Nothing new ever happens in the little town of New Haven - and everyone who lives there knows it. The closest thing to excitement the town has seen in years is a few animals going missing. So when a huge fire devours one of the local stores, killing the owner and his child, everyone is shaken. Little do they know that this is only the beginning of something more sinister. The local sheriff and two of his friends, Cliff and Jeremy, are among the residents who have been living there the longest. They notice a familiar pattern in these events, recalling a time from their childhood when similar incidents went unexplained, and decide this time to investigate any strange activity. They’re especially suspicious of the Dawes family, who just moved into town as all this began. They don’t know yet how any of this is connected, but they are sure of one thing – this is all related to the haunted house on the hill.

David Kummer’s The Misery House, the first installment in The House on the Hill series, is told through multiple perspectives. Each chapter is dedicated to one character. Every one of them is unique in personality and tone. It is exciting to get to know each of them across their respective chapters, as they share the story based on how they have lived their lives so far. Kummer takes his time, drip-feeding clues and hints slowly throughout the book. Readers will definitely stick around for more, as every piece of the puzzle hooks you deeper, steadily pulling you further in with each page that passes. The Misery House is recommended to all lovers of nail-biting and nerve-wracking suspense.

The Misery House is a psychological thriller by David Kummer. New Haven is a quiet little town with an abandoned house on the hill, and the townspeople believe the house is haunted. Cliff and Jeremy are at a baseball game when they see smoke over the business area. George’s shop has burned down, with George and another person inside. The smoke over the town is a bad omen of worse things to come, and the atmosphere has changed. Then, a light appears inside the house at night, and shadows are moving. It is as if the house is alive and evil is inside. A newly married couple goes missing, and everything points to them visiting the haunted house. They must be found before the house keeps them forever.

David Kummer had me guessing from the start until the end. I was intrigued and could not put the book down. With all the twists and turns, I could never imagine what would happen next. The haunted house comes alive with all the experiences and emotions the characters undergo in the house. The descriptions are vivid, and I was drawn into the world Kummer has created. This suspenseful thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. It is a page-turner, brilliantly written with the right amount of suspense and horror. The Misery House is the first book in a trilogy. I cannot wait for the following two books to read more about the haunted house.