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The Cypress Trap
A good vacation delivers you home alive.
This is not a good vacation.
When Rayanne commandeers her husband’s weekend fishing trip, she knows it’ll take work to adjust Owen’s attitude. She has no choice. Since the tragedy, they lost so much. They need to reconnect.
Without her knowledge, Owen texts his best buddy, Daryl, to join the getaway. The three of them aren’t alone in the backwoods of Georgia, though.
Owen took something that didn’t belong to him. Something that changed their lives. And now the owner wants it back. By any means -- including a posse led by a killer dog.
At first, Rayanne is clueless about the item and its value. One thing becomes crystal If it’s not returned, they might not make it home alive.
This is not a good vacation.
When Rayanne commandeers her husband’s weekend fishing trip, she knows it’ll take work to adjust Owen’s attitude. She has no choice. Since the tragedy, they lost so much. They need to reconnect.
Without her knowledge, Owen texts his best buddy, Daryl, to join the getaway. The three of them aren’t alone in the backwoods of Georgia, though.
Owen took something that didn’t belong to him. Something that changed their lives. And now the owner wants it back. By any means -- including a posse led by a killer dog.
At first, Rayanne is clueless about the item and its value. One thing becomes crystal If it’s not returned, they might not make it home alive.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 16, 2015
158 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Gatlin
6 books159 followersJC Gatlin is a Mystery-Suspense Author hailing from Tampa, Florida. His last book, H_NGM_N: Murder is the Word, was published by Milford House Press in 2019 and won Gold in Mystery and Crime Fiction in the Florida Royal Palm Literary Awards. His next book, Darkness Hides, is releasing in 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 14, 2017
The difference between bad writing and good writing is that the former screams at you as you read and the latter means you can just read without noticing the writing at all. Then great writing is the kind that gives you a lump in your throat and makes your heart sing. This book falls solidly in the good writing camp, which I was pleasantly surprised by (so many free Amazon books are sadly examples of bad writing). The whole mood of the book remained suspenseful, even frightening, throughout. Who was behind the whole thing was a little predictable but I don't think that detracted at all from the story. This was a little gem of a suspense novel which I can highly recommend if you want to make yourself uncomfortable.
October 23, 2015
The Cypress Trap by J C Gatlin was a wild ride through the cypress swamps of Florida. I love the location. The pacing was superb. J C had me racing through the forest, bobbing and weaving, chased by evil of the human kind. Just when I thought I could take a breath, J C Gatlin had me up and running again.
I knew from the beginning Owen was going to do something stupid, but I didn’t see it coming back to bite him like it did. Watch out for Karma, curses, whatever, because it can be a bitch.
Owen and Rayanne’s vacation turned into a nightmare. He’s not very happy and he hides his anger behind the dark sunglasses he wears. She tiptoes around him, trying not to set him off. The tragedy that they dance around is destroying them.
Why is Darryl, Owen’s best friend, there?
If you are a Supernatural TV show fan, you know about the rabbit’s foot.
Beatings, running, truck crashing, abduction, escape but nowhere to go, hurt can’t run. Rayanne doesn’t quit, doesn’t give up. She is determined to save her husband.
Terror mounts, as each time Rayanne hides, she is found again, through her own fault, making noise and giving herself away, on the run again. That was my only complaint. But it did keep the suspense and fear for her survival racing through the pages, just like she was racing through the cypress forest.
Rayanne is running through the swamp, dodging coyotes, gators, snakes, the wicked teens, Luger and, could we say, bad luck?
The suspense built during Raynne’s heart pounding run for her life, like the Energizer bunny, kept going and going. Every time I thought I could take a breath, she was discovered and on the run again.
I gave The Cypress Trap by J C Gatlin a four rating, because I was frustrated at her inability to get away and her lack of procuring a weapon, when she had more than one opportunity. But, I tell myself, it had to be that way to come up with the great ending and I do love the ending. I wasn’t sure what would happen and kudos to J C Gaitlin for pulling that off.
Maybe I was just having an off day. If you are a suspense lover like me, this is one you will want to read.
I received The Cypress Trap by J C Gatlin in return for an honest and unbiased review.
To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com
I knew from the beginning Owen was going to do something stupid, but I didn’t see it coming back to bite him like it did. Watch out for Karma, curses, whatever, because it can be a bitch.
Owen and Rayanne’s vacation turned into a nightmare. He’s not very happy and he hides his anger behind the dark sunglasses he wears. She tiptoes around him, trying not to set him off. The tragedy that they dance around is destroying them.
Why is Darryl, Owen’s best friend, there?
If you are a Supernatural TV show fan, you know about the rabbit’s foot.
Beatings, running, truck crashing, abduction, escape but nowhere to go, hurt can’t run. Rayanne doesn’t quit, doesn’t give up. She is determined to save her husband.
Terror mounts, as each time Rayanne hides, she is found again, through her own fault, making noise and giving herself away, on the run again. That was my only complaint. But it did keep the suspense and fear for her survival racing through the pages, just like she was racing through the cypress forest.
Rayanne is running through the swamp, dodging coyotes, gators, snakes, the wicked teens, Luger and, could we say, bad luck?
The suspense built during Raynne’s heart pounding run for her life, like the Energizer bunny, kept going and going. Every time I thought I could take a breath, she was discovered and on the run again.
I gave The Cypress Trap by J C Gatlin a four rating, because I was frustrated at her inability to get away and her lack of procuring a weapon, when she had more than one opportunity. But, I tell myself, it had to be that way to come up with the great ending and I do love the ending. I wasn’t sure what would happen and kudos to J C Gaitlin for pulling that off.
Maybe I was just having an off day. If you are a suspense lover like me, this is one you will want to read.
I received The Cypress Trap by J C Gatlin in return for an honest and unbiased review.
