The Ridge

Holy cow this was such a good book. The writing was great and the story was incredible. I will definitely read more of Koryta 's books.

I picked up the book not because I like horror, but because I'm interested in lighthouse settings and how they affect stories. This was an immediate pickup because it's very strange yet compelling to have a lighthouse in the middle of the mountains and not on the ocean. Wyatt French is a play on the archtype of a traditional lighthouse keeper. He shares the same diligence and duty to the work of maintaining a light, however he is drunk, delirious, and rambles in riddles. At first, he feels like a perversion or a mockery of the lighthouse keeper role, but as the story unfolds and supernatural elements are revealed, one discovers that his purpose was very much real. The supernatural is introduced and balanced delicately in this story, and poses very interesting moral questions. Kimble, the sheriff, is a highlight character with an engaging inner voice when it comes to finding truth and eliminating evil. While the lighthouse in the mountains might initially be weird, the mountain setting is great and allows for an exploration of Appalachia's history. The mystery part of the story really ramps up in the second half of the book. Many plot twists with a series of dynamic characters kept me incredibly engaged as the book neared an eventful climax.

Normally I don't care for the supernatural to be mixed in my mysteries, but "The Ridge" is exceptional.