Reviews

The Misery House by David Duane Kummer

duckygal's review

4.0

 

This is the first book in the House on the Hill series.  The concept of this book appealed to me, put psychological thriller and haunted house in the same blurb and I’m in. 

The writing was descriptive, painting a vivid picture of both the scenery and the characters. The tension built throughout as more and more occurs to unsettle the residents and us as readers. I felt this was done very well, especially with the twists in place, throwing you and what you thought you knew. 

I thought telling the story through differing points of view was interesting, it’s not something I’ve come across too often in this genre, but it’s not a bad thing. I think it worked well for this story. 

This book ends on a cliffhanger which is frustrating, but only because I am now desperately waiting for the next book to be released to find out what happens and I’m very impatient! 

jennadb's review

4.0

 

The Misery House is the first book in the epic three-book series The House on the Hill by David Kummer. 

We have a quiet and peaceful small-town setting with small-town mindedness where it can be unwelcoming at times and loving at others. 

The story is told from several POV’s building the tension and drama fuelled by fears. 

It is a thought-provoking read. It is the lives and the people in this town and the creepiness that surrounds them all that draws you in. Having said that though sometimes the story didn’t flow easily and is a bit stilted surrounding the vivid picture narrative of the characters. 

It’s just a House on the Hill. An empty House on the Hill. An eerie house. A place where horrors are brought alive by stories. A place where something maybe lurking in the shadows. 

I still enjoyed the story that holds promise for future books. It does end on a cliff hanger ready for the next book. If you hate cliffie’s you are out of luck but if you like psychological thrillers, then give it a go. 

tarajohnson's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

 

The Misery House is Book One in The House on the Hill Series. It is a sinister psychological thriller that will grab your attention and keep you reading until the end.  The author does a superb job of keeping the reader’s attention throughout the story as the suspense and tension builds. He then takes us on a series of twists and turns that keep you riveted until the final pages. 

The story is set in a small town and is told from different points of view of the Woods family. It starts off innocently enough as we are introduced to Cliff who is attending his son, Nate’s baseball game. Then comes a mysterious fire that takes place where two dead bodies are discovered. As strange things begin to occur, the townsfolk have noticed that strangers have arrived in town, which in itself is odd because no outsiders generally choose to live there. Cliff’s daughter Kaia’s best friend had just gotten married when her and her husband mysteriously disappeared. Then there is the creepy old house on the hill that must somehow be involved because of its reputation as being haunted. 

This book grabbed my attention and kept me reading until the end. I loved the spine-tingling vibes that gave me goosebumps a few times. The characters were well written, and the small-town setting was done superbly.  The townsfolk, being so unwelcoming and weary of strangers was dark, mysterious, and creepy in its own respect. If you were not born there, it would be almost impossible to be accepted, which was weird and odd. Any newcomers were viewed as suspicious, and the townsfolk were standoffish in their behavior towards them. Throw in a haunted house and I was seriously hooked! I cannot wait to read the rest of this series! 

johannafleek's review

emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

4.0

 I want more!! I am in great need of knowing what is going on with this terrifying house. The suspense all the way through to the end has me wanting the next book so bad. The family dynamics in this book are so heartwarming and the very serious protectiveness of the mom makes me feel right at home. The unforeseen fire in the local’s shop is more and more disturbing by the time you hit the end of the book. Just who did it? I can’t believe how quickly this book sucked me in. I am looking forward to the next book by Kummer in this trilogy for sure! 

bwagner's review

fast-paced

4.0

This is my first book by this author which I enjoyed reading.  This is a suspenseful story about a close family who has found themselves in a situation where they must put it all on the line to keep safe. What happens if time runs out for them?  This is a story where the twists and turns will keep you guessing to the end.  I found this book to be well written, hard to put down and engaging.  The characters and the plot have great growth throughout the story which makes it easy to read.  This is a fast paced story that is full of suspense and one you don’t want to miss.  I really enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it.

rayne's review

5.0

Gripping

This psychological thriller had me hooked. The author cleverly delivered a story that kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. The pacing, imagery and interwoven plot was on point. An opening has been left for more to come - and I can’t wait! Highly recommend.

bookworm1909's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

One of my favorite parts of The Misery House is the story is told through various characters seamlessly, alternating chapters telling their side. I don't enjoy true horror, but this book hit just the right bone-chilling feeling.

In my mind, the house on the hill was akin to a haunted house and the setting fit the story perfectly. The characters are diverse, from a baseball playing kid to his older sister, whom has a friend in an interesting relationship. Then a new family moves to the same town, and the discussion turns to family and community bonds. A page turner, and I really enjoyed reading to find out what happens to New Haven.

shellyk51's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

Gothic horror, this is a new here for me. I'm in love with it. The story told through different  characters. The creepy house that gives off totally negative vibes. The town sheriff, who has his own agenda. These make for a recipe of psychological thrillers that will send chills up and down your spine. All the characters stories are so intertwined that they coomingle together so well. The whole tone of the writi ng is mysterious and dark. Small town creepy. Just reading this story gave me memories of older Stephen King stories. I'm a new fan to this author. That cliffhanger....!!!!! I'll be hanging there waiting for the next book. A definite must read. I would give it more than 5 stars if I were allowed to.