Review of “Thin Air” – posted in https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28335600-thin-air

Ask Michelle Anything

Graham writes…

Michelle seems to have a great skill in researching the background to each of her novels and making sure the readers find themselves fully engrossed in that background as well as enjoying the story she weaves into it. "Thin Air" is no exception in this regard.

I know nothing about mountaineering, and as I am not at all a sporty person it is not something that particularly interests me. More power to Michelle’s elbow, then that she had me gripped from the beginning to the end of this novel, enjoying all that mountaineering background. Everything from the scenery, the technical side of the sport, and the medical background was covered brilliantly. Also, the dating was covered very well too, with the rather racist attitudes of the time (early 20th century) coming through in the language used by the main characters.

The interpersonal relationships, which actually are probably extremely important during a climb, were covered extremely well. This was particularly the case with the narrator, Dr Pearce, and his brother Kits.

All of this ignores the fact that “Thin Air” is actually a ghost story. And I think it ignores it deliberately. Most ghost stories would focus on the ghostly encounter itself, with everything else being background. But I found the mountaineering itself, the description of the locations, and the interpersonal relations of the climbers filled most of the novel, with the ghost story almost being just an overlay. Which worked, for me, extremely well.

As I found was the case with Michelle’s “Wakenhyrst”, there is an element to the ending which you could take as questioning whether it really ends the way you are led to believe it does. It is even more subtle here, and I believe most readers would accept the ending as stated. But my rampant imagination enjoyed playing with the idea that it really ended very differently. I will not spoil your reading by saying any more!

An engrossing read, which is what I have come to expect from Michelle Paver.

Michelle Replies…

And again, thank you, Graham, for that very nice review of Thin Air.  I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!  With best wishes, Michelle


Upcoming Live Events With Michelle

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Wimbledon Book Festival

October 17, 2025
Festival patron and Sunday Times bestselling author Michelle Paver will talk about her latest supernatural fiction in this live recording with Always Take Notes, a podcast for and about writers and writing.

Michelle will discuss her incredible career, from finding inspiration for Wolf Brother on Wimbledon Common to her latest novel Rainforest, which weaves Mayan culture with themes of obsession, gender and rebirth.

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The Witching Hour with Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Shepherd-Robinson – Waterstones Canterbury

October 20, 2025

Join Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Sheperd-Robinson as they discuss their stories in a brand new collection of ghostly tales called The Witching Hour.

In this dazzling collection of original haunted tales, thirteen bestselling and much-loved authors bring the old superstition of the witching hour to new and vivid life.
Transporting you from the smog of London to the freezing mists of Svalbard, from an Irish town riddled with rumour to a sinister English boarding school, these thirteen stories will serve as your spine tingling companion to the long hours of winter.
So curl up, light a candle, and wait for the clock to strike . . .
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Yeovil Literary Festival

October 25, 2025

An experience like no other. From a writer like no other...

Successfully published as an adult author, the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (“Wolf Brother”) were her first books for younger readers, followed by her brilliant 5-part series set in the bronze age, Gods and Warriors. On the adult side, her first ghost story, Dark Matter, was a UK bestseller and won massive praise from reviewers and readers alike, as did her second ghost story, Thin Air.

Oxford Literary Festival 2026

March 29, 2026

The Oxford Literary Festival takes place in venues across central Oxford, such as Blackwell's bookshop, the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre, the Weston Library, and Oxford colleges such as Christ Church and Worcester College. The festival includes international authors, journalists, intellectuals, historians, and poets.