The House in the Pines

by Ana Reyes

Publisher: Dutton (audiobook)
Ginasbookreport Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Genre: Psychological Thriller / Mystery
Read This If You Love: Riley Sager / Lisa Jewell / Three Pines tv series

“If she was delusional, then she wasn’t in danger.”

Maya watched as her friend dropped dead in the presence of a mysterious man named Frank. Years later, Frank resurfaces when another woman dies suddenly near him. Maya sets out to understand what is happening…paranoia, bad luck, or murder? 

The House in the Pines was a book I picked up (via audiobook from the library) because it was a Reese’s Book Club pick. While I typically really enjoy the books selected for that group, this book was not for me. I kept wanting the book to be something different…more horror or mystical. It instead skirts the edge of magical realism, or does it? The payoff just wasn’t there for me in the end of the story. If you are looking for more of a psychological thriller, I really enjoyed Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs. If you want a scary horror book, check out Riley Sager’s Home Before Dark. Maybe it was because I had just binge watched Three Pines, but The House in the Pines did feel somewhat similar…only Three Pines delivered a satisfying ending to me.

“She knew how it felt to be called crazy.”