The Cypress House is my first Michael Koryta novel, but likely won’t be my last. I’m not even sure why this one was on my TBR list, as I added it years ago, long before I started keeping notes as to why I put books on the list for management/periodic TBR purges.

It was an odd mix of thriller and romance with supernatural elements, and I almost DNF’d it because it took the full (self-imposed) minimum 50 pages to engage my attention. Pacing-wise, it dragged in places with long chunks of exposition, and I felt emotionally disconnected from all the characters. The supernatural story elements served more as a convenient plot-device than interesting twist. However, the story was still interesting enough to keep me going and had a satisfying ending.

Hardcover, borrowed from my public library.
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Possibly the most irritating book I have ever read. I couldn't put it down. I cared about these people but they kept making dumb choices and Arlen needed to either kill the bad guys outright or WALK AWAY. ( )

Michael Koryta hasn't disappointed me yet, and although this was my first foray into his supernaturally flavored work, that still holds true. A blend of historical horror, suspense, and even somewhat western-y, The Cypress House isn't remotely what I expected, but by the end, I was hooked.

First, I should mention the reasons I was surprised, because the book's back cover set me up for some expectations that ended up making the read not quite what it should have been. If I'd known more about the book (and by 'more' I mean fairly basic elements), I might have read it at a different time, but I probably would have enjoyed it more. First is timing and the historical element. From the back cover of my paperback copy, there's no way to know that the book--in its entirety--is set in the 1930s. We're not talking a few flashbacks, but the whole story, and that timing definitely flavors the story. I also picked up the book in this moment partly because I was in the mood to read a very 'Florida' book, and the idea of a thriller set against the background of a hurricane sounded ideal for the moment. Based on the back cover copy, I expected a hurricane to play a fairly large role in the story and for a lot of the story to be set against the hurricane. While it certainly affects the story, however, it's relatively fast in the timespan of the novel, and not at all what I was expecting.

As a result of the mismatched expectations I had--I really have to be in the mood for historical work, but wasn't, and I'd gone looking for a story set against a storm that was already over--I got taken out of the book pretty early, feeling some disappointment with elements that had absolutely nothing to do with the masterful story, Koryta's gorgeous writing, and the book as it is.

Because the book itself is fantastic. With the flavoring of old movies like Key Largo and fascinating, flawed characters, along with a twisting story that repeatedly surprised me, I had a hard time putting the book down at all once I reached the halfway point. I couldn't sit down with it and not read 70-80 pages at a stretch, even when time wasn't exactly something I had to spare. I loved the nuance of the supernatural element and how carefully Koryta built it into the story, as well, and I'm already anxious to pick up one of the other works he's written in this vein.

I don't think this ranks higher for me among his novels than the more recent ones I've read, but I did adore it. If you're a fan of suspense and historical fiction both, you'll absolutely want to pick this one up (even if you normally don't read the supernatural, I'd say). ( )

I do not usually read anything that has a supernatural bent in it but I wanted to give it a try, I love Hoosier writers having grown up in Indiana where is a strong appreciation for writing. When I read about Arlen Wagner, a WWi vet and his companion, Paul, a much younger CCC worker on a train ride headed to the Florida Keys, I felt immersed in the times. It was the depression and Arle n had been through the ugliness of war and what does to men, My father had worked for the CCC was probably the same age as Paul. sending most of his wages back to his mother,

Another for me early in this book, was Arlen seeing smoke in the other riders eyes. That told him that the men would all die later on when they reached their destination. It was seen as a gift by others but Arlen felt cursed to have it. This is very intriguing to me. My maternal grandmother had bad dreams about her daughter dying in an airplane crash. This happened several times, she would call her daughter and ask her to change her flight. My aunt avoided several crashes. I, myself had a terrible sleepless night. I gave up trying to sleep at two in the morning. I stayed awake and have very strong feeling that something was very wrong. It was intense. Later at 5 a.m. my step mother called and told me that my father was in the hospital with a stroke, he later had another one, went into a coma and died. I do not know what to think about this but I do know that strong premonitions are real.

I really enjoyed this and was left wondering about this premonition of death. To me, it does not have to be seeing smoke in other's eyes but can be like my grandmother and my own experience. I really like books that bring up your own past experience and make you wonder about them, (less) ( )

Very good mystery/thriller.
Quick don’t want to put down read ( )