Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals… a used hangman’s noose… a snuff film. An aging death-metal rock god, his taste for the unnatural is as widely known to his legions of fans as the notorious excesses of his youth. But nothing he possesses is as unlikely or as dreadful as his latest discovery, an item for sale on the Internet, a thing so terribly strange, Jude … Jude can’t help but reach for his wallet.
I will “sell” my stepfather’s ghost to the highest bidder…
For a thousand dollars, Jude will become the proud owner of a dead man’s suit, said to be haunted by a restless spirit. He isn’t afraid. He has spent a lifetime coping with ghosts — of an abusive father, of the lovers he callously abandoned, of the bandmates he betrayed. What’s one more?
But what UPS delivers to his door in a black heart-shaped box is no imaginary or metaphorical ghost, no benign conversation piece. It’s the real thing.
And suddenly the suit’s previous owner is everywhere: behind the bedroom door… seated in Jude’s restored vintage Mustang… standing outside his window… staring out from his widescreen TV. Waiting — with a gleaming razor blade on a chain dangling from one bony hand…
A multiple-award winner for his short fiction, author Joe Hill immediately vaults into the top echelon of dark fantasists with a blood-chilling roller-coaster ride of a novel, a masterwork brimming with relentless thrills and acid terror.
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Heart-Shaped Box is a true spine-tingler. I don’t use that hyphenated word much anymore. We have seen and read it all, haven’t we? But right away, in the first chapter, there was a subtle line that made the hairs on the back of my neck go up in a way I haven’t experienced since I first discovered great horror as a teenager.
Hill writes with a …
When it comes to books I don’t scare very easily, but when I began to read this book I literally had to put it down. I think it was the first novel by Joe Hill, but if it wasn’t it was still a great read.
Reading this book will have you rethinking collecting things of the macabre as Jude found out in this horrifying tale. Sadly I haven’t worked …
I know, I know. I’m way behind finally getting around to reading Joe Hill’s debut novel. Boy am I glad I did, though. This isn’t the first book I’ve read by Hill, but it is now my favorite. Perfectly paced, genuinely creepy, and packed with surprising heart for such a dark tale, it’s a stand-out in the paranormal genre. I highly recommend it.
tried to read this as a Joe Hill novel and not a next-generation Stephen King book. I think I succeeded because after reading several “Locke and Key” graphics, I already think of Mr. Hill as a writer, independent from his father.
However, I did suffer from an affliction that plagues me with King as well. My expectations are too high and nothing …
What happens when you buy a ghost?? Find out in this nonstop thriller! Spoiler Alert…Hill writes just like his Father, SK
This is an excellent book. The story is captivating, the action flows smoothly, and the suspense will tie you in knots from beginning to end. All that said, the most amazing thing about this read is the character development.
By the last page, I not only knew these characters, I was attached to them. Even with the constant action and suspense, …
Hill’s first novel is a solid piece of horror fiction, although it may make for a difficult start for one big reason. Jude Coyne starts out as a pretty unlikable character. His girlfriend Georgia is abrasive too, and the previous girl Florida comes across as annoying in that dumb blond sort of way. And Jude Coyne is the kind of character who isn’t …
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill 2007
An aging collector of the macabre gets more than he bargained for when he buys a heart-shaped box.
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Heart-Shaped Box
I love Joe Hill. I think he’s become as good a writer as his dad at the least, and in many ways, a better one. Maybe it’s a generational thing.
Anyway, HSB is a terrific ghost story that revolves around an amazing concept of how ghosts and the paranormal can come about. Creepy, fun, and dark.
Original and Frightening! I must have been sleeping under a rock for years to have not known about Joe Hill. This is the first novel I’ve read of his and it won’t be the last. From the very first page I was hooked and couldn’t stop. Joe Hill wasted no time getting the story going, and he unraveled the characters a piece at a time as the story went …
Awesome read. Jude made a living being profane. When you sing like he does there’s always plenty of Goth girls to keep him company. The trouble started When he bought a haunted suit.
The scariest book I’ve ever read!!!! The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.
Read it twice
Easily one of the greatest ghost stories of modern times, this fast paced novel from Joe Hill combines well rounded characters, excellent rock’n’roll references and really haunting imagery. It’s a shame that out of all of Hill’s work, Heart Shaped Box has yet to be adapted for film or TV because it’d make for a great scary movie!
Yikes I Love It – Horribly Deliciously Wonderful! Heart Shaped Box is my first Joe Hill book, it is absolutely freaking awesome! I could not stop listening! This book steady kept my heart in my throat. Beyond creepy and just enough morbid to make it horribly deliciously wonderful. Narration by Stephen Lang was jaw dropping excellent! He is a new …
I really liked this book a lot! The reason it didn’t have a 5 star is just because it I felt it didn’t completely keep my attention in the middle. But I was surprised by the ending and I really liked the character building. I wouldn’t say I was necessarily scared by this book but it did have some creepy parts and overall I really liked the book!
One of my favorites by Jim Hill, along with Horns. If you’re into dark fiction and horror I would high recommend checking this one out.
“The Heart Shaped Box” is a unique and fresh twist on a ghost story with a very
relatable main character, Judas Coyne. At times, you will really dislike Judas, other times you may feel sorry for him, but in the end you will grow to like him and root for him.
The story starts with Judas buying a haunted suit online as a lark. After he gets the …
Love this book. Was hooked and couldn’t put it down.
joe hill rocks. he is an excellent author