I found myself without a book for our trip to El Paso (the horror!), so I snagged the first book that caught my eye in the airport. I am thrilled with my selection and now I want to read everything by Ana Reyes. The House in the Pines is a fabulous psychological thriller and made me want to learn about…..a topic. I can’t say because I don’t want to spoil anything, but trust me that your head will be spinning.
Here’s the synopsis on Amazon:
Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they’d been spending time with all summer.
Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can’t account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer—the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.
At her mother’s house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father’s book that didn’t stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank’s cabin. . . .
The House in the Pines
I flew through this book. I definitely recommend if you’re into the psychological thriller genre. The ending leaves a loose thread, but you can make the argument that the ending is implied. The chapters bounce back and forth between present day and seven years ago, which I loved. Dry January combined with chilly weather has me getting into bed super early to read these days. Grab a copy for yourself here: https://amzn.to/3vv25MT
