Breathless

By: Amy McCulloch

Narrated by: Katie Leung

A BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB PICK • A high-altitude thriller that will take your breath away—Cecily Wong is on her most dangerous climb yet, miles above sea level. But the elements are nothing compared to one chilling truth: There's a killer on the mountain.

"A vertigo-inducing page-turner by an author who brings the high-stakes world of expert mountain-climbing to life on the page."—Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid

Journalist Cecily Wong is in over her head. She’s come to Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world, to interview internationally famous mountaineer Charles McVeigh on the last leg of a record-breaking series of summits. She’s given up everything for this story—her boyfriend, her life savings, the peace she’s made with her climbing failures in the past—but it’s a career-making opportunity. It could finally put her life back on track.

But when one climber dies in what everyone else assumes is a freak accident, she fears their expedition is in danger. And by the time a second climber dies, it’s too late to turn back. Stranded on a mountain in one of the most remote regions of the world, she’ll have to battle more than the elements in a harrowing fight for survival against a killer who is picking them off one by one.

©2022 Amy McCulloch (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

A BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB PICK • AS SEEN ON THE TODAY SHOW • NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARD WINNER

"Breathless is 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.’—Matt Haig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library

"A vertigo-inducing page-turner by an author who brings the high-stakes world of expert mountain-climbing to life on the page."—Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid

“The fact that McCulloch has actually climbed Manaslu allows her to ground her zippy thriller in first-hand experience. McCulloch knows what it’s like to be on a commercially guided ascent of an 8,000-meter peak. She knows what it’s like to be a relative novice in that context—surrounded by guides and Sherpas and other climbers who’ve got far more experience in the mountains. She knows what it’s like to be plopped down in a community of ambitious and sometimes disagreeable strangers in a setting that requires mutual trust. And she knows what it’s like to feel, as one of the few women on the mountain, like you’re ‘a target’ for misogyny and unwanted sexual advances. And so, in between the deaths and cliffhangers through which the plot hurtles, McCulloch puts her firsthand knowledge on display—in the process winning our trust as readers and shedding an uncomfortable amount of light on some of mountaineering’s less admirable aspects.”—Climbing.com

Not for me

I think this may just not be my kind of book but I found it to be just okay. Katie Leung’s performance was fantastic though.

Entertaining and Fast Paced!

The story takes its time to develop, but as it did, I couldn’t wait for more. Enjoyed!

Mountaineering + Murder

I learned a lot about mountaineering AND listened to a murder mystery story. I don’t think it could get any better than that. This book was a refreshing break from the standard.

In-depth story

Slow start, but overall enjoyable. Learned a lot about mountain climbing. Becomes interesting in the last chapters

Worth a credit

If you’re like me and you know absolutely nothing about mountaineering you will find a lot of this book interesting and informative. The other half of the book is an interesting and intriguing mystery. The characters have a unique depth and the reader does an excellent job with each of them.

Great story (would recommend) but could use a stronger ending

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, only I wish there was more to the ending. The book built up so many worries about would would befall the main character after her journey, and deserved a longer and stronger ending, however, I enjoyed the journey.

Page turner

I had no intention on finishing this book so quickly but I couldn’t get enough listening to it on audio and finished this in two days. This book was about a journalist climbing a major summit in Nepal and trying to uncover the deadly truth about who she was really climbing with to produce a story. As someone who has never done a climb of that intensity, it was very interesting to learn about that culture/style of life. Overall, it was a great read. At times it was predictable, but it was written very well and the character building was awesome. Gripping, thrilling, suspenseful and literally breathtaking at times of fear for the main character.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Could NOT stop listening

Read it now. Just a quick gripping read. I love hiking and being outdoors. Couldn’t recommend more!

Slow start but excellent ending

I think this is what they call a slow burn. At the beginning, I wasn’t sure I loved it. Didn’t seem thriller enough for me. The moment that changed? When I read the line, “There’s a murderer on the mountain. Run.” From then on I was hooked. My heart was racing the last hour of the book. Loved it!

Good one!

Fun listen, especially if you’re into mountaineering and murder. Really great performance by the narrator as well!