THE RIDGE

THE RIDGE is a spooky story about the murky divides between light and dark, superstitions and true evils, folklore and fact.

One of the features that set Michael Koryta' s novels apart from other thriller writers is that they are always imbued with an incredible sense of place, and THE RIDGE is no exception. The town of Center Point, Indiana is home to The Exotic Feline Rescue. The EFRC, was founded in 1991 by Joe Taft on a rural stretch of 15 acres and has since expanded to 108 acres of property, acting as home to 225 big cats from 24 states. The mission is simple: to provide permanent homes for exotic felines that have been abused or abandoned or for some reason have nowhere to live out their lives, while educating the public about these beautiful cats.

Michael Koryta has been fascinated with the idea of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center since he first saw it all of these lions, tigers, cougars, and jaguars living in the middle of nowhere in rural Indiana has the same "misplaced" feel that drew him to the hotels of West Baden (which provided the setting and inspiration for So COLD THE RIVER). Koryta began visiting the center frequently, consulting with Joe Taft on how to most realistically portray this place in his newest supernatural thriller. The sanctuary, combined with the haunting image of a landlocked lighthouse located on Blade Ridge a place that becomes evil with the setting of the sun provides the backdrop for Koryta' s most suspenseflil novel yet. Interwoven throughout this chilling tale is the very real decline of the newspaper industry something Koryta, a former reporter, knows about firsthand.