This was a wild, creepy ride! Not knowing who you can trust when you’re isolated on a mountain surrounded by strangers and suspicious things keep happening. Even when things were somewhat predictable I still enjoyed the surprises and even almost gasped out loud in the break room at work.

Thanks to NetGalley and Anchor Books for the advanced copy of this book.

I, as a senior citizen, know I will never have an opportunity to participate an extreme sport, such as climbing 8,000 meter peaks so I live vicariously through those who do. The novel provides both a visual sense of what that entails in addition to being a mystery, what could be better?

I appreciated a little of the backstory regarding the Sherpas who are the backbone of this type of mountain climbing and the role they play as hired guides to protect and often save the lives of inexperienced climbers.

The mystery is one that is twisting and leading in many different directions as far as "who done it". Nothing worse than one that is predictable from the start. I enjoyed this novel and look forward to more books by Amy McCulloch.

Definitely not for me. I didn’t find it engaging. Actually, I was just bored with all the chit chat. The story might make an entertaining Netflix movie.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this title.

I loved this book. It really had me want to keep reading chapter to chapter. I did call who the “bad” guy would be, but didn’t see some of the other twists. I also liked that the chapters were short. Totally worth the read.

Breathless by Amy McCulloch
Wasn't sure what to expect from this book at the very least I figured I'd have some adventure with it taking place high up in the mountains. What I got was a very interesting story that had twists and turns that left me guessing and kept me reading til I reached the conclusion. I will be looking to read more from this author, she does a good job pulling you into the story. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this and leave my opinion.

BREATHLESS is, first and foremost, about mountain climbing. I learned more than I could ever possibly want to know about this challenging sport. As much as I never wanted to climb a mountain before, I want to experience the world at height even less. The descriptions are brilliant and completely frightening to anyone, like me, who suffers from vertigo.

The backstory is about death… accidental? … or murder?

Cecily Wong, a journalist, has been invited to be on the Charles McVeigh team to summit Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world. In terms of alpine skill, she is in way over her head. Her self-doubts are real, and understandable; they are not a contrivance of the story. Her determination is the same. It can truly be said that Cecily is a strong woman protagonist. She isn't Wonder Woman but certainly steps up when the occasion calls.

After reading BREATHLESS, I read about Amy McCulloch. The explanation of her in-depth description of the climb up Manaslu is so real is that she lived the experience herself. It is truly a case of writing what she knows.

Mountains exceeding 8,000 meters require extraordinary skill and determination to climb. Summits of this height are said to be in the Death Zone where many climbers succumb to the thin air and treacherous conditions. What better place than one already infamous to set a murder mystery?

I am a big fan of the horror novel… both supernatural and psychological. In some respects, BREATHLESS fits the bill of psychological horror. The story feeds my fear of heights, yet, as I heard Clive Barker say at a convention "there is no delight the equal of dread." BREATHLESS will keep you turning pages long into the night. It is a compelling read.

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
This started a bit slow for me as there were quite a lot of details of mountaineering to start with. But they were definitely essential to the story and when I was past the first 50 pages the pace picked up very quickly and I was dragged into the unique place Manaslu and the intense passion for this extreme sport. This was 100% a wild ride and I loved it. The unique circumstances added so much to the story and I loved the subtle character built.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Short Chapters
Continued suspense 😬
Mountaineering/extreme sports
Character built

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘩-𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘔𝘤𝘝𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥-𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘵: 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺.

𝘊𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵. 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦. 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥'𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦.

Oh my god. BREATHLESS kept me up far later than appropriate so I could learn what was going on.

Cecily, from page one, seems remarkably under qualified to be on Manaslu on a team set to reach the summit alongside a mountaineering legend, Charles. He promised her a spot on the team and an interview on his climbing without ropes or supplemental oxygen—but she won’t get the last one until she herself reaches the summit.

Strange things begin to happening very early on, including a death Cecily and her acquaintance Ben find suspicious. As they ascend, nobody bats an eye at poor connection, ruined camps, and more death because that’s what happens on that mountain.

