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The Hiding Season
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Expected 17 Mar 26Win a free print copy of this book!
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50 copies available
U.S. only
In this page-turning, atmospheric thriller, a broken woman’s new beginning is upended when she becomes the only witness to a deadly crime . . . making her the next target.
After a painful divorce, Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start, which she finds deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. Maya’s relieved when she’s hired as a summer keeper of billionaire-owned ski lodges left empty after snow season ends, and her new life of peace and isolation is going exactly as hoped . . . until she stumbles across a dead body on the living room floor of one of the lodges. There's no cell service on the resort, and by the time she’s able to find signal and call the police, the body is gone. In fact, there is no evidence that there ever was a body there at all.
The police think Maya is unstable, and she’s not convinced they are wrong. But then a stranger walks up to her later that night and tells her that someone knows she was up on the mountain that day—someone willing to kill to keep their secrets. She's not sure whether to believe him, until the killers come for her in the dead of night. Maya narrowly escapes, only to find that same mysterious man waiting to rush her away. But can she trust him? Can she trust anyone?
Only one thing is the people who committed the murder are coming for her. Maya is the only person alive who might reveal what happened up on the mountain. And they want her gone.
After a painful divorce, Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start, which she finds deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. Maya’s relieved when she’s hired as a summer keeper of billionaire-owned ski lodges left empty after snow season ends, and her new life of peace and isolation is going exactly as hoped . . . until she stumbles across a dead body on the living room floor of one of the lodges. There's no cell service on the resort, and by the time she’s able to find signal and call the police, the body is gone. In fact, there is no evidence that there ever was a body there at all.
The police think Maya is unstable, and she’s not convinced they are wrong. But then a stranger walks up to her later that night and tells her that someone knows she was up on the mountain that day—someone willing to kill to keep their secrets. She's not sure whether to believe him, until the killers come for her in the dead of night. Maya narrowly escapes, only to find that same mysterious man waiting to rush her away. But can she trust him? Can she trust anyone?
Only one thing is the people who committed the murder are coming for her. Maya is the only person alive who might reveal what happened up on the mountain. And they want her gone.
368 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 17, 2026
7 people are currently reading
4433 people want to read
About the author
Ava Glass
4 books653 followersAVA GLASS is a former crime reporter and civil servant. Her time working for the government introduced her to the world of spies, and she's been fascinated by them ever since. She lives in the south of England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 27, 2025
Part thriller, part suspense, part romance, part explosive government reveal. That’s what sums it up as a book and unfortunately it is as fragmented as this.
Maya was a fairly interesting character to start, recovering from a divorce by working alone up in a ski resort. She witnesses a murder and from there this book drops all pretence of knowing where it was going. Car chases, witsec, unadvised romance and an ending that leaves you wondering what happened.
I think this is a quick read for those who don’t need a genre. Like a choose your own adventure.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Maya was a fairly interesting character to start, recovering from a divorce by working alone up in a ski resort. She witnesses a murder and from there this book drops all pretence of knowing where it was going. Car chases, witsec, unadvised romance and an ending that leaves you wondering what happened.
I think this is a quick read for those who don’t need a genre. Like a choose your own adventure.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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January 31, 2026I received this Arc digital copy through Net galley to read and review. (Thank you for this).
I have read other books by the author and enjoyed those. This one was a little more of an action/suspense book, which I don’t typically read.
This book reads like an action movie and it had me invested. Normally I find these movies and books silly but I was sucked into this storyline.
A woman is starting over after her marriage falls apart. She takes a job in a luxury gated community taking care of vacation homes. One day she goes to do her routine cleaning and stumbles upon a dead body. When she goes to report it….the body is gone. This starts a tidal wave of action packed events.
This book is full of suspense and corruption at every turn. She also sprinkles in a little romance/ love interests as well which I enjoyed.
This is written with a really good pacing and you find yourself not sure who to trust up until the last page.
I liked it and will continue to read her books. Solid 4 star book in my opinion.
I have read other books by the author and enjoyed those. This one was a little more of an action/suspense book, which I don’t typically read.
This book reads like an action movie and it had me invested. Normally I find these movies and books silly but I was sucked into this storyline.
A woman is starting over after her marriage falls apart. She takes a job in a luxury gated community taking care of vacation homes. One day she goes to do her routine cleaning and stumbles upon a dead body. When she goes to report it….the body is gone. This starts a tidal wave of action packed events.
This book is full of suspense and corruption at every turn. She also sprinkles in a little romance/ love interests as well which I enjoyed.
This is written with a really good pacing and you find yourself not sure who to trust up until the last page.
I liked it and will continue to read her books. Solid 4 star book in my opinion.
November 25, 2025
Thank you Ballantine and Ava Glass for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Only 33% through and this book was not what I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a cozy mysterious thriller with a woman in Montana.
I feel like there’s so many different tropes and loose ends that I’m trying to keep straight and I’m hoping get resolved at the end of this book.
The character isn’t well developed. There’s no character that’s actually developed and there’s no real depth to the story.
Now it’s a love story??? I’m getting whiplash from all the different tropes.
Okay, finished the book and I have thoughts. It seemed the book lacked depth and a gripping story line. It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be based off of the description. The characters were not well developed. Overall, I would not recommend this book.
Only 33% through and this book was not what I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a cozy mysterious thriller with a woman in Montana.
I feel like there’s so many different tropes and loose ends that I’m trying to keep straight and I’m hoping get resolved at the end of this book.
The character isn’t well developed. There’s no character that’s actually developed and there’s no real depth to the story.
Now it’s a love story??? I’m getting whiplash from all the different tropes.
Okay, finished the book and I have thoughts. It seemed the book lacked depth and a gripping story line. It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be based off of the description. The characters were not well developed. Overall, I would not recommend this book.
December 19, 2025
Desperate for a new start, Maya takes a job as a caretaker at a posh private resort community in the snowy hills of Montana. The job appears to be the perfect match until she discovers a dead body in one of the lodges. She flees down the mountain to call the police, but when they return, the body is gone. And soon Maya will have to flee for her life. The Hiding Season, while not perfect, is an entertaining romp, but you’ll have to put the implausibilities aside or this one will drive you crazy, which is what this reader did, and I wound up enjoying this wild story - unbelievable plot, shady characters and head-shaking moments be damned! If you’re looking for a realistic damsel-in-distress novel, skip it. If you want to escape for a few hours, dig in!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 7, 2025
Rating: 3.75⭐️
Hmm I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It wasn’t bad it just didn’t really hook me in. The twists were predictable and it felt a little repetitive. But it’s a quick read thriller a little bit of romance.
Hmm I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It wasn’t bad it just didn’t really hook me in. The twists were predictable and it felt a little repetitive. But it’s a quick read thriller a little bit of romance.
Want to read
March 11, 2026The Hiding Season got off to a really strong start for me. Heartbroken and dumped shortly before her fortieth birthday, Maya finds a fresh start as a caretaker for a gated community of lavish vacation homes in the Montana mountains. I loved this part of the book!
On one of her check-ins, Maya finds a dead body on the living room floor. Shaken, she heads down the mountain to find cell service and summon the police. But when she takes the officers to show them the body ... it's gone.
