The story centers on Maya, whose best friend Aubrey died suddenly while with the guy Maya was dating named Frank. Maya keeps having dreams about a cabin in the woods, a welcoming abode, with a warm blaze in the fireplace, the burning pine logs adding their scent to the room, the log walls offering shelter from a strong wind. In the present, Maya is trying to kick a Klonopin addiction and the withdrawal is making her a bit … erratic. It took a bit for me to get into this novel, as I was trying to sort out timelines and characters, but once the story caught me, I was hooked. Once Maya finally admits to Aubrey the truth behind her relationship with Frank, Aubrey surprises her.

EVEN in a mystery, which seems like should be somewhat rational-ish…) So I kept this theory open until almost the end of the book. And then there was this thriller pick with a confusing ending had SO many of my spoiler discussion participants pretty annoyed. The central mystery (well, there are two, the first one is whether Frank actually killed those two women, and if so how, and) what is the deal with the strange house in the woods that haunts her dreams, the House in the Pines of the title. Although the narrator was fine there was not a heads up when we were in the past, I like a heads up.Learning of her father was heartbreaking, and just the fact that he tied in the mystery through his novel was amazing. Ana is certainly flawed enough for us to gain some sympathy, although she cashes in some of those chits with occasional foolish decisions.

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. This seems to be really symbolic, both in the synopsis and throughout the story itself, but I couldn’t make the connection between that story and what was happening to Maya. The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes was a 2023 hit, or at least it was touted as a must-read book before its release. Thick psychological tension is heightened by Maya’s memory lapses and reality-bending perceptions, lending the story a dark, supernatural feel. The only other person to see Aubrey die was Maya’s love interest, Frank, but he swore up and down he had nothing to do with it, even though Maya had seen the two of them speaking moments before Aubrey’s death.I really struggled with following this narrative, and the drinking/pill popping trope is so overused at this point. If you want all the spoiler-y details on what DOES happen in the book (as best as I can figure out), you are in luck: check out my Spoiler Discussion for The House in the Pines.