BREATHLESS is twisty and exhilarating and kept me guessing until about 80% in, only to throw more shock in a little later. Highly recommend if you’re into thrillers or need inspiration to not summit an 8,000 meter mountain.

*I was provided an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The above are my personal thoughts

I'm already a big fan of thrillers and outdoor adventure books, so "Breathless" was a perfect fit for me. I LOVED this book. A high-altitude thriller, "Breathless" tells the story of freelance journalist Cecily Wong and her experience climbing Manaslu in the Himalayas. The book was fast-paced and compelling, and it was clear by reading that the author had climbing experience. GREAT book that I'd highly recommend for anyone looking for a fun thriller

Wow! I went into this book completely blind. I’ll be honest, I wanted to read it just because of how gorgeous the cover is. And it did not disappoint. Such a gripping, suspense/thriller with so much adventure that I just love to read about. I will definitely be suggesting this to patrons and get it in my library next month!

Breathless by Amy McCulloch releases in the US May 3rd

"There's a murderer on the mountain. RUN."

Blogger Cecily Wong just got the break of a lifetime, a chance to join mountain climber Charles McVeigh as he attempts a record breaking summit alpine style. This interview will make her career and she's sold everything to afford joining the team. Plagued by self doubt, Cecily presses on up the mountain with her group. Theft, vandalism, paranoia and mysterious deaths plague every stop in this harrowing adventure. Amy McCulloch has you guessing on every page who the killer is. I enjoyed the slow building suspense as well as the vivid setting, which put me right there on the mountain too. It's amazing to me that this author was able to write a main character, in such an extreme situation, and still keep her relatable for the average reader. Be aware if you're looking for a thriller, the majority of the book has more character development than action. The pace gets bogged down a bit in the middle but the ending is thrilling enough to make up for it. Overall, 'Breathless' is well written with short chapters and Cecily's blog posts. For those who enjoy character driven mysteries, add this to your tbr list.

"There, in front of her, was Manaslu. 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."

Wow! This is an amazingly gripping thriller from start to finish!! I actually doubted that I would enjoy this book and man was I wrong. I never thought much about people interested in mountaineering (nor did I know that term before reading this book), but I so enjoyed reading about the various people on a team to summit an 8000m mountain in Nepal. Picturing the terrain which is terrifying enough then adding the element of murder makes for one heck of a story!

Want a fast-paced adventure survival thriller that is set eight-thousand (m) high in the cold Mt. Manaslu of the Himalayas. When mountaineering in the highest altitude takes a turn, leaving deaths in its trail that are more than just accidents related to climbing.

The suspense is chilling. The author did a phenomenal job in creating an atmosphere that made you feel as if you were there. Personally, I do not like heights. I know what altitude sickness, vertigo and fear are all wrapped in one. It leaves a suffocating feeling, as if you are drowning on oxygen or the lack of therefore. The author was able to make me feel as if I was up on that mountain, claustrophobic and sick…trying to survive.

Charles McVeigh is the world’s most commendable climber, to interview him would be a career-maker/changing opportunity for any journalist. So when Cecily Wong is personally invited by Charles McVeigh himself to report his next undertaking series of 14 mountains that stand taller than 8000 meters. Cecily can not believe her luck but she could only have the exclusive interview as promised. If she climbs the eighth highest peak in the world as with him and his team: Mt Manaslu.

Cecily is the least experienced member on the climbing team but will stop at nothing to prove herself and make a turn in her career. Until muddled questions are asked that begin to raise some concerns in Cecily. If the questions were concerning what would happen when people on the climbing team begin to go missing and dying. Trapped up high on a mountain with people she barely knows, Cecily finds herself fighting to stay alive. Not only by the elements of the mountains but by an unknown person who is picking the climbers off, one by one.