I really wish the book had stayed in this lane (and location). But sadly for me, the story veered into breathlessly narrated romantic suspense territory, as a mysterious (and attractive) man in a bar tells Maya she's in terrible danger and has to trust him, change her identity, and leave town.
What follows is a confusing and ever more improbable series of events that takes the story to Denver, then Houston, then Austin. Maya is chased and hunted down, nearly killed, and forced to trust people she doesn't know. How is she able to completely disappear? Does she have no friends or family at all? Why does she say driving license if she is American and her new identity is American (I discovered that the author is British).
The synopsis led me to believe this was a mountain/outdoor thriller and I wanted that book!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
On one of her check-ins, Maya finds a dead body on the living room floor. Shaken, she heads down the mountain to find cell service and summon the police. But when she takes the officers to show them the body ... it's gone.
I really wish the book had stayed in this lane (and location). But sadly for me, the story veered into breathlessly narrated romantic suspense territory, as a mysterious (and attractive) man in a bar tells Maya she's in terrible danger and has to trust him, change her identity, and leave town.
What follows is a confusing and ever more improbable series of events that takes the story to Denver, then Houston, then Austin. Maya is chased and hunted down, nearly killed, and forced to trust people she doesn't know. How is she able to completely disappear? Does she have no friends or family at all? Why does she say driving license if she is American and her new identity is American (I discovered that the author is British).
The synopsis led me to believe this was a mountain/outdoor thriller and I wanted that book!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
March 9, 2026
Let me start this review by saying I’ve really enjoyed all the previous Ava Glass books immensely.
I had high hopes for this new book, The Hiding Season. While it still feels like an Ava Glass book, it tonally has shifted a bit. While still being a thriller, it also felt like a romance book. Glass is known for writing strong female characters and this felt like a departure from that style.
Maya Landry’s character felt like a damsel in distress. Some of the other characters like Riley felt kind of thrown in to make the plot more interesting.
I didn’t hate the book. It just felt like a different book than what I’m used to with Ava Glass.
By the end of this book, we got more of the female characters that I’m used to with Glass. Maybe this was a way to build this character up but it felt jarring and unexpected.
Again, might sound like I’m knocking this book but nope, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just felt different than what I’m used to.
I had high hopes for this new book, The Hiding Season. While it still feels like an Ava Glass book, it tonally has shifted a bit. While still being a thriller, it also felt like a romance book. Glass is known for writing strong female characters and this felt like a departure from that style.
Maya Landry’s character felt like a damsel in distress. Some of the other characters like Riley felt kind of thrown in to make the plot more interesting.
I didn’t hate the book. It just felt like a different book than what I’m used to with Ava Glass.
By the end of this book, we got more of the female characters that I’m used to with Glass. Maybe this was a way to build this character up but it felt jarring and unexpected.
Again, might sound like I’m knocking this book but nope, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just felt different than what I’m used to.
January 11, 2026
I do not mind admitting that this book did not go where I was expecting at all. And totally not in a bad way. Having read the blurb I had a completely different story in my head but that was no matter. What I found in the pages of The Hiding Place is a fast paced, high tension thriller that was full of brilliant characters and more high stakes moments that I could ask for. This is the story of Maya. Ditched by her husband for his much younger assistant, and striking out on her own for the first time in over a decade, she seeks solace in Montana, a place she new from her college days. Desperate for work she takes a job as a kind of general caretaker for a very exclusive resort in the mountains, a decision she soon lives to regret.
Barely.
And so Maya becomes a woman on the run, aided by a man she doesn't know and has no reason to trust. Riley Maguire is a mystery to Ava but he seems intent on keeping her alive, and so begins the second new start of Maya's life, and the start of all the tension, action and intrigue for us readers. Whilst it is a relatively innocuous start to the story, even if personally I would have been very suspicious of the behaviour of Gina, the woman who hires Maya to look after the properties, that simple paces doesn't last for long. You can feel the isolation of the Montana setting, and that just adds to the edginess of the story as Maya sets about her daily duties in the lead up to that fateful day.
This is kind of a cat and mouse story. It is less about any overt violence directed against Maya, but the sense of threat is no less because of it. The implications of what she witnessed and how easy it is for the forces conspiring against her to find her when they need to allows the tension and sense of jeopardy to build, even if she manages to stay just a tiny step ahead of danger for most of the book. Just when you think things are settled, that Maya is on as even a keel as she could expect, something happens to remove the safety net and plunge her right back into the thick of it. The pacing in the book is pitched perfectly to drive the story, as well as allowing us to get to know Maya and to become invested in her story and those of the people around her.
I like the chemistry that the author has built up in the book between Riley and Maya. In spite of all the warnings signs, and there many, not just from other characters, but in actions taken, the development of their relationship, driven by the heat of two people out of their depth, really does just work. There is a kind of inevitability about that element of the story, but it makes the aloofness of Reily all the more acute, and brings the actions of certain characters into question in just the right way to add an element of apprehension to everything witnessed.
This is a tale or organised crime, corruption and misguided loyalties, with Maya, a truly innocent party, caught up in the middle. I was invested in her story, really wanting to see things work out alright in the end. I like the way in which AC Glass has framed the story, the narrative choices she made which become very clear by the end of the book. It works perfectly, and some of the choices made by certain characters make absolute sense the more we learn. Maya may come across as a weaker character, but it pays not to underestimate anyone in this book. It made me smile and, at a shade under 300 pages, I raced through this book in just a few hours.
A really enjoyable, addictive thriller with great characters I really grew to care about, and that more than delivered.
Barely.
And so Maya becomes a woman on the run, aided by a man she doesn't know and has no reason to trust. Riley Maguire is a mystery to Ava but he seems intent on keeping her alive, and so begins the second new start of Maya's life, and the start of all the tension, action and intrigue for us readers. Whilst it is a relatively innocuous start to the story, even if personally I would have been very suspicious of the behaviour of Gina, the woman who hires Maya to look after the properties, that simple paces doesn't last for long. You can feel the isolation of the Montana setting, and that just adds to the edginess of the story as Maya sets about her daily duties in the lead up to that fateful day.
This is kind of a cat and mouse story. It is less about any overt violence directed against Maya, but the sense of threat is no less because of it. The implications of what she witnessed and how easy it is for the forces conspiring against her to find her when they need to allows the tension and sense of jeopardy to build, even if she manages to stay just a tiny step ahead of danger for most of the book. Just when you think things are settled, that Maya is on as even a keel as she could expect, something happens to remove the safety net and plunge her right back into the thick of it. The pacing in the book is pitched perfectly to drive the story, as well as allowing us to get to know Maya and to become invested in her story and those of the people around her.
I like the chemistry that the author has built up in the book between Riley and Maya. In spite of all the warnings signs, and there many, not just from other characters, but in actions taken, the development of their relationship, driven by the heat of two people out of their depth, really does just work. There is a kind of inevitability about that element of the story, but it makes the aloofness of Reily all the more acute, and brings the actions of certain characters into question in just the right way to add an element of apprehension to everything witnessed.