To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com
September 21, 2015
REVIEW: THE CYPRESS TRAP by J. C. Gatlin
Before I started this thriller, I thought "another couple goes camping and discovers a trio of psychos" [they do always seem to come in threes, don t they??]. Yes, this couple does camp, and there is danger and deception and weirdness and craziness and lots of long-held secrets. These are, indeed, times that try men's souls--and strain marriages and friendships. I was caught up from the prologue--you might say the author had me at "Go." J. C. Gatlin delivers: there is much here to elicit "oohs," "ahhs," gasps, and even "oh nos." I expect most readers will find these characters lingering on in their minds. A final word: the novel gave far more than my initial expectation [crazed psycho brutality--probably an indication of my reading habits] and rewarded me by making me feel the story.
[I live in Georgia, and over 40 years have lived and traveled widely in this state--so believe me when I say THE CYPRESS TRAP has been a very vivid and realistic experience.]
Before I started this thriller, I thought "another couple goes camping and discovers a trio of psychos" [they do always seem to come in threes, don t they??]. Yes, this couple does camp, and there is danger and deception and weirdness and craziness and lots of long-held secrets. These are, indeed, times that try men's souls--and strain marriages and friendships. I was caught up from the prologue--you might say the author had me at "Go." J. C. Gatlin delivers: there is much here to elicit "oohs," "ahhs," gasps, and even "oh nos." I expect most readers will find these characters lingering on in their minds. A final word: the novel gave far more than my initial expectation [crazed psycho brutality--probably an indication of my reading habits] and rewarded me by making me feel the story.
[I live in Georgia, and over 40 years have lived and traveled widely in this state--so believe me when I say THE CYPRESS TRAP has been a very vivid and realistic experience.]
August 24, 2015
Total page turner!
It was difficult for me to put this down long enough to feed the dogs. Ordinary people, extraordinary circumstances. Not for the faint of heart.
It was difficult for me to put this down long enough to feed the dogs. Ordinary people, extraordinary circumstances. Not for the faint of heart.
October 16, 2015
The Cypress Trap by JC Gatlin
Purchased: Kindle - $3.99 [Received as gift from author in exchange for honest review]
My Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Spoilers!
What's it all about:
When you take something that isn’t yours, expect to pay the consequences. When Rayanne and Owen go on a fishing trip, one that will hopefully help their marriage, they don’t expect to be harassed by a bunch of teenagers. When these teens don’t go away though is when things get bad. They want something that Owen took a long time ago. Follow this mystery of what this item really does, and just how far anyone is willing to go to get it, and what it can do to tear people apart.
The Best Parts:
The part that I liked the most was the first chapter. Best part of the whole damn book. It set up for such suspense, and set in the rabbit’s foot, and what it can do, and even a death, which is like yea! Mystery already. Then there was the Fifteen Years Later… and all you can think is Ohhhhhhh, is he dead, what happened?! Then nothing. Absolutely nothing until about 3/4s of the way through. It was a little disappointing. The ending with everyone on the boat was good, and great that it all came back around, but it was very anticlimactic.
The Worst Parts:
Now to talk about the hardships of this novel. This is supposed to be a suspense thriller. There was murder, and chasing, and hunting, but it wasn’t suspense. It was just frustrating. There was so much focus, on Rayanne and Owen and their marriage problems, and the death of their son, and her cutting herself, that I totally lost sight of what happened at the beginning of the novel. It wasn’t until the teenagers come into play that something else happens, but all these two can harp on in their lost love. The whole middle of this novel is kids chasing these two adults and them trying to run for their lives. That’s it. It’s not badly written, even though things are described too much. There are too many long paragraphs, and even things that characters talked about once, come up multiple other times, like they forgot they already talked about it. I think that this could have been a great novel if it hadn’t lead the way it did. I was expecting one story, and got another. There were too many variables left open to the reader to where they are trying to figure out what is actually happening. I mean I read a lot, so it was super easy to connect that when Scut said Owen had something, that it was the rabbits’s foot, and then the person who wanted it back was Grover. Mystery solved 1/4 of the way through the novel.
*Major spoilers from here on out*
Then there was the rabbit’s foot itself. This variable was paranormal and I wish it would have been expanded upon more, but nope. It was introduced, and explained slightly what it was do, told where it can from and that’s it. It was hard to believe in when we never saw first hand what it can do. If this rabbit’s foot was so lucky then why didn’t Owen live? When Owen lost the foot his son died, so why when Rayanne had the foot, Owen didn’t live? Even when Darryl had the foot he got beaten to a pulp. It was all just too unrealistic to the point where everything that happened was meticulously planned out in favor of specific characters. I just found it hard to believe that with all the fighting going on in this book that Rayanne and Owen would be able to work everything out in five seconds and then at the end Owen sacrifices himself to save Rayanne and then Rayanne committed murder. I just think that it started off great and then went off on a tangent.
Final Thoughts:
When I started this novel I was invested and wanted to read it, and then it got ridiculous. I finished it just to finish it. I needed to know exactly where the characters and plot were going to go, and literally they went no where, but somehow they were all over the place. This novels needed a little more TLC in the organization part and then it would have been great.
Purchased: Kindle - $3.99 [Received as gift from author in exchange for honest review]
My Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Spoilers!
What's it all about:
When you take something that isn’t yours, expect to pay the consequences. When Rayanne and Owen go on a fishing trip, one that will hopefully help their marriage, they don’t expect to be harassed by a bunch of teenagers. When these teens don’t go away though is when things get bad. They want something that Owen took a long time ago. Follow this mystery of what this item really does, and just how far anyone is willing to go to get it, and what it can do to tear people apart.
The Best Parts:
The part that I liked the most was the first chapter. Best part of the whole damn book. It set up for such suspense, and set in the rabbit’s foot, and what it can do, and even a death, which is like yea! Mystery already. Then there was the Fifteen Years Later… and all you can think is Ohhhhhhh, is he dead, what happened?! Then nothing. Absolutely nothing until about 3/4s of the way through. It was a little disappointing. The ending with everyone on the boat was good, and great that it all came back around, but it was very anticlimactic.
