Simone St. James has become quite a sensation, developing a cult-like following for her novels that feature elements of the supernatural, horror and dark fantasy. Her characters are complex and relatable, which makes her books highly successful and absorbing.

St. James’ latest release, A BOX FULL OF DARKNESS, has all of those elements and more and is destined to become one of her most beloved works. It begins in 1989 with Violet Esmie, the middle child of three, which includes her older brother, Vail, and younger sister, Dodie. Violet is living and working on Long Island as a house cleaner for homes that were left unclaimed after the most recent resident passed away. This plays into her unique abilities as an empath and psychic who has been able to connect in various ways with the dead.

"A BOX FULL OF DARKNESS is a magnificent and mesmerizing read that easily should be one of my top book picks of 2026. May fans of Simone St. James rejoice in this masterful novel!"

While working on a job, Violet receives a phone call that is potentially life-changing. The caretaker for her family home, which is still left untouched in the small upstate New York town of Fell, tells her that she needs to come up there and take command of the property as his company is dropping them immediately. None of his workers will return there after experiencing supernatural events that culminated with the appearance of a small boy who referred to the Esmie family and uttered the words “come home.” Violet takes a leave from her job and walks away from her daughter, Lisette, with whom she has visitation rights following her divorce and time spent in an asylum. She reaches out to Vail and Dodie to request that they join her immediately in Fell.

Vail is a UFO investigator, while Dodie has a lukewarm career as a model. Of the three siblings, Dodie is the most reluctant to return to the place that has nothing but bad memories for her. Once Violet shares with them what happened, they all recognize that it can only be the spirit of their younger brother Ben, who vanished mysteriously in the home at the age of six while playing a game of hide-and-seek with them and was never found again. Gus Pine, the former detective who worked on the case, is not very willing to assist them in reopening the investigation.

The Esmies realize that they have been called back to find answers about what really happened to Ben and to cleanse the property by giving him the peace his spirit is seeking. Pine reluctantly decides to allow Violet to have access to his private case files and lets her go to the storage unit with his unemployed son, Bradley, to look at them. What Violet finds is both inconclusive and eye-opening.

Meanwhile, strange occurrences continue at the house, like the wall that is crayoned with the words “Wake Up.” All three siblings recall being haunted by various forces, including a frightening woman who wants to control them. Violet is especially tuned into these spirits. While at the house, the nightmares they all experienced have returned, along with the feeling that Ben is always there trying to guide them.

There is a lot at play in Fell, and the secrets it harbors have infected not only the Esmie property but most of the town as well. The siblings will need to look into the past for the answers they seek, and they may not like everything they find. A BOX FULL OF DARKNESS is a magnificent and mesmerizing read that easily should be one of my top book picks of 2026. May fans of Simone St. James rejoice in this masterful novel!