Journalist Cecily Wong has been given the opportunity of a lifetime. IF she can successfully climb Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world, she gets an exclusive interview with Charles McVeigh, an internationally famous mountaineer as he completes his record-breaking summit tour. Cecily has put her career and finances all-in for this opportunity. As she prepares herself for the climb, she gets to know her fellow team and those on other teams. Just before they leave for base camp, a member of another team is found dead.

Cecily tries to keep herself focused on climbing but she is hears whispers in the camp about lies and secrets. She wakes up to fighting and strange people appearing in camp at night with no sign of them during the day. As the pressure mounts and she gets closer to reaching the peak, more bodies are found and it gets harder to separate the lies from the truth. Who is the murderer on the mountain and will anyone survive the summit?

Overall a fast-paced thriller. I appreciated the authenticity of climbing, the gear, team description, and the endurance and focus it takes to reach a goal at such a high altitude. Although the plot stalled a bit for me near the middle, it picked up and finished strong. Recommended for fans of murder-mystery thrillers.

Thank you to Amy McCulloch, NetGalley, and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group or an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

This suspenseful debut started a little slow but I was rewarded with a remarkably believable tale. This is an excellent debut!

I’m competitive (within reason) but not an adrenaline junkie. I admire anyone who even attempts to climb a mountain. I like the warmth and comfort of home. I’m happy to sit back and read about the excruciating adventures of others. But if it was a dream of mine to climb a mountain, being a journalist or photographer would make the experience even better.

Cecily is a journalist and novice mountain climber who was invited to climb in exchange for an interview. But there are several obstacles. The interview won’t take place until they reach their destination and she won’t be reimbursed for her expenses unless her boss approves the article. It takes every penny she can scrape together but she’s determined. So when several team members are killed in terrible accidents, she has no choice but to continue.

BOOK QUOTE: “A story is not worth your life”

Thank you to Amy McCulloch and Knopf Doubleday for providing this ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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Thank you so much to met galley for sending me a copy of this book. I really like this book because even if you didnt know who Amy was you would know that they are super knowledgeable about mountaineering. Its a great book with realistic depictions!

Review published on Goodreads, 7 May 2022:

Even though I, myself, am a huge wimp, I love books about people struggling to survive in formiddable climates and impossible situations. Fiction or non-, I'm in. Because I also really enjoy the mystery/thriller genre, BREATHLESS sounded like the perfect read for me. Its premise is undeniably appealing and I especially appreciate the fact that it's written by an experienced alpinist who has actually summited the mountain on which the book is set. Yay for authenticity!

First, let me say that this book did keep me turning pages. It's exciting, fast-paced, and compelling, so I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. Even when I was rolling my eyes at everything else, I was still whipping through the book. It kept me entertained on a long plane ride. Unfortunately, though, it features a cast of very cliché, one-dimensional characters. Cecily is likable enough, but she's bland and forgettable. Also, although she goes through a life-changing experience on the mountain, I didn't see much growth or development in her character. Plot-wise, the story seems incredibly far-fetched. It's also predictable. I saw the killer coming from a mile away and didn't find any of the plot twists surprising. McCulloch's lackluster prose doesn't help matters. It vascillates between blah, melodramatic, and cheesy, which just gets irritating. In spite of all this, the story did grip me enough to keep me reading, so that's saying something. I just wish the writing, plotting, and character-building had been better.

I feel like the blurb in the summary about being on the highest peak is a good example of how anxiety-inducing this book is! Sitting on the edge of your seat material. Very much enjoyed the writing.

If you like climbing, hiking and mountains this story is for you.

For me this story absolutely bored me to death with all the mountain climbing details. I don’t want to climb a mountain or know anything about climbing so over 50% of the story was a waste of time.

I wanted to know more about the line on the cover, the thriller aspect of a killer. The thrill was short lived and not even that great with a mediocre ending that still left me with questions.

I did have to switch to audio for the last 100 pages to force myself to finish this story.
This is my honest review of my arc copy. Thank you NetGalley for offering me this book.

The author is quite good at description. I found the beginning to be slow going, but the book picked up as it went on. It has its heart pounding moments, but overall, it felt more like a YA novel. The character development was a bit lacking and the main character annoyed me. The setting is lovely, but using a cliffhanger sentence at the end of each chapter was a bit over the top. Overall, it was ok.

A killer stalks the mountain and there is nowhere to hide in the high atmosphere death zone. An adventure journalist has the opportunity of a lifetime to make the final climb on a renowned alpinist’s record-breaking journey to climb to the summit without aid all fourteen peaks above 8,000 feet, but the catch is she must make the summit with him. New to the author and new to this small niche of extreme location thrillers, I took little convincing to pick it up and give it a go.

