Memphis Reads Archive

Fiction/Horror

Hollye Ferguson reviews HEART-SHAPED BOX by Joe Hill (William Morrow, 2007)

Throughout the years, fans have given many macabre artifacts to aging rocker Judas Coyne. A signed confession from a witch during the Salem witch trials, a cookbook for cannibals and a real snuff film are just a few examples from his collection.

Coyne thinks nothing about buying an old suit advertised on an online auction site as haunted by its dead owner’s ghost. Once it arrives, Coyne realizes that it is the ghost of one of his discarded groupies’ stepfather, Craddock McDermott.

The ghost is out for revenge because his stepdaughter committed suicide after Coyne discarded her. Now, Coyne and his former girlfriend must find a way to stop the ghost before he causes them to kill each other or someone else.

However, things are not what they seem as they contact the deceased groupie in the spirit world for help and find out her stepfather was more in life than he appeared.

Stephen King fans may enjoy knowing that Joe Hill is his son. Like his father he makes his characters very believable. He is also very descriptive, which makes it easy to picture everything going on around his characters.

Hollye Ferguson, Parkway Village Branch Library

Labels: Horror, Reviews by Hollye Ferguson