Summer On Fire by Kevin Craig

Author: Kevin Craig
Publication: June 28, 2011 (Read in June 2012)
By: Museit Young Publishing
3 Stars!

Zach Carson is a loyal friend. But is loyalty enough to keep best friends together when one of them sets fire to the rural barn they use as the local hangout? Zach, Jeff Barsell and Arnie Wilson struggle to pick up the pieces when news spreads that a body was discovered in the burnt out shell of the neighboring home. When the word murder is used by the local police, the stakes grow even higher. When the police start searching for their most likely suspect-none other than Jeff's older brother, and nemesis, Marty Barsell, the boys decide to join forces and come up with a way to prove his innocence. But just how innocent is Marty Barsell? 

When Marty admits to being at the scene of the crime, the three friends enlist the help of Zach's annoying sister, Sherry, as well as the sympathetic town eccentric, Ms. Halverton. But can they keep it together long enough to save Marty, and themselves, from imminent catastrophe? Summer on Fire is the story of friendships, and the lines we are asked to cross in order to keep them.

Thank you to author, Kevin Craig for sending this to me!  This isn't usually my type of book but I am grateful for the opportunity to read it.

This is a good story about friendship, loyalty, integrity and the lengths some will go to in order to protect those friendships.  Zach and his friends Arnie and Jeff are responsible for the fire that burned down the barn but instead of coming clean, they decide to keep quiet about it.  When more information about what actually happened surfaces, the boys will quickly discover that keeping secrets is harder than it seems.  Who will be the first one to crack?  

The situation gets more complicated when Jeff's brother Marty is implicated and the boys realize Jeff may have more to lose than any of them.  When the truth comes out, as it always does, the boys will have to decide just how much their friendship is worth.  Will they look back on this summer with regret or knowing they made the right choice?