Book Review for A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

 

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

Published:  January 20, 2026 by Berkley

Genre:  Horror, Mystery Thriller, Paranormal

Taken from Goodreads:  Siblings return to the house they fled eighteen years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request to 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 Violet, Vail, and Dodie Esmie the final straw was their little brother's shocking disappearance, which started as a normal game of hide-and-seek.

As their parents grew increasingly distant, the sisters were each haunted by visions and frightening events, leading them to 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. Now after nearly two decades 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.

 

My Thoughts:  I always said I do not read horror but Simone St. James is an author that I must-read.   I will now say that I do not read much horror but I recommend picking up A Box Full of Darkness.   This book had me so invested in finding out what happen to Ben and getting rid of Sister. 

The family dynamic of the Esmie family is tough and the family home is haunted.  The Esmie siblings all went their own ways after Ben went missing.   Coming back together in Fell, you can feel the tension in their relationship.  They want to work together and be a family but it has been so long. 

A Box Full of Darkness is a book full of family history, haunting characters, and a mystery that has to be solved.

Thank you Berkley for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet the Author (taken from her website):  Simone St. James is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of MURDER ROAD, THE BOOK OF COLD CASES, THE SUN DOWN MOTEL, and THE BROKEN GIRLS.

After years of writing and collecting rejections, Simone’s debut novel, THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE, won two RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. AN INQUIRY INTO LOVE AND DEATH was nominated for another Arthur Ellis Award.

Simone spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives just outside Toronto, Canada, with her husband and a spoiled rescue cat. She is addicted to sushi, rainy days, coffee, and My Favorite Murder.