
January '23 Pick
The House in the Pines
Ana Reyes
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...
The House in the Pines
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, mysteriously 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.
From Our Book Lover-In-Chief
It’s truly a wild ride that had me flying through chapter after chapter
New year, new book picks! I’m so excited to announce that our January 2023 Reese’s Book Club Pick is The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes, @anareyeswriter. This is an absolute, can’t-put-it-down thriller that follows Maya who’s trying to prove once and for all that her best friend was murdered years ago by her then boyfriend, Frank. Her best friend and boyfriend at the time–Frank—were talking and then her best friend just falls down dead. As Maya digs further into Frank’s past and present she finds a string of similar mysterious deaths. 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. I can’t wait to discuss the big twist of this novel once you read it! Join us in conversation all month long at @ReesesBookClub.


FROM THE AUTHOR
Ana Reyes
Ana Reyes has an MFA from Louisiana State University. Her work has appeared in Bodega, Pear Noir!, New Delta Review, and elsewhere. She lives in Los Angeles where she teaches creative writing to older adults at Santa Monica College. The House in the Pines is her first novel.
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