|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
Sheriff Kevin Kimble has his own problems; he's in love with a woman who shot him in the back after killing her own husband. He visits her in prison once a month, hoping she'll tell him why, but she has no memory of that night. One morning, on his way to one of these fruitless visits, he receives a phone call from the local drunk, Wyatt French. Wyatt was once a skilled craftsman and bought a piece of land on the edge of the mountains known as Blade Ridge in order to build log homes on it. But all he ended up building was a lighthouse illuminating nothing but the desolate woodland. Wyatt asks Kimble if he investigates suicides as thoroughly as he does murder, Kimble assures him that he does. Later that night, Wyatt calls a reporter, Roy Darmus, who's clearing out his desk because the local paper has finally been closed down by its corporate owners. He tells Roy that he needs to report on one last story, and that he's going to kill himself. Roy drives to the lighthouse to discover a collection of maps and old photographs, including one of his own parents who died four decades ago in a car accident on Blade Ridge. He also finds Wyatt's dead body at the top of the lighthouse, the gunshot having made such a mess, he falls into the bulb at the shock and breaks it, setting into motion events that Wyatt worked for years to keep at bay. This is a great start to a fast paced ghost story that only stumbles now and again. The introduction of a new wild cat rescue centre next door to the lighthouse does tie in to the story, but while the cats are obviously a passion of the author's, the lengthy descriptions of the beautiful animals slow down what might otherwise be an intense and darker story than the one we end up with. There us also an unfortunate dilution of the tension in the present by much of the exposition coming from stories from the distant past, found in newspaper clippings and files. It's a big plus point of this book that Koryta's characters are, for the most part, believable and likeable. The only exception is the perceived love of Kimble's life, a woman who swings between ice-queen and battered housewife. But despite being key to the perhaps too drawn-out conclusion of the story, she doesn't detract from the investment the reader makes in it. It's easy to follow the twists and turns of the plot even if the end, like so many in the genre, does disappoint slightly by tying up some loose ends and leaving others tantalisingly free. This is a fascinating and captivating read. A great afternoon read. Madeleine Marsh is an aspiring writer who lives in South West England. She helps run sci-fi conventions and loves modern cinema.
Reviewed by Madeleine Marsh, November 2011
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
