Pines: Tense, Twisty Series Opener Impossible to Put Down

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When two Secret Service agents go missing while on assignment in Idaho, 37-year-old Ethan Burke is sent to investigate his colleagues' disappearance.  Wayward Pines, an idyllic little town that could give Mayberry a run for its money, seems an unlikely place for anything untoward to happen.  And yet, Ethan's in town only a few minutes when he's involved in an accident that puts him in the hospital.  He wakes up with no wallet, no luggage, no phone.  No matter how disoriented he may be, Ethan knows who he is and why he is in Wayward Pines, but none of the overly-friendly townspeople believe him.  With no way to leave, no way to contact the outside world, he decides to focus on finding the missing agents.  The more Ethan investigates, however, the more concerned he becomes.  As he tries to make sense of his bizarre situation, he must ask some disturbing questions:  What is really going on in Wayward Pines?  Is the quaint mountain village hiding something sinister behind its bucolic facade?  Or did the accident leave Ethan more incapacitated than he thinks?  Is the Secret Service agent, in fact, going clean out of his mind?  Whatever the explanation, Ethan knows one thing for sure: something is very, very wrong in Wayward Pines.

The less I say about the plot of Pines, the first novel in a chilling trilogy by Blake Crouch, the better.  Giving you only the skimpiest of summaries will keep the book mysterious and suspenseful—two elements that make it a taut, compelling read.  Brilliantly crafted, Pines is a creepy little tale that offers surprises around every corner.  I don't want to say too much for fear of giving away any of its secrets, so let me just say that I loved this book.  It's tense, it's twisty, it's a thriller so addicting you won't be able to stop reading until you've finished not just Pines, but also the entire series.  Then, and only then, will you finally be able to breathe again.  Maybe.  

(Readalikes:  Wayward and The Last Town by Blake Crouch; also reminded me a little of the t.v. show LOST)

Grade:

    
If this were a movie (the books have been made into a mini-series on Fox), it would be rated:

for strong language and violence/gore

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find