The Hellbound Heart

In The Hellbound Heart, a hedonistic criminal gets hold of a puzzle box that can summon the Cenobites. These demonic beings make no distinction between pain and pleasure. That is all the set-up I need before the box starts to seem like something best left firmly shut.

The fear is in that blurred line. A monster you can run from is one thing; beings whose idea of pleasure might be your idea of agony are quite another. It is disturbing horror, with the prospect of bodily harm woven into the central idea. If you like your scary books unsettling rather than reassuring, this belongs on the pile.

I would put it beside a strong coffee on a rainy evening, when you have time to sit with an uncomfortable thought. It is for readers curious about what happens when wanting more leads someone towards something they do not understand. Personally, I would leave the puzzle box alone. I have enough trouble opening ordinary packaging.