Honored to report that the New York Times included both THE CYPRESS HOUSE and THE RIDGE in their “best of 2011” roundup. Marilyn Stasio writes:

FAVORITE SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY

“Michael Koryta easily takes top honors for two eerie novels, THE CYPRESS HOUSE (Little, Brown, $24.99), a 1930s gangster story with spooky undertones, and THE RIDGE (Little, Brown, $24.99) , a ghost story set in an old mining region of Kentucky.”

THE CYPRESS HOUSE was also voted one of the 15 best horror novels of the years by the members of the GoodReads community, and both books were generously mentioned in the Miami Herald by the accomplished novelist/historian Les Standiford, whose latest release, BRINGING ADAM HOME, was a fine and heartbreaking history of the murder of Adam Walsh. Les says:

“I have just finished two books by Michael Koryta, who has turned a certain corner from straight-up mystery into historically based thrillers with a supernatural tinge. The new one is The Ridge, featuring a lighthouse built improbably near a large feline rescue center atop a mountain in Kentucky, and in paper is The Cypress House, a ’30s noir set in a creepy inn on Florida’s west coast. These are stylish and intelligent escapes, rich with the author’s appreciation for the power of place and a world that sometimes eludes reason.”

Meanwhile we continue to hope for good things on THE CYPRESS HOUSE film development front from the always-busy Chris Columbus and 1492 Pictures, who had another great year with the tremendous success of THE HELP, which posted the longest run at the top spot in the box office of any movie since THE SIXTH SENSE in 1999. Not bad!

We should have some updates on film news for SO COLD THE RIVER shortly…