I was intrigued by the premise of a woman dealing with the death of her friend keeling over in front of a man and then seeing a youtube video years later of another woman dying in front of the same man. Oooooh, creepy. This was very slow-burn and I didn't really enjoy it because I was too unsure of what was going on. It is all in the main character's head due to her addiction struggles, or mental health issues? I have a personal distaste for mystery stories where the main character's perceptions are addled by addiction, so I probably shouldn't have read this.

My first thought would be to say this us a slow burn. I did appreciate a completely different theme. The storyline is one that I have never read before and it was good. I was drawn in and needed to know what had happened to Aubrey, Christina and Maya. I needed to know where the house in the pines was and who Frank was and how he was doing these awful things right in front of people.

Very interesting book. I felt for Maya and the struggles she faced even if in some cases she brought them upon herself. Was she really hallucinating about the murder of her dearest friend or did she have a familial trait of mental illness and imagined it all up? Very unique storyline and I enjoyed the book and the journey Maya makes a lot. After a bumpy road in the beginning with the young teens use of LSD-smoking pot-drinking alcohol and the current issues Maya has with stopping a bad klonopin addiction, the story builds up quite nicely until you start to figure out just what the heck Frank was doing.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for a chance to read and review.

This is a haunting story about a young woman who watched her best friend die. Maya watched Aubrey drop dead in front of her. But Maya and Aubrey weren't alone. Frank was also a witness to this tragedy.
When Maya catches an online video showing ANOTHER young woman dieing in front of Frank, she decides to investigate.
I absolutely loved this psychological thriller!

I couldn’t finish this book because the the were no commas. I just couldn’t stand reading it. The punctuation also needs work.

This was a very different kind of mystery thriller for me. Maya is a young woman who witnessed the death of her best friend seven years ago under mysterious circumstances. Now she views a video in which another young woman dies while in the company of the same man. What is going on? Maya embarks on a quest to learn what actually happened in both cases. The author takes the reader through Maya's past, even the past that she did not know about her father as well as the past she cannot remember. It is a well written read that held my attention throughout. I was a bit thrown by the sudden ending that left me somewhat at loose ends. I would rate it a 3.5 stars,

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this advance copy to read and review

Maya is an addict. This comes with it’s fair share of problems but, Maya also has a past. Is her past really what it seems?
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I did not see the ending of this book coming. It wasn’t exactly twisty but more like a slow burn more will be revealed sort of thriller. I really enjoyed it and it kept me engaged. I think this book was really unique and clever and I definitely recommend it. 4.5/5 stars. This will be released in Jan 2023

Reading about Maya and the issues she was dealing with was quite interesting but other than that, I was bored. The book started off really slowly and it's pace failed to make me want to read more. I still pushed through but by the time I reached the end I was confused, probably because of skimming the last 100 pages lol.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel. The book was interesting and dealt with unexplainable things; missing time, forgotten memories etc. finally they realize that their boyfriend was at the center of all the questions it’s not the genre book I generally pickup so I can’t rate it any higher than a 3

I was unsure in the beginning, but once I got into the book I loved the ride. Addiction battles, mental health issues, hidden trauma, and more. I enjoyed uncovering what happened to Maya right along with her. I was actively theorizing with my husband about what was going on. This book was awesome.

The House in the Pines follows Maya, an addict going through withdrawals after witnessing her best friend's death seven years prior. After another death happens that feels strangely familiar to her friend's, Maya is determined to figure out what actually happened all those years ago.

I enjoyed this thriller, but I had trouble figuring out a rating for the book. On one hand, the plot was mostly unique and had me picking up my Kindle every chance I got. On the other hand, the climax of the book felt like it was lacking substance. This could very well be my inability to manage my expectations, but the climax felt dull, especially with how dangerous the situation seemed to be. Overall, I think this book deserves more than 3 stars, but not quite 4.

This book broke my cardinal rule to "stop reading thrillers where the main character is addicted to drugs/alcohol, therefore making them unreliable", but I don't necessarily think that damaged the plot of this book. The pacing felt perfect for the length of the book, though I do wish we had gotten another chapter or two. I also think the plot would have benefited from more character development (more so in the secondary characters).

In general, I think mystery/thriller lovers will enjoy this book, but I don't think it's one that I'll pick up and read again.

Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review.

The House in the Pines is a completely creepy, tantalizing work of horror that took me through a wild ride. I found myself trapped in the story page by page, and not wanting to leave.

Okay…semi-unpopular review is heading to disappointment highway!

This book picked my interest with its face pacing psychological thriller concept narrated by unreliable heroine Maya suffering from drug withdrawal and hazy memories fueled with gin shots. Her perception is foggier than December in London. She believes that her friend Aubrey hasn’t died because of natural causes. She’s murdered by Frank, the elder guy she’s dated who worked as a librarian at their small town Berkshires.

After seven years later, she has Klonopin withdrawals, hiding the truth from her boyfriend Dan she’s living with, suffering insomnia and obsession about a YouTube video that shows a young painter named Cristina dies behind her boyfriend’s eyes as they sit at the dinner. That boyfriend is the same man haunting her for seven years, who might be responsible for her best friend’s Aubrey’s death.

Isn’t it interesting two healthy young women dropped death after talking with the same guy? Is he death whisperer? Is he an evil magician?

Nobody believes in Maya ( probably I also had so many doubts) including her boyfriend and her mom who dragged her to the psychiatrist at the age of 17 because she’s afraid of her daughter shows same signs with her mentally I’ll sister who took her own life! But Amaya returns back to her hometown and confront her past, going back that cabin in New England woods where everything started.

The things I liked: the conjunction between past and present, Guatemalan heritage and mysterious book of Maya’s father, the folklore, the psychological foundation of the book.

Things I didn’t like: last third of the book was vague and a little pointless. The big revelation was way too much far fetched for me. I didn’t buy it! And the conclusion is a little vague, semi satisfying.

I believe in the unique abilities of human brain and how it could be manipulated but some parts of the explanations about events seem a little illogical for me!

I’m giving three solid stars because it was still intriguing, face paced, truly hooked me till the end. But I was expecting more satisfying ending!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Groping Dutton for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

The best thriller of the year! I was eagerly awaiting reading this book and I wasn’t disappointed. I would say this book is primarily a thriller but there are some mystery elements. However the book is mainly tied together by an incredible story. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened!