Until We Burn

by David Duane Kummer

Cyrus Street never forgot about his home. It was always in the back of his mind, with the memories, the nightmares. Alluring, always pulling him back. There were so many questions unanswered. Something he left behind.

When he finally returns, he's drawn back into a world even worse than he remembers. Werifesteria, with its dark secrets and murky past, never changed. It remains a cesspool, a danger. There's something about the town unnerving, yet enticing. It isn't normal. It isn't sane.

As soon as Cyrus steps back into it, the murders begin. He's the only one can catch this madman, if he can only control his mind.

Everybody remembers the fire. Everybody remembers him. But there's a darkness he's buried inside his own head. And unless he can remember, the entire town will burn.

Genres: Ebooks

186 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2018

About the author

My name is David Kummer. I'm a young writer who leans towards horror, mystery, thrillers, and young adult fiction. My books are fast-paced, easy-to-read, with shocking twists and unpredictable endings.

My new series is The House on the Hill, a new type of haunted house trilogy focusing on one family and the small town under attack. It's creepy enough for horror readers, but character-focused and plot-driven, so it's perfect for anyone who enjoys a good mystery novel.

I grew up in Madison, Indiana, a small town on the Ohio River, with lots of history and settings around here that influence my books. Now I live in New Albany with my fantastic wife. When I'm not writing, I'm a full-time English teacher for 9th graders and I enjoy spending as much time as possible outdoors.

You may have read some great authors before and some fascinating books, but this is the first time you've had an experience like this. Try something and let me convince you.

Email: davidkummer7@gmail.com

Twitter @DavidKummer7
Facebook: @davidduanekummer
Instagram: @davidkummer3

Get a free book and sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bPgy4n

Reviews

[Ellie Spencer (catching up from hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to preface my review by saying that although I didn’t love this one, I found out in the author notes that they were only a Freshman in High School when they wrote this. I am certainly impressed as I could never have written a book at that age!

Until we burn follows a small town being haunted by a murderer. Cyrus has recently moved back to the town and teams up with teenager Will to find the killer.

The premise for this book was so promising. I loved the small town style and chilling atmosphere. However, this book really needs proper editing. I found myself rereading sentences trying to work out what was being said. I think sometimes Kummer knew what he was trying to say, but it wasn’t made obvious to the reader. There was also many times when the reader was told things rather than being shown them. Like being told that a character was emotionally unstable without showing this at all! It’s not enough to just say something is the case.

I think the biggest issue I had with this story was some of the parts of the story that are completely impossible in real life. The police would not tell the main suspect all of the minute details of a murder and then let them head the investigation. Someone cannot tell that they are definitely not pregnant less than 24 hours after unprotected intercourse. The police would not rule a gunshot wound as a suicide if there is no gun present. There were other points like this in the story that just ruined it for me. Maybe it is the naivety from the age the author was when this was written. But I found myself shouting at my kindle screen and not in a good way. I also found some of the character representations problematic, such as the lonely woman who desperately wants a man and gets violent if she’s turned down. As an additional warning, there are some comments made in the book about young boys in dresses that people may find offensive.

Unfortunately, I don’t recommend this book. Although I do think that the author shows some potential, because the plot is good, the execution is just lacking. I want to thank Voracious Readers Only and David Duane Kummer for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.

[J.P. Willson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no doubt the premise for this story is an interesting one.
Yet it could stand another edit. I found myself having to re-read passages over again to ensure I had the intended meaning correct.
Grammatical issues aside though, I found the book confusing insofar as things just didn't seem to fit smoothly together for me. It left me with more questions than answers when all was said and done.
Particularly the ending.
To say anything further would be irresponsible.
A decent read.

[Anita Nasr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a little conflicted about this book. On the one hand, there’s a great, haunting story at its core, and author David Duane Kummer’s writing chops can be seen in a few passages like this one:

“He heard her coming, the footsteps on the carpeted steps, long before she groaned at the sight of him. That was her way of saying hello, at least it had been recently. As the bottles piled up in their recycling bins, it formed a wall between them.”

On the other hand, this feels very much like the first draft of a novel. The errors in grammar, vocabulary and syntax can be very frustrating at times. The overwriting, the repetitions and some quite bizarrely unnatural dialogue are all issues that can easily be straightened out with further revisions. Being dialogue-heavy, the story reads more like a movie script right now, and I feel like I missed the scene that explains why all these crazy things are happening.

There are some wonderful horror elements that are just begging to be developed and brought to fruition. I waited patiently for all the mysteries to be elucidated, but they never were. While I enjoy a book that lets you figure things out on your own, and I appreciate an author that doesn’t spoon-feed the reader, I do need at least one part of the puzzle to be clarified—unfortunately, the ending left me clueless.