The Worst Parts:
Now to talk about the hardships of this novel. This is supposed to be a suspense thriller. There was murder, and chasing, and hunting, but it wasn’t suspense. It was just frustrating. There was so much focus, on Rayanne and Owen and their marriage problems, and the death of their son, and her cutting herself, that I totally lost sight of what happened at the beginning of the novel. It wasn’t until the teenagers come into play that something else happens, but all these two can harp on in their lost love. The whole middle of this novel is kids chasing these two adults and them trying to run for their lives. That’s it. It’s not badly written, even though things are described too much. There are too many long paragraphs, and even things that characters talked about once, come up multiple other times, like they forgot they already talked about it. I think that this could have been a great novel if it hadn’t lead the way it did. I was expecting one story, and got another. There were too many variables left open to the reader to where they are trying to figure out what is actually happening. I mean I read a lot, so it was super easy to connect that when Scut said Owen had something, that it was the rabbits’s foot, and then the person who wanted it back was Grover. Mystery solved 1/4 of the way through the novel.
*Major spoilers from here on out*
Then there was the rabbit’s foot itself. This variable was paranormal and I wish it would have been expanded upon more, but nope. It was introduced, and explained slightly what it was do, told where it can from and that’s it. It was hard to believe in when we never saw first hand what it can do. If this rabbit’s foot was so lucky then why didn’t Owen live? When Owen lost the foot his son died, so why when Rayanne had the foot, Owen didn’t live? Even when Darryl had the foot he got beaten to a pulp. It was all just too unrealistic to the point where everything that happened was meticulously planned out in favor of specific characters. I just found it hard to believe that with all the fighting going on in this book that Rayanne and Owen would be able to work everything out in five seconds and then at the end Owen sacrifices himself to save Rayanne and then Rayanne committed murder. I just think that it started off great and then went off on a tangent.
Final Thoughts:
When I started this novel I was invested and wanted to read it, and then it got ridiculous. I finished it just to finish it. I needed to know exactly where the characters and plot were going to go, and literally they went no where, but somehow they were all over the place. This novels needed a little more TLC in the organization part and then it would have been great.
September 8, 2015
This is truly a suspense thriller that grabbed my attention from the first chapter. As Grover, Owen, Derrick and their teenage friends are playing around on a cliff overlooking the river, JC Gatlin uses his strengths as a writer to get you nervous and anxious for the unfolding tragedy. You feel yourself wanting to scream “NO!” as you know something terrible is about to happen. Needless to say, my heart was racing and I didn’t want to put this book down.
Jump forward a few years and Owen and his wife Rayanne are on a long overdue weekend away. Their marriage obviously has trouble and stress (for good reasons), and Rayanne is hoping a weekend away will pull Owen out of his continual bad mood.
As they prepare for a relaxing fishing trip, Rayanne gets a nervous feeling that someone is following them. Well she’s right – evil people are trying to hunt them down, and find a talisman that’s been missing for years.
The story examines the difficulties that Owen and Rayanne have been experiencing since tragedy has struck their lives. Their encounter with the teenagers who are looking for them, prompts Owen to contact his old friend Derrick for help and support. The story continues as these teenagers, hunt down Owen, Rayanne and Derrick and try to regain ownership of the talisman. Rayanne seems to be insecure, with a past that continues to haunt her. Owen has a wreckless temper, as he seems to be unable to control anything in his life.
JC Gatlins writing style is developed and full of description so that you feel part of each scene and are truly under his spell of suspense. The characters never give up, and Owen and Rayanne’s love strengthens in the face of danger. The ending gives a possibility of a sequel, I hope that happens. The language is mild and JC Gatlin uses a synonym for the f-word. There is violence, but it’s not graphic. There are no sex scenes. I don’t like to give spoilers away in my reviews. I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I hope you give this book a chance. Enjoy!
Jump forward a few years and Owen and his wife Rayanne are on a long overdue weekend away. Their marriage obviously has trouble and stress (for good reasons), and Rayanne is hoping a weekend away will pull Owen out of his continual bad mood.
As they prepare for a relaxing fishing trip, Rayanne gets a nervous feeling that someone is following them. Well she’s right – evil people are trying to hunt them down, and find a talisman that’s been missing for years.
The story examines the difficulties that Owen and Rayanne have been experiencing since tragedy has struck their lives. Their encounter with the teenagers who are looking for them, prompts Owen to contact his old friend Derrick for help and support. The story continues as these teenagers, hunt down Owen, Rayanne and Derrick and try to regain ownership of the talisman. Rayanne seems to be insecure, with a past that continues to haunt her. Owen has a wreckless temper, as he seems to be unable to control anything in his life.
JC Gatlins writing style is developed and full of description so that you feel part of each scene and are truly under his spell of suspense. The characters never give up, and Owen and Rayanne’s love strengthens in the face of danger. The ending gives a possibility of a sequel, I hope that happens. The language is mild and JC Gatlin uses a synonym for the f-word. There is violence, but it’s not graphic. There are no sex scenes. I don’t like to give spoilers away in my reviews. I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I hope you give this book a chance. Enjoy!
October 23, 2015
In ‘The Cypress Trap’ we meet Rayanne and her husband Owen. Rayanne and Owen are on their way to a nice weekend together. The last two years have been very hard on the couple and their marriage is severing. Rayanne is determined to make this weekend great. All she wants is to see Owen smile again. When Rayanne and Owen arrive at the lake side they plan to stay for the weekend, Rayanne can feel something is wrong. A black van seems to be following them, and there are some angry teens looking for trouble. When Owen’s best friend Daryl shows up in the middle of their trip, Rayanne is convinced the trip was a big mistake. But what they didn’t expect was that they were soon fighting for their lives.
‘The Cypress Trap’ is a relatively short and thrilling story that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the moment you start reading. And I literary mean from the moment you start reading. There is no slow introduction in this book. It starts right at the beginning of the camping trip of Rayanne and Owen. And although you don’t immediately get everything that’s going on, for example why Rayanne and Owen are having trouble, this book is written in a way that you just want to keep reading. And slowly on everything becomes clear.
