The Hiding Season
- Judith D Collins
- Mar 17
- 5 min read
By: Ava Glass
Narrator: Sophie Amoss
Random House Audio
ISBN: 9780593972243
Publisher: Ballantine | Bantam
Publication Date: 03/17/2026
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)
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.
The killers don't want anyone left who knows what they've done. Forced to go on the run, Maya must rely on a mysterious stranger who offers to help her. But, surrounded by danger, can she trust him? Can she trust anyone?
Only one thing is certain: 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.
Praise
“One of the best and most classy writers working today . . . The Hiding Season is a stylish, edge-of-your-seat thriller that ratchets up the tension page by page, via stunning locations from Montana to Texas, as Maya Landry tries desperately to outrun a crime she accidentally witnessed, without knowing who she can trust. . . . Impossible to put down!”
—Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny and What She Knew
“A twisting cat-and-mouse chase from the mountains of Montana to the heart of Texas that warns the reader: Be careful who you trust!”
—Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“A fast-moving thrill ride filled with twists and turns . . . Ava Glass keeps the surprises coming until the final page!
”—Laura Griffin, New York Times bestselling author
“A tense, sexy whirlwind of a thriller with captivating characters and vivid settings—I devoured this in a gulp and was gutted when it was over.”
—Susi Holliday, bestselling author of The Last Resort
“What a book! With a heroine you’ll root for and a setting as chilling as the killer stalking it, The Hiding Season is a master class in suspense. I couldn’t put it down. . . . A pulse-pounding thriller that keeps you looking over your shoulder long after the final page.”
—Caroline Mitchell, New York Times bestselling author of Truth and Lies
My Review
In THE HIDING SEASON, Ava Glass, writing under the pen name A.C. Glass, weaves a gripping tale of survival set against the breathtaking backdrop of the remote Montana wilderness.
The novel immerses readers in a world filled with tension and danger, as its characters navigate the unpredictable forces of nature and the high-stakes challenges that threaten their very existence. With vivid descriptions and a heart-pounding plot, Glass skillfully draws readers into a harrowing game of survival that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Highlights...
A Fresh Start:
Following a difficult divorce, Maya Landry seeks a quiet new beginning. She takes a job as a summer caretaker for a cluster of billionaire-owned ski lodges in the Rocky Mountains.
The Discovery:
While checking the empty lodges, Maya discovers a dead body on the living room floor. Due to the lack of cell service on the mountain, she must leave the area to call for help.
The Disappearance:
When Maya returns with the police roughly 30 minutes later, the body is gone. With no physical evidence remaining, the police dismiss her account and question her mental stability.
The Warning:
Later that night, a mysterious stranger approaches Maya at a local bar. He warns her that the killers know she saw the body and are coming for her to protect their secrets.
The Escape:
Assassins attack Maya in the middle of the night. She narrowly escapes and is forced to go on the run, assisted by the same mysterious man who warned her.
A Web of Secrets:
As she flees, Maya is caught in a dangerous plot involving a spy, an FBI agent, and powerful figures protected by lawyers and politicians.
Main Characters...
Maya Landry:
The protagonist is a 38-year-old freelance writer. Reeling from a sudden, painful divorce, she flees her life in Michigan to take a seasonal job as a caretaker for luxury ski lodges in the Rocky Mountains. Her life is upended when she becomes the sole witness to a murder.
Riley Maguire:
The mysterious stranger who approaches Maya at a local bar. He warns her that the killers are aware of what she saw and becomes her unlikely ally, aiding her escape and helping her stay alive as they go on the run.
Gina:
The woman who hires Maya to look after the billionaire-owned properties in Montana.
Supporting Figures
The killers, law enforcementm government agents, the elite, and powerful figures, including lawyers and politicians, who are connected to the crime Maya witnessed.
My thoughts...
Maya begins the story as a woman "hiding" from her failed marriage. The plot forces her to shed her grief and rediscover her strength and agency to survive.
The tone and atmosphere are tense, gripping, atmospheric, and chilling. The remote, silent Montana mountains create a constant sense of dread and eerie isolation with a gritty survival vibe. An ordinary person pushed to their limits.
An intense game of cat and mouse, the pacing is fast, a page turner with a twisty cat and mouse plot moving from the mountains of Montana to the heart of Texas.
Dark, unpredictable, and dangerous.
The author does a great job with the gaslighting and psychological elements as Maya questions her sanity. The story involves powerful, "well-protected" figures and corruption, raising the stakes beyond a simple murder mystery. Both physical (the mountain) and emotional (post-divorce), isolation is a central descriptor for the protagonist's journey.
Glass explores several layers of vulnerability and corruption and the psychological horror of knowing the truth while being told you are "unstable."
A major theme is the power gap between ordinary citizens and the ultra-wealthy. The killers are protected by lawyers, politicians, and high-level agents, making the pursuit of justice feel like an impossible David vs. Goliath battle.
The primary insight of THE HIDING SEASON is that true resilience often emerges in the very moments when we feel our most exposed and vulnerable. It is within these delicate and raw spaces that we discover our strengths, revealing an unexpected capacity to endure and adapt.
The novel is a twisty standalone psychological thriller, departing from Glass's usual Emma Makepeace spy series to focus on an ordinary person forced into an extraordinary survival situation.
Recs...
If you enjoyed the wilderness survival, isolation, and high-stakes pursuit in The Hiding Season, here are several similar thrillers that lean into those themes:
~Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta
~Descent by Tim Johnston
~No Exit by Taylor Adams
Special thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Mar 17, 2026
My Rating: 4 Stars
About the Author
Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by The Guardian newspaper, and ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post, Ava Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of Alias Emma (The Chase), The Traitor and The Trap. The Traitor was a 2023 Richard and Judy Bookclub pick and a Barnes and Noble book of the month.
A former crime reporter and communications consultant, for five years Ava worked closely with spies. Her time in that world fascinated her, and the spies she met back then inspire every book she writes. WEBSITE
