Printable Book Club Questions for The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

When you read thrillers, do you try to solve the mystery or do you just along for the ride?
What was your impression of Maya, overall, as a protagonist?
The story is told from the present timeline of Maya returning to her hometown and to the past, right before Aubrey’s death. Did you like the alternating timeline chapters? Why or why not?
After experiencing the tragic loss of Aubrey, Maya turns to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain. This is used as a plot device in many thrillers—why do you think these kind of thrillers have their main characters struggling with addiction?
Why didn’t Maya tell her boyfriend Dan the truth about her past and addiction?
What was behind the distance between Maya and her mother?
Why was it important for Maya to return to her hometown and find out the truth?
There’s much going on in this story and it takes a bit of a side path to talk about Maya’s deceased father, his unfinished novel and her Guatemalan roots. Why do you think the author decided to include these aspects? How did it help shape the story?
Maya has big gaps in her memory from that summer with Frank. It turns out that Frank actually uses hypnosis on unsuspecting women and he even incorporated it to murder Aubrey. What were your thoughts as you read this reveal? Did you see it coming or were you surprised?
What was the significance of Frank’s “cabin” in the woods and the key?
What was Frank’s motivation for using hypnosis?
Do you feel it’s plausible for sometime to use hypnosis in that matter?
Were you sasified by the ending? Will Frank be held accountable? What happens next for Maya?