I loved the mystery of this book and the way it takes place in the woods surrounding a lake. It just made this book a little more thrilling and I loved every minute of it. What I also love about this story is that is really isn’t a paranormal book, but it can definitely make you think it is. That sounds confusing, but you just have to read it for yourself to get what I’m saying.
The characters are interesting to get to know. And what I really liked was the way I really didn’t like Owen at all in the beginning. It really took me a while, and I really needed some extra information about him.. But slowly on I began liking him more and more. Rayanne just sounded a little weak in the beginning but she also really grow on me.
This is definitely a fun and thrilling book and perfect to read in these days before Halloween!
‘The Cypress Trap’ is a relatively short and thrilling story that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the moment you start reading. And I literary mean from the moment you start reading. There is no slow introduction in this book. It starts right at the beginning of the camping trip of Rayanne and Owen. And although you don’t immediately get everything that’s going on, for example why Rayanne and Owen are having trouble, this book is written in a way that you just want to keep reading. And slowly on everything becomes clear.
I loved the mystery of this book and the way it takes place in the woods surrounding a lake. It just made this book a little more thrilling and I loved every minute of it. What I also love about this story is that is really isn’t a paranormal book, but it can definitely make you think it is. That sounds confusing, but you just have to read it for yourself to get what I’m saying.
The characters are interesting to get to know. And what I really liked was the way I really didn’t like Owen at all in the beginning. It really took me a while, and I really needed some extra information about him.. But slowly on I began liking him more and more. Rayanne just sounded a little weak in the beginning but she also really grow on me.
This is definitely a fun and thrilling book and perfect to read in these days before Halloween!
September 14, 2015
Owen and Darryl are lifelong friends. Grover is their good friend also, but he leaves the story early and violently. Rayanne, Owen’s wife, watches a lot of television and seems to reference whatever is going on in her present life to TV events. Rayanne and Owen have marital problems (its all about Connor—read the story) and decide to get away from it all while fishing or possibly camping. After finding a deserted, private place to fish, complete with alligators and possibly bears, they discover there are stalkers with the Deliverance like names Of Scut, Rude Roddy, and Dru, not to mention Luger (a dog). The stalkers are pursuing them for a reason that is dark and hidden into the distant past. Owen isn’t sure of the reason, Rayanne is clueless, Darryl knows but won’t tell, and most of the stalkers don’t seem to know what they are looking for.
And the violence is on. Luger, a Rottweiler, is the only one following his nature. Scut, a psychopath, might be following his nature, and everyone else improvises, either initiating or reacting to violence. Mayhem comes from a rifle, a pistol, a tire iron, barbed wire, a baseball bat, and arrows.
This is a fast read and a good distraction on a plane. I read the book from start to finish on a Surabaya (Indonesia)-Singapore-Bangkok trip. There are clever clues as to what is coming, understated humor and, for those who demand it, a logical and final ending. Except for the sheriff? What happened to the sheriff?
Note: I used to be a sheriff’s deputy, so these things interest me.
Further note: I received a copy of this book gratis and want to thank the author with a review.
And the violence is on. Luger, a Rottweiler, is the only one following his nature. Scut, a psychopath, might be following his nature, and everyone else improvises, either initiating or reacting to violence. Mayhem comes from a rifle, a pistol, a tire iron, barbed wire, a baseball bat, and arrows.
This is a fast read and a good distraction on a plane. I read the book from start to finish on a Surabaya (Indonesia)-Singapore-Bangkok trip. There are clever clues as to what is coming, understated humor and, for those who demand it, a logical and final ending. Except for the sheriff? What happened to the sheriff?
Note: I used to be a sheriff’s deputy, so these things interest me.
Further note: I received a copy of this book gratis and want to thank the author with a review.
August 25, 2015
The past catches up with Owen Meeks while he’s on a fishing trip with his wife, Rayanne. The two of them are trying to cope with the death of their son, Connor, two years previously, but without telling Rayanne, Owen has texted his best friend, Daryl, to join them. Then, they find themselves being stalked by a murderous group of teens who are demanding that Owen return an object he took fifteen years earlier from another friend of his, Grover Lott.
The Cypress Trap by J. D. Gatlin, is a taut thriller that follows them as they fight for their lives, against human attackers and the swamp itself. Between the teen gang, a killer dog, and the alligators, you’re left wondering at times if anyone will be alive at the end of the story.
The author writes with a sure hand as he describes the terrain and its perils, and has created a compelling cast of characters. The killer dog that the teens used initially to attack Owen and Rayanne was reminiscence at first of Cujo, but in the end was one of the most interesting characters. It was interesting how the author deftly wove the paranormal aspects of the rabbit’s foot into the story without making too big a deal of it. The machine-gun pace of language in some parts was a bit jarring, but not overly distracting.
The ending of the book caught me completely by surprise—always a delight when reading books in this genre.
The Cypress Trap by J. D. Gatlin, is a taut thriller that follows them as they fight for their lives, against human attackers and the swamp itself. Between the teen gang, a killer dog, and the alligators, you’re left wondering at times if anyone will be alive at the end of the story.
The author writes with a sure hand as he describes the terrain and its perils, and has created a compelling cast of characters. The killer dog that the teens used initially to attack Owen and Rayanne was reminiscence at first of Cujo, but in the end was one of the most interesting characters. It was interesting how the author deftly wove the paranormal aspects of the rabbit’s foot into the story without making too big a deal of it. The machine-gun pace of language in some parts was a bit jarring, but not overly distracting.
The ending of the book caught me completely by surprise—always a delight when reading books in this genre.
March 7, 2017
Interesting but reads like a first draft.
