Let’s see, what do we have here? On a wooded hilltop in the middle of no where, on an isolated ridge, in eastern Kentucky, stands a lighthouse, constantly bathing the surrounding terrain with light. Lions, tigers, cougars and leopards and all sort of large cats, sixty seven in total, have been relocated to a new rescue center on a large tract of land close to the lighthouse.Deputy Sherriff Kevin Kimble of Sawyer County (home of the lighthouse and most recently the large cats) has spent year’s no...

THE RIDGE written by Michael Koryta06/11 - Little, Brown & Company - Hardcover, 368 pagesCan you control the madness when good and evil reside in the same body?Deputy Kevin Kimble is a good cop that keeps things going in the right direction for the fine folks of Sawyer County in eastern Kentucky. His path collides with everyone but during the latest event on Blade Ridge, nothing is as it appears and every direction he takes leads him to another mystery. The crime scene he is called to at first a...

Chief Deputy Kevin Kimble is making an early morning drive when he receives a very strange and disturbing phone call. The call is from Wyatt French one of the stranger residents of Kimble’s county. Wyatt lives on a hilltop known as Blade Ridge. Wyatt is famous for his heavy drinking and his residence. Wyatt lives in a lighthouse that lights up the hills surrounding his home. Wyatt’s call is to ask just one question of Kimble and that is if Kimble would rather have a homicide to investigate or a

Unlike others who did not like this book, I have no problem with the mixing of detective and supernatural elements in a story. Koryta is a gifted writer and the story here is told well. But, I live in eastern Kentucky where this book is set and that was one of the reasons I tried to read it. Eastern Kentucky is in the heart of that region now called "Appalachia," and has a unique culture and mindset - a cross of genteel southern, Bible-belt religion, and mountain pioneer thinking. This is the ho...

I discovered Michael Koryta several years ago, and I'm so glad I did. His mysteries and supernatural thrillers are some of the finest I've ever read. THE RIDGE has all the elements for a top notch story:great characters, wild big cats, suspense, and the supernatural. I have read nearly every Koryta book published and never been disappointed. This is one of the best.

This is a nice mix of supernatural thriller and police story. Plenty of gatekeeper to hell/deal with the devil creepy detail. I loved the cats; many are characters in their own right. I'd like to read more by Michael Koryta.I'm not sure why so much work went into developing Wes' character, but his prayer was a nice touch. It kept Kino from stealing all his thunder.The story is set in eastern Kentucky although nothing specifically suggest the location. It could be in any state with mountains in t...

5 StarsThis is my second Koryta novel that I have read, Cypress House was my first (I loved that one too). After finishing this novel I feel it is safe to say that Koryta is a masterful storyteller. He breathes life into his words, his settings, and his story. He creates characters that are three dimensional. They are real. They are not carbon copies or cookie cutter cutouts. Most importantly he creates a cast of characters that are memorable. I am not going to give any spoilers away with this r...

I've read & really liked a couple of mystery-thrillers by Koryta, so expected this to be the same. It starts out as one, but is also supernatural horror. That's a genre I have enjoyed, although less lately. I wasn't expecting to turn down that road half way through the book & I found it jarring. I'm not a fan of pigeon-holing books by genres, but in this case I would have appreciated knowing that bit of information up front. It requires a different mind set.The characters, reading, twists & turn...

Another winner by Michael Koryta..I can't believe this author is just becoming known to me as this is the third book of his I have read and absolutely love, each distinctly different...this one flows like a fine wine it is so good. It has sucked me in from the first page with its' mystery and characters. Even though this book is over 400 pages, I will read it in one day it is so good. I am now starting to go back and read others by this author that I miss and he will be an author that I follow h...

I liked the first 1/2 of this one because it really is spooky/ scary and the character development was better than is usual in the genre. But then it just got very wordy and convoluted in plot. It's not hard to figure out what the construct is or will become by the finale, but I thought the body count for it just become cartoon like. So during the 1/2 half I just had to plod on and get to know the individual big cats in a more thorough fashion.So overall, with the capacity / definition for evil

This one was close a few times. My rating for this swung from 2 to 4 stars at different times. The book opens and there is a section that I found so annoying that I was thinking "if it goes on this way I'm putting it down". The protagonist of the book Kevin Kimble, has an obsession with Jacqueline Mathis, a prison inmate who shot him (before the book begins). Whenever the character refers to her, thinks about her, talks to her, etc. he waxes almost poetic spouting superlitives about her.It gets

Earlier last year, I reviewed Koryta's "Cypress House." (Please see it on my blog in 2010) It was my first introduction to his writing. I became an immediate addict...Michael Koryta is a master storyteller. He is the type of author who could have us mesmerized for hours while we waited out a hurricane! And, we'd never even know we were in the midst of one except that it would be a fitting setting for his story. I could read his books in tandem and be entertained all week without boredom.Koryta's...

Mildly entertaining with some clever and unexpected twists. It never reaches creepy or scary. The “evil” was kind of bland. Didn’t give a care about the characters. Their development was weak.The kind of book you might find left behind on a train or plane and spend some time with. I might try another one of his books. I’m surprised it hasn’t been made into a movie. I’d consider this suspense versus horror.

A solid, immensely entertaining tale from Koryta, deserving of 4.5 stars. Koryta does the supernatural thing much better here than in So Cold The River. This story of a suicide, a lighthouse and the age-old secret that connects them starts off strong and doesn't let up. The mystery is engaging, the characters well-drawn and the writing top-notch. The ending does not disappoint. Not quite a 5 star read but pretty damn close. Highly recommended.

Hard to write a scary story effectively yet The Ridge is one. Large game animals, lighthouse and a spooky blue light that portends evil, this book was chilling.

Notes:Yay libraries!Came across this author during the current Audible sale. I'm glad I did! Loved the way he incorporated lions into the story. Solid characters & interesting plot. I would stick this story more under UF/Horror. It's not really a horror story, but I can see how some would consider it as one.

4/5 This was the first book I’ve read by Michael Koryta and I enjoyed it. The Ridge was part police procedural and part supernatural thriller. Koryta sets a good pace and has a really intriguing plot that really shines due to his excellent characters and even better setting. Set in the Kentucky wilderness a crazy local has built a lighthouse. Nowhere near water he insists it helps keep the area safe. However now a large cat rescue has been opened in these relatively remote woods and the area beg...

This was a solid 3.5 stars for me, it reads more like a thriller than a horror, but I guess the supernatural elements move it to the former genre. Not scary, but an easy fast read, and a good palate cleanser between my denser reads.

Michael Koryta gets compared with Dean Koontz, and now I see why. This book is a fairly standard supernatural thriller, but it was well-executed, with the "rules" of the woo-woo stuff explained and making sense of all the events. Technically I guess telling you that the Big Reveal is supernatural in nature is a spoiler, but it's very heavily hinted at early on, and pretty obvious long before it's spelled out. It also features a big cat rescue sanctuary, and since one of my favorite charities is