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The Death Zone: Murder on Mount Everest
A lover’s revenge at 28,000 feet can be a cold bitch!
Elisa James has been climbing mountains since she was a teenager, but the one she has yet to conquer is the mother of them all...Mount Everest. Finally getting the chance to join an expedition that has their sights set on the Goddess, she cannot resist.
When she meets the team, Elisa is shocked to discover that Ryan Holbrook and his ex-girlfriend Maci Alexander, a novice climber, are also on the expedition. Three years earlier, Holbrook was climbing with the love of Elisa’s life and she is convinced the bastard left her girlfriend to die.
Furious, Elisa demands that Holbrook, based on his reputation of being a dangerous and reckless climber, be removed from the team, but her request is denied. So Elisa puts her plan in motion. If Holbrook could use the mountain to commit murder, she would use it for revenge. However, things can quickly change on the Goddess and when an unexpected storm roars in, Elisa finds herself teamed with Holbrook’s ex in an all-out fight for survival.
“Every woman and man for themselves” is a mantra that every climber knows, but as the two women fight for their lives, fear is not the only emotion they begin to feel.
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Elisa James has been climbing mountains since she was a teenager, but the one she has yet to conquer is the mother of them all...Mount Everest. Finally getting the chance to join an expedition that has their sights set on the Goddess, she cannot resist.
When she meets the team, Elisa is shocked to discover that Ryan Holbrook and his ex-girlfriend Maci Alexander, a novice climber, are also on the expedition. Three years earlier, Holbrook was climbing with the love of Elisa’s life and she is convinced the bastard left her girlfriend to die.
Furious, Elisa demands that Holbrook, based on his reputation of being a dangerous and reckless climber, be removed from the team, but her request is denied. So Elisa puts her plan in motion. If Holbrook could use the mountain to commit murder, she would use it for revenge. However, things can quickly change on the Goddess and when an unexpected storm roars in, Elisa finds herself teamed with Holbrook’s ex in an all-out fight for survival.
“Every woman and man for themselves” is a mantra that every climber knows, but as the two women fight for their lives, fear is not the only emotion they begin to feel.
To view the book trailer for this novel, please
Actual Story Word 147,000
Page 498
509 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2014
24 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 24, 2019
With a title like DEATH ZONE: MURDER on Mt EVEREST, I charged the kindle, and fastened the seatbelt for a bumpy ride. I expected thrill, adventure, suspense, terror, romance, drama.... After about 50 pages I unbuckled the seatbelt. After 200 pages I realised that we weren't gonna need a seatbelt at all.
The story of centres on Elisa who lost her partner Lyn on a previous Everest expedition, due to a possible criminal act by a chap called Ryan. She now is going to scale Everest leading a group of inexperienced climbers, including Ryan (long story. Literally.), and the other central character Maci. Elisa and Maci are off to a sort of rocky start but with immediate undertones of attraction. And there was no real suspense there. Ryan, the baddie, is sooooo bad that it makes it a bit boring. The most exciting baddies - to me - are those that seem nice but are evil. You can get a nice psychological thrill out of that. Ryan is so bad and hated by everyone that it makes him a dull antagonist.
Lyn, the departed partner of Elisa, is still up on Everest. Now, I am all for moving on with your life if you lost someone. But falling in love as you prepare to see the frozen body of the woman you loved still sitting up a mountain three years later? Erm, nope. I don't think so. About a year after our first dog died we adopted a pair of hounds from the shelter who nobody wanted because a) hounds are difficult and b) pairs are difficult. A couple of days after we got them home I burst out into sobbing tears, wrecked with guilt over 'new' dogs and what that meant about our old dog who had died etc... I imagine it would be kinda worse with a woman you love than with a dog who passed after a short illness at a good old age. So for me this felt wrong.
Anyhow, I digress.
So, the author has clearly done a lot of research on climbing, climbing Everest, the history of climbing Everest and so on. And it is all in the book. All of it. And I think that is a mistake. Doing background research is great, but if it all appears in the book, then it feels like info dump after info dump. I am a professional nerd, but I couldn't take any more. It made the narrative meander when it should take you though its paces. And it took all excitement out of the book for me. I have read a lot of non-fiction mountaineering books, so it might be different if you haven't come across this info before.
