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A box full of darkness / Simone St. James.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Berkley, 2026Edition: First editionDescription: pages cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780593200414
Genre/Form: Additional physical formats: Box full of darknessLOC classification:
  • PR9199.4.S726 B69 2026
Summary: "Simone St. James, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel, returns with her scariest, most shocking novel yet in this pulse-pounding story about siblings who return to the house they fled 18 years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request: Come home. Strange things happen in Fell, New York. A mysterious drowning at the town's roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For the Esmie siblings-Violet, Vail, and Dodie-the final straw was the shocking disappearance of their little brother. It started as a normal game of hide-and-seek. The three closed their eyes and counted to ten while Ben went to hide. But this time, they never found their brother-he was gone and the ongoing search efforts turned up no clues. As their parents grew increasingly distant, Violet, Vail, and Dodie were each haunted by visions and frightening events that made them leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people-spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years. And now after two decades running from their past, it's time for a homecoming. Because Ben is back, and he's ready to lead them to the answers they've longed for and long feared. If the ghosts of Fell don't get to them first. A Box Full of Darkness is another propulsive thriller from the author of The Broken Girls and The Book of Cold Cases, a surprising horror story from a writer who is "particularly gifted at doling out twists" (The New York Times)"-- Provided by publisher.
List(s) this item appears in: Coming Soon
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Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Shelving location Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Phillipsburg Free Public Library Adult Fiction Adult Fiction FIC ST JAMES Ordered
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"From the book's chillingly creepy setting, which previously appeared in The Sun Down Motel (2020), to a nerve-jangling plot that effectively borrows from a mix of genres to the writing itself, which shimmers with a dazzlingly sharp sense of wit, everything about St. James' latest is done to perfection."-Booklist (starred review)

Simone St. James, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel , returns with her scariest, most shocking novel yet in this pulse-pounding story about siblings who return to the house they fled 18 years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request: Come home.

Strange things happen in Fell, New York. A mysterious drowning at the town's roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For the Esmie siblings--Violet, Vail, and Dodie--the final straw was the shocking disappearance of their little brother. It started as a normal game of hide-and-seek. The three closed their eyes and counted to ten while Ben went to hide. But this time, they never found their brother--he was gone and the ongoing search efforts turned up no clues.

As their parents grew increasingly distant, Violet, Vail, and Dodie were each haunted by visions and frightening events that made them leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people--spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years.

And now after two decades running from their past, it's time for a homecoming. Because Ben is back, and he's ready to lead them to the answers they've longed for and long feared. If the ghosts of Fell don't get to them first.

A Box Full of Darkness is another propulsive thriller from the author of The Broken Girls and The Book of Cold Cases , a surprising horror story from a writer who is "particularly gifted at doling out twists" ( The New York Times ).

"Simone St. James, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel, returns with her scariest, most shocking novel yet in this pulse-pounding story about siblings who return to the house they fled 18 years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request: Come home. Strange things happen in Fell, New York. A mysterious drowning at the town's roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For the Esmie siblings-Violet, Vail, and Dodie-the final straw was the shocking disappearance of their little brother. It started as a normal game of hide-and-seek. The three closed their eyes and counted to ten while Ben went to hide. But this time, they never found their brother-he was gone and the ongoing search efforts turned up no clues. As their parents grew increasingly distant, Violet, Vail, and Dodie were each haunted by visions and frightening events that made them leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people-spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years. And now after two decades running from their past, it's time for a homecoming. Because Ben is back, and he's ready to lead them to the answers they've longed for and long feared. If the ghosts of Fell don't get to them first. A Box Full of Darkness is another propulsive thriller from the author of The Broken Girls and The Book of Cold Cases, a surprising horror story from a writer who is "particularly gifted at doling out twists" (The New York Times)"-- Provided by publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Strange things happen in Fell, NY, from motel hauntings to unexplained deaths. Nearly 20 years ago, six-year-old Ben Esmie disappeared from Fell without a trace, leaving his family devastated. They fled Fell in an effort to forget, but Ben's siblings--Violet, Vail, and Dodie--have recently received a ghostly summons from their brother to come home. Determined to get answers, the siblings unite, despite the dread they feel setting foot in their old house. The visions and haunting events they believed were behind them return with a vengeance. Violet, still able to see ghosts, longs for a vision of Ben, but the sinister spirit named Sister, who terrorized Violet's childhood, is controlling other ghosts in town, hindering their investigation. Vail's nightmares of abduction also return, as do Dodie's dreams of drowning in icy water. But Sister's interference is not enough to keep the Esmies from seeking the shocking truth; they are determined to exorcise the house's evil and let Ben rest in peace. VERDICT St. James (Murder Road) writes a pulse-pounding supernatural thriller that will have readers on the edge of their seats.--Linsey Milillo

Booklist Review

Violet Esmie doesn't want to go home again. Eighteen years ago, Violet's youngest brother, Ben, disappeared. One minute Violet, her sister Dodie, and her brother Vail were playing hide-and-seek with Ben, and the next minute no trace of him could be found. Soon after this traumatic event, Violet, Dodie, and Vail all left their upstate New York hometown with no intention of ever coming back. However, all three Esmie siblings are now returning to Fell, and the reason is eerie. Ben's ghost has written a message that says, "Come Home." Adeptly alternating viewpoints between Violet, Dodie, and Vail, St. James (Murder Road, 2024) perfectly captures the mix of annoyed snarkiness, edgy rivalry, and unconditional love that can exist among siblings while simultaneously dialing up the supernatural spookiness that has infected each of their lives in different ways. From the book's chillingly creepy setting, which previously appeared in The Sun Down Motel (2020), to a nerve-jangling plot that effectively borrows from a mix of genres to the writing itself, which shimmers with a dazzlingly sharp sense of wit, everything about St. James' latest is done to perfection.
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