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kbfrantom's review against another edition
3.0
I was expecting this book to be filled with more supernatural elements. Even so, the story and characters were interesting and I was wondering how they were going to get out of the impossible situation there were in.
heather_g's review against another edition
3.0
story follow a man during depression who has a bit of "sight" to see when death is coming for some people. He ends up avoiding being killed in a hurricane by getting off a train heading to Florida. He ends up helping out a lady who's being blackmailed....hijinks ensue & several people end up not making it to the end of the book.
hisdarkmaterials's review against another edition
5.0
This book just ticked all the boxes right from the start. I usually don't like any supernatural/paranormal type books but this just worked for me. The characters were well fleshed out, I loved Wagner; I was rooting for that hard ass from the start! Will certainly be seeking out more Koryta books, if they are half as good as this they will be a decent read. I also hope this isn't the end of Wagner, I would love to see more from this character, along with Paul and Rebecca!
sobolevnrm's review against another edition
4.0
An entertaining crime novel set in 1930s depression era.
tinabaich's review against another edition
5.0
The Cypress House is Michael Koryta's second novel with a supernatural bent but the only one of the three set in the past. It takes place during the Depression and focuses on a CCC worker named Arlen Wagner. Arlen has a gift. He can see death on people before it strikes.
The novel opens with Arlen and junior CCC worker Paul Brickhill on a train to the Florida Keys and a CCC bridge project. Then Arlen sees death on everyone around him and knows they have to get off the train. He and Paul don't reboard at the next stop. A hitched ride eventually leads them to the Cypress House where it quickly becomes obvious they've traded one danger for another. Together with the owner of the Cypress House, Rebecca Cady, they must defeat that danger before death comes for them again.
Koryta creates a solid, believable voice for each of his Depression-era characters. He was able to make them inhabit the era without sounding forced. And talk about tension. For the last quarter of the book especially, I was pinned to the edge of my seat as everything came to a head. I had no idea who would survive or if they would succeed at all. The Cypress House was a joy to read. If you liked So Cold the River, I'm confident you will love The Cypress House. Despite my affinity for the setting of So Cold the River (I am a born and bred Hoosier after all.), The Cypress House quickly became my new favorite Koryta novel. If you haven't read it yet, go get it now!
http://iubookgirl.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-cypress-house.html
The novel opens with Arlen and junior CCC worker Paul Brickhill on a train to the Florida Keys and a CCC bridge project. Then Arlen sees death on everyone around him and knows they have to get off the train. He and Paul don't reboard at the next stop. A hitched ride eventually leads them to the Cypress House where it quickly becomes obvious they've traded one danger for another. Together with the owner of the Cypress House, Rebecca Cady, they must defeat that danger before death comes for them again.
Koryta creates a solid, believable voice for each of his Depression-era characters. He was able to make them inhabit the era without sounding forced. And talk about tension. For the last quarter of the book especially, I was pinned to the edge of my seat as everything came to a head. I had no idea who would survive or if they would succeed at all. The Cypress House was a joy to read. If you liked So Cold the River, I'm confident you will love The Cypress House. Despite my affinity for the setting of So Cold the River (I am a born and bred Hoosier after all.), The Cypress House quickly became my new favorite Koryta novel. If you haven't read it yet, go get it now!
http://iubookgirl.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-cypress-house.html
drey72's review against another edition
4.0
Michael Koryta's latest combines elements of desperation, need, and death, into a gripping tale of two men trying to find work who get cornered into a situation way beyond their control. And then he adds in a twist--Arlen can "see" when a person is going to die. Not how, or when, but he knows that when he sees that smoke in your eyes, you will die.
Not wanting to die along with all the other men he's with on the train heading to the Florida keys, Arlen hops off at a remote station with one of the younger men, Paul Brickhill. Which then poses a problem--where can they stay, and how will they get themselves to the Keys?
The answer shows up in the form of a traveling salesman, Walt Sorenson, who gets them to an inn for the night, then has the two traveling with him as he drives along the coast. His last stop bears the title of this book, The Cypress House, and it is there that Arlen and Paul find themselves stuck as events beyond their comprehension spiral out of control, and they have to figure out how to survive it.
Character: Arlen Wagner has seen a lot of things, most of them not-so-nice. And you can tell from his crusty character. He's not cranky or belligerent, mind you, just one of those guys who isn't tempted to say something just to hear his own voice or fill a silence. In fact, he usually doesn't say much at all. I like Arlen. Paul is young, only nineteen, and I was surprised that he listened to Arlen and got off the train--shows the boy has some sense in his noggin. But being only nineteen, Paul's pretty full of himself, and gets in over his head at the Cypress House, especially with his feelings (real or imagined) for Rebecca, the owner.
The bad guys are truly bad and irredeemable. And Rebecca is so entangled with them that Arlen and Paul don't really know what to think.
Pace & Plot: The Cypress House seems to take a while to start up and get going, but I think it's because the last bunch of books I've read all started with action right away, then provided the backstory whereas this one starts at point A and moves to point B. The plot does get slow in spots, and some things aren't clear until way later in the story, but it's still a very well-written thriller.
Check this out if you're a fan of Koryta's or if you like a good, well-told, gotta-get-to-the-end yarn.
Not wanting to die along with all the other men he's with on the train heading to the Florida keys, Arlen hops off at a remote station with one of the younger men, Paul Brickhill. Which then poses a problem--where can they stay, and how will they get themselves to the Keys?
The answer shows up in the form of a traveling salesman, Walt Sorenson, who gets them to an inn for the night, then has the two traveling with him as he drives along the coast. His last stop bears the title of this book, The Cypress House, and it is there that Arlen and Paul find themselves stuck as events beyond their comprehension spiral out of control, and they have to figure out how to survive it.
Character: Arlen Wagner has seen a lot of things, most of them not-so-nice. And you can tell from his crusty character. He's not cranky or belligerent, mind you, just one of those guys who isn't tempted to say something just to hear his own voice or fill a silence. In fact, he usually doesn't say much at all. I like Arlen. Paul is young, only nineteen, and I was surprised that he listened to Arlen and got off the train--shows the boy has some sense in his noggin. But being only nineteen, Paul's pretty full of himself, and gets in over his head at the Cypress House, especially with his feelings (real or imagined) for Rebecca, the owner.
The bad guys are truly bad and irredeemable. And Rebecca is so entangled with them that Arlen and Paul don't really know what to think.
Pace & Plot: The Cypress House seems to take a while to start up and get going, but I think it's because the last bunch of books I've read all started with action right away, then provided the backstory whereas this one starts at point A and moves to point B. The plot does get slow in spots, and some things aren't clear until way later in the story, but it's still a very well-written thriller.
Check this out if you're a fan of Koryta's or if you like a good, well-told, gotta-get-to-the-end yarn.
bergamint's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic blend of noir, supernatural and action. This was the first book I have read by author Michael Koryta but it will not be the last. I found the character development and back stories well written and interesting and the setting was beautiful drawn.
sparkleboymatty's review against another edition
2.0
This was good but not at all what I was expecting. I also found it also took forever to read. The writing was good and characters well developed but I still just found it dragged on for some reason, maybe because it wasn't scary/horror like I expected.
beckylej's review against another edition
4.0
When Arlen Wagner sees death on the train to the Keys, he abandons his trip at the nearest stop. But taking refuge at the Cypress House in Corridor County might be a worse choice!
Michael Koryta is a fantastic author. Smart plots and great characters!
Michael Koryta is a fantastic author. Smart plots and great characters!