It had all the ingredients that I like. But neither the action nor the romance did it for me.
The story of centres on Elisa who lost her partner Lyn on a previous Everest expedition, due to a possible criminal act by a chap called Ryan. She now is going to scale Everest leading a group of inexperienced climbers, including Ryan (long story. Literally.), and the other central character Maci. Elisa and Maci are off to a sort of rocky start but with immediate undertones of attraction. And there was no real suspense there. Ryan, the baddie, is sooooo bad that it makes it a bit boring. The most exciting baddies - to me - are those that seem nice but are evil. You can get a nice psychological thrill out of that. Ryan is so bad and hated by everyone that it makes him a dull antagonist.
Lyn, the departed partner of Elisa, is still up on Everest. Now, I am all for moving on with your life if you lost someone. But falling in love as you prepare to see the frozen body of the woman you loved still sitting up a mountain three years later? Erm, nope. I don't think so. About a year after our first dog died we adopted a pair of hounds from the shelter who nobody wanted because a) hounds are difficult and b) pairs are difficult. A couple of days after we got them home I burst out into sobbing tears, wrecked with guilt over 'new' dogs and what that meant about our old dog who had died etc... I imagine it would be kinda worse with a woman you love than with a dog who passed after a short illness at a good old age. So for me this felt wrong.
Anyhow, I digress.
So, the author has clearly done a lot of research on climbing, climbing Everest, the history of climbing Everest and so on. And it is all in the book. All of it. And I think that is a mistake. Doing background research is great, but if it all appears in the book, then it feels like info dump after info dump. I am a professional nerd, but I couldn't take any more. It made the narrative meander when it should take you though its paces. And it took all excitement out of the book for me. I have read a lot of non-fiction mountaineering books, so it might be different if you haven't come across this info before.
It had all the ingredients that I like. But neither the action nor the romance did it for me.
January 4, 2024
Wished I’d read this sooner! It’s been on ‘ my to read list’ since 2017 🫣
Really good, brilliant book.
Really good, brilliant book.
January 7, 2024
4.75 ⭐️
I've always been fascinated with the world of mountaineerings and the Everest. The author made you feel like you were there. It is well written and I couldn't put the book down. I also enjoyed the chemistry and the banters between the two MCs.
April 3, 2020
I seriously could not put this book down. The author made you feel like you were there. It had me smiling, laughing, shivering and sweating all within a few pages.
I have never been to Everest but I feel like I've seen it. I won't say climbed it but you witnessed every breathe and every sore muscle.
This is a truly excellent story. Made me fall in love with Everest.
Thank you to the author for writing it.
I have never been to Everest but I feel like I've seen it. I won't say climbed it but you witnessed every breathe and every sore muscle.
This is a truly excellent story. Made me fall in love with Everest.
Thank you to the author for writing it.
June 24, 2017
This is an adventure in high altitude climbing with some death and romance mixed it. I enjoy long books but thought this one could have been condensed a bit. It dragged for me in the middle but did pick back up. I was hoping for a little more of a twist during the second half of the book, but overall found it enjoyable. It's not my usual type of book but I think 4 stars works. I did enjoy the attention to detail in describing the climbing process and constant danger. Seems like not a sport I would enjoy but I liked being in it through this book.
September 28, 2014
LOVED IT! ☺
MOME was an adventure book (high altitude mountaineering theme) with a splash of romance (Elisa and Maci), a dash of thriller/mystery (the 'Ryan' factor) and a history lesson (topic: 'the Goddess' aka Mount Everest) all rolled into one.
The author's passion for Mount Everest was evident and the story facts well researched.
If you enjoy reading about the great outdoors or ever wanted to summit Mount Everest then this is the book to read. Do yourself a favor and enter 'The Death Zone'.
MOME was an adventure book (high altitude mountaineering theme) with a splash of romance (Elisa and Maci), a dash of thriller/mystery (the 'Ryan' factor) and a history lesson (topic: 'the Goddess' aka Mount Everest) all rolled into one.
The author's passion for Mount Everest was evident and the story facts well researched.