This is a tale or organised crime, corruption and misguided loyalties, with Maya, a truly innocent party, caught up in the middle. I was invested in her story, really wanting to see things work out alright in the end. I like the way in which AC Glass has framed the story, the narrative choices she made which become very clear by the end of the book. It works perfectly, and some of the choices made by certain characters make absolute sense the more we learn. Maya may come across as a weaker character, but it pays not to underestimate anyone in this book. It made me smile and, at a shade under 300 pages, I raced through this book in just a few hours.
A really enjoyable, addictive thriller with great characters I really grew to care about, and that more than delivered.
Want to read
March 2, 2026📚The Hiding Season
✍🏻Ava Glass
Blurb:
In this page-turning, atmospheric thriller, a broken woman’s new beginning is upended when she becomes the only witness to a deadly crime . . . making her the next target.
After a painful divorce, Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start, which she finds deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. Maya’s relieved when she’s hired as a summer keeper of billionaire-owned ski lodges left empty after snow season ends, and her new life of peace and isolation is going exactly as hoped . . . until she stumbles across a dead body on the living room floor of one of the lodges. There's no cell service on the resort, and by the time she’s able to find signal and call the police, the body is gone. In fact, there is no evidence that there ever was a body there at all.
The police think Maya is unstable, and she’s not convinced they are wrong. But then a stranger walks up to her later that night and tells her that someone knows she was up on the mountain that day—someone willing to kill to keep their secrets. She's not sure whether to believe him, until the killers come for her in the dead of night. Maya narrowly escapes, only to find that same mysterious man waiting to rush her away. But can she trust him? Can she trust anyone?
Only one thing is the people who committed the murder are coming for her. Maya is the only person alive who might reveal what happened up on the mountain. And they want her gone.
My Thoughts:
This is a fast-paced thriller.
Maya was happy. She was 38 with no kids or pets and she loved her husband. That’s what she thought until there was an unexpected shock: he asked for a divorce. In a panic, she decided to leave the city without telling anyone.
She was living in Lansing, Michigan – a city with its main function centering on the state capitol. Yet, there was not a mention of its importance even though she was a freelance writer of articles. However, I could really sense the mountains in Montana. That’s where she went to next.
Maya was comfortable in Bozeman where she attended college. She found a job taking care of luxurious properties in a gated community for owners who were away. The imagery was clear with beautiful views as she traveled up a mountain road to higher altitudes. She enjoyed it until one day when she witnessed a dead body in one of the lodges.This starts a tidal wave of action packed events .A quick read thriller a little bit of romance.
Thanks NetGalley, Bantam and Author Ava Glass for the complimentary copy of "The Hiding Season" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#Netgalley
#BantamBooks
#AvaGlass
#TheHidingSeason
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✍🏻Ava Glass
Blurb:
In this page-turning, atmospheric thriller, a broken woman’s new beginning is upended when she becomes the only witness to a deadly crime . . . making her the next target.
After a painful divorce, Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start, which she finds deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. Maya’s relieved when she’s hired as a summer keeper of billionaire-owned ski lodges left empty after snow season ends, and her new life of peace and isolation is going exactly as hoped . . . until she stumbles across a dead body on the living room floor of one of the lodges. There's no cell service on the resort, and by the time she’s able to find signal and call the police, the body is gone. In fact, there is no evidence that there ever was a body there at all.
The police think Maya is unstable, and she’s not convinced they are wrong. But then a stranger walks up to her later that night and tells her that someone knows she was up on the mountain that day—someone willing to kill to keep their secrets. She's not sure whether to believe him, until the killers come for her in the dead of night. Maya narrowly escapes, only to find that same mysterious man waiting to rush her away. But can she trust him? Can she trust anyone?
Only one thing is the people who committed the murder are coming for her. Maya is the only person alive who might reveal what happened up on the mountain. And they want her gone.
My Thoughts:
This is a fast-paced thriller.
Maya was happy. She was 38 with no kids or pets and she loved her husband. That’s what she thought until there was an unexpected shock: he asked for a divorce. In a panic, she decided to leave the city without telling anyone.
She was living in Lansing, Michigan – a city with its main function centering on the state capitol. Yet, there was not a mention of its importance even though she was a freelance writer of articles. However, I could really sense the mountains in Montana. That’s where she went to next.
Maya was comfortable in Bozeman where she attended college. She found a job taking care of luxurious properties in a gated community for owners who were away. The imagery was clear with beautiful views as she traveled up a mountain road to higher altitudes. She enjoyed it until one day when she witnessed a dead body in one of the lodges.This starts a tidal wave of action packed events .A quick read thriller a little bit of romance.
Thanks NetGalley, Bantam and Author Ava Glass for the complimentary copy of "The Hiding Season" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#Netgalley
#BantamBooks
#AvaGlass
#TheHidingSeason
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was nothing like what I was expecting, and I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way. The Hiding Season by Ava Glass was exactly the kind of thriller that I had a really hard time putting down. I went into it expecting a fairly straightforward isolated thriller, but the story quickly shifts into something much bigger and broader.
Maya Landry is looking for a quiet reset after a painful divorce, and the remote luxury ski lodges of Montana seem like the perfect place to disappear for a while. The job is simple: watch over empty homes on a mountain where there’s barely any cell service and almost no people around. That peaceful isolation becomes deeply unsettling when Maya discovers what appears to be a dead body—only for it to vanish before the police arrive. From that moment on, the story launches into a cat-and-mouse chase where Maya finds herself hunted by people who will do anything to keep their secrets buried.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the pacing. Once things start moving, they rarely slow down. The plot constantly pushes Maya into new situations that keep the tension high, and the sense that she’s always just a step ahead of danger makes the story addictive. The Montana setting adds a great atmosphere in the beginning—remote, quiet, and a little eerie—but the story doesn’t stay confined there, which kept things feeling unpredictable.
Maya herself is an interesting protagonist because she’s not some trained hero—she’s just someone who ended up in the wrong place at the worst possible time. Watching her adapt and try to survive a situation far bigger than she ever expected made it easy to root for her. Her uneasy alliance with the mysterious Riley also added a layer of intrigue. The book leans more into suspense and momentum than deep character exploration, but that actually works well for the kind of thriller it is.
Overall, The Hiding Season is a high-tension thriller filled with twists, danger, and a heroine you want to see make it out alive. If you enjoy quick, action-driven thrillers with a touch of mystery and shifting loyalties, this one is definitely worth picking up!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine | Bantam for this eARC!
Maya Landry is looking for a quiet reset after a painful divorce, and the remote luxury ski lodges of Montana seem like the perfect place to disappear for a while. The job is simple: watch over empty homes on a mountain where there’s barely any cell service and almost no people around. That peaceful isolation becomes deeply unsettling when Maya discovers what appears to be a dead body—only for it to vanish before the police arrive. From that moment on, the story launches into a cat-and-mouse chase where Maya finds herself hunted by people who will do anything to keep their secrets buried.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the pacing. Once things start moving, they rarely slow down. The plot constantly pushes Maya into new situations that keep the tension high, and the sense that she’s always just a step ahead of danger makes the story addictive. The Montana setting adds a great atmosphere in the beginning—remote, quiet, and a little eerie—but the story doesn’t stay confined there, which kept things feeling unpredictable.
