Heather’s Bookshelf: The Band
Author: David Kummer
Released: 04/04/25
Genre: Horror/Thriller
“Only thing I remember clear was seeing a big, white inn, overlooking the foggy valley. The road curved on, and I lost sight, but I remember thinking, That’s the type of place I’d say is haunted.”
“The Band” follows a band as they finish their summer tour in Oakville, WV. Told mostly through the POV of one of their bandmates, Aiden, the rest of the band is made up of Johnny, River, Bobby (Pistol) and Kate (Echo).
Everyone has reasons for spending the summer on the road. They each have things (or people) they are running from. So, when they arrive in Oakville, WV near the end of the summer, there’s hope that this might be a place to stick around. Beautiful surroundings, a bar owner eager to support a small band, and a homeowner willing to share a space for cheap are all promising leads.
But there’s rumors around their landlord and all of her ex-husbands, mysterious pictures that can’t be explained, and then people keep disappearing…
Will Oakville be everything the band hopes it to be, or will it turn out to be the place of nightmares?
Trigger Warning: violence, adult language, sexual situations, murder
Overall, I was a bit torn on this tale. In the beginning, the story appears to have two distinct main storylines and POVs. It’s hard to find any interaction between the two until about a third of a way in. The first POV is from Aiden, the band’s newest member and sound guy. He’s the only “non-musical” one of the group and he finds himself an outsider. He constantly questions his belonging, his reasoning for following the band, and his choices along the way. Ultimately, his reasoning all settles on one answer: Kate. She’s beautiful, intelligent, motivated, and a hell of a singer. But Aiden’s insecurities and his family past prevent him from telling her his true feelings. And that’s how he finds himself in Oakville, WV. Meanwhile, there’s someone killing people in terrible ways around town. Why are certain people being targeted and who’s killing them? Are the rumors around their landlord rumor or is there truth there? What about the mysterious photos? By the end of the story, you get some answers, but there’s also holes there. The disconnect between the first POV and the second throughout a good portion of the book limit the power of the revelations. You’re left with a feeling of, “wait, what…by why?” The epilogue added a sense of finality, placing the focus back on Aiden and Kate, where it should be.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A horror/thriller that follows a band to a small town filled with secrets and stalked by a killer. Plot holes and a lack of intertwining threads limit the subsequent tension.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with David Kummer
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Find it for purchase here
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