'Buy my stepfather's ghost' read the email. So Jude did. He bought the dead man's suit, delivered in a heart-shaped box, because he wanted it: because his fans ate up that kind of story. It was perfect for his collection: the genuine skulls and the bones, the real honest-to-God snuff movie, the occult books and all the rest of the paraphernalia that goes along with his kind of hard/goth rock. But the rest of his collection doesn't make the house feel cold. The bones don't make the dogs bark; the movie doesn't make Jude feel as if he's being watched. And none of the artefacts bring a vengeful old ghost with black scribbles over his eyes out of the shadows to chase Jude out of his home and make him run for his life...
Heart-Shaped Box
Joe Hill is the strongest new horror writer since his father, Stephen King, released Carrie 40 years ago. Heart-Shaped Box, debut novel, is as gripping, fast-paced, and haunting as any horror fan could hope for. Jude is an Ozzy Osbourne-esque rock god, who bites off more than he can chew after buying a ghost off the internet. This book is unforgettable. Just do yourself a favour and read it now. Reviewed by 52mm
QBD, 28/08/2014