Maya herself is an interesting protagonist because she’s not some trained hero—she’s just someone who ended up in the wrong place at the worst possible time. Watching her adapt and try to survive a situation far bigger than she ever expected made it easy to root for her. Her uneasy alliance with the mysterious Riley also added a layer of intrigue. The book leans more into suspense and momentum than deep character exploration, but that actually works well for the kind of thriller it is.
Overall, The Hiding Season is a high-tension thriller filled with twists, danger, and a heroine you want to see make it out alive. If you enjoy quick, action-driven thrillers with a touch of mystery and shifting loyalties, this one is definitely worth picking up!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine | Bantam for this eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a fast-paced thriller.
Maya was happy. She was 38 with no kids or pets and she loved her husband. That’s what she thought until there was an unexpected shock: he asked for a divorce. In a panic, she decided to leave the city without telling anyone.
She was living in Lansing, Michigan – a city with its main function centering on the state capitol. Yet, there was not a mention of its importance even though she was a freelance writer of articles. However, I could really sense the mountains in Montana. That’s where she went to next.
Maya was comfortable in Bozeman where she attended college. She found a job taking care of luxurious properties in a gated community for owners who were away. The imagery was clear with beautiful views as she traveled up a mountain road to higher altitudes. She enjoyed it until one day when she witnessed a dead body in one of the lodges.
The security guard was gone so she left the area to get cellphone coverage to call the police. A half-hour later, they couldn't find a body. She went to a local bar and someone told her to pack her bags. She was now on the run. This turned into a murder mystery with an FBI agent, a spy and a bunch of nice friends. What could go wrong?
It was quick with lots of action. Yet, it was predictable and had some holes in the plot. Nevertheless, this book does its job by entertaining the reader with a good story. It’s full of action and there’s even a smidge of romance.
It also made me think about how criminal cases can be nearly impossible to solve when someone is well protected with lawyers, politicians, FBI agents and police officers. Plus, it shows how dangerous it can become when someone gets in their way.
My thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of March 17, 2026. The views I share are my own.
Maya was happy. She was 38 with no kids or pets and she loved her husband. That’s what she thought until there was an unexpected shock: he asked for a divorce. In a panic, she decided to leave the city without telling anyone.
She was living in Lansing, Michigan – a city with its main function centering on the state capitol. Yet, there was not a mention of its importance even though she was a freelance writer of articles. However, I could really sense the mountains in Montana. That’s where she went to next.
Maya was comfortable in Bozeman where she attended college. She found a job taking care of luxurious properties in a gated community for owners who were away. The imagery was clear with beautiful views as she traveled up a mountain road to higher altitudes. She enjoyed it until one day when she witnessed a dead body in one of the lodges.
The security guard was gone so she left the area to get cellphone coverage to call the police. A half-hour later, they couldn't find a body. She went to a local bar and someone told her to pack her bags. She was now on the run. This turned into a murder mystery with an FBI agent, a spy and a bunch of nice friends. What could go wrong?
It was quick with lots of action. Yet, it was predictable and had some holes in the plot. Nevertheless, this book does its job by entertaining the reader with a good story. It’s full of action and there’s even a smidge of romance.
It also made me think about how criminal cases can be nearly impossible to solve when someone is well protected with lawyers, politicians, FBI agents and police officers. Plus, it shows how dangerous it can become when someone gets in their way.
My thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of March 17, 2026. The views I share are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Maya Landry needs a fresh start and a safe place to hide away from the world, so she chooses a city in Montana. At first, the stark natural beauty is refreshing, and she enjoys being surrounded by strangers. In need of a job, she gambles on a place that seems too good to be true: The Gateway, an isolated private ski resort owned by the mega-rich. All she has to do is clean the beautiful houses when the owners are not around, and often, she meets no one on the isolated mountain.
Then one day she sees something she shouldn’t. Not sure what to do next, Maya meets an FBI agent who may not be who he seems. A year later, she has created a new life for herself in Austin, Texas with friends who feel like family and will do almost anything to protect it. I can’t tell much else about the story without giving anything away!
At first, I thought this book was mostly going to take place in snowy, deserted location, but the story changed in surprising ways, yet I went along for the ride. I devoured the book in two days. The character development was not very detailed, even for the main character Maya, but I don’t think it was supposed to be. I think it just reminded you that you could be this anonymous women who needed to disappear at any moment, too.
Overall, the story was a fast-paced thriller with a lot of short sentences, yet without sacrificing sensory details. The settings in Montana and Texas were portrayed memorably without slowing down the pace of the story.
Near the end, I thought the book was being set up for a second book in a series, but then some loose ends resolved. However, I would read another book in the series if there was one! The Hiding Season is for readers who like popcorn thrillers, non-stop action, and spy TV shows or movies.
Thank you to Ballantine, Bantam, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Then one day she sees something she shouldn’t. Not sure what to do next, Maya meets an FBI agent who may not be who he seems. A year later, she has created a new life for herself in Austin, Texas with friends who feel like family and will do almost anything to protect it. I can’t tell much else about the story without giving anything away!
At first, I thought this book was mostly going to take place in snowy, deserted location, but the story changed in surprising ways, yet I went along for the ride. I devoured the book in two days. The character development was not very detailed, even for the main character Maya, but I don’t think it was supposed to be. I think it just reminded you that you could be this anonymous women who needed to disappear at any moment, too.
Overall, the story was a fast-paced thriller with a lot of short sentences, yet without sacrificing sensory details. The settings in Montana and Texas were portrayed memorably without slowing down the pace of the story.
Near the end, I thought the book was being set up for a second book in a series, but then some loose ends resolved. However, I would read another book in the series if there was one! The Hiding Season is for readers who like popcorn thrillers, non-stop action, and spy TV shows or movies.
Thank you to Ballantine, Bantam, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
🔎 ARC Book Review
The Hiding Season
@avaglassbooks
@bantambooks
@netgalley
Publication Date: Mar 17th, 2026
My Rating:
🌟 4/5
After a painful divorce, Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start, which she finds deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. Maya’s relieved when she’s hired as a summer keeper of billionaire-owned ski lodges left empty after snow season ends, and her new life of peace and isolation is going exactly as hoped . . . until she stumbles across a dead body on the living room floor of one of the lodges. There’s no cell service on the resort, and by the time she’s able to find a signal and call the police, the body is gone. In fact, there’s no evidence a body was ever there at all.
The police think Maya is unstable, and she’s not convinced they are wrong. But later that night, a stranger walks up to her and tells her that someone knows she was up on the mountain that day, someone willing to kill to keep their secrets. She’s not sure whether to believe him . . . until the killers come for her in the dead of night. Maya narrowly escapes, only to find that same mysterious man waiting to rush her away. But can she trust him? Can she trust anyone?
