Publisher: Little,
Brown and Company
Publication Date: June 8, 2011
Publication Date: June 8, 2011
Review: Kentucky is a state known for many things, but waterfront property is
definitely not one of them. It is easy to imagine then the kind of reaction
local townspeople had when Wyatt French built a lighthouse on the hilltop of
Blade Ridge. While it was definitely an odd architectural choice for the area,
people mostly ignored it at regarded its builder as an eccentric drunk.
Years later, local sheriff Kevin Kimble is
shocked to learn of French's suicide. He had received a cryptic phone call from
French in the hours preceding his death. Upon investigating the lighthouse,
Kimble uncovers various documents that chronicle the history of Blade Ridge and
more interestingly, the unfortunate events that seem to plague the area. Even
stranger is the connection the night Kimble was shot by an abuse victim, years
ago. All this evidence seems to point at a larger force of malice, leading Kimble
to believe that French may not have been as mad as he seemed.
Roy Darmus is at a crossroads in his life. The
local newspaper, to which he has devoted his entire professional life to, has
been sold and closed. A storyteller without an audience, he is hungry for the
next big scoop to hit the town. When he receives a call from local madman Wyatt
French, he is both annoyed and intrigued. A comment about his parents, who died
in a car crash at Blade Ridge when he was a small child, lingers in his mind long
after he dismisses the call as another useless tip. Hours later, he is at the
scene of French's apparent suicide. Craving a new story to tell, he begins to
investigate a string of strange occurrences at the ridge.
Audrey Clark is dealing with a transition as
well. She is in the process of relocating her large-cat sanctuary, a project
began with her late husband, from a location within the city to a larger
preserve located at Blade Ridge. Initially she was disturbed by the ravings of
her soon to be neighbor Wyatt French, but soon shifted her focus from the
strange lighthouse to the relocation process. But strange things are occurring.
The cats seem to be fearful of their new home, pacing the cages, growling, and
even attempting to escape. When French's suicide brings even more focus to the
area, she is determined to successfully house the cats at the new location and
fulfill her husband's legacy.
Michael Koryta weaves these different
characters into a brilliant tapestry of paranormal suspense. I really appreciated
the way all three of the main characters were searching for a new start in
their personal lives. The paranormal elements, comparable to Stephen King or
Dean Koontz, never overshadow the story. Koryta knows how to wind up a story,
providing many moments of true fear. Balancing the supernatural elements with
strong human characters and emotions, Koryta has written a fantastic novel.
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