The Ridge

By: Michael Koryta

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

In an isolated stretch of Eastern Kentucky, on a hilltop known as Blade Ridge, stands a lighthouse that illuminates nothing but the surrounding woods. For years the lighthouse has been considered no more than an eccentric local landmark - until its builder is found dead at the top of the light, and his belongings reveal a troubling local history.

For Deputy Sheriff Kevin Kimble, the lighthouse-keeper's death is disturbing and personal. Years ago Kimble was shot while on duty. Somehow the death suggests a connection between the lighthouse and the most terrifying moment of his life.

Audrey Clark is in the midst of moving her large-cat sanctuary onto land adjacent to the lighthouse. Sixty-seven tigers, lions, and leopards and one legendary black panther are about to have a new home there. Her husband, the sanctuary's founder, died scouting the new property, and Audrey is determined to see his vision through.

As strange occurrences multiply at the Ridge, the animals grow ever more restless, and Kimble and Audrey try to understand what evil forces are moving through this ancient landscape, just past the divide between dark and light.

The Ridge is the new thriller from international best seller Michael Koryta, further evidence of why Dean Koontz has said "Michael Koryta's work resonates into deeper strata than does most of what I read" and why Michael Connelly has named him "one of the best of the best."

©2011 Michael Koryta (P)2011 Hachette

Not a bad book

But not a great book. I listen when I'm working outside, in a doctor's office and at the end of the day when there's time. If the book is really good it holds my attention. If not, my mind strays and I have to back track. Found it hard to focus on this one some of the time.

The Ridge is excellent!

What made the experience of listening to The Ridge the most enjoyable?

This one is a real page turner. The Ridge starts slowly, almost lazily, giving each character flesh and personality, then allows the reader to see into the minds of each. The other impact that I felt when reading, was that it is so visual. One can see the deep woods surrounding the town; the beauty of the cats at the preserve; and the omnipresent lighthouse.

Kevin Kimball is revealed to be a man of intelligence, great honor, and fortitude, and he does not waver. His is a lonely life, but he attends to duty in the face of all odds. He is truly the strong, silent savior of his town from the beginning to the very last, nail biting end.

This is a ghost story, but not one that can be totally labeled as such. It is not quite like any that I have read, mainly because of the way that it is told. Upon completion, I was filled with a tinge of sadness, but the end is a matter of just the way it had to end. I cannot give any hints about this story, because to do so would be unjust to the reader who has not read this book, but I must say, you will not be disappointed. The Ridge is one of the best books I have read in some time, and now, I am hoping that a movie is made. This one really needs to be on film.

Missed it by that much...

A mix of police procedural, murder mystery and supernatural thriller, The Ridge's varying elements never quite coalesced into a satisfying whole for me. It's written pretty well and the narration is solid but by the last third of the book, I was struggling to get to the finish line.

Not my genre but enjoyed it

Story interesting, not too predictable. Narration was excellent! Not really my genre but I enjoyed the story and storytelling.

Very very cool story!

Any additional comments?

Another wonderful production and a terrific job of storytelling by Michael Koryta. Lots of surprise moments and wonderful characters made this a great read. I love that this author researches the heck out of his subjects, always pulls me in to the story and offers a whole new fascinating subject to frame and support the ghost story.

A Kentucky Ghost Story

I was not sure what form the antagonist would take when I started this book. It could have been anything from shadowy government agencies, to some sort of cryptid creature, to some sort of magical...thing. Turns out that what we are dealing with is a haunted cursed location. One with a decidedly nasty side effect on those who fully experience it.

To be honest, and I am not a huge fan of ghost stories in general, as they tend to cover much of the same ground, in my mind, with only new gross out instances differentiating them. That's an over simplification I know, but it's how I feel.

This story had a few interesting quirks that I felt made it unique. While I personally wouldn't call it a great book, I definitely would call it a cut above the average. I personally would have liked it to have a more clear cut ending with a more definitive "winner". But again, that's me.

If you like ghost stories, curses, "bad" places, and the like, then this is recommended for you. You know who you are.

Perfect Narration

Robert Petkoff is a great narrator. He does a great job bringing the characters to life whether they are old, young, male, or female. I’m glad he is the go to narrator for Koryta.

The story is one of Koryta’s stand alone novels. He blends suspense and lite supernatural genres very well. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He is taking the place of Koontz since Koontz’ writing has floundered. In this book, the characters are well fleshed out and believable. The inclusion of the cat sanctuary deepens the emotional connections with the characters and the readers. There is always a lot to take in with a Koryta book if you are open to it. His characters are very relatable and make you reflect on your own life, how we treat each other, especially those that are different of who go against the grain.

Interesting then compelling

I'm always looking for a suspenseful semi-horror story that isn't filled with gore and graphic sex.
The Ridge is just that.

It's spooking enough, and the characters are deep enough, and the dialog is real enough that i wanted to listen.
It starts off a bit slow and Koryta sort of belabors the relationship between a couple of the characters, but it picks up the speed and chill factor as it goes along.

Robert Petkoff does a great job narrating; he manages distinct voices and affect for each main character to keep your imagination happy.

I strongly recommend this book.

A Plus

My second Michael Koryta, and another winner. A storyline that keeps you involved from the start and top-notch narration.

Disappointing

I was disappointed by the story. It was predictable and none of the characters was believable.