If you enjoy reading about the great outdoors or ever wanted to summit Mount Everest then this is the book to read. Do yourself a favor and enter 'The Death Zone'.
June 29, 2014
Veteran mountain climber, Elisa James, has one more mountain she needs to conquer, Mount Everest. The mountain on which her soul mate, the love of her life, Lyn, had died three years previously. Elisa needs closure for Lyn’s death and to bring her body home if possible. When an opportunity arises for her to join an expedition, Elisa jumps at the chance to lead the team. When Elisa meets her team, she’s dismayed to see Ryan Holbrook, the man she considers responsible for Lyn’s death, and his ex girlfriend, Maci Alexander, an inexperienced climber, in her team. Elisa is angry beyond belief and tries to get Ryan thrown off the team. His reputation of being a danger and not a team player are unfortunately not enough. Ryan stays.
Elisa comes up with a plan to exact her own revenge for Lyn’s death. But, will she be able to or even capable of carrying it out? Do two wrongs make a right?
When a fierce storm hits the Goddess, Elisa and Maci fight for their lives, relying on each other for their survival. Which won’t be easy given the odds and outside influences fast at work.
I’ve been reading Trin’s books for some years now and I have to say, this is her best ever yet. She has really excelled herself with this one and written a page turning blockbuster, in true master storyteller style. I don’t have the first clue about climbing, but it is obvious that Trin has done extensive research to put out this authentic, yet fictional story. Trin has integrated fact with fiction so that the story flows along smoothly and the lay person can easily understand all that is going on.
These characters are alive, fully developed and multidimensional, enabling the reader to live along side of them on Everest. The two main characters, Elisa and Maci interact really well together, neither character knowing really what they want in the beginning. The secondary characters are all equally as well formed and all integrate nicely together. All are essential to the progression of the story. Ryan Holbrook is one of the most obnoxious characters in lesfic I’ve come across in a while. But, without him, the story wouldn’t have had the bite that it has. He certainly had me wishing for his demise!
From the scenic descriptions, I totally lost myself and climbed Everest with them. It’s the middle of summer here, yet I was freezing, breathless with the lack of oxygen. That’s how good this book is.
There is a tight, yet fast paced plot, a story that simply begs for just one more chapter to be read. Trin is responsible for me having a couple of late and virtually sleepless nights. The true sign of an excellent book for me.
Set amid the plot is a slow burning, sweet and tender romance, which gets nice and heated in places. Whether Elisa and Maci will survive Everest, whether they would continue their romance if they do, you need to read this book to find out.
I can highly recommend this book to anyone loving a good story with a romance for an added bonus. I will be very surprised, no make that shocked, if this book does not win an award. I am adding this to my re-read folder, to be read again, slowly and savored. This book deserves and needs to be made into a film.
Elisa comes up with a plan to exact her own revenge for Lyn’s death. But, will she be able to or even capable of carrying it out? Do two wrongs make a right?
When a fierce storm hits the Goddess, Elisa and Maci fight for their lives, relying on each other for their survival. Which won’t be easy given the odds and outside influences fast at work.
I’ve been reading Trin’s books for some years now and I have to say, this is her best ever yet. She has really excelled herself with this one and written a page turning blockbuster, in true master storyteller style. I don’t have the first clue about climbing, but it is obvious that Trin has done extensive research to put out this authentic, yet fictional story. Trin has integrated fact with fiction so that the story flows along smoothly and the lay person can easily understand all that is going on.
These characters are alive, fully developed and multidimensional, enabling the reader to live along side of them on Everest. The two main characters, Elisa and Maci interact really well together, neither character knowing really what they want in the beginning. The secondary characters are all equally as well formed and all integrate nicely together. All are essential to the progression of the story. Ryan Holbrook is one of the most obnoxious characters in lesfic I’ve come across in a while. But, without him, the story wouldn’t have had the bite that it has. He certainly had me wishing for his demise!
From the scenic descriptions, I totally lost myself and climbed Everest with them. It’s the middle of summer here, yet I was freezing, breathless with the lack of oxygen. That’s how good this book is.
