I have absolutely no intention of ever climbing a huge mountain – entering the ‘death zone’, needing oxygen, fighting altitude sickness, etc. Not for me at all – which is why reading this book was such an adventure!
Cecily Wong is a journalist with a pretty dodgy track record of mountain climbing – which is why she faces the ultimate challenge when asked to join legendary alpinist Charles McVeigh and his team as they tackle one of Nepal’s highest mountains. However, the attempt seems doomed from the start and Cecily is soon fighting for her life against the elements and an altogether more sinister – and more human – enemy.
What won me over to this book early on was the way that the mountain climbing was so well-described and the book was absolutely packed with information about surviving in such inhospitable conditions. I learnt such a lot along the way – even if it did reconfirm that it would be my idea of hell! The setting was written so well that I could visualise the different camps en route to the summit and the challenges the team faced – in that sense, it reminded me of the excellent ‘The Dark’ by Emma Haughton which painted a credible and intriguing picture of living in another brutal place, the 24 hour darkness of an Antarctica winter.
The characters were engaging – Cecily herself has an interesting back-story and the narrative is interspersed with blog posts and pieces that she is writing. The other team members were a mixed bunch – but fairly easily distinguishable, which is sometimes a problem with these types of mysteries where you have a large cast to keep in mind.
The narrative is fast-paced and keeps the reader on their toes – there’s lots to take in and plenty of perils along the way. I did wonder where the ending was going – and I did spot the culprit though not the motive – but it was all tied up with reasonable neatness. It did feel like a huge amount of twists and events were packed in towards the end after a slower start, but I was just happy to go along for the ride and learn about mountain climbing!
Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone who likes high-stakes murder mysteries – no pun intended on the high, but it’s quite fascinating to see a thriller set at over 8,000 metres above sea level where even the conditions are able to kill! There’s plenty here to keep you reading and you might enjoy your foray into deadly adventures from the comfort of your armchair.
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Header photo by Azin Javadzadeh on Unsplash