🔎 My review
The Hiding Season by Ava Glass reads like a full-throttle action movie 🎬🔥
Part thriller, part romance, part government corruption… and somehow it blends it all into one fast-paced, addictive ride. The stakes feel high from the start, and the momentum never really lets up. It’s one of those books where you keep saying “just one more chapter” — and suddenly you’re halfway through 😅📖
If you like spy vibes, action-packed plots, and a dash of romance mixed in, add this one to your list 🙌
Thank you @avaglassbooks, @bantambooks, @netgalley for the ARC!
#NetGalley
#TheHidingSeason
#AvaGlass 📚
#TheHidingSeason 🔎
#ThrillerReads 🔥
The Hiding Season
@avaglassbooks
@bantambooks
@netgalley
Publication Date: Mar 17th, 2026
My Rating:
🌟 4/5
After a painful divorce, Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start, which she finds deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. Maya’s relieved when she’s hired as a summer keeper of billionaire-owned ski lodges left empty after snow season ends, and her new life of peace and isolation is going exactly as hoped . . . until she stumbles across a dead body on the living room floor of one of the lodges. There’s no cell service on the resort, and by the time she’s able to find a signal and call the police, the body is gone. In fact, there’s no evidence a body was ever there at all.
The police think Maya is unstable, and she’s not convinced they are wrong. But later that night, a stranger walks up to her and tells her that someone knows she was up on the mountain that day, someone willing to kill to keep their secrets. She’s not sure whether to believe him . . . until the killers come for her in the dead of night. Maya narrowly escapes, only to find that same mysterious man waiting to rush her away. But can she trust him? Can she trust anyone?
🔎 My review
The Hiding Season by Ava Glass reads like a full-throttle action movie 🎬🔥
Part thriller, part romance, part government corruption… and somehow it blends it all into one fast-paced, addictive ride. The stakes feel high from the start, and the momentum never really lets up. It’s one of those books where you keep saying “just one more chapter” — and suddenly you’re halfway through 😅📖
If you like spy vibes, action-packed plots, and a dash of romance mixed in, add this one to your list 🙌
Thank you @avaglassbooks, @bantambooks, @netgalley for the ARC!
#NetGalley
#TheHidingSeason
#AvaGlass 📚
#TheHidingSeason 🔎
#ThrillerReads 🔥
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com
The Hiding Season by Ava Glass follows the sole witness to a high-profile murder trying to survive. Ms. Glass is a civil servant and former crime reporter.
Maya Landry took a job in Montana after a difficult divorce. The job involves being a caretaker for a cluster of isolated lodges owned by millionaires and rarely used.
Her peaceful life ends when she finds a corpse in one of the lodges which turns out to be a high-profile person. As the sole witness, she is forced to flee and disappear before
The Hiding Season by Ava Glass is a standalone psychological thriller, a departure from her spy novels which I enjoyed very much. Instead, this is a gritty survival story, toned down and lean.
Even though it doesn’t seem like it, this is a team book. The protagonist, Maya, would probably be dead within 40 pages if she didn’t have someone helping her almost every step of the way. I liked this aspect of the book, since all the one-man/woman stories, as much as I enjoy them, are unrealistic at best.
Much of the book’s narrative is unreliable. We only know as much as Maya does, which isn’t much, for a long time. The psychological aspect of the novel weighs on her just as much as her forced isolation.
I honestly don’t know what to think about this novel. I enjoyed it but I didn’t think it was a fast-paced thriller, or particularly suspenseful. The infrequent romance seemed far-fetched and unrealistic in a story which is grounded in reality.
The Hiding Season by Ava Glass follows the sole witness to a high-profile murder trying to survive. Ms. Glass is a civil servant and former crime reporter.
Maya Landry took a job in Montana after a difficult divorce. The job involves being a caretaker for a cluster of isolated lodges owned by millionaires and rarely used.
Her peaceful life ends when she finds a corpse in one of the lodges which turns out to be a high-profile person. As the sole witness, she is forced to flee and disappear before
The Hiding Season by Ava Glass is a standalone psychological thriller, a departure from her spy novels which I enjoyed very much. Instead, this is a gritty survival story, toned down and lean.
Even though it doesn’t seem like it, this is a team book. The protagonist, Maya, would probably be dead within 40 pages if she didn’t have someone helping her almost every step of the way. I liked this aspect of the book, since all the one-man/woman stories, as much as I enjoy them, are unrealistic at best.
Much of the book’s narrative is unreliable. We only know as much as Maya does, which isn’t much, for a long time. The psychological aspect of the novel weighs on her just as much as her forced isolation.
I honestly don’t know what to think about this novel. I enjoyed it but I didn’t think it was a fast-paced thriller, or particularly suspenseful. The infrequent romance seemed far-fetched and unrealistic in a story which is grounded in reality.
December 29, 2025
Title: The Hiding Season
Author: Ava Glass
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hired as a caretaker in the offseason for an exclusive living community in Montana, Maya is trying to start over her life after her husband cheated on her with his much younger assistant. One day she enters one of the homes and something felt off: the warm air, the scent of sweat, and then the discovery of a dead body. When she leaves to get a cell signal and contact the police, the body disappears. Then a stranger at a bar tells her that she’s next after what she witnessed that day, but she had to leave now because the big boss had his minions coming after her and she was no longer safe. What really happened that day in the house and who is behind it?
Takeaways:
1. This is not an Emma Makepeace book. Glass is very clear to let readers know that on her social media. I was excited to get this ARC as a fan of her EM series because her writing is electric and fast paced. Her writing style carries over to this book and keeps you hanging on.
2. Loved the tidbits of clues dropped throughout the book. Great supporting cast of characters. Everything comes together in the end.
3. Riley’s character is flawed but trying to make up for his shortcomings by playing the hero. How far does it take him?
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on March 17, 2026.
#arc #netgalley #bookstagram @avaglassbooks @ballantinebooks #thehidingseason
Author: Ava Glass
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hired as a caretaker in the offseason for an exclusive living community in Montana, Maya is trying to start over her life after her husband cheated on her with his much younger assistant. One day she enters one of the homes and something felt off: the warm air, the scent of sweat, and then the discovery of a dead body. When she leaves to get a cell signal and contact the police, the body disappears. Then a stranger at a bar tells her that she’s next after what she witnessed that day, but she had to leave now because the big boss had his minions coming after her and she was no longer safe. What really happened that day in the house and who is behind it?
Takeaways:
1. This is not an Emma Makepeace book. Glass is very clear to let readers know that on her social media. I was excited to get this ARC as a fan of her EM series because her writing is electric and fast paced. Her writing style carries over to this book and keeps you hanging on.
2. Loved the tidbits of clues dropped throughout the book. Great supporting cast of characters. Everything comes together in the end.
3. Riley’s character is flawed but trying to make up for his shortcomings by playing the hero. How far does it take him?
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on March 17, 2026.
#arc #netgalley #bookstagram @avaglassbooks @ballantinebooks #thehidingseason
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
In The Hiding Season, we follow protagonist Maya after she has been cheated on by her husband. Looking for a fresh start, she moves to Montana and takes a job as a housekeeper for private ski lodges owned by the wealthy. What she finds in one ski lodge will change the course of her life.