Chinese-British journalist and novice climber, Cecily Wong finds herself out of her depth, but motivated to achieve her promised exclusive interview of a heroic and possibly the most skilled mountain climber in the world. Charles McVeigh is the real deal climbing without rope lines or aid of oxygen at altitudes where hypoxia is real and death is a near companion. He’s made some famous rescues in his time and now he is on the fourteenth climb in the last year. Inexplicably, he chose Cecily to grant his one and only interview. There are more experienced adventure journalists who have successfully made their climbs and Cecily’s only claim to fame is failing to summit not once, but twice.

She was asking herself why he chose her especially when her doubts are enhanced once she gets to base camp and the rigors of adjusting to the altitude and prepping for the climb amongst an odd assortment of team members and other teams. Then the murders begin and she wants off that deadly Himalayan mountain.

Breathless is a standalone book that isn’t one of those pulse-pounding, dashing thrillers from cover to cover. There are pay off moments along the way especially once Cecily and the others are up on Mt. Manaslu and the killer is amongst them. A lot of the book though is the build-up. Cecily is introduced and it is obvious she is not a put together person and there is great doubt on her part and the readers as to her ability to achieve what she has set out to do. Her editor made it clear this is her one and only chance with that magazine or any other, her boyfriend dropped her, and she’s spent her last dime getting to the Himalayas on this climbing expedition.

Besides, Cecily’s character and intro-ing the rest of the cast, there is the deep intro to high altitude mountain climbing. The author knows her stuff (she has done the climb being described, in point of fact) and fills this book with her knowledge and experience. I had watched specials on some of the Mt. Everest climbs and have an armchair interest in this sort of adventuring so I was not put off by the immersion in mountain climbing.

That said, this was a thriller so I did get impatient for the thriller-ing to get going. I wasn’t particularly taken with Cecily or any of the other characters and I worked out who was behind it all, how, and even why to some extent literally before the first murder. This did remove some of the tension in the suspense part. However, the author snuck in a clever twist in the last build to the climax moment. I suspected just before the reveal, but it did tangle with my suppositions and restored the suspense element I felt was lacking.

What was done well, along with that twist, was the steady tightening of the tension and atmospheric feeling caused by the preparations and then the climb itself. I was on that mountain with Cecily and the others and I was breathless and riveted as they moved from base camp up to camp four and the summit.

There wasn’t a gradual denouement and I confess I was left scratching my head a bit when it came to the antagonist character. And, sorry, about the vagueness since I don’t want to spoiler.

All in all, this was a solid read so long as expectations are for a slow build, highly detailed on the backdrop and setting, and fairly easily predicted mystery. Readers who want something unique in setting and the added adventure of the backdrop and situation that gives something of a trapped group murder mystery must add this to the reading list.

Maybe one of my favorite books of the year so far.
A couple of years ago, my husband and I watched a documentary about Mt. Everest. I became obsessed. I watched several more documentaries, the movie version of “Into Thin Air,” and fell in several Wikipedia holes. I don’t know why I found it so fascinating, but these people, risking their lives (literally, google dead bodies on Everest and tell me it doesn’t give you chills) just for the sake of scaling a tall mountain. The funny thing is, I am in NO way a hiking a mountain type of girl. My hiking abilities tap out somewhere between The Great Smoky Mountains and an easy trail in the Red River Gorge. But, it still fascinated me.
Enter “Breathless,” one of my BOTM picks for May. I devoured it. Its all of the mountain climbing drama, plus a murder-mystery-thriller rolled in to one. I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were rich, the narrator just a tinge unreliable (can we believe what she’s saying? Is it the altitude?), and the mystery kept me guessing at every plot turn. What I really loved though was that although the people were certainly sketch, the mountain was the true antagonist in this story. The author made Manaslu a character all on its own, and I was 100% here for it.
5/5 stars - @lucywrazor4

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

As a thriller, this one was fine. I found myself having to push through parts. It wasn't the page turner I had hoped for.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title.

I stopped reading after 6 chapters. I could not get into this one. I had a hard time believing someone with criminal intent would go to the trouble of climbing a mountain while hunting a victim.

I don’t like talking bad about authors because writing is truly a craft, but this was just not good. I found this to be extremely overwritten. I find it very annoying when authors include irrelevant or inconsistent details that add nothing to the story, or include information that was already obvious or could be inferred. It’s cold up the mountain? No shit. The main character was so inept for 80% of the book then all of a sudden at the end she’s able to think under pressure? Not buying it. This book also feels like it was written for the purpose of securing a movie deal.

Overall, there are too many good books to read. Sorry to this author.

