by Joe Hill

From the moment aging Ozzy Osbourne-style rocker Judas Coyne is tricked into adding one more item to his collection of bizarre artifacts, he is faced with what one might call "a situation." What he buys on an Internet auction site as a lark (to go along with other questionable things such a real snuff film), is a supposedly ghost-bearing "dead man's suit" that comes packed in a heart-shaped box. Unfortunately, the ghost is real enough, and of the seriously disturbing kind. No surprise here. The seller won't take a return, oh no. In fact, the seller has manipulated the sale. You see, the ghost of Craddock McDermott seems to be intent on seeking vengeance for the way Jude neglected a troubled groupie-girlfriend—one in a long line of them—who committed suicide after Jude threw her out. But there's more to it than that, as the ghost threatens to wreak his revenge by killing first everyone around Jude, and then Jude himself. Ghosts may have lost some of their luster in the digital age, but this ghost isn't just creepy, it's the ghost of a very creepy customer indeed, and his haunting is horrific enough for any novel. (Note to movie director: Please don't let CGI kill this ghost. Thank you.)

Accompanied by current girlfriend Marybeth and a pair of very loyal dogs (whose personalities really shine), Jude embarks on a desperate cross-country road trip to unlock some deep secrets, many of them his own. The destination will surprise you as it surprises him. Judas Coyne (real name Justin Cowzynski) is a well-depicted old death-rocker. Half his band is dead, his joints hurt and, at 54, he's not much for the road anymore. He's not one to take a lot of crap from a girlfriend, either, and it's this part of his character that gets him into trouble in the first place. Delicately handled to be both a little superficial and yet introspective, Jude grows perceptibly from chapter to chapter, thus humanizing what might have been a caricature. His tendency to name his dogs after other rockers is an affecting aside and foreshadows the dogs' real role in the plot. Marybeth handles the suit and pricks her finger, putting her in the ghost's crosshairs, too, and her character is a well-drawn catalyst to drive Jude toward self-awareness. Ultimately you'll be the judge of whether the psychology of Heart-Shaped Box works or not—but you'll definitely enjoy the ride to possible redemption.

This first novel crackles with supernatural energy and the expectation of what's to come with very little faltering, though the Ouija board strikes one as a bit obvious. It's also the moving character study of a man whose life as a rock star has almost leached away his humanity. While not as complex as it could have been, Hill keeps it fast and lean and proves his chops with well-turned phrases, making this a solid debut from a talent who'll be fun to watch. The music references are welcome, too, for music geeks everywhere. Psst, if you haven't already heard the whispers, you might have heard of Hill's dad . . . goes by the name of King, Stephen King.