Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill - A Book Review

   

     Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill was published in 2000, and I just happened to run across it recently. What peaked my interest was the fact that Joe is the son of Stephen King. Being a long time fan of King, I was shocked that I had not read or heard that his son was also a writer. And an accomplished one at that. Without using the name King on it to sell books. Impressive. Joe Hill is a multiple award winner for his short fiction. Who knew???



     Heart-Shaped Box is a novel involving an aging rock star named Judas Coyne. Since coming off the road to settle into retirement, Jude has become a collector of odd, unusual, and sometimes occult items.

     Jude just can't resist when he finds a dead man's suit of clothes for sale on the Internet "guaranteed" to contain the seller's stepfather's ghost. The events that follow are more than the hardened old rocker bargained for.

      Joe Hill has a very similar writing style to his dad and the story is fittingly dark and foreboding. Character development is good, as is the premise of the book. The only criticism would be it seemed to bog down in details midway through the book, and like his dad, is a little long winded. All in all a good read especially if you are a fan of Stephen King type horror. I give it a B+.

Joseph Hillstrom King

Stephen King With Son Joseph Hillstrom
King