This book is a bit over the top. It is really a survival story and a mystery, but completely unbelievable. There is a magical aspect to it, but unfortunately that's not the part that kills the credibility of the story. It's every thing else in the book. The main character is very well rounded and empathetic. All the other characters are ridiculous cartoonish and stereo typical. It goes on way too long with everybody trying to find and kill each other or find help and escape from the woods and the killers.. It's like an enchanted forest where everyone keeps ending up in the same place, fighting the same enemies over and over and over and over again. There are huge unexplained plot holes. A sheriff who comes to the rescue and radios back up neither the sheriff or the back up are ever mentioned again. And the hiding and fighting and violence goes on for at least another day. Even a racoon gets caught in the same cage more than once. Everyone who is as good as dead one minute lives to fight another day, despite being dead or paralyzed and awaiting rescue, they can fight like able bodies people and run like marathoners with only a granola bar to sustain them over the course of several
days. It's just ridiculous.
This book is a bit over the top. It is really a survival story and a mystery, but completely unbelievable. There is a magical aspect to it, but unfortunately that's not the part that kills the credibility of the story. It's every thing else in the book. The main character is very well rounded and empathetic. All the other characters are ridiculous cartoonish and stereo typical. It goes on way too long with everybody trying to find and kill each other or find help and escape from the woods and the killers.. It's like an enchanted forest where everyone keeps ending up in the same place, fighting the same enemies over and over and over and over again. There are huge unexplained plot holes. A sheriff who comes to the rescue and radios back up neither the sheriff or the back up are ever mentioned again. And the hiding and fighting and violence goes on for at least another day. Even a racoon gets caught in the same cage more than once. Everyone who is as good as dead one minute lives to fight another day, despite being dead or paralyzed and awaiting rescue, they can fight like able bodies people and run like marathoners with only a granola bar to sustain them over the course of several
days. It's just ridiculous.
August 30, 2015
The book started off slowly, and I wasn't sure it was a thriller at first. But once it took off, it was definitely a fast-paced, roller-coaster thriller.
There were some inconsistencies in the plot: How did the bad guys know where to set up their camp since Owen and Rayanne hadn't made plans? Though the evil teens followed them to find where they were, they were already set up in an old cabin. How could Owen's childhood friend be "old" when Owen was in his early thirties? What happened to the sheriff? How could Owen be bleeding heavily over a period of twenty-four hours and still run without collapsing or even dying?
Though these questions pulled me out of the story, it was still an exciting ride that kept me reading to the end. The book didn't end the way I would have liked, but it wasn't a cliffhanger and it was believable.
The author provided a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
There were some inconsistencies in the plot: How did the bad guys know where to set up their camp since Owen and Rayanne hadn't made plans? Though the evil teens followed them to find where they were, they were already set up in an old cabin. How could Owen's childhood friend be "old" when Owen was in his early thirties? What happened to the sheriff? How could Owen be bleeding heavily over a period of twenty-four hours and still run without collapsing or even dying?
Though these questions pulled me out of the story, it was still an exciting ride that kept me reading to the end. The book didn't end the way I would have liked, but it wasn't a cliffhanger and it was believable.
The author provided a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
September 24, 2021
I considered not finishing it. There were so many just WTF moments reading this. First if a man and woman have been attacked and they know the attackers are after them specifically and it wasn't a wrong time wrong place situation then why, why, why would the man go off with a friend and leave the woman alone in the same place the next day. Why would the woman want to stay alone? Why would said woman leave the keys and phone and go walking around woods where she was attacked?
Woman find police to help her and discovers husband gone. She tells police he couldn't have walked off on his own, he can barely move he is so injured. For several more chapters that same man is running all over the place an fighting people. Police have called for paramedics and back up, yet they never enter the scene at all. It is just all so stupid and farfetched. A dog has been trained to attack , attacks husband, tries to viciously attack wife. Wife attacks dog, suddenly dog is attached and protective of that same woman?
The author has potential but needs someone to proof his work and let him know how off it is.
Woman find police to help her and discovers husband gone. She tells police he couldn't have walked off on his own, he can barely move he is so injured. For several more chapters that same man is running all over the place an fighting people. Police have called for paramedics and back up, yet they never enter the scene at all. It is just all so stupid and farfetched. A dog has been trained to attack , attacks husband, tries to viciously attack wife. Wife attacks dog, suddenly dog is attached and protective of that same woman?
The author has potential but needs someone to proof his work and let him know how off it is.
March 21, 2017
I did not like Owen at first because I didn't understand why he was so mean to his wife. He clearly didn't want her on that fishing trip. Then I got it--Rayanne came on the trip in an effort to patch things up in their marriage and Owen was wounded because of the problems. The story got really interesting after the bad guys came on scene. Such a Radom object to hire thugs to recover after all those years!! I was a little confused about why Owen's buddy joined the fishing trip until we learn his roll in the list object. I repeatedly hated Rayanne. Every time she tried to escape the bad guys she would show herself by making noise. Are you kidding me!?!? These guys want to cause her damage and she has to gasp at the worst time possible or she has to adjust her crouch and slips in the mud right in front of them. Seriously lady!! Can you just be silent so you don't get killed or beaten??? I thought the dog was weird--first he is the mascot for the troop of thugs; then Rayanne bashes him in the head with a crow bar; then he is her shadow, follows her every where and saves her from drowning. Very weird. Overall, it was an interesting mystery. A little rabbit's foot that didn't seem to bring anyone much luck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2019
What a riveting and thrilling adventure. The past caught up to Owen, yet it was for the worst reasons. The Cypress tree described the relationship between Owen and Rayanne because they both lost tremendously and gained some truths in their relationship. I didn't get the beginning story correlation to the ending, but it was cohesive and the luck of the hare came full circle for Rayanne. I just hope she doesn't lose her charm, because she's lost too much just to lose her soul as well.
May 18, 2017
Good mystery
This is my first bok by this author and I really enjoyed reading it. It will keep you guessing all the way through the book. This book will keep wondering all the way through it.
Yes I would recommend it if you like mystery.
