair for scene setting that really digs into the readers consciousness。 A summit attempt， chasing an interview with the world's most famous mountain man， a killer lurking in the icy darkness plus a hugely engaging main protagonist and a truly unpredictable plot makes Breathless a must read for anyone chasing psychological thrills and spills in their reading。Excellent writing， never losing sight of character in the pursuit of the twist， a real feel for the dangerous beauty of these peaks climbers chase and a classic murder mystery makes for a fantastic read from first page to last。Should be a massive hit in 2022。 Highly Recommended。 。。。more
Laura Lam
，
I blurbed this！ “Breathless is a thriller that moves at a breakneck pace through the ice-packed dangers of the Death Zone。 I felt like I was on the mountain and raced to the end。 Read it， and it’ll leave you breathless， too。”
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