Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start.
Alone and heartbroken, she finds work as a caretaker at an exclusive ski resort for the elite in the mountains of Montana. Quiet and empty in the summer months, it's the perfect escape.
All Maya wants is to be alone. But she's not alone on the mountain. Someone else is there. A killer with his next victim in his sights.
After Maya finds a body, she must run for her life. One man tells her that he can save her. But can she trust him? Is he everything he claims to be?
It's my pleasure to be sharing my review of The Hiding Season by A.C. Glass today. Many thanks to Amanda and Penguin Books for my digital copy of the novel.
Unlike the Alias Emma (written as Ava Glass) about a new but highly trained spy, A.C. Glass's new thriller is an action-packed page-turner set in the USA with an ordinary woman who never expected to find herself in such a terrifying situation.
Maya Landry thought her life fell apart after her husband left her for a younger woman, forcing her to move to a new state, friendless and jobless. She has lost all confidence in herself, which is perhaps why alarm bells don't ring when, after a mediocre interview, she is offered what seems to be a cushy job as a caretaker at an exclusive ski resort. It's the summer in Montana, which means the elite owners of the luxury holidays are mostly elsewhere. Maya is just required to check the empty properties on rotation and to ensure they are kept clean and tidy. It's not the most stimulating work but she appreciates the majestic setting and begins to find a routine for herself – until she makes a snap decision to alter her routine one day and it sets in motion a series of events that means her life will never be the same again.
When she finds the body of a clearly murdered man in one of the houses, she does what any sensible person would do and attempts to report it. However, the day takes on an even more confusing turn after she is made to look like a fantasist to the local police officers who threaten her with wasting their time. At this point, I expected Maya to become a victim of a stalker but The Hiding Season proved to be a very different book to the one I was expecting. When she is warned by a handsome stranger that her life is in danger, she initially refuses to believe him but soon realises the devastating truth as she is forced to flee her new life. A nerve-racking escape to Texas alongside the enigmatic, magnetic Riley Maguire soon ensues and the transformation of her character from this point is fascinating. The introduction of the inscrutable Amber adds a further layer of interest. Riley and Amber have some sort of history together but neither reveal any more than is strictly necessary and it underlines how Maya has to put her trust in people she barely knows.
The novel jumps forward a year after this and so we only learn how Maya adjusted to life in Austin through a few sentences but these are enough to articulate the abject dread she first felt and the gradual realisation that she was safe there. Maya is now Lara and she has put down roots in Austin. She has a job and more importantly, good friends. However, safety is an illusion, of course and the crushing fear that hits her when she grasps the danger she is still in, becomes almost palpable. Once she is back in Riley and Amber's world, the tension rises inexorably. The convoluted history behind the killing of the man back in Montana means she doesn't know who she can trust, particularly as it seems the conspiracy goes right into the heart of law enforcement. Meanwhile, the chemistry between her and Riley sizzles but a word of warning from a stranger reminds her how little she actually knows about both him and Amber.
Teeming with twists, turns and secrets, The Hiding Season is a breathtakingly exciting read. The characterisation complements the lot well and Maya's authentic reactions mean she is a likeable, engaging heroine. Riley and Amber are suitably intriguing too and the dynamics between all three add a further dimension to this compulsive thriller. Atmospheric and suspenseful from start to finish but with a particularly exhilarating conclusion; I won't be at all disappointed if there's a sequel. Highly recommended.
The Hiding Season is published by Century, purchasing links can be found here.
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