This is my first bok by this author and I really enjoyed reading it. It will keep you guessing all the way through the book. This book will keep wondering all the way through it.
Yes I would recommend it if you like mystery.
September 4, 2017
A ridiculous story! The author got carried away with the plot.
October 22, 2017
Suspenseful
Non stop suspense. Didn't know what was going to happen. I tried to read non stop but needed to sleep too. Very good read.
Non stop suspense. Didn't know what was going to happen. I tried to read non stop but needed to sleep too. Very good read.
March 9, 2017
Superstition Run Amuk
It's not a bad read. The story line is very much like an episode of Supernatural. It is fast paced and keeps the reader's attention.
It's not a bad read. The story line is very much like an episode of Supernatural. It is fast paced and keeps the reader's attention.
March 5, 2017
This is how a simple fishing trip for a husband and wife can go terribly wrong for a seemingly simple reason.
February 20, 2017
Enjoyed
Enjoyed this book but it was over too soon. Wish we could have gone to Australia with Rayanne & Luger
Enjoyed this book but it was over too soon. Wish we could have gone to Australia with Rayanne & Luger
September 22, 2015
How sad would your life be if everything depended on a good-luck charm?
After a prologue of kids jumping into a watering hole somewhere in the South, we’re taken to a failing marriage on a fishing vacation, with both still trying to recover from the death of their child. It’s been said that in such situations it’s more likely for the couple to split up rather than stay together, and though she’s trying her hardest, it looks like this is heading that way. . . which confuses me, because this protagonist is no great prize. He calls his recent life “an extraordinarily atrocious run of bad luck,” when in reality it’s more like incredible stupidity and stubbornness.
The couple and their friend are chased by bad teens, though no one believes them. Finally the sheriff helps her out, except we never find out what happens to him, other than the implication he was killed by the bad teens. I was feeling sympathy for her, but now she seems as dumb and self-centered as her husband. Unfortunately the sheriff’s simply forgotten and we’ll never know.
There are some reasons a dog might change allegiances, even a brutal attack dog. Being hit on the head is not one of them.
Because there had to be a reason for the prologue, I wasn’t surprised when that person showed up; still, I think the author cheated a little with that. Hard to believe someone could get so hung up on a good-luck charm, but then there’s plenty of crazy to go around.
The worst part for me was how the main character’s injury left his leg too shredded to walk, and yet without any medical care later in the book he’s able to fight off some bad guys and survive being thrown in the lake. Or perhaps the worst part is at the end I really wasn’t shook up at all about the deaths.
Though the writing was enjoyable, these several huge inconsistencies in the plot mentioned above doomed it for me.
After a prologue of kids jumping into a watering hole somewhere in the South, we’re taken to a failing marriage on a fishing vacation, with both still trying to recover from the death of their child. It’s been said that in such situations it’s more likely for the couple to split up rather than stay together, and though she’s trying her hardest, it looks like this is heading that way. . . which confuses me, because this protagonist is no great prize. He calls his recent life “an extraordinarily atrocious run of bad luck,” when in reality it’s more like incredible stupidity and stubbornness.
The couple and their friend are chased by bad teens, though no one believes them. Finally the sheriff helps her out, except we never find out what happens to him, other than the implication he was killed by the bad teens. I was feeling sympathy for her, but now she seems as dumb and self-centered as her husband. Unfortunately the sheriff’s simply forgotten and we’ll never know.
There are some reasons a dog might change allegiances, even a brutal attack dog. Being hit on the head is not one of them.
Because there had to be a reason for the prologue, I wasn’t surprised when that person showed up; still, I think the author cheated a little with that. Hard to believe someone could get so hung up on a good-luck charm, but then there’s plenty of crazy to go around.
The worst part for me was how the main character’s injury left his leg too shredded to walk, and yet without any medical care later in the book he’s able to fight off some bad guys and survive being thrown in the lake. Or perhaps the worst part is at the end I really wasn’t shook up at all about the deaths.
Though the writing was enjoyable, these several huge inconsistencies in the plot mentioned above doomed it for me.
October 11, 2015
I received an eARC of the book via Sage Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.
I have been on romance binge - that is all I have been reading are romance books - the adult kind ;)
So when the chance came to review this wonderfully mysterious novel (have you read the blurb?), I jumped at it, because while I can never be tired of the romance genre, I just needed something different every now and again!
And The Cypress Trap provided me that and more!
Owen and Rayyanne are a couple whose marriage is in trouble - from everything mundane that a couple goes through to something so horrifying that no couple should ever have to go through!
But this fishing weekend isn't only for reviving their marriage, it's also a chance for the past to actually come and bite them, Owen specifically, in the tush!
This is a very fast book - right from the start till the end. I wasn't kidding, like it really was hard to catch my breath on everything that kept happening and that's the only downside to this book. I could have used a breather, a little respite from all the action, but maybe that's only cause I have been reading a little slow kind of books!
This story had everything - from psychotic teens, to rabid dog, to a underlining of s superstition, to characters that had still time to grow even while fighting for their lives! The writing - oh the writing basically just hooks you,, especially the Prologue! I mean that was just plain brilliant.
Mr. Gaitlin is the just kind of author who I look forward to reading from!
For more reviews don't forget to visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds
I have been on romance binge - that is all I have been reading are romance books - the adult kind ;)
So when the chance came to review this wonderfully mysterious novel (have you read the blurb?), I jumped at it, because while I can never be tired of the romance genre, I just needed something different every now and again!
And The Cypress Trap provided me that and more!
Owen and Rayyanne are a couple whose marriage is in trouble - from everything mundane that a couple goes through to something so horrifying that no couple should ever have to go through!
But this fishing weekend isn't only for reviving their marriage, it's also a chance for the past to actually come and bite them, Owen specifically, in the tush!
This is a very fast book - right from the start till the end. I wasn't kidding, like it really was hard to catch my breath on everything that kept happening and that's the only downside to this book. I could have used a breather, a little respite from all the action, but maybe that's only cause I have been reading a little slow kind of books!