This book gave me Shiver and One By One vibes. I did enjoy the mystery and storyline. There were a lot of aspects to the story that were different from anything I've read before. But there were a lot of characters and a lot of things to keep straight, so I was overwhelmed at times. It was a slow burn that almost lost my attention at some points, but I'm glad I pushed through. In the end it was a pretty good conclusion.

Their are 14 mountain peaks that sit above 8,000 meters. Charles is attempting to climb them all in a year “alpine style”, Cecily an amateur climber is accompanying him on his final climb. A few people have died on the expedition, is it just the risk of climbing the tallest mountains or is there a murderer on the loose?
Mountaineering is a dangerous sport, I love the setting and learning more about mountaineering. The middle of the book was a little sluggish but overall it was an enjoyable book with a few great twists and suspense.

BOOK REVIEW: Breathless by Amy McCulloch
2022 Publication Date: May 3

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

T.I.M.E. Best Books By Genre | Thriller

CONNECT WITH A BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
Never fear... What goes around, comes around...

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW:
Absolutely thrilling!...

Amy McCulloch has been previously known as a successful YA Author. Breathless is her first book in crossing the great divide into Adult genres... And Amy? You have made the leap like a champ!

The subject matter of this book is also a personal favorite of mine for storytelling. Great stories can take you on an adventure... And often that adventure may represent an experience you would never see yourself actually doing in your own life. But thru the story, you can "experience" it.

An adventure that includes the phrase "death zone" falls into that category for me!

So, I love reading books (or movies!) that take me on a mountaineering adventure. It is super interesting to me to gain insight into those who do make the choice to push their body beyond extreme physical boundaries. How they do it? And why do they do it?

Plus one of my favorite nonfiction topics is the life of George Mallory... So, you can see how the puzzle pieces really came together for me to love Breathless... And Amy McCulloch delivered a great thrilling story with twisty turns within the story and the actual ins & outs of summiting a mountain over 8000 meters.

Perfect for readers who want to take a thrilling adventure all from the safety of their cozy reading chair!...✨😎✨

Pages: 352
Genre: Thriller
Sub-Genre: Action Adventure
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Manaslu (Nepal)

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mount Everest by Conrad Anker & David Roberts
Movie: Vertical Limit

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When mountaineer Charles McVeigh agrees to be interviewed by journalist Cecily Wong on Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world, she has no idea what she's getting herself into. Soon after they begin their ascent, one of their team dies in what everyone else assumes is a freak accident. But Cecily suspects that there is more to it than meets the eye.

As the body count starts to mount, Cecily realizes that they are being picked off one by one. Stranded in a remote region of the world -- at the "death zone" altitude of over 8000 meters -- and with no way to get help, she must use all of her skills and instincts to survive against an unseen killer who is determined to make sure no one leaves the mountain alive.

Breathless is a tense and thrilling novel about one woman's fight for survival against all odds. It will leave you gasping for breath until the very last page.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:
• Explore the importance of being aware of your surroundings and trusting your gut instinct in potentially dangerous situations.
• Would you risk the potential dangers of mountaineering (or another adventure)? Even when you are experienced and have all the necessary equipment and precautions in place.
• Explore examples where the strength and determination of the human spirit survive against all odds.

RELATED QUOTE:
"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space." - Unknown
• After reading Breathless…
• How do you think this quote relates to the story?
• Which characters present the pros and cons of a “living on the edge” mindset?
• How would you define “living on the edge”?

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All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I felt that this was a really interesting book with lots of twists and turns. A woman is determined to make the climb up a mountain, (in very extreme weather conditions) but several things happen along the way to put her and her group in danger. I couldn’t figure out who was the person causing all of it, and I was surprised by the twist at the end. I don’t like to give spoilers in my reviews, but I will say that I enjoyed trying to guess how it would end.

Cecily Wong, a journalist, is working for a travel magazine when she is asked to write an article about famous mountaineer Charles McVeigh. He is preparing to summit Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world.

This book was extremely well written but left me underwhelmed. I thought there was too much information about mountain climbing that I truly did not care about. I did like the gutsy protagonist and there were a few twists and turns. It was a solid 3.5/5 for me

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I found the mountain climbing aspect of this book to be really interesting, It drew me in and I was interesting in learning more about it. The thriller part of the book was a bit slow, It didn't really pick up until the end which made it a bit hard to remain interested in that part of the book.

I’d heard really great things about this book so I was anxious to read it. It did not disappoint! This book was well written and was full of suspense. I found it difficult to put down. Quick read for me!

2.5 stars. I thought this book would leave me breathless or at least at the seat of my chair but it was a rather calm and slightly predictable thriller. I actually enjoyed the descriptions of the mountaineering the most but even that felt very safe - usually the excerpts I read made me clutch my chest and fear for the climber. This one felt very placid as if I was on a hike instead of on the cliff of a mountain. I really wanted to like this one more but it was just an ok read for me.