This is marketed as a thriller but, in my opinion, it doesn’t read like one. The mystery and action of the plot do not occur until the 50% mark. The lead up to that is just character building and setting up the story but at an agonizingly slow pace. When choosing a thriller to read, I want fast paced and action from the beginning, and unfortunately this missed the mark. I thought we were going to have a fun thriller in the mountains of Montana, and it quickly transitioned into a spy story with a random romance. The romance in this story felt out of place, unnecessary, and very insta-lovey.
For as much time spent on the character building, I found the dialogue to be unrealistic and the decisions of the characters to be confusing. I felt the story to be repetitive, and Maya spends a lot of time explaining every thought she has. I prefer to be able to read between the lines but there is no doing that when every thought and action is overly explained.
If you like a slower paced thriller with a romantic subplot, then I think you will enjoy this book.
In The Hiding Season, we follow protagonist Maya after she has been cheated on by her husband. Looking for a fresh start, she moves to Montana and takes a job as a housekeeper for private ski lodges owned by the wealthy. What she finds in one ski lodge will change the course of her life.
This is marketed as a thriller but, in my opinion, it doesn’t read like one. The mystery and action of the plot do not occur until the 50% mark. The lead up to that is just character building and setting up the story but at an agonizingly slow pace. When choosing a thriller to read, I want fast paced and action from the beginning, and unfortunately this missed the mark. I thought we were going to have a fun thriller in the mountains of Montana, and it quickly transitioned into a spy story with a random romance. The romance in this story felt out of place, unnecessary, and very insta-lovey.
For as much time spent on the character building, I found the dialogue to be unrealistic and the decisions of the characters to be confusing. I felt the story to be repetitive, and Maya spends a lot of time explaining every thought she has. I prefer to be able to read between the lines but there is no doing that when every thought and action is overly explained.
If you like a slower paced thriller with a romantic subplot, then I think you will enjoy this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Hiding Season
Ava Glass
March 17, 2026
Brandon decided he was done with the marriage. He was moving in with his secretary until Maya left the house. He had bought it, the house was his. Mya Landry needed a job and a place to live. She decided it had to be somewhere far away from her ex. When she finally received a positive response, she moved to Montana and went for an interview. The position was an odd one. She’d be cleaning and taking care of resorts near the Rocky Mountains. She left with the manager, Gina to explore the area where the large homes and resorts were located. Nearby the area was a sign - Big Sky Land Management.
The Hiding Season will be published by Bantam Books, an imprint of Random House and a division of Penguin/Random House on March 17, 2026. I was able to read and review Glass’s latest novel via NetGalley. This was quite a read filled with suspense and crime hidden by government agencies. From Maya’s first job in Montana she discovers a body in one of the mansions. When she returned with the local police the corse was gone. From that point her life was a day to day escapade of dangerous riddles. The Hiding Season is a magnificent novel, a superb work of fiction. I highly recommend this one!
Ava Glass
March 17, 2026
Brandon decided he was done with the marriage. He was moving in with his secretary until Maya left the house. He had bought it, the house was his. Mya Landry needed a job and a place to live. She decided it had to be somewhere far away from her ex. When she finally received a positive response, she moved to Montana and went for an interview. The position was an odd one. She’d be cleaning and taking care of resorts near the Rocky Mountains. She left with the manager, Gina to explore the area where the large homes and resorts were located. Nearby the area was a sign - Big Sky Land Management.
The Hiding Season will be published by Bantam Books, an imprint of Random House and a division of Penguin/Random House on March 17, 2026. I was able to read and review Glass’s latest novel via NetGalley. This was quite a read filled with suspense and crime hidden by government agencies. From Maya’s first job in Montana she discovers a body in one of the mansions. When she returned with the local police the corse was gone. From that point her life was a day to day escapade of dangerous riddles. The Hiding Season is a magnificent novel, a superb work of fiction. I highly recommend this one!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Hiding Season by Ava Glass started off strong and immediately pulled me in. The early pacing had the same nonstop action and tension that I loved in the Emma Makepiece series, and at first it felt like it was going to be another fast, sharp thriller I could not put down.
Unfortunately, as the story went on, it began to drag. The momentum slowed, and some of the characters started behaving in ways that felt out of character, which made it harder to stay fully invested. There were also a few geographical inaccuracies and language choices that repeatedly pulled me out of the story. The characters used words and expressions that an American simply would not use, and once I noticed it, it became hard to ignore.
That said, I did still enjoy parts of the book, especially the core concept and the initial setup. With tighter pacing, more consistent characterization, and stronger editing attention, this could have been a much more polished and immersive read.
Overall, The Hiding Season is an entertaining thriller with a promising start, but it falls short of its potential. I liked it, but it felt like it needed some editing help to truly shine.
Unfortunately, as the story went on, it began to drag. The momentum slowed, and some of the characters started behaving in ways that felt out of character, which made it harder to stay fully invested. There were also a few geographical inaccuracies and language choices that repeatedly pulled me out of the story. The characters used words and expressions that an American simply would not use, and once I noticed it, it became hard to ignore.
That said, I did still enjoy parts of the book, especially the core concept and the initial setup. With tighter pacing, more consistent characterization, and stronger editing attention, this could have been a much more polished and immersive read.
Overall, The Hiding Season is an entertaining thriller with a promising start, but it falls short of its potential. I liked it, but it felt like it needed some editing help to truly shine.
January 21, 2026
I very much enjoyed Ava Glass's Alias Emma series, so I was happy to be granted access to her newest book. The Hiding Season is about Maya Landry, a woman who has recently gone through a divorce, finds herself in Montana looking for a fresh start, working as a caretaker of an exclusive ski resort for the ultra-rich in the offseason. One day, she discovers a dead man in the living room of one of the large cabins, but by the time she can connect with the local police to report the body and return to the cabin, the body is gone and the police think she's made up the report. That night, a strange man tells her she is in danger from the same people who murdered the man she discovered, and she ends up fleeing for her life, with his help.
This book was similar to the Alias Emma books in that there is a lot of action and forward momentum moving the characters from one event to another, with very little "down time". This makes for a very fast paced read, but it was extremely lacking in character development. Overall, this book was also a bit more convoluted with the plot, the book didn't seem to know what it wanted to be, from murder mystery, to spy thriller, to romance. The book was made weaker for that, coupled with the lack of character growth and development. For me this was not a bad read, I did enjoy it overall, because it was so quick to read, but it wasn't exactly memorable.
Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.
This book was similar to the Alias Emma books in that there is a lot of action and forward momentum moving the characters from one event to another, with very little "down time". This makes for a very fast paced read, but it was extremely lacking in character development. Overall, this book was also a bit more convoluted with the plot, the book didn't seem to know what it wanted to be, from murder mystery, to spy thriller, to romance. The book was made weaker for that, coupled with the lack of character growth and development. For me this was not a bad read, I did enjoy it overall, because it was so quick to read, but it wasn't exactly memorable.
Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Pretty good action thriller that keeps you focused and wanting to know the ending. This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading others.