There is a tight, yet fast paced plot, a story that simply begs for just one more chapter to be read. Trin is responsible for me having a couple of late and virtually sleepless nights. The true sign of an excellent book for me.
Set amid the plot is a slow burning, sweet and tender romance, which gets nice and heated in places. Whether Elisa and Maci will survive Everest, whether they would continue their romance if they do, you need to read this book to find out.
I can highly recommend this book to anyone loving a good story with a romance for an added bonus. I will be very surprised, no make that shocked, if this book does not win an award. I am adding this to my re-read folder, to be read again, slowly and savored. This book deserves and needs to be made into a film.
June 5, 2014
A definite page turner. The author's descriptions of place and environment are fantastic. I found myself shivering when the characters were being blasted by a blizzard in temperatures well below zero. I felt short of breath when they were making their ascent and oxygen is in short supply. The main characters of Elisa and Maci are great but the other characters are just as we'll developed and really make the story. I could easily picture myself hanging out with Nick, Andre and Chantzy, drinking some beers and making fun of each other. The antagonist, Ryan Holbrook, is one of the more insidious characters I've encountered. I wished I could have reached into the book and strangled him! I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a great adventure with a love story mixed in, especially those that enjoy climbing, hiking, camping and the outdoors.
June 3, 2014
Easily one of the most exciting, enthralling, enlightening and entertainingly funny books I have read. This is not just a book of action packed fiction there are also a lot of really interesting facts in this book.
Amongst all the hard grit characters there are some beautifully written sensitive moments, this book has soul and I have enjoyed every page so far.
The modern day Mount Everest Climbing Teams are so very far removed from those in history when considering the equipment... but when it comes to personal ambition and self interest I think the parallel remains the same. And life hangs on a thread when an over egocentric team member becomes unhinged and will go to any length to succeed including murder!
I look forward to reading more from this author Trin Denise I salute you.
Amongst all the hard grit characters there are some beautifully written sensitive moments, this book has soul and I have enjoyed every page so far.
The modern day Mount Everest Climbing Teams are so very far removed from those in history when considering the equipment... but when it comes to personal ambition and self interest I think the parallel remains the same. And life hangs on a thread when an over egocentric team member becomes unhinged and will go to any length to succeed including murder!
I look forward to reading more from this author Trin Denise I salute you.
February 4, 2017
I loved this book! The story is riveting and I couldn't stop reading. It's a long novel and there is plenty of time to fall in love with the characters. Descriptions of the landscape and climbing are amazing. I felt like I was up on the mountain with these crazy people who attempt to climb Everest. To top it all off there is a sweet romance and a bad guy who is endangering everyone. I definitely recommend this one.
June 14, 2014
Not the murder mystery I expected. I wasn't really excited about reading a mystery. I have read other books by Trin and enjoyed them, so thought I'd give this one a chance. Very glad I did. I know one thing I will never climb a mountain, that's some scary sh... Stuff that can happen at high altitude. If you are looking for an on the edge of you seat adventure, this book has it.
December 2, 2018
Couldn't really get into this book. The author's attempt at using British English is cringe. One guy is meant to be from England but keeps using 'wee', that's used in Scotland. Also, there's just too much explaining of everything and the protagonist is not very likeable. She is just so rude and there isn't a back story justifiable enough for her to be that way. The dialogue with the love interest is weird and misplaced I think. I can't even remember the protagonist's name and I've just literally closed my kindle, that alone says something. I felt like the way she speaks to Maci even when they first met was unrealistic. More-so, this author went overboard with giving the reader a step by step guide to climbing when really most of us are interested in the drama between the love interests and the adventure is a subplot. She tried to fit too much in. 400plus pages, 200 of those definitely need cutting.
My other issue is that, the protagonist claims to be in so much pain for losing their partner and can never see themselves date again, it's not even 90 pages in, she's already holding Maci tightly and fantasying about her who I might add is the antagonist's girlfriend. I found myself thinking, well, that was quick, what happened to the grief and heartbreak of the 'love of your life', the person she was going to spend the rest of her life with apparently. The antagonist is just comical from the get go. He is just nasty for the sake of being nasty and her hatred for him without any evidence is unrealistic. Adding that he slept with children is so unnecessary to the story, it doesn't aid it in anyway. we already know Ryan is nasty, why keep repeating it?