This story had everything - from psychotic teens, to rabid dog, to a underlining of s superstition, to characters that had still time to grow even while fighting for their lives! The writing - oh the writing basically just hooks you,, especially the Prologue! I mean that was just plain brilliant.
Mr. Gaitlin is the just kind of author who I look forward to reading from!
For more reviews don't forget to visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds
October 10, 2015
The prologue showed a young Owen, just graduated from high school goading his best friend to take a plunge off the cliff into the water some thirty feet below. Grover was afraid, but trying not to show it. Instead, he kept touching his rabbit’s foot for luck. Finally, tired of waiting, Owen yanks his arm, and Grover goes flying over the side … and plunging to his death.
Fifteen years later, Owen is still an a-hole. Married to Rayanne, who is trying all by herself to make their marriage work, Owen would rather be with his buddy Darryl at the Bass Tournament. Instead, he has taken Rayanne camping. It seems she can’t do anything right. He is constantly irritated at her. Unbeknownst to her, he called Darryl and the twosome would soon become two with a third wheel … and Rayanne would be the one to feel like the third wheel. However, with twenty-something-year-old kids heckling and afflicting them, maybe it would be good to have the extra person. What do these darn kids want anyway? What is Owen not telling Rayanne?
This started out very interesting. Owen was a very unlikable character from the get-go and manages to pull strong emotions from the reader. At the same time, the reader feels sorry for Rayanne, because she is simply trying too hard. When they’re in real trouble, the story goes stereotypical into the idea that you don’t appreciate the people you have in your life until there’s a danger of losing them. It was a psychological thriller in that the kids could become so vicious with so little provocation. Logistically, there were a couple of scenes that just couldn’t have played out the way it was described. Rating: 3 out of 5.
Fifteen years later, Owen is still an a-hole. Married to Rayanne, who is trying all by herself to make their marriage work, Owen would rather be with his buddy Darryl at the Bass Tournament. Instead, he has taken Rayanne camping. It seems she can’t do anything right. He is constantly irritated at her. Unbeknownst to her, he called Darryl and the twosome would soon become two with a third wheel … and Rayanne would be the one to feel like the third wheel. However, with twenty-something-year-old kids heckling and afflicting them, maybe it would be good to have the extra person. What do these darn kids want anyway? What is Owen not telling Rayanne?
This started out very interesting. Owen was a very unlikable character from the get-go and manages to pull strong emotions from the reader. At the same time, the reader feels sorry for Rayanne, because she is simply trying too hard. When they’re in real trouble, the story goes stereotypical into the idea that you don’t appreciate the people you have in your life until there’s a danger of losing them. It was a psychological thriller in that the kids could become so vicious with so little provocation. Logistically, there were a couple of scenes that just couldn’t have played out the way it was described. Rating: 3 out of 5.
September 19, 2015
I wasn't prepared to like this book. Now, don't get silly and ask me why. I think it's because I got it as an ebook deal and because there are so many, well, just plain pretty bad ebooks out there, I've come to be suspicious. But I must say the author really pulled out the suspense fabulously.
Picture this: A husband and wife who suffered the loss of a child and don't seem to connect well at all anymore. Okay. In an initially strained effort to bond again, they go off on a fishing trip. The wife hates fishing expeditions. The husband loves them, but always goes with his best buddy. Still, they try. And then, rather abruptly, they're taunted and then viciously attacked by a couple of teenagers, one of whom owns a really evil dog. Meanwhile, the friend, a fella named Owen, shows up because the husband had texted him to come. Apparently, it wasn't going so well with the wife after all. That annoyed Rayanne, the wife, but it all quickly became beside the point when those teens surfaced. They seemed to want something they said the husband had. What?
Well, I'm not going to spoil it for you. You'll have to read the story and how it concludes yourself because to say much more would be to spoil the fast pace and tension of the story.
Very, very nicely done. I recommend it to all suspense readers, especially those who long for something both figuratively and literally off the beaten path.
Picture this: A husband and wife who suffered the loss of a child and don't seem to connect well at all anymore. Okay. In an initially strained effort to bond again, they go off on a fishing trip. The wife hates fishing expeditions. The husband loves them, but always goes with his best buddy. Still, they try. And then, rather abruptly, they're taunted and then viciously attacked by a couple of teenagers, one of whom owns a really evil dog. Meanwhile, the friend, a fella named Owen, shows up because the husband had texted him to come. Apparently, it wasn't going so well with the wife after all. That annoyed Rayanne, the wife, but it all quickly became beside the point when those teens surfaced. They seemed to want something they said the husband had. What?
Well, I'm not going to spoil it for you. You'll have to read the story and how it concludes yourself because to say much more would be to spoil the fast pace and tension of the story.
Very, very nicely done. I recommend it to all suspense readers, especially those who long for something both figuratively and literally off the beaten path.
October 16, 2015
I was given an ARC book for an honest review free of persuasion from the author or anyone else affiliated with this book.
CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS
I absolutely love suspense thriller books. This book did not disappoint in the least! This book will grip you from the very first page and not let go until the end. The descriptive wording of the book allows you to feel like you are really there with the characters in the middle of the woods. You will feel the feelings of the characters and the environment. You will laugh and cry with the characters as they try to fight their ways out of the terror. This book will have you hanging onto the edge of your seat wondering if anyone is going to get out alive!
Owen and Rayanne are on their way to a fishing trip. This is their attempt to reconnect and hopefully heal their marriage. Things are going ok until Rayanne notices a black van tailing them. Owen discounts Rayanne's fear. They make their way to the lake. This is where everything really starts to build for the characters. What past haunts Owen and Rayanne? Will they succeed in repairing their marriage? What else is in store for our characters? Will anyone get home alive?
I enjoyed this book by JC Gatlin. I look forward to reading more of his work in the future! I would recommend this book to others who like suspense stories!
CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS
I absolutely love suspense thriller books. This book did not disappoint in the least! This book will grip you from the very first page and not let go until the end. The descriptive wording of the book allows you to feel like you are really there with the characters in the middle of the woods. You will feel the feelings of the characters and the environment. You will laugh and cry with the characters as they try to fight their ways out of the terror. This book will have you hanging onto the edge of your seat wondering if anyone is going to get out alive!
Owen and Rayanne are on their way to a fishing trip. This is their attempt to reconnect and hopefully heal their marriage. Things are going ok until Rayanne notices a black van tailing them. Owen discounts Rayanne's fear. They make their way to the lake. This is where everything really starts to build for the characters. What past haunts Owen and Rayanne? Will they succeed in repairing their marriage? What else is in store for our characters? Will anyone get home alive?
I enjoyed this book by JC Gatlin. I look forward to reading more of his work in the future! I would recommend this book to others who like suspense stories!
September 24, 2015
As I've been going through some medical procedures, I've been searching for a book to get my mind off health issues and burying myself (figuratively) in a good book.
In this well written gripping story, a wife and her husband are having a difficult time with their marriage. He is about to go on a fishing trip and she persuades him to allow her to accompany her.What she had been unaware of is that he had already asked to bring one of his buddies, so there is a threesome.
The story moves right along and something about the husband's past catches up with him. The party is crashed by a group of murderous teenagers who claim that Owen, the husband, has something that belongs to them and they demand getting it back.
There is no help to be found and things get dicey fast.
Not to give away segments of the plot but just try to imagine a deserted Florida waterway where where an innocent group of fisherman are stalked with no one to ask for help.
The characters are well described and are sympathetic. They find themselves in a dire predicament where the reader could see themselves with a little imagination. The reader becomes engrossed and will find it difficult to put the book down.
Recommended.
In this well written gripping story, a wife and her husband are having a difficult time with their marriage. He is about to go on a fishing trip and she persuades him to allow her to accompany her.What she had been unaware of is that he had already asked to bring one of his buddies, so there is a threesome.
The story moves right along and something about the husband's past catches up with him. The party is crashed by a group of murderous teenagers who claim that Owen, the husband, has something that belongs to them and they demand getting it back.
There is no help to be found and things get dicey fast.
Not to give away segments of the plot but just try to imagine a deserted Florida waterway where where an innocent group of fisherman are stalked with no one to ask for help.
The characters are well described and are sympathetic. They find themselves in a dire predicament where the reader could see themselves with a little imagination. The reader becomes engrossed and will find it difficult to put the book down.
Recommended.
October 18, 2015
Hang on to your boot straps! This is one intense, suspense filled read.
Rayanne knows her marriage is in trouble, so she talks her husband, Owens, into changing his plans and going fishing with her. They need to work on things.
She’s none too happy when Owens fishing buddy Daryl shows up, but sucks it up and goes along with them. What first appears to be some punk kids messing with them on the lake quickly turns into a fight for their lives.
From the water, to the woods, to an old cabin, they are relentlessly pursued by maniacal teens and a ferocious Rottweiler.
It makes you think twice about going off road. You go on a trip into the wilderness, or even just a bit away from the populace, never thinking anything bad will happen. Is that ignorance? Or is it denial? Bad things happen all the time. People disappear and are never found.
What do the teens want? How did it get so out of control?
I can’t wait for you to read this book and find out. It’s something so inconsequential.
And the relentless suspense will keep you reading to the end.
I received this book for my honest review.
Rayanne knows her marriage is in trouble, so she talks her husband, Owens, into changing his plans and going fishing with her. They need to work on things.
She’s none too happy when Owens fishing buddy Daryl shows up, but sucks it up and goes along with them. What first appears to be some punk kids messing with them on the lake quickly turns into a fight for their lives.
From the water, to the woods, to an old cabin, they are relentlessly pursued by maniacal teens and a ferocious Rottweiler.
It makes you think twice about going off road. You go on a trip into the wilderness, or even just a bit away from the populace, never thinking anything bad will happen. Is that ignorance? Or is it denial? Bad things happen all the time. People disappear and are never found.
What do the teens want? How did it get so out of control?
I can’t wait for you to read this book and find out. It’s something so inconsequential.
And the relentless suspense will keep you reading to the end.
I received this book for my honest review.
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September 23, 2015The Cypress Trap by JC Gatlin this was an okay book. I wasn’t a super big fan of the plot but even with that I still enjoyed the majority of the book. I wasn’t a huge fan of Owen throughout the majority of the book. He just got on my nerves and pretty much always stayed there throughout the entire book. I really liked Rayanne and I felt bad for her because she got into the situation at no fault of her own. This didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat but I did still have to finish it the book because I had to know how it all worked out. If you love thrillers than I know you will love this book. If you read it come back and let me know what you think about it.
FTC:I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
FTC:I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 9, 2015
What an interesting book! It was a very different mystery and I always love different when its one of those books you just can't stop reading.
This cover made me question my sanity on reading. I usually look for something more catching but I was just curious on what on earth a Rabbit could have to do with a mystery.
Stand alone stories are always my favorites because it pulls you into the authors style but doesn't over play the characters.
If you like stand alone mysteries, or mysteries in general I think you will like this one.
While I'm only giving it 4 stars that isn't really for anything other than I just felt like a few things could have been more tight in the writing and story. It is a very solid book and I don't think anyone should pass it up if mystery is your thing.
September 9, 2015
I received this book as a gift in exchange for an honest review. Rayanne interrupted her husbands annual fishing trip in an attempt to fix their marriage. The tragedy of two years ago had literally torn their marriage apart and she was bound and determined to use this fishing trip to fix things. Little did she know, but the were followed and not just by Owen's friend Daryl. Their followers were out for justice and were willing to do anything to get it. Well written fast read with suspense and thrills around every corner. Lots of twists and turns that you don't see coming. Hold onto the side of the boat so you don't fall out! Enjoy!
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