The Cypress House Paperback – May 12, 2011

I seem to be on a thriller kick lately - no idea why.This book is exactly what it says it is, and does a very good job at it. The writing is tight, the plotting is excellent, and I cared enough about the characters to make the storyline gripping.The supernatural elements are an integral part of this story but never overwhelm it. Imagine a Jack Reacher novel where Jack Reacher has that ability and you pretty much have this book. Well - without the overtones of indestructible superman that can creep into some of the Jack Reacher novels. (Don't get me wrong - love the Reacher books. But "so well muscled the bullet did not kill him" was a bit much to swallow. Yes, I get that it was also the calibre of the bullet, and the type of hand gun - but it was still a bit too "super hero".) Arlen Wagner is a very believable character - rather strange when you realise he can see who is going to die by looking in their eyes. It sounds peculiar, doesn't it? The man with the psychic power being a little more believable than a character like Jack Reacher, and yet that is the effect. Kudos to Koryta for managing this.How does Koryta do it? Well - no amazing physical abilities. Wagner is a tough guy, but not physically indestructible. And then there is his personality - he makes the occasional mistake, both in his personal interactions with others and in his action role. Nothing that cannot be remedied or worked around, but he makes mistakes. And then there is his attitude towards his ability - he resists it and it causes him problems - very believable. Add to this that Arlen is very likeable, even admirable.So the main character is a gem. What about the other main characters? There is the damsel in distress, Rebecca Cady. Is she completely innocent, is she complicit (even if only partially complicit), can she be trusted? Rebecca is tough without being over the top, vulnerable without being a weakling, alluring without being a caricature. In short - a great character. Then there is Paul, the young man that Arlen is with from the beginning. Another character that rings one hundred per cent true - he is young, with the virtues and faults that come with his youth and lack of experience. None of Koryta's characters are motivated by the plot - they are three dimensional people, each with their unique flaws, strengths and aims. Even the bad guys rise above cliche nasty to be actual people. And what these people do, try to do and avoid doing make the plot sizzle. It all just WORKS so well.They situation itself is slowly revealed, and then we get into the fun part - what is Arlen going to do about it? This is another strong section of the book - Arlen makes good decisions, has the occasional falter, and manages a satisfying conclusion that is neither too pat nor too easy.In short - Korytas can write, and he has a great handle on story. He is good with dialogue, good with characterisation, good at creating a gripping plot that builds naturally out of his initial scenes, and good at finishing it off with an ending that satisfies on every level. The man is just plain GOOD.I, naturally, raced out and bought several Koryta novels, barely bothering to read the blurbs. Which I am working my way through reading, and thoroughly enjoying. Don't you just LOVE it when you find a writer who knows exactly what he/she is doing, and delivers?

I first read a book by this author under a new pen name, Scott Carson's "The Chill." That book had me from the first chapter, glued to the page and listening to the audio book. It was superb and I can't wait for a sequel. I decided to find the author's other paranormal books and started on this one. The premise was interesting and I couldn't wait to dig in.I didn't realize that this book was set in the past, I thought it was a contemporary setting. It started out ok, then got bogged down towards the middle. A good portion could've been cut. I even took a break from it to focus on some other books. I know several other readers mentioned the same thing. I decided to come back and I am glad I did. The storyline did finally pick up to a thrilling ending. The character development was good, but a bit slow. It did turn out to be an interesting book. The lead Arlen had trouble with his gift and legacy. Rebecca learned to face her fear and Paul had to learn to grow up. The villains were dispicable. Narration was fantastic on the audio version. I loved the paranormal element, but this was primarily a noir thriller.

This book, although a bit tedious in some spots, ended with such an impactful and memorable conclusion, that I am quickly searching for other books by Koryta. The story really drew me in at the beginning, starting with a touching tale of a man and young adult (Arlen and Paul) riding a train, unfolding Arlen's unique and mysterious ability to predict when others are about to die. As you are drawn into this story, the two end up at the Cypress House, where they encounter many strange events that eventually culminate in a life and death battle. This story may on the surface seem to be about a complex drug scandal whose ringleader wreaks havoc on a small town. but the true story is really about life's physical and spiritual bonds of love, and its powerful ability to cross the barrier from death to life. As I mentioned above, the part of the book when Arlen and Paul first come to the Cypress House gets a bit long, drawn out and boring, as if the author is searching for a reason to keep writing the book. But the story does pick up once Paul leaves Cypress House, and when he finally returns, the storyline becomes much more fast paced and compelling, such that I could not put the book down. The ending is just superb and left me amazed and wanting more. If you get bored in the middle, when I was very close to just giving up on the book, know that the boring middle is worth wading through to get to the end.

Michael Koryta's THE CYPRESS HOUSE is a standalone that follows SO COLD THE RIVER. Like SCTR, this book deviates from the detective mysteries that rooted his popularity with the main change of a supernatural flair. This author can WRITE like the best of them but I wasn't as impressed with his sophomore supernatural effort.The book centers on a mysterious house in Florida called the Cypress House. A couple men find their way to the house through some eerie circumstances and offer their help to the woman that runs it. Evil finds its way into the house and must be eliminated for the characters to be safe.Other than the first three chapters of the book, I didn't feel the book was very exciting. I didn't connect with the characters as I thought they all had odd personalities. The supernatural aspects of this book were slightly interesting but the characters' personalities didn't reinforce it for me.This is probably my least favorite book but this author; however, I haven't given up on him in the least. Upon finishing TCH, I immediately purchased THE RIDGE with confidence that this 3 star streak will end after just one book.

This is the first book I've read by this author and perhaps not my last. I first discovered him as I was looking for similar styles to my favourite author, Dean Koontz. I find that this is true of Koontz's later work. Honestly I was hoping for the more strange and creepy style of older Koontz reads as other reviews found this book to be strange. I could've done with a bit stranger but nevertheless, very enjoyable.

A great thriller with an element of supernatural. Believable characters which linger in our memory, a page turning plot and violence filled environment depicted realistically by the writer. The suspense element is maintained well with an action filled explosive climax. Thriller writing at its best.

Eerie and compelling. Michael Koryta's fluid writing style, the clever way he builds up the tension, held me from beginning to end, The main character is both a man of high principles but also very weird because he can foretell death by seeing smoke in the potential victim's eyes. The bad guys are brutes, Tate McGrath and sons, and the fact that the main character (Arlen) can communicate with them post-mortem.is quite scary..

Grips you from the first page Could not put this book down, Everything I love in a good read.Love all Michael Koryta books have read four so far.

I have very recently found this author, I have read two other books that this author has written.This book is a good read if you want a different kind of book from the detective and crime novel that this author also writes.Good imagination, and strange ideas for a detective writer, but the story works.I really enjoyed the book, I am a big fan of John Connolly, so If you do like this kind of mystic novel I am sure you will like this book.