11 May 2023

The House in the Pines

By Ana Reyes

Review

A 2023 Top Rated Read

When an online video surfaces of a woman dropping down dead in the company of man called Frank, Maya feels compelled to return to her home town to look into the incident. Seven years earlier the same thing happened to Maya's best friend Aubrey. Believing Frank, her ex-boyfriend, has somehow caused both deaths, Maya must tread very carefully — she knows Frank is dangerous and controlling. Can she discover what really occurred and prevent it from happening again?

This book has very mixed reviews and I was fearful I was going to dislike it too. However, the complete opposite happened — I absolutely loved it! What drew me in was the creepy atmosphere and feeling of dread slowly building. I was on the edge of my seat and checking for boogeymen under my bed. 

I love stories that are off-kilter and this one hit the mark. The pacing was good, as was the characterisation; the only slight issue I had was some confusion at the start of each chapter as to which timeline (past or present) I was following. After a couple of paragraphs it soon became clear though.

The House in the Pines is certainly worth seeking out if you enjoy an uneasy, chilling tale. I have no hesitation in awarding it my finest 5 star rating.

★★★★★

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Constable
  • Publication Year: 2023
  • Author: Ana Reyes
  • Genre: Thriller, Psychological Thriller

Synopsis

This is the story of a house. The cabin lies deep in the woods, where the trees are so dense it's easy to miss. On the outside it might look like it's crumbling, crawling with weeds, but on the inside it's warm and cosy. A fire crackles in the fireplace. Dinner simmers on the stove.

Maya once saw this cabin as an idyllic place, like a cottage from a fairy tale, but now she knows the danger that lurks beneath.

The summer she visited the cabin was the summer her best friend Aubrey died.

Now, another woman from Maya's hometown has died in the same strange, unexplained way, and Maya believes only she can save the next innocent girl.

Guided by her fractured memory and a mysterious, unfinished book by her late father, Maya returns home to face the house in the pines and the man who waits there - the man she's tried so hard to forget. . .

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