THE HOUSE IN THE PINES

Narrator Marisol Ramirez gives a pleasing steady performance in this story of love, manipulation, and death. Maya is 25 and a closet drug addict who is struggling to get clean. She also has an overfondness for alcohol. Maya is haunted by the death of her best friend, Aubrey, who died seven years earlier, when she was with Frank, a man Maya had been dating. When the older Maya sees a video of another woman dying in Frank's company, she decides to find out exactly what happened in her Berkshires hometown. Ramirez enhances the audiobook, strengthening characters and their dialogue. While some listeners may find the story strains credulity, Ramirez's narration is expressive without being overbearing. G.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2023]