The House in the Pines, by Ana Reyes
Maya had just graduated high school and was getting ready to go off to college when she met a man who changed her life forever. Despite Frank’s strangeness, she found herself falling head over heels for him. But he seemed to play games with her heart, flirting and hanging out with her best friend. Then, suddenly, her best friend died in his presence, with no explanation as to why. He didn’t assault or even touch her, and investigators were unable to determine that it was anything more than a sudden medical emergency.
Seven years later, Maya is still reeling from the trauma of her best friend’s death, and is drowning her trauma in alcohol and pills. She has built a new life with a kind man, but her addictions threaten to undo everything she has worked for. Until she sees a video on YouTube of a young woman sitting with a man at a diner. Suddenly, inexplicably, and tragically, the woman slumps over and dies, just like Maya’s best friend years earlier. She was not touched or assaulted, just like with Maya’s friend. The man she is with? Frank.
This debut novel follows Maya as she struggles with her past, and tries to solve the mystery of these young women’s deaths in Frank’s presence. She knows that he is somehow responsible for their deaths, but how? Finding out will put her fragile mental health at risk, and have her friends and family once again think she has lost her mind. Is it worth trying to solve the mystery and get justice for her friend?
I found this book on the lucky day shelf at the library, and picked it up despite not knowing anything about it. It was interesting enough, but the main character was a bit too “damsel in distress” for my liking. She is the type of character who would die second in the horror movie (obviously right after her best friend). Not to mention, parts of the plot really required a suspension of disbelief. I saw the twist coming long before it arrived, and it got a bit bland waiting as Maya finally bumbled over to it… It was a creative premise though, so a bit of credit for that.
2 stars.
Wine and History Visited 
There was an article on Reese’s Book Club in the NYT this week. She said she started it because she was tired of reading about “women chained in the basement.” Disappointing that this pick had a weak heroine.
😂. This heroine I could definitely see chained in the basement. Her mom was a badass though!