Breathless: This year’s most gripping thriller and Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month

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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. 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. stars: from the moment i read the premise for breathless, my interest was piqued. i knew i had to get my hands on this atmospheric thriller, which the author also described as a story meditating on themes of "confronting imposter syndrome, women’s place in the wilderness, danger, and mortality". Gripping. Thrilling. A visceral account of a novice's struggles with thin air and exhaustion' Sunday Times, Crime Book of the Month This one gave me the shivers! Not only are you surrounded by ice and snow, but one false step and you could plummet thousands of feet to your death! And of course, so many strange "accidents" keep happening...

Breathless - Penguin Books UK

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! There honestly isn’t a single thing I liked about this book. I didn’t think it was well written, the idea of the story was intriguing but the execution wasn’t there, and the way the story suddenly wrapped up was all very convenient. But there was also a lot of things that just weren’t wrapped up! And I really dislike when books end like that. Breathlessis a high-altitude, high-stakes thriller that combines fascinating, authentic mountaineering experience with pure thriller entertainment. The suspense rises like the Nepalese mountain it is set on. Reminded me of the best of Michael Crichton, where in-depth knowledge and a masterful plot work together to create a tense adrenaline-fuelled ride. I loved it.’ Reporter Cecily Wong is invited to join a high altitude expedition. A very successful alpinist is going to climb an 8000 metre peak and wants her to do the interview with him when he succeeds. However this is on the condition that she also reaches the summit assisted. This would be a real scoop but a very serious challenge. Charles McVeigh is the climber and he is intending to complete his plan to scale all 14 of the 8000 metre peaks without oxygen - this one will be the last. Cecily on the other hand is virtually unknown and is a complete amateur in terms of climbing (and to some degree reporting).Tense, chilling and terrifyingwith unforgettable characters and an unpredictable and atmospheric plot. One of the most original thrillers I’ve read.It deserves to be huge!’— Claire Douglas, Sunday Times bestselling author of Last Seen Alive

Breathless: This year’s most gripping thriller and Sunday

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. The ultimate high-altitude mountain thriller. Ice-cold, twisting, deadly' Janice Hallett, bestselling author of THE APPEAL Scattered throughout are drafts of Cecily’s articles about this trip. When she and her climbing group—all chosen by Charles—leave Kathmandu for Samagaun, a village at the base of the mountain, Cecily writes about their helicopter journey.i will admit that i wasn’t particularly enamoured with the mystery. i was able to predict the murderer very early on, as my spidey-senses were tripped 1) by charles sounding way too good to be true, and 2) the minute i heard charles survived a summit while the rest of his teammates did not. moreover, some of the plot points felt overwrought and required suspension of my disbelief. for instance, i found it absurd that charles went to all the trouble of inviting cecily onto his team just so that he could have a way to thwart doug. this did not feel very occam's-razor to me: surely there were more efficient, straightforward ways of distracting or disposing of doug that did not leave so many uncontrollable variables at play - not the least of which includes the (realized) possibility that cecily, a journalist, would investigate the rumours and death swirling around charles. i loved that this was an ownvoices story not only in the sense that the author shares racial/ethnic identities with cecily (both are chinese-white women who reside in england), but also the lived experience of mountaineering—and specifically, summiting manaslu. for context, amy mcculloch was the youngest canadian woman to climb mt. manaslu, when she summited in september 2019.

Amy McCulloch | Goodreads Midnight by Amy McCulloch | Goodreads

In brief - Pacey and enjoyable at times, unconvincing at other times. Probably 3 or 4 and full review nearer publicationTense, chilling and terrifying with unforgettable characters and an unpredictable and atmospheric plot. One of the most original thrillers I’ve read. It deserves to be huge! It is difficult for Cecily to trust the people around her. Does she have the endurance and stamina to survive? Will she get her interview? The plot explodes with heightened action, jeopardy, more deaths, injuries and heartache. Perfect for readers who want to take a thrilling adventure all from the safety of their cozy reading chair!... ✨😎✨