Summary
In February 1959, nine experienced hikers ventured into the Russian wilderness of the Ural Mountains. They were never seen alive again. Their bodies were located on Dead Mountain. It was apparent their tent was cut open and the hikers fled into the darkness of the night without warm clothes or even shoes. Some were found with broken ribs and crushed skulls, some whose clothes emitted radiation, and another whose tongue was missing.
This mystery was later titled The Dyatlov Pass Incident. Still today, no one knows what really happened that night. Some speculate it was aliens, the Abominable Snowman, or the Soviet Army. But Donnie Eichar takes it all into account and puts forth his own theory about what might have happened to those nine hikers who lost their lives on Dead Mountain.
Review
If you’re looking for a quick recommendation, yes, I would definitely recommend this book!
The first time I heard of The Dyatlov Pass Incident, I watched a terrible movie on the SyFy channel called Devil’s Pass. I didn’t like the movie, but the story behind it fascinated me. Who doesn’t love a good unsolved mystery, right? So I started looking into it and came across Dead Mountain by Eichar. I knew I had to read it and find out what could have really happened!
What I really love about this book is Eichar’s ability to take the bigger theories out there, break them down, and present them in an unbiased way. He also makes it easy to understand how they could and could not work. Which made me feel like a real Sherlock Holmes. I also enjoyed how he made the hikers feel more real.
Sure, we can read how these nine people died in such a horrible way and think, “How awful!” But we don’t really see them as people. Just their mysterious deaths on a creepy mountain. Until Eichar shows us how they lived before they went on this fateful backpacking trip. They were students at the local university. They took classes, joined clubs, had families back home. For some, their deaths were mysterious, but it also meant the loss of a friend or family member, a loved one. Eichar also includes pictures from their trip, as they prepared their gear and took off, making it all the more real.
The only part I wasn’t a huge fan of was the pacing. It was sometimes a little slow as it felt like Eichar delved a little too deeply into the lives of each of the hikers. I like some detail, but it came to a point when it felt like too much. Overall, I would recommend this to a busy mom. Especially one who’s looking for something dark and mysterious. Something to keep your attention for a while. I know it kept my full attention for some time! If you need a mystery that feels more real than a classic whodunnit, then you won’t be disappointed in this one!
Rating
Four out of five stars
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If you enjoyed my review of Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar, you might also like The Anomaly by Michael Rutger. Check out my review!
If you’re interested in purchasing Dead Mountain, here are some quick links to buy the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And, if you’re interested to see what others think, here’s the link to the book on Goodreads.
