Breathless

by Amy McCulloch

[Quirky Cat]

I grabbed Breathless on an impulse. It was one of the latest choices available for BOTM, and at this point, I grab any and all thrillers they make available. Written by Amy McCulloch, this thriller is perfect for those that love the horror and chills of mountain climbing.

Cecily Wong is a journalist, and she's been handed the opportunity of a lifetime. All she has to do is follow Charles McVeigh up Manaslu, the eight-highest mountain peak in the world. And live to make it down, of course.

Should she manage all that, she'll get the interview of a century. It'll launch her career, providing a chance for success that she's only ever dreamed of. Naturally, that means things are about to go horribly wrong.

"There's a murderer on the mountain, and at this altitude, there isn't enough oxygen to breathe, let alone scream."

Yikes. Breathless is one heck of a read. It's got all the thriller elements of a good natural horror novel, with the added intrigue of a reporter's instinct and the danger of a killer on the loose. Yes, it's a lot – but it's also a delight to read.

Cecily didn't know what she was signing up for when she agreed to this opportunity. Sure, she thought she did – the risks of climbing a mountain that high (knowing full well that she had previously failed on lower mountains). But who would have expected to deal with the additional complications?

In a way, Breathless reminded me of that movie Vertical Limit. Only there's more thought and care put into words here. Yes, there's a lot of action, but there's always WAY more intrigue. I was constantly guessing who the killer could be (and why).

Naturally, I was also really rooting for Cecily. Even as her story unfolded, I was her unyielding cheerleader. I wanted to see her succeed. To see her climb that mountain, survive, and live to tell the tale about it (the last part is quite literal).

It made for a fun and emotional read, to put it simply. I loved every minute of it, especially since Amy McCulloch is a climber and was able to add an air of authenticity to the adventure. It was perfect! Breathless is one of those movies I would love to see an adaptation of. Please?

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks