For me. Breathless reads more like an adventure story than a mystery/thriller. Readers who enjoy a good man vs. nature survival story will likely enjoy this book. Readers who are expecting a strong mystery or thriller element may be disappointed. The mountaineering descriptions are very detailed and are much more realistic/believable than the murder mystery aspects. I found the villain’s motives and identity too predictable.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for the copy of this! I did enjoy aspects of it, but do think I set myself an incorrect expectation on expecting something a little more fast paced like Shiver. Completely my fault as I was judging a book by its cover and storyline in comparison to a recent read. While it was very slow building, it did feel like you were on the mountain as well which speaks to the talent of the author! The descriptions were so well researched but for my personal preferences could have been cut back a bit to get more storyline in.

The main character, Cecily, was relatable and genuine. I thought the paranoia hit a bit early, but it built steadily and was worth continuing the reads.

This book wasn’t bad yet it wasn’t good. I’m kind of torn because it had a lot of build up only to be let down. Being stranded on a icy mountain with rescue being all but impossible and being stranded at a elevation that’s going to make it hard for you to breathe. I’ll pass.

I have never really understood why anyone would want to submit themselves to the physical punishment of climbing icy mountain peaks under the imminent threat of falling into the abyss, slipping into an icy crevasse, being buried under an avalanche, or losing some or all their appendages to frostbite. Never-the-less, there appear to be many who are exhilarated by the challenge, and to those rugged extreme-sport enthusiasts who also have a penchant for murder mysteries, I recommend this book. And for those who don’t (rise to the challenge), I recommend the book for the black humor that the descriptive tedium it invokes throughout.

Cecily is a young and moderately successful sport magazine journalist (meaning that some months she can afford to pay the rent). She met her ex, a mounting climbing colleague, while working on the rag and he introduced her to the thrilling sport of tackling a dangerous climb with no experience, no proper equipment, and no common sense (love will do that to some). It didn’t take long to figure out that she was in way over her head. She suffered a terrifying accident, the death of a fellow climber, and wrote a widely read article about her failure to reach the summit.

Now, some time later, an inexplicable opportunity has been thrown her way – she is to be granted an exclusive interview with Charles McVeigh, the world’s most (in)famous climber, on the final leg of his current death defying challenge to climb the fourteen tallest summits in the world in 80 days (oh, wait a minute, am I confusing this with a similar challenge in a book by Jules Verne?- scratch the 80 days!). The challenge is to complete the mission, aided by neither oxygen nor safety ropes (I think there was a better technical term for that, but you get the message, right?). In what appears to be an act of jealousy, her boyfriend James makes his ex-it and she is left holding the bag (unlikely to cover the rent).

So now Cecily is in Nepal preparing to climb Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world (I might have goofed on that one, since it went in one ear/eye and out the other), so that she can get the scoop of a lifetime. Charles promises to expose all in an exclusive interview – but only if she succeeds in reaching the Summit.

While acclimating to the altitudes, Cecily fills in her spare time shooting the breeze with a team of blowhards bragging about their conquests with only a cursory glance backwards at the fellow climbers who dropped (dead) along the way. This is excellent background material for her anticipated article and hopefully will gain her some small income from her blogs of the experience. She soon discovers that some of the drop-dead climbers met their deaths prematurely and for reasons unrelated to the sport (collateral damage). Although Cecily seems more like a bumbling idiot, as opposed to an ambitious sharp journalist, she manages to fumble along, stepping on toes everywhere while indiscreetly and indiscriminately vocalizing her suspicions into the ears of anyone willing to listen (including those of a murderer).

What you can expect to happen, happens, and although at times eye-rolling and predictable, this book is an enjoyable read. I had fun reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Anchor for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed. 3.5 stars

Good thriller. Not sure I could be stuck on a snowy mountain especially that elevation. It was a decent story

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I'm between ehhh and it's okay, which honestly those two could be the same thing.

Cecily Wong is given a chance of a lifetime to go on a dangerous climb in Manaslu. During this climb she is going to be climbing with world famous mountaineer Charles McVeigh. Charles isn't at the beginning of the climbs and comes in at the end to climb to the peak. However, during Cecily's journey up there are many people that end up dead or are they murdered? Cecily is determined to find out what is going on and if there is a killer on the climb.

Again I go back to ehhh. It was a slow burn and Cecily seemed to have some issues in her past that she hasn't dealt with. I have a hard time with main characters whining about situations that happened instead of accepting what they have done and moving forward. If I could give it 2.5 stars I probably would.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance read

Journalist Cecily Wong has the chance of a lifetime, to both conquer her fears and interview internationally famous mountaineer Charles McVeigh on the last climb of a record-breaking series of summits. She has come to Manaslu, one of the highest peaks in the world, giving up her life savings and her boyfriend. When a climber dies in what looks like a freak accident, Cecily's apprehensions come roaring back. After another death, will Cecily have to conquer more than just the elements?

