Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel by Joe Hill

From the Publisher
Sooner or later, the dead catch up . . .

Judas Coyne was a collector. The bizarre, the uncanny, the grotesque. A cookbook for cannibals. A used hangman’s noose. A snuff film. Many of these objects were gifts from the black-clad fans who made his metal band a legend and made him rich.

But not all. When his personal assistant told him there was a ghost for sale on the Internet, Jude knew he had to have it for his private collection, didn’t think twice. He should have. Jude has spent a lifetime evading ghosts -- of an abusive father, of the bandmates he betrayed, of Anna, the suicidal girl he loved and abandoned. But this spirit is different. This one means to chase him to the edge of sanity.

His new acquisition -- delivered to his doorstep in a black heart-shaped box -- is the restless soul of Anna’s vengeful stepdaddy. Craddock McDermott swore he would settle with Jude for ruining his daughter’s life. Soon, everywhere Jude turns, Craddock is there: behind the bedroom door; in Jude’s restored vintage Mustang; outside his window; on his widescreen TV. Waiting -- with a gleaming razor blade on a chain dangling from one bony hand.

If ever there was a case of caveat emptor, this is it . . .


My Opinion

What a fantastic ghost story. It has been a while since I have read a really good ghost story and this one was just what I needed.

Jude is a fading rock star who has not lead a very decent life. Marybeth is his most recent young bed warmer. As horrible as Jude appears to be, I really grew to like him and found myself rooting for him and Marybeth from the beginning. The beginning being when Jude buys a ghost off an Internet auction site. Having spent his life with a healthy interest in the occult and supernatural he does not hesitate to buy the ghost, but when the heart-shaped box with the old suit that the ghost is supposed to be attached to arrives, it brings with it what will ultimately be the ride of Jude's life.

With plenty of twist and turns this book is a non-stop action ride. I picked it up and could not put in down. Finished it in 24 hours, which is saying a lot! Well worth a read and you can see where Joe Hill gets his writing influence from his dad. Looking forward to more by this author.