[Kayla Krantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot of this story was very compelling and had a fantastically twisted main character to pull it off. With a unique murder case to solve, the book had a lot of twists and turns that kept me reading. However, I was thrown off a bit by the dialogue and some of the author’s writing style when it came to things like grammar and syntax. While the story delivers its promised punch, it felt as if there were some things missing overall.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good start. An interesting plot for sure but some items needed to be edited or be reviewed for inconsistencies. That is not so much on the actual writing but on the editing.

I can see the storytelling talent and imagination of the author and would be interested in reading their other work.

With this book, if it went through some reworking I would be willing to read again because I did like the plot.

I recieved an ARC through VRO for review.

[Cathy Ammann]

I received a complementary copy of this book to review. I found this book very thought provoking and I was quite involved in all the twists and turns of the story . I found the ending a complete surprise, but I thought there were few loose ends that I couldn't seem to place. All in all a good read and a bumpy ride around a small country town .
Cathy 😊

[Tony Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Werifesteria, ID. The Chief & Detective were observing & discussing who burns a church to the ground & kills innocent adults/children?
15 yrs. later the arson case was still not solved
Cyrus Streett was finally called on the cold case.
All that remains of the church now is a commemorative plaque.

Upon his arrival Pastor John Keener greeted Cyrus.
When Cyrus got settled in the house a knock at the door, it was Ruby.
Dumpy owned darn near every store in town.
Will (18) was hired to mow the yard, clean up & paint the house.
Detective Yong, & Detective Harold (partner) came to interview Cyrus.
A young woman (25+) had been murdered & then spread out like a cross.
The kill chopped off her hand & took it.
Cyrus was very upset with Pastor Keener.
What news did Zada Will’s GF have for him?

Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, & great font/writing style. A very well written psychological mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great time psychological mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. It wasn’t as creepy/gory as I like them so I will only rate it at 4/5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons (Washburn)

[Emily Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many extremely positive points to this novel. It is distinctively horrific at times, eye opening and memorable. Full of twists and turns and mysteries. Some of which weren’t fully explained which led to a bit of frustration from a readers point of view. Very graphic in content, I sometimes found parts hard to read due to the violence.

This novel had all the makings of a really clever mystery novel with psychological/horror elements. The characters trying to solve the puzzle are well drawn out with depth to their characters and are intriguing. There are a few bits of stilted dialogue and grammar that made me read back over to double check bits but overall an interesting read. A 3.5 with potential for more.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cyrus never forgot his home , even with all the dark secrets. When he returns, nothing has changed, perhaps even worse. An intriguing story.

[Rebecca Bené · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until We Burn was energizing because it was distinctive. Through the first half of the book, I had several guesses on who may have started the first fire, but the more I read the more I realized the dynamic the reader and town was dealing with. It was very interesting and kept me turning pages. There were some questions left unanswered, for me at least, but nonetheless, I know I'll be thinking about the answers to my questions for this one for a bit longer (it was hard to tell if the unanswered questions were intentional or not). There were a few places that kind of toned the thrill part down, but it wasn't so much that it turned me off of the book. I could even say that the toned-down parts fit with the unknown of the story. The plot of this story was overall very compelling and had a fantastically twisted main character to pull it off. However, there were places I was thrown off a bit by the dialogue and some of the author’s writing style when it came to things like grammar and syntax. While the story delivers its promised punch, it felt as if there were some things missing overall.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Tom Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy through Voracious Readers in exchange for an honest review, so an honest review I shall leave.

There are some good ideas in the story, and I can see what the author was going for. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work. The main character isn't particularly likeable, and so it's difficult to engage with the story. We also jump between timelines from chapter to chapter and so it's hard to pin down exactly what's happening.

Some of the exchanges Cyrus has in the initial chapters with the locals and the police force don't ring true as sounding genuine. When I got through to the end of the book and found that the author wrote this novel in high school, this made a little more sense. A few years on, I'm sure the author can read through this book and see the mistakes he's made and can probably fix them to improve the main body.

Though the book needs work, I think the author has potential to release some genuinely good work. There are passages I was impressed by, and elements of characterization that suggested the author has create nuanced secondary characters.

I wish him the best of luck in all future endeavours

[Pamela Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until We Burn: A Psychological Thriller, what a Great Book! I really enjoyed reading this book, so many secrets, twists, turns and questions. Once again, David Kummer, had me on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put this book down. I definitely didn't expect the ending.

I hate when a review ruins the book with a spoil alert, but I'm not like that, so you will just have to read it to see how wonderful this book really is. I really enjoyed reading this book, I only read thriller books and this one is a must read.

If you are a David Kummer Fan, like myself, than this book is a must have for your collection. This is one book you don't wanna miss.