It just feels like the author was struggling to find the inciting incident and just made stuff up to make it justifiable for the protagonist to climb this mountain and find love. It didn't work for me, I'm sorry. I got bored and the main character was annoying and self-righteous . I definitely feel that character development is lacking here.
Good effort, but It wasn't for me. I hope everyone else enjoys the story.
My other issue is that, the protagonist claims to be in so much pain for losing their partner and can never see themselves date again, it's not even 90 pages in, she's already holding Maci tightly and fantasying about her who I might add is the antagonist's girlfriend. I found myself thinking, well, that was quick, what happened to the grief and heartbreak of the 'love of your life', the person she was going to spend the rest of her life with apparently. The antagonist is just comical from the get go. He is just nasty for the sake of being nasty and her hatred for him without any evidence is unrealistic. Adding that he slept with children is so unnecessary to the story, it doesn't aid it in anyway. we already know Ryan is nasty, why keep repeating it?
It just feels like the author was struggling to find the inciting incident and just made stuff up to make it justifiable for the protagonist to climb this mountain and find love. It didn't work for me, I'm sorry. I got bored and the main character was annoying and self-righteous . I definitely feel that character development is lacking here.
Good effort, but It wasn't for me. I hope everyone else enjoys the story.
October 14, 2017
First, the book is well-written, action packed, very tense and most characters, included small-ones are pretty well constructed.
It's only a 2-star because I didn't enjoy so much tension, the idea of climbing terrifies me to no end and the villain character was slightly overdone and overcooked for my taste.
Also, there are passages when the story is plain boring, with very detailed information about climbing the Everest that you lose the thread of fiction and feel you are on discovery-channel or something.
It's only a 2-star because I didn't enjoy so much tension, the idea of climbing terrifies me to no end and the villain character was slightly overdone and overcooked for my taste.
Also, there are passages when the story is plain boring, with very detailed information about climbing the Everest that you lose the thread of fiction and feel you are on discovery-channel or something.
August 20, 2018
Adventurous today?
Pick this book up & get all the adventure you could ask for! Really good story about a mountain climber with a dream to reach the summit of Everest. She’s trying to heal from a tragedy & while doing that she meets her new love! Add a bad guy & lots of good guys & gals! You’ve got an adventure to keep you reading until the finish! A shout out to my home city, Dayton Ohio helps!! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have!
Pick this book up & get all the adventure you could ask for! Really good story about a mountain climber with a dream to reach the summit of Everest. She’s trying to heal from a tragedy & while doing that she meets her new love! Add a bad guy & lots of good guys & gals! You’ve got an adventure to keep you reading until the finish! A shout out to my home city, Dayton Ohio helps!! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have!
September 23, 2021
I thought this would be my ideal book - combining high altitude mountaineering with lesbians! Unfortunately whilst I greatly enjoyed it, it read like part average lesbo romance and part mountaineering manual. After googling some words that were new to me, it became obvious that the author had basically taken her factual information from various mountaineering websites. And in some instances not even bothered to rewrite it, which is really bordering on plagiarism.
For example this is in the book:
Next came the fun part of the Puja ceremony. Everyone who had flour left over after offering it to the mountain was told to smear the rest on the face of the climber standing to the left. This gesture symbolized living a long life until everyone grew a white beard. The ceremony finally ended after each climber was given a sungdi or red string from the Lama, which had what the Sherpas called a shrunga attached to it. The shrunga was a very small package that contained an object with a circular design to signify the universe, called a mandala. It also included white rice that had been blessed and wrapped with colored string. The shrunga was what would keep them safe as they climbed the mountain.
This is text from Adventure Consultant website, in their archived Everest trips section:
Then we get to most fun part of the Puja ceremony! Everyone takes some flour and, after offering it to the mountain, we put the flour on each others faces. This symbolizes living a long life until we each grow a white beard.
The final part of the ceremony is receiving a sungdi (red string) from the Lama to which we attached our shrunga – a parcel made up of a folded mandala, blessed rice and wrapped in coloured string. This will keep us safe as we travel up the mountain.