Maya Landry has come to Montana to escape her broken marriage, get lost, and forget. After a few weeks she finds a job as a caretaker for an exclusive private ski resort where she’s to manage the homes as specified by the owners. She develops a routine but one day she decides to clean the house she likes the least and finds a dead man on the floor. This starts a bizarre series of events that links Maya with an FBI agent, Riley McGuire, who helps her escape the killers on her trail and assume a new identity in Houston as Lara Gibson. About a year later, the killers find her and Lara reaches out to Riley setting in motion the continuing case of finding the killers. It’s “twisty turny”and lots of nail biting moments.
I liked plot line and the ending. I liked Lara much better than Maya but Lara had grown up and had finally created an identity. I liked that while there may have been a romance blooming, the ending was realistic.
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read this ARC.
Maya Landry has come to Montana to escape her broken marriage, get lost, and forget. After a few weeks she finds a job as a caretaker for an exclusive private ski resort where she’s to manage the homes as specified by the owners. She develops a routine but one day she decides to clean the house she likes the least and finds a dead man on the floor. This starts a bizarre series of events that links Maya with an FBI agent, Riley McGuire, who helps her escape the killers on her trail and assume a new identity in Houston as Lara Gibson. About a year later, the killers find her and Lara reaches out to Riley setting in motion the continuing case of finding the killers. It’s “twisty turny”and lots of nail biting moments.
I liked plot line and the ending. I liked Lara much better than Maya but Lara had grown up and had finally created an identity. I liked that while there may have been a romance blooming, the ending was realistic.
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read this ARC.
February 24, 2026
just finished! the hiding season by ava glass
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!
the premise of the hiding season had me extremely excited to start this book, and for the first portion of the novel i was absolutely hooked. the hiding season begins with maya trying to get her feet underneath her after her and her ex husbands separation and trying to start anew in a town where she knows no one.
maya finally lands a job as a keeper for remote ski lodges and begins enjoying her newfound life. that is until one day she walks into one of the lodges and finds a dead body on the floor, now maya has a target on her back.
as i said previously the beginning of this book had me really engaged, but it began to loose me shortly after the first time skip. the story took a sharp turn from a thriller into a spy romance and i lost the excitement i originally had for the story. unfortunately i found this book extremely predictable, and i didn’t find myself caring for any of the characters. the romance seemed forced and unnecessary. overall i think i give this book 2/5✨’s.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!
the premise of the hiding season had me extremely excited to start this book, and for the first portion of the novel i was absolutely hooked. the hiding season begins with maya trying to get her feet underneath her after her and her ex husbands separation and trying to start anew in a town where she knows no one.
maya finally lands a job as a keeper for remote ski lodges and begins enjoying her newfound life. that is until one day she walks into one of the lodges and finds a dead body on the floor, now maya has a target on her back.
as i said previously the beginning of this book had me really engaged, but it began to loose me shortly after the first time skip. the story took a sharp turn from a thriller into a spy romance and i lost the excitement i originally had for the story. unfortunately i found this book extremely predictable, and i didn’t find myself caring for any of the characters. the romance seemed forced and unnecessary. overall i think i give this book 2/5✨’s.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
After Maya is dumped by her cheating husband, she escapes to Montana to live and gets a job at a gated community in the Montana mountains where the owners are rich and private. One day, she goes to clean at one of the homes and finds a dead body and when she drives to where she can report the body, the police then come and don't find a body and accuse her of lying. She meets a stranger in bar that tells her she's in danger, that killers are coming to kill her and she needs to run. He then helps her flee the killers. The rest of the story reminded me of the people that go into witness protection, the change of identity, change of location and lifestyle to try to hide. There is tension in the story as Maya tries to stay ahead of the killers and she also doesn't know whom to truly trust. There are thriller aspects, a little romance, and government corruption all rolled into the story too. I considered it a solid read. This was my first Ava Glass book and I would be interested in reading some others. Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine/Bantam Publishing for the complimentary copy of the story.
November 14, 2025
I could not wait to read “The Hiding Season” by Ava Glass. Her books grab my attention from the start and I cannot put them down. Sadly, that was not the case with this one.
The Hiding Season started out promising. Maya’s move to Montana, landing a job in a remote area for questionable clients and discovering a dead body while working that job, would surely be non stop excitement. It wasn’t. The story jumped from past to present time as Maya recounted the sequence of events that brought her to present day. The characters had very little development and were mostly one dimensional. Gina and Zoraida were made to believe they would have larger, interesting roles, I would have loved to have more answers about them, but their storylines were dropped quickly and only mentioned in the end. Riley and Ava’s encounters were repetitive and dragged.
The book had twists that were predictable. There were no surprises. It was a much slower read than I expected with an ending that was summarized and left this reader unsatisfied.
#NetGalley #ARC #TheHidiingSeason
The Hiding Season started out promising. Maya’s move to Montana, landing a job in a remote area for questionable clients and discovering a dead body while working that job, would surely be non stop excitement. It wasn’t. The story jumped from past to present time as Maya recounted the sequence of events that brought her to present day. The characters had very little development and were mostly one dimensional. Gina and Zoraida were made to believe they would have larger, interesting roles, I would have loved to have more answers about them, but their storylines were dropped quickly and only mentioned in the end. Riley and Ava’s encounters were repetitive and dragged.
The book had twists that were predictable. There were no surprises. It was a much slower read than I expected with an ending that was summarized and left this reader unsatisfied.
#NetGalley #ARC #TheHidiingSeason
January 10, 2026
Thank you NetGalley, Bantam and Ava Glass for the advanced readers copy.
After a painful divorce, Maya Landry is desperate for a clean slate. She takes a job as a summer keeper for a cluster of luxury ski lodges—isolated, quiet, and seemingly perfect for rebuilding her life.
Her solitude shatters when she discovers a dead body inside one of the lodges. By the time she reaches a place with cell service and returns with police, the body has vanished along with any trace it ever existed.
I have read all of this authors books (this is the 4th book under her pen name Ava Glass). I am a huge fan of her Emma Makepeace series, but this one was just okay. It was sort of predictable and a bit repetitive. I was looking forward to a mountain landscape mystery but that was only the first 1/3 of the book.
The writing is clear and easy to follow along.
I will likely read anything this author puts out though!
Thanks again to NetGalley, Bantam and Ava Glass - I appreciate the advanced copy.
After a painful divorce, Maya Landry is desperate for a clean slate. She takes a job as a summer keeper for a cluster of luxury ski lodges—isolated, quiet, and seemingly perfect for rebuilding her life.
Her solitude shatters when she discovers a dead body inside one of the lodges. By the time she reaches a place with cell service and returns with police, the body has vanished along with any trace it ever existed.
I have read all of this authors books (this is the 4th book under her pen name Ava Glass). I am a huge fan of her Emma Makepeace series, but this one was just okay. It was sort of predictable and a bit repetitive. I was looking forward to a mountain landscape mystery but that was only the first 1/3 of the book.
The writing is clear and easy to follow along.
I will likely read anything this author puts out though!
Thanks again to NetGalley, Bantam and Ava Glass - I appreciate the advanced copy.
March 6, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
The Hiding Season opens with an intriguing premise and a strong hook that pulled me in right away. The story follows a woman forced to go on the run after discovering a dead body and becoming entangled in a much larger conspiracy.