This thriller was gripping. I haven’t read a book like this in a long time and I can not thank the publisher and NetGalley enough for giving me a chance to read the ARC. I loved how Amy McCulloch knew exactly what she was talking about. Giving the story a more personal felt touch to the story showing versus a story telling. I say that because the author is able to help the reader experience the story instead of telling a story.
Highly recommend it!

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I had a hard time putting this fast-paced alpine thriller down, though things got a little chaotic toward the end. I enjoyed Cecily's journeys, both physical and emotional, and the interstitial blog posts and interviews were a nice touch.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Adventure travel journalist Cecily Wong is covering famous mountaineer Charles McVeigh and his climb up Manaslu Mountain without the use of supplementary oxygen. Getting this story will be the break of her career, but she is terrified of failure, of not being able to make it to the summit; one of the highest and most deadly summits in the world. Her fears are only compounded when she finds out there is a killer on the mountain.

I figured out who the killer was very early on, but McCulloch had me guessing my suspicions a lot. There were so many pieces/details to the events and murders happening, that I had to second guess my original suspicion many times. Not only was this book suspenseful because of the dangers of climbing a mountain of this nature, but add a murder to the mix and it made it even that more nerve-wracking. I do wish there were more details on what happens to Cecily in the end, but I did enjoy the book. By the end, I was flipping pages so quickly trying to see if my guess was right and I nailed down who the killer was or, if Cecily makes it off the mountain alive!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Anchor, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

This is Amy McCulloch’s debut adult novel and what a treat it was! Seven complete strangers set out to hike the trip of a lifetime. They and other teams climb one of the biggest, most dangerous mountains in the world! Throw a murder into the mix and wow! This book I could not put down and I had no idea what all goes into climbing these long hikes. The author made me feel like I was right there climbing with them!! I really enjoyed it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published May 3, 2022.

If you’re going to read a thriller that involves snow, isolation and people with an ax to grind, leave behind all those curated hotels and chalets with people stranded in a blizzard and grab your snow ax for a climb with Amy McCulloch’s Cecily up Manaslu, an 8,000 foot plus mountain. Cecily, after public acknowledgment of her past climbing failures, is invited by world famous climber Charles McVeigh to join his team for the final summit in his “Free Fourteen” campaign. Cecily isn’t sure she should be doing this; she’s still dealing with the trauma of watching a woman fall to her death on a previous climb, and her now ex-boyfriend has undermined her confidence. When suspicious things start happening right off the bat, Cecily is concerned. But her concerns are all brushed away by her teammates and others who are more skilled on the mountains and convinced that things happening are just accidents. Are they? Cecily is terrified, but becomes increasingly convinced that being the only one to suspect foul play, she has to continue the climb not only for herself but to uncover the truth. Cut off from the world with no reliable internet and at risk for hypoxia the further she gets up the mountain, Cecily’s safety and life are in danger. Major, major props to McCulloch for the intricate research into climbing that makes this story feel so realistic, and for picking a less famous mountain than Everest or K2 for her setting. I know nothing about mountain climbing so I have no way of knowing if all her details are correct, but in addition to enjoying a really great (and more unique thriller) I felt like I learned so much about the skill, knowledge and risks involved with the sport. This story is perfect for people that enjoy well plotted thrillers that slowly ratchet up the intensity as the story goes on. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to preview Breathless
This novel had my feet tingling from my own fear of heights and the clever way the author takes the reader up the mountain.
This is my first read by this author and I was glad I requested it.
Fast read. 3.5 stars

Brrrrrr!

I did not expect to read this in one go but I could not put it down. The plotting and the pace were exceptionally written and the subject was one I learned so much more about than I expected to from a fiction novel.

Tight, taut, addictive and so well-written.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.

PHEW!!!! The story of a celebrated mountain climber and the anxious journalist convinced to accompany him In Order to get “the” interview. The descriptions of the cold temperatures, wind and bitter conditions were excellent and made me feel cold! Conditions were treacherous and accidents began to happen under suspicious circumstances, internet and communication became unavailable but the desire to reach the summit and get the story pushed the journalist on until she was one of the last few survivors and no way to prove what she knew.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel