The Cypress House
Jan 15, 2011
The Cypress HouseAuthor: Michael Koryta
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: January 24, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-316-05372-3
Arlen Wagner can tell when someone’s going to die. He can see smoke in their eyes and bones through their skin. Now if that’s not a disquieting talent, I don’t know what is.
It’s right after WWII and Arlen and a young co-worker, Paul, are heading down to the swamps in Key West for road work. They've been traveling for 5 hours or so when suddenly Arlen realizes everyone on the train has the smoke in their eyes and their bones showing. They’re all going to die. He tries desperately to tell everyone to get off the train, but only Paul will listen to him.
This is how the two men find themselves stranded in the middle of Southern Florida, staying in a ramshackle inn owned by a gorgeous secretive woman, with the dirty police chief trying to beat information out of them that they don’t possess and a hurricane bearing down on them.
As the storm grows closer and stronger, the enticement of the woman becomes harder for both men to resist and the punishment for daring to become interested in someone else’s business becomes more severe.
This story has mystery, action, violence, bootlegging and paranormal events all thrown in together. Very well pulled together story that kept me on the edge of my seat all the way to the end.
