HEART-SHAPED BOX BY JOE HILL

Synopsis: Aging, self-absorbed rock star Judas Coyne has a thing for the macabre. His collection includes sketches from infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a trepanned skull from the 16th century, a used hangman's noose, an illegal snuff film given to him buy a dirty cop, Aleister Crowley's childhood chessboard, etc, so when his assistant Danny tells him about a ghost for sale on an online auction site, he immediately puts in a bid and purchases it. The black, heart-shaped box that Coyne receives in the mail not only contains the suit of a dead man but also his vengeance-obsessed spirit. The ghost, it turns out, is the stepfather of a young groupie who committed suicide after the 54-year-old Coyne callously used her up and threw her away. Now, determined to kill Coyne and anyone who aids him, the merciless ghost of Craddock McDermott begins his assault on the rocker's sanity.

Review: This might just be my favorite Joe Hill book so far. It's surprising that it's his very first novel, it feels so fully fleshed out, mature and well-crafted. It doesn't feel like it's written by a newbie or an amateur at all. It's one of the best examples of what a ghost story can be. It doesn't rely on cheap scares, cliche haunted house stereotypes or formulaic nonsense, it's all about exploring the aftermath of loss, moving on from the crippling grief of guilt and constantly being haunted by the literal and metaphorical ghosts of the past. It's about reflection and redemption.

This book may have resonated with me more since I've always loved heavy metal, goth culture and tend to be a bit obsessive towards morbid things. The characters, the atmosphere and the overall tone just sat really well with me because of this. I love the fusion of gruesome horror, psychological trauma, the melodrama of classic gothic ghost stories, the rebellious heavy metal attitude and the unique perspective of an aging rock star protagonist with a brutal and depressing past learning to love himself and others. Judas also has two badass little doggies named Angus and Bon who protect him from evil spirits and both end up being endearing characters in their own right.

The villain Craddock also turns out to be much nastier than I expected. He didn't seem like too bad of a guy at first, just a horribly upset old man that wants revenge for his step-daughter's suicide, but there's much more to him than meets the eye. He gave me chills, grossed me out and his sinister presence was always felt.