This is just one example. She has lifted similar text from all over the internet, which makes me very uneasy. She has taken actual events (especially from the '96 season) and adapted them into her story. Andy Harris gets hit in the chest by a rock between camps 2 and 3... so does one of her characters. Beck Weathers gets severe frostbite and stumbles into camp 4 with his arm raised and hand curled into a claw... so does one of her characters.
For someone not familiar with all the literature around Everest (esp '96) you wouldn't notice. But I have read a LOT of mountaineering books and these incidents all seemed very familiar.
Anyway, I still enjoyed the book, although it was full of lesbian romance cliches, spelling mistakes and timing inconsistencies. The story was compelling, but then I had a good idea what would happen because hey, it happened in real life in '96! (Apart from the murder part of the plotline, which was copied from the film Vertical Limit!)
For example this is in the book:
Next came the fun part of the Puja ceremony. Everyone who had flour left over after offering it to the mountain was told to smear the rest on the face of the climber standing to the left. This gesture symbolized living a long life until everyone grew a white beard. The ceremony finally ended after each climber was given a sungdi or red string from the Lama, which had what the Sherpas called a shrunga attached to it. The shrunga was a very small package that contained an object with a circular design to signify the universe, called a mandala. It also included white rice that had been blessed and wrapped with colored string. The shrunga was what would keep them safe as they climbed the mountain.
This is text from Adventure Consultant website, in their archived Everest trips section:
Then we get to most fun part of the Puja ceremony! Everyone takes some flour and, after offering it to the mountain, we put the flour on each others faces. This symbolizes living a long life until we each grow a white beard.
The final part of the ceremony is receiving a sungdi (red string) from the Lama to which we attached our shrunga – a parcel made up of a folded mandala, blessed rice and wrapped in coloured string. This will keep us safe as we travel up the mountain.
This is just one example. She has lifted similar text from all over the internet, which makes me very uneasy. She has taken actual events (especially from the '96 season) and adapted them into her story. Andy Harris gets hit in the chest by a rock between camps 2 and 3... so does one of her characters. Beck Weathers gets severe frostbite and stumbles into camp 4 with his arm raised and hand curled into a claw... so does one of her characters.
For someone not familiar with all the literature around Everest (esp '96) you wouldn't notice. But I have read a LOT of mountaineering books and these incidents all seemed very familiar.
Anyway, I still enjoyed the book, although it was full of lesbian romance cliches, spelling mistakes and timing inconsistencies. The story was compelling, but then I had a good idea what would happen because hey, it happened in real life in '96! (Apart from the murder part of the plotline, which was copied from the film Vertical Limit!)
July 2, 2014
Excellent Read
I thought this was a great story. The climb for the summit of MT Everest and what it took to get there was exciting to read and very informative. The lost of Elisa's partner Lyn was quite touching and if I were a character in this book Ryan would not have made as far as he did, just saying. I liked the chemistry between Elisa and Maci and thought the supporting characters, Rene, Ian, Nick, Andre as well as the Serpas were an engaging group. A definite must read.
I thought this was a great story. The climb for the summit of MT Everest and what it took to get there was exciting to read and very informative. The lost of Elisa's partner Lyn was quite touching and if I were a character in this book Ryan would not have made as far as he did, just saying. I liked the chemistry between Elisa and Maci and thought the supporting characters, Rene, Ian, Nick, Andre as well as the Serpas were an engaging group. A definite must read.
April 25, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, especially the descriptions of the high altitude mountain climbing. I will say that if I had ever had any desire to climb Mount Everest (or any mountain) this story has disabused me of that notion. I'll be happy to see it in a picture. The only disappointment I had was that I was sorry to see a particular character die. Beyond that, the story was very engaging.
August 10, 2014
Exciting and new
Loads of excitement, fast paced, very well written with great characters, plot, and dialogue. Don't skip this one! Edge of your seat reading.
Loads of excitement, fast paced, very well written with great characters, plot, and dialogue. Don't skip this one! Edge of your seat reading.
May 17, 2016
This book make you feel like you are on Mount Everest with them. Great read.
May 29, 2015
One of the best novels I've read. Absolutely engaging.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews