The House in the Pines

LoveReading Says

Suffused in loss and a search for the truth through a thick mist of memories, Ana Reyes’ The House in the Pines debut casts a captivating spell. Precise, atmospheric and suspenseful, it has a something of a Southern Gothic vibe, and comes heartily recommended for readers who love classy, compelling, thought-provoking mysteries that forge a unique path through the woods. This is no mystery-story-by-numbers — both the concept and execution are unique and executed with elegance.

Back in high school, Maya’s best friend Aubrey dropped dead in the company of Frank, a charismatic man the girls had been spending a lot of time with. Some seven years on, Maya hasn’t dealt with her loss. While battling secret addictions, she discovers that another girl has dropped dead in similar circumstances, in Frank’s company, so she’s drawn to return to her hometown to revisit her past experiences, and Frank’s enchanting cabin in the pine woods.

At the same time, Maya is drawn back to an unfinished book written by her deceased Guatemalan father. Armed with her hazy memories, and guided by her father’s writing, Maya returns to the cabin and confronts the man at the heart of an unsettling, entrancing mystery that explores how the past plays a haunting role in our present lives.

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real.
More reviews by Joanne Owen

About The House in the Pines

A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICKA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'AN ABSOLUTE, CAN'T-PUT-IT-DOWN THRILLER' Reese Witherspoon (Reese's Book Club Jan '23 Pick)'EERIE AND ATMOSPHERIC'Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The House Across the Lake'CREEPY'The Times'I READ IN A SINGLE SITTING, TOTALLY ENTHRALLED'Lisa Gardner, Sunday Times bestselling author of One Step Too Far'SUPERB'M. W. Craven, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Botanist'CHILLED ME TO THE BONE'Andrea Bartz, author of Reese's pick We Were Never Here________Maya is still haunted by the cabin - deep in the woods, where the trees are so dense it's easy to miss.She hasn't been there since the summer she was seventeen. Since the day her best friend Aubrey died and Maya's world shattered.Maya's memories of that summer are fragmented, but there is one thing she knows for sure, and that's who murdered Aubrey. Even if no one believes her.Now, seven years later, another woman from their hometown has died in the same strange, unexplained way.Maya knows only she can uncover the truth and save the next innocent girl. But to do that she'll have to go back - back to the forest, back to the house in the pines . . .

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