A YEAR after the deaths of George Mallory and Sandy Irivne on Mount Everest, three adventurers are eager to make their own attempt on the summit.

Their expedition is funded by Lady Bromley, whose son Percy has also disappeared on the mountain. Refusing to believe he's dead, she asks the trio to find him and bring him home.

As they set off from Tibet and attempt to discover the truth behind Percy's disappearance, they find themselves being followed by someone. Or something.

As they get higher up Everest and the weather worsens, it becomes a matter of life and death.

But what is pursuing them, and why? And what really happened to Percy?

It's a bone-chilling tale of intrigue and mystery, and thoroughly researched, but the passages on Twenties mountaineering equipment and techniques are too long and intrusive, stalling the narrative and the killing suspense.

Rating: 6/10
Review: Catherine Small