REVIEW: The Haunting of the Old Box: The Spirit Guide

The Haunting of the Old Box: The Spirit Guide
Author: Caroline Clark

Fern is obsessed with the occult and she's excited to interview a reportedly possessed murderer in prison. Raymond Tibbs isn't dangerous, but what he carries inside definitely is. When Fern starts showing signs of possession herself, two paranormal experts come to help. Everything ties back to a Dybbuk box and the evil spirit it contained.

I didn't realize when I started reading this book that I was jumping in at book 5 of a series. But I was easily able to grasp the characters and plot, even without reading the prior books. Gail and Jesse are Spirit Guides, helping people rid themselves of all sorts of evil entities. This time, they have to call in some expert help as the demon involved is very dangerous. This story reminded me of a story I watched on tv about a woman who bought a Dybbuk box in an antique store and accidentally brought a demon home with her. Eeek! The Jewish history and ceremony added a nice depth to this story.

All in all, an enjoyable, quick read. I'm going to backtrack and read more of this series, starting with book one. The concept isn't anything new -- exorcists/ghost-demon hunters travelling about helping people -- but I liked the characters and the plot. It's a simple, scary read....nothing fancy.....brain candy! Pure entertainment. It made for a nice afternoon of reading. I won't be opening any wooden wine boxes anytime soon! :)

The book could do with a bit of editing in places. For example, at one point the character Fern had a sudden name change to Clare for a bit. It didn't hurt my enjoyment of the book though. No writing issues....just a few minor editing mistakes.