For 2024 the aim remains to post a review at least every other Friday and to complete the Bookpacking reading journey.

16 May 2015

Heart Shaped Box – Joe Hill

Judas Coyne, heavy metal rock star, past his prime and sole surviving member of his self-destructing band, now lives in comfortable seclusion on his ranch with his latest Goth rock-chick, Georgia, and his two German shepherd dogs, Angus & Ben.

At his ranch Judas has assembled a private collection of macabre items, so when his PA Danny spots a ghost for sale on an internet auction site, Judas just hits the ‘buy now for $1,000’ button to seal the deal and enhance the collection. The ghost is purported to be that of Craddock McDermot, deceased spiritualist stepfather of the vendor, and what arrives in a heart shaped box is his favourite suit to which his spirit is expected to be attached.

And it is, but the initial curiosity value soon turns to unease, discomfort, fear and dread as the ghost not only materialises but shows he can still use his powers of hypnotic persuasion to manipulate the living to do his will.

Danny does a runner but Georgia hangs on in. It is not her real name; Judas re-christens his procession of trophy girlfriends after the states he picks them up in. Her predecessor was Florida who when dumped and sent back home killed herself. Thinking back Judas recalls that she had a step-daddy, and the penny drops that he has been targeted for revenge from beyond the grave.

Judas, Georgia and the dogs (who seem to offer some protection) go on the run which turns into the road trip from (or rather to) hell, during which there is death and destruction, slashing and shooting, blood and gore, as they follow a high risk strategy to end their nightmare.

I am no connoisseur of the horror genre but this seemed good to me with convincing descriptions of the unearthly and the terror produced; the action only pausing briefly to take a breath before taking the next ramp up in the spiral of fear.

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