Breathless did have promise, especially at the beginning. The author did a good job of describing both the elements of climbing and the harrowing circumstances that individuals could face on a mountain. At times, I could feel the frigid air and palpitating fear. At others, I did not believe that the circumstances or dialogue was genuine or realistic. The novel was a little too repetitive and had too much going on at once. I did like the twists at the ending, but it was not enough to resurrect the novel for me. Readers who like survival fiction and mystery thrillers might like Breathless.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this novel was entirely my own.

I did not get to this book and as a result am removing from my list. I ended up selecting other books to read instead. This review is not a reflection of the story, but rather shows that this was not high on my TBR list, which is a factor in itself.

Breathless started a little slow and there was some tedium with the explanations of climbing, but I understand the need for that.

It picked up the pace toward the middle and overall was an enjoyable read. 3.75 rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A wonderfully tense murder mystery that will keep you guessing til the last few chapters.

I know nothing about climbing mountains but learned so much from this story.

I had no idea how this whole process works and so while I was trying to figure out ‘who dunnit’ I was also really curious about how teams approach mountain climbing and why they do certain steps.

The biggest thing I learned? I will never, EVER, climb a mountain (even if I physically could).

And the second biggest knowledge drop is that the Sherpa’s are the unsung heroes! They are the hardest working people on the mountains, they put themselves at the greatest risks time and time again, and they get little to no publicity!

A few slow moments at the beginning of the story and a bit of a lag here and there in the middle waiting for action to kick back in but overall, I was really impressed with this debut work. I will definitely pick up this author’s next work.

Be sure to bring a blanket for this read as all the ice and snow talk made me chilly!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

This story kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t figure out who the “Bad guy” was and why until right before it was revealed.

This story is intriguing and will hold your attraction until you put it down. It also makes me question the sanity of these people climbing mountains. (I’ll keep my feet planted on level ground)

Recommended for those who like puzzles.

A solid debut. Mountain climbing made for a unique twist to this thriller! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

This is an A plus thriller! I loved Breathless, and I am so looking forward to Amy McCulloch's next book. Awesome suspense, setting, and characters. Great for discussing with others!

Growing up I loved moves like Vertical Limit, because I thought it was so daring to want to climb the worlds tallest peaks. Something I could never actually see myself doing. Having seen the depths people would go to on the mountain in Vertical Limit, coupled with Breathless by Amy McCulloch.....I now have no desire whatsoever to climb a mountain.

Breathless, is exactly that, a nonstop thrill ride that will in fact leave you breathless. Cecily Wong is a journalist, with past climbing experience. She gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to join an internationally famous mountaineer, Charles McVeigh on his record-breaking series of summits. Despite her past climbing failures, Wong knows this story could be huge for her career. A freak accident leaves one climber dead. Or so they thought until the second climber turns up dead. The terrifying reality is there is a killer on the mountain. Wong must now battle the mountain and try to avoid a killer. This one was packed with so many twist and turns I read it in one sitting and immediately recommended to all my thriller loving friends. Would definitely read more by this author in the future.

Very good book with edge of your seat suspense. It’s a spellbinding story of a woman who basically gives it all up for the one chance to make her name known. It land a job that she wants if you will.

As the bodies start stacking up Cecily suspects things are not what they seem. Not an accident at all. Is it murder. If she can survive this and get the story then she might possibly be set. The setting is perfect for this. The descriptions are realistic. The tensions were in just the right places.

Great book. A first from this author for me and I will look for more.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

The suspense!!! This book was so suspenseful. I found myself holding my breath as I read, flying through the pages to get to the end. Loved it!

Cecily is a journalist who has been given the chance of a lifetime: accompany world-renowned mountaineer Charles McVeigh on a record-breaking climb and get the interview of a lifetime–if she can reach the summit. After some traumatizing climbs in the past, she’s hesitant, but her career needs the boost. As the team prepares for their summit push up Manaslu, several tragedies at lower elevations have her wondering: is the mountain the only killer, or is there one among them as well?

The inherent danger and remoteness of the highest peaks in the world could be the perfect cover for a killer, and McCulloch explores this idea while building the tension. Both the mystery AND the motivation of these extreme climbers (still a mystery to me) kept me hooked; while I suspected a few of the outcomes, the details were still a surprise. I wish a few loose ends had been wrapped up, but overall an excellent wilderness thriller.

Fantastic read perfect setting for winter!! Throughly enjoyed it this will definitely be a reread for me.