I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK! If you haven't read this book yet, you definitely need to get it so you can, because it's really a great book

[Paige Norris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Until We Burn was refreshing because it was different. Through the first half of the book I had several guesses on who started the first fire, but the more I read the more I understood the dynamic the reader and town was dealing with. Quite interesting. There were some questions left unanswered for me, but regardless of whether that was intentional or not, I know I'll be thinking about the answers to my questions for this one for a bit longer. I came across a couple scenes that kind of toned the thrill part down, but it wasn't so much that it turned me off of the book. I could even say that the toned down parts fit with the unknown of the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Laura Libricz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd rate Until We Burn with 3.5 stars solely on the story. It's got all the makings of a great murder mystery: a brooding, damaged main character who wants to solve the mystery; a young cohort who wants to help him; a secretive small town that wants to thwart him. The story captured my attention and kept me turning the pages. The framework is there but I'm missing a lot of the detail, almost like there are scenes missing. It's like reading a screenplay, which is what I'd like to see this story developed into.

[Amy Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great premise

Kummer pens a good story in Until We Burn. I've read other works of Kummer's before, and this one was pretty good. I liked the characters, and the insightful plot points that led the reader, and its characters on the edge of a mystery. There were great scenes, though, I felt something was left missing or unwritten. Sometimes that's the intention of the author, so I went with what was there in front of me. Kummer has his own unique writing style, and he certainly can write out his stories from his imagination. Grand read, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book through Voracious Readers for an honest review.

I didn’t receive a good copy - there was lots of grammatical errors and it was displayed in 2 lines & then a break, so I had to train my brain not to read it as a poem! This all made it difficult to follow the story. The storyline was good but there were places where the story seemed to jump a couple of times and I found myself going back thinking I had missed something - but I hadn’t.
With some rewrites this could be a very good book and would have got a higher rating from me.

[Elizabeth Taylor]

This felt like an unfinished book. Every chapter I found myself having to figure what was happening as so many book events happened in between chapters almost and weren’t written about. Weird to read book about serial murders but never really read about any of them.

And the ending...I actually have no idea what happened at the end. Can anyone explain it to me?

I received this as a free copy from Voracious Readers in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeanie Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like the way the book ended.

There were too many unanswered and confusing questions, both for Will and Cyrus. It was very unsatisfying. There should have been a more definitive ending.

[Dorothy Pope]

It was an interesting tale where two characters, one caught in the past, and the other interacting with him in the present lead a sort of parallel existence. There were some unresolved points for me, but overall, a good read.

[Pina Mangion]

I received a complimentary book from Voracious Readers Only and sat down to read. As soon as I finished the first chapter I couldn't wait to see what was going to happened. The end was a bit of a shock, but after thinking about it it wasn't too much of a surprise. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.

[Sascha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the the storyline and overall would recommend the book but it was a little difficult to read at times. Some editing is needed but if you can get past the mistakes read it.

[Marlene Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good haunting story. I liked the horror elements and the characters. The plot was an appealing idea. There were some parts in which I was confused on. Overall, it was a good horror story and it was interesting to read.

[Elizabeth Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt like an unfinished book. Every chapter I found myself having to figure what was happening as so many book events happened in between chapters almost and weren’t written about. Weird to read book about serial murders but never really read about any of them.

And the ending...I actually have no idea what happened at the end. Can anyone explain it to me?

I received this as a free copy from Voracious Readers in exchange for an honest review.

[Langel Catan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Keeps you hooked all the way and wanting more!!

[Cair-Paravel De Loulay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the story. It is somewhat haunting. This is what happens when you stay in the past and don't move on.

I received a free copy of Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review.

[Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got a free copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review.

And that’s literally the only reason I finished reading it. It was dreadful. Badly written and nonsensical. And I still have no idea what happened. Do yourself a favour and don’t bother.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought it was slow but soon realised the in-depth descriptions were enabling me to visualise the scene, the characters and the storyline. Great book, difficult to put down. Recommended.

[Vicky Gould · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy to read and kept me page turning until the end which was disappointing and I feel slightly let down by the book now

[Trinity Waddell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review through Voracious Readers Only

This book had potential. I'm still quite confused by a lot of it though. It was almost like I was reading a draft copy. The spelling was terrible and the visual layout was horrible to read. But putting that aside, the story had some positives - some good character development and the story started well - but halfway through it just seemed to lose its way and I was left with so many unanswered questions.

[Genevieve Paquette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea how to review this until I read to the very bottom of the document and learned that the author wrote this in high school. And suddenly everything made sense.
I received this from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review. So here goes. It was a great effort from a teenager. But it could have also benefitted from a good editor. My ePub edition was full of little errors. Also, for some reason, the formatting was off, so sentences would be split between lines, words would gave gaps or missing letters, etc. It was a pain,TBH, but I stuck with it.
As for the writing, it showed a lot of promise. The story? I'm not sure. It was a freshman effort. Literally. It has promise, too, but it felt like the skeleton of a story, not whole thing. Motives were never established for certain actions, and the ones that were provided weren't satisfying. The ending cleared nothing up. And the characters oscillatesd between being two-dimensional and being utterly ridiculous. The librarian was actually painful to read. And Cyrus was just so underdeveloped that it was frustrating. Wil, the author's stand in, fared a little better, but not much. We never find out why he does what he does.
Overall, a good effort, but you could definitely tell it was written by a teenage boy.