Release date: January 20, 2026
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Synopsis:
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.
Review:
Simone St. James once again proves she is unmatched when it comes to blending chilling supernatural elements with deeply emotional storytelling. A Box Full of Darkness is a slow burn, eerie thriller soaked in atmosphere and dread, set in the unsettling town of Fell, New York—where tragedy seems to linger just beneath the surface. Told from the perspectives of three siblings, Violet, Vail, and Dodie, the story centers on the long ago disappearance of their little brother Ben during a childhood game of hide and seek. Decades later, something is calling them back home, forcing them to confront the past they’ve spent their lives running from.
What makes this story hit so hard is not just the ghosts—though they are plentiful and genuinely unsettling—but the deeply flawed, wounded characters at its core. Each sibling carries painful histories and unresolved trauma, haunted both literally and emotionally by what happened in Fell. St. James excels at crafting complex relationships and layered backstories, making the tension feel personal as well as paranormal. The pacing is deliberate, allowing the dread to build steadily until it becomes almost unbearable.
Fans of the author will appreciate the subtle nods to past books (hello The Sundown Motel 👀), while newcomers will be pulled in by the chilling atmosphere and emotional weight. Creepy, unsettling, and quietly devastating, A Box Full of Darkness is a perfect example of why Simone St. James remains a go to author for supernatural thrillers that linger long after the final page.
Overall rating: 4/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
Novelgossip 