While the setup was compelling, the execution didn’t fully work for me. After the strong opening, the pacing slowed quite a bit and much of the action happens off-page or is explained after the fact, which made it harder for me to stay fully immersed in the story. I also struggled with some of the plot logic throughout the book, which made the central conflict a little difficult for me to fully buy into.
There were definitely elements I enjoyed, but overall this one ended up being a 3 star read for me. While it wasn’t quite the right fit for my personal reading taste, readers who enjoy conspiracy-driven thrillers and stories about characters on the run may still find something to like here.
The Hiding Season opens with an intriguing premise and a strong hook that pulled me in right away. The story follows a woman forced to go on the run after discovering a dead body and becoming entangled in a much larger conspiracy.
While the setup was compelling, the execution didn’t fully work for me. After the strong opening, the pacing slowed quite a bit and much of the action happens off-page or is explained after the fact, which made it harder for me to stay fully immersed in the story. I also struggled with some of the plot logic throughout the book, which made the central conflict a little difficult for me to fully buy into.
There were definitely elements I enjoyed, but overall this one ended up being a 3 star read for me. While it wasn’t quite the right fit for my personal reading taste, readers who enjoy conspiracy-driven thrillers and stories about characters on the run may still find something to like here.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This author is one to look out for! After reading books from the Alias Emma series, I was excited to see a brand new book by this author!
Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of all the snow we got last weekend, but after some necessary shoveling, I was happy to make a cup of chai tea and settle in a comfy recliner to pick up where I left off. This book is hard to put down. Maya, the main character, takes off after her husband tells her he's in love with someone else to start her life over in a new location with a new job cleaning vacation homes. Sounds fairly tame so far, right? The only thing is, she unknowingly ends up working for some bad people. After seeing a dead body, that vanishes before the police get there, she goes on the run with a man she just met.
The action was enough to keep me up at night. If I wasn't reading I was thinking about what was happening in the book. This is one of those stories that is best saved for days off work.
Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of all the snow we got last weekend, but after some necessary shoveling, I was happy to make a cup of chai tea and settle in a comfy recliner to pick up where I left off. This book is hard to put down. Maya, the main character, takes off after her husband tells her he's in love with someone else to start her life over in a new location with a new job cleaning vacation homes. Sounds fairly tame so far, right? The only thing is, she unknowingly ends up working for some bad people. After seeing a dead body, that vanishes before the police get there, she goes on the run with a man she just met.
The action was enough to keep me up at night. If I wasn't reading I was thinking about what was happening in the book. This is one of those stories that is best saved for days off work.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A gripping, atmospheric thriller that keeps you guessing until the final page.
The Hiding Season by Ava Glass is a masterfully crafted suspense novel that blends tension, emotion, and razor-sharp storytelling. From the opening chapters, the eerie, forested setting creates a haunting backdrop that perfectly mirrors the secrets and dangers lurking beneath the surface.
Glass builds suspense with expert pacing, slowly revealing clues while keeping readers on edge. The protagonist is compelling and layered, making it easy to become emotionally invested in her journey.
What truly stands out is the atmosphere — vivid descriptions and a sense of isolation make the story feel immersive and cinematic. Fans of psychological thrillers and slow-burn suspense will find this impossible to put down.
A chilling, beautifully written thriller that delivers both heart-pounding tension and emotional depth. Highly recommended.
The Hiding Season by Ava Glass is a masterfully crafted suspense novel that blends tension, emotion, and razor-sharp storytelling. From the opening chapters, the eerie, forested setting creates a haunting backdrop that perfectly mirrors the secrets and dangers lurking beneath the surface.
Glass builds suspense with expert pacing, slowly revealing clues while keeping readers on edge. The protagonist is compelling and layered, making it easy to become emotionally invested in her journey.
What truly stands out is the atmosphere — vivid descriptions and a sense of isolation make the story feel immersive and cinematic. Fans of psychological thrillers and slow-burn suspense will find this impossible to put down.
A chilling, beautifully written thriller that delivers both heart-pounding tension and emotional depth. Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I went into this one really interested in the premise, especially with a teacher looking for a fresh start, but it didn’t quite hit the level of suspense I expected. I didn’t find this particularly high-stakes or tense, and a few sections felt repetitive enough to slow the momentum. What initially drew me in was that the main character is a teacher trying to rebuild her life in such an isolated place, and as both a teacher and a Chicagoan, I appreciated the Chicago references sprinkled throughout. The Montana lodge setting is atmospheric, and the premise has potential, but the tension never really builds the way I hoped. The repetitiveness in certain scenes made the plot feel a bit stretched, and the pacing ended up feeling uneven. Even so, the remote setting adds a nice mood to the story, and the core idea is intriguing—it just didn’t land with the intensity I expected. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There's this food trend of people showing their "slop" - a random selection of food, that's easy to eat, all in a bowl.
The Hiding Season is kind of like slop. A thriller, a mystery, a sprinkle of romance, and then everything covered in government conspiracy. I think the idea was there but the execution is rather....inedible.
Maya, as a lead, was a bit of a mess. The opening quarter, of Maya escaping to Montana and working at an exclusive ski resort was fun. The idea of being watched, the large empty homes....it's everything. But then, a murder turns all of that into another story. And Maya is quickly shuffled off to Austin under a new identity.
I feel like Ava Glass had a lot of ideas and perhaps should have pulled back from one or two of those plot points. I didn't need the romance. I didn't need all the extra details. Give me the thrills and government conspiracy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The Hiding Season is kind of like slop. A thriller, a mystery, a sprinkle of romance, and then everything covered in government conspiracy. I think the idea was there but the execution is rather....inedible.
Maya, as a lead, was a bit of a mess. The opening quarter, of Maya escaping to Montana and working at an exclusive ski resort was fun. The idea of being watched, the large empty homes....it's everything. But then, a murder turns all of that into another story. And Maya is quickly shuffled off to Austin under a new identity.
I feel like Ava Glass had a lot of ideas and perhaps should have pulled back from one or two of those plot points. I didn't need the romance. I didn't need all the extra details. Give me the thrills and government conspiracy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
December 1, 2025
I really loved the atmosphere of this one the snowy Montana ski lodge setting had me instantly hooked. In the beginning, I was genuinely drawn in. We follow Maya, who moves to Montana for a fresh start and a new job… only to stumble across a dead body while working. The setup was strong, and I thought the story had a lot of potential.
But the execution didn’t land for me. The constant jumps between timelines made things feel disjointed and, honestly, a bit confusing. I also didn’t love the romance it felt unnecessary, with no real depth or growth, and I think the book would’ve been stronger without it. I wasn’t surprised by the ending, but I did like where the story ultimately wrapped up.
Overall, despite a great setting and a solid premise, this ended up being a 2-star read for me.
Thank you
But the execution didn’t land for me. The constant jumps between timelines made things feel disjointed and, honestly, a bit confusing. I also didn’t love the romance it felt unnecessary, with no real depth or growth, and I think the book would’ve been stronger without it. I wasn’t surprised by the ending, but I did like where the story ultimately wrapped up.
Overall, despite a great setting and a solid premise, this ended up being a 2-star read for me.
Thank you
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