For those looking for a complex, engaging novel you won't be able to put down, this book is for you.
Braun’s fiction debut, the first installment of the Guest Book Trilogy, uncovers the stories of two women whose lives are secretly intertwined. Annie Parker, a bi-racial girl who struggled to fit in during her formative years, marries young to David, an older man with three children. When Annie begins to find her feet, forging friendships with the children and starting a career as an interior designer, she also starts to question how much she and David really love each other. Meanwhile, Alyce Murphy, recently remarried and settling into a happy family, is searching for answers about her father’s death when she was young–answers that eventually lead her to Annie’s doorstep.
While elements of mysteries darken the corners of the women’s lives, The Man in Cabin Number Five plays out more as a general fiction novel than a thriller as it follows, in parallel narratives, Annie and Alyce. The primary focus is Annie, and Braun delivers a moving portrayal of a young woman searching for herself amid personal upheaval. When she discovers that David is cheating, Annie escapes to the mountain community where she spent her childhood summers, eventually realizing she doesn’t want to leave. She begins putting down roots, becoming friends with a local hairdresser and starting a romance while forging ahead on her career and finalizing her divorce. Among touching scenes of starting again and facing the past comes some darker material: As Annie comes to terms with her independence, Alyce learns jolting truths about her family’s history.
The central theme is Annie’s transformation from a girl who doesn’t really know what she wants to a self-sufficient woman learning to prioritize herself instead of solely trying to please her husband. Readers will find fascinating connections and correspondences between the two women’s experiences as Braun blends genres and lives with depth and meaning.
Takeaway: A touching novel charting two women’s parallel lives, tied together by mysteries, transformation, and a cabin.
Great for fans of: Liane Moriarty’s The Husband’s Secret, Linda Holmes’s Evvie Drake Starts Over
"Masterfully written, intriguing, mystifying, and spooky are how I would classify The Man in Cabin Number Five by Chrysteen Braun.I applaud the author, as this is an entertaining work that will keep the reader hooked until the end. Congratulations on an exceptional book."
"Chrysteen Braun creates a masterpiece with smooth storytelling that juxtaposes the serenity of the mountains with the eruptive chaos of dangerous secrets and ends with a bang. What a terrific story. What a talented writer."
