Breakheart Pass

Written by Alistair MacLean

Narrated by Mike Fitzpatrick

A magnificent tale of heart-stopping suspense from the highly acclaimed master of the genre.

The Rocky Mountains, Winter 1873…

One of the most desolate stretches of railroad in the West. Travelling along it is a crowded troop train, bound for the cholera-stricken garrison at Fort Humboldt. On board are the Governor of Nevada, the daughter of the fort’s commander and a US marshal escorting a notorious outlaw. Between them and safety are the hostile Paiute Indians – and a man who will stop at nothing, not even murder…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Nov 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9780008730369

Alistair MacLean

Alistair MacLean, the son of a minister, was brought up in the Scottish Highlands. In 1941 he joined the Royal Navy. After the war he read English at Glasgow University and became a teacher. Two and a half years spent aboard a wartime cruiser gave him the background for HMS Ulysses, his remarkably successful first novel, published in 1955. He is now recognized as one of the outstanding popular writers of the 20th century, the author of 29 worldwide bestsellers, many of which have been filmed.

Reviews for Breakheart Pass

[richardderus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Precisely ninety-eight minutes after I started this re-read, I completed it. Well, no sense in dawdling, now is there, when there's really nothing much to "see" or what-have-you. MacLean wasn't a descriptive writer, had no ear for dialogue, and wasn't familiar with the US West; go fight them odds.

He also wrote such awful women...names with a tic or two to prevent them from melting into the walls too far to be even detected...but he was *aces* at "omigawdwhathappensnextomigawd"ness. And, to my surprise, at the greyness of real-life motivations. His Native American (called in period style "Paiutes" which, well, just ain't one thing and...nevermind) aren't Bad Guys. They want what they want to reclaim their ancestral way of life, not to blood-thirstily murder white mens and rape they womens.

The first time I read this ancient hardcover was in 1974. My older sister the bookstore lady was going to send it back to the publisher unsold and I successfully wheedled it out of her. I don't remember how long it took me to read the book, but it couldn't have been a lot longer than this re-read took. There simply isn't enough there there to demand a close, attentive read.

It did pass the ninety-eight minutes well enough, which is really all I asked of it.

[delta61 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After I started this book I was surprised to find out it was a western. I did not expect it from this author. It was a very slow start and the plot was predictable. It was not a bad story but not what you call exciting. Not too many surprises.

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent entry by MacLean, set in post-Civil War American west. I loved how the plot kept twisting and I was unable to figure out what was happening until well into the book. I'm definitely keeping this one.

[veeralpadhiar · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fast-paced, small (192 pages), action packed; to be precise, a typical MacLean thriller (though this one's a western). Not great as some of his other works, mind you, but not boring either.

[chinquapin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book takes place on an Army train in the American West in the 19th century after the Civil War. The train, under the command of Colonel Claremont, is full of relief troops and supplies, headed to Fort Humboldt, a remote mountain fort in Paiute Indian territory. The train also has on board a Marshall who is escorting a captured Federal prisoner named John Dekin. On its journey, there will be murders, conspiracies, sabotage, ambushes, rooftop fights, and Indians seeking revenge. The action is non-stop, and at times it is somewhat hectic, with one plot twist after another. My only complaint is that a whole lot of characters are introduced at the beginning of the book, and without much character description, it was difficult for me to keep them straight for awhile. Basically, this book is all about action and suspense, and it does an excellent job of delivering both.

[bridgey_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book, possibly not enough for 5 stars but nearly.... :)

A multiple murder mystery set in 1873 and situated in the rocky mountains. A train is bound for a cholera stricken fort but things start to go wrong as people start dieing and going missing.

Who is the killer? The novel unravells at a rapid speed with various twists and turns that hook you until the dramatic outcome.

Def one worth trying as an introduction to maclean.