Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: In the bright days of summer, sometimes we yearn for the dark, the mysterious, the thrilling … so today we have David Kummer here, to tell us about the newest book in his series of psychological thrillers, The Silent Forest. David, can you introduce us to these books?

David: My books are psychological thrillers and mysteries. I love to dig into fear and memory, the thin line between the two, and especially how those emotions play into group dynamics. This series is about a family in a rural farm town called New Haven. Here’s the blurb:

In New Haven, everything is changing. And there’s no going back now.

It’s been weeks since Allison went missing, and everyone has given up except for Kaia. New Haven mourns their dead as she keeps looking. And now, she’s starting to find answers.

As the unsolved cases pile up, a new discovery in the forest offers hope. But it also threatens to unbury all of New Haven’s darkest secrets.

For the Woods family, it will take everything they have. For Kaia, it’s the last chance.

There are some shadows you can’t keep underground.

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

David: This book really started with the idea of a haunted house, but I wanted to do something new and exciting with that idea. I’ve read so many cliched haunted houses, so I wanted to play around with every aspect. And also, I love putting my own familiar settings into novels, so the “safe” Woods family lives in a house very much like my grandma’s, like a little piece of myself added to the story.

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read?

David: The Little Stranger is my favorite book I’ve ever read, and it’s so underrated. Besides that, I always enjoy Mark Edwards, as he’s consistently great, but I’m trying to branch out more and read different types of psychological thrillers.

Sabitha: Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?

David: Oh, yeah. All the time. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but one of my books has a beloved character who ends up dying, and it tore me up to write. But you’ll never know when, ‘cause I ain’t saying which book! (There might be multiple, to be honest… I love killing off characters.)

Sabitha: Who did you imagine reading your book as you wrote it?

David: This book is really about family and love, in the face of terrible danger and awful events. But I always imagine my dad reading my book, because he’s always my first reader. Over 2,000 people read The Misery House, so hopefully even more enjoy this one!

Sabitha: What’s your next writing project?

David: I’ve gotta finish this trilogy first, and I can’t wait for that, because I’ve got a super secret project up next… It’s already half written, and it’s calling my name.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

David: I’m all over the place! You can find me on any of these sites, and please do, because I love to chat with readers! I’m on Twitter, Facebook, my blog, Instagram, my Amazon author page, and Goodreads. The Silent Forest can be found on Amazon and Goodreads, or Bookshop if you want to support local bookstores.