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.
Joanne Owen
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The House in the Pines Synopsis
An instant New York Times bestseller!
"This is an absolute, can't-put-it-down thriller. . . . It's truly a wild ride that had me flying through chapter after chapter-which I think is the perfect way to kick off your year of reading."-Reese Witherspoon (Reese's Book Club Pick January 2023)
Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend's sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed. . . .
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. . . .
Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780593186718 |
| Publication date: |
3rd January 2023 |
| Author: |
Ana Reyes |
| Publisher: |
Dutton Books an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
321 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Thriller and Suspense
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| Other Genres: |
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Ana Reyes Press Reviews
Powerfully eerie and atmospheric, The House in the Pines is a compelling mix of psychological thriller and dark fairy tale. By focusing not on whodunnit but how and why, Ana Reyes' stellar debut explores the many ways our memories can fail us - and how they can set us free -- Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE
Reyes' debut is a gripping, intelligent thriller that chilled me to the bone. With its intricate plotting, gorgeous prose and complex, richly drawn characters, The House in the Pines is that rare book that you live inside from the first page to the last. I didn't want it to end - and I can't wait for readers to discover my new favorite author -- Andrea Bartz, author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick WE WERE NEVER HERE
The House in the Pines has a great hook, a beautifully painted central protagonist and a genuinely creepy villain. I loved it. Superb. -- M. W. Craven, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE BOTANIST
Dark, unsettling and unusual, it stayed with me long after I'd turned the final page -- Carly Reagon, author of THE TOLL HOUSE
The House in the Pines unfolds like a magic show. Atmospheric, twisty, and skillfully wrought-this was an utterly engrossing reading experience. I wish I could go back and experience it again for the first time -- Susie Yang, New York Times bestselling author of WHITE IVY
Ana Ryes delves into a complex female friendship and the fragile nature of memory to weave together a smart, eerie, and completely addictive story of psychological suspense. Reyes is a debut author to watch -- Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of FIND ME
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