Better Boxed and Forgotten

by Andrew Lark

In the capitol of all rust-belt urban wastelands, Daniel Lintz inherits the family mansion, a rundown, ramshackle assembly of boards, located in a tony neighborhood where rot and decay are taking hold. While inventorying the mansion’s contents with the mysterious family lawyer, Mr. DuMichelle, Daniel discovers his great-grandfather’s life’s a meticulously archived treasure trove of lost papers, secret military hardware, and fantastic inventions, all locked up and hidden away in the basement. But why were these fantastic and world-changing inventions boxed-up in a forgotten exile for a century? Daniel quickly falls under the spell of the mansion’s allure and sets about restoring it to its original splendor. He becomes possessed by the strange and fantastic powers hidden in the archive’s hundreds of crates. One fateful night Daniel is visited by a malevolent entity that leads him to one crate tucked away in a far off corner of the archive—a crate containing perhaps the most important invention of the 20th Century—an invention however, with a fatal and deadly flaw.

284 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2015

Reviews

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harper Woods Library author talk, 7/13/15.
A very good ghost story takes place in Indian Village - Detroit, MI. Good depiction of area, houses, people.
Finished in 1 1/2 days - well written.

It is supposed to be first book in trilogy.

[Devon Drake · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book begins with us following the narration of an ordinary man who is out of a job and has inherited a very old house from his grandmother. Soon after inspecting the house, he finds out his wife is pregnant and he makes plans to restore and flip the house to substitute his lack of income. His wife wants nothing to do with the old mansion, but he continues working on it even after having a scary encounter with a violent, ghostly entity. He then finds a note left by his deceased grandmother warning him that the house is haunted.

This makes for an excellent, first-act setup pitting two understandable and conflicting interests against each other: that of the protagonist's need for financial stability with a new child on the way, set on a direct collision course with fear for his safety against the supernatural threat.

The protagonist/narrator then becomes an instant multi-millionaire on page 52 (deflating the previously setup financial conflict) and spends the next 150 pages of the book poking this supernatural bear with a sharp stick (metaphorically speaking) while constantly lying to his wife and himself about how much danger they are in--even after his child is assaulted by the ghost!

The book's greatest weakness is being stuck in the head-space of this dishonest, temperamental, ignorant man whose motivations are rarely made clear to the reader and whose emotional reactions sometimes border on melodramatic. The story is dragged through most of the book by this detestable character and many of the scenes fail to move the plot forward. Almost every character seems to appear and disappear as needed, often with very little natural flow of cause and effect linking plot with character motivation.

Some scenes are saturated with vivid description on a long road to discovering the next plot point and an odd line of prose would take me out of the story entirely every now and then.

But the book's greatest strengths are in the author's skill for detail when giving us a picture of key objects and important settings. He also intertwines occasional and interesting history lessons with the narrator's experience while putting the reader through a few decent scares.

2/5 stars
It was okay.

[Donald Levin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better Boxed and Forgotten by Andrew Charles Lark is a garden of delights for fans of paranormal, horror, and mainstream fiction. The story is a gripping tale about the rehabilitation of an old mansion in one of Detroit’s historical neighborhoods that literally opens doors into other dimensions where, as Faulkner said, the past is never dead, it’s not even past. The writing is first-rate throughout, with passages that are simply exquisite. The book is deftly structured, and the author creates a range of characters who are real and rounded, and for whom we care deeply. The story is fast-moving and compelling, blending the past and the present, the technological and the human, in ways that carry the reader along with an urgency that makes the book a pleasure to read despite its many eerie and disturbing elements. I’m not ordinarily a fan of the paranormal, but this book was recommended to me and I enjoyed it tremendously. Highly recommended!

[Diana Kathryn Penn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-crafted, creepy ghost story. The characters draw you in... you want to be invested in their lives... love them, hate them, have sympathy, and empathy for them... those who are human and those who are not. Although the story begins slowly, it builds in intensity and creepiness as the story goes on, and it doesn't let up until the very last page; and even then, it dangles precariously the hope of a sequel. The setting, a Detroit affluent neighborhood, is expertly portrayed with all its richness, it's multiple layers of people and energies, and the secrets it almost never reveals. Grab your friends, stock up on s'mores, and read this one out loud at your next campfire.

[Shannon Ferrini- Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally read thriller/scary books but I really enjoyed this book. I happened across this book based off of recommendation. I found it exciting early on as the story is set in Detroit and being a Michigander knew the places he was referencing. I believe in ghosts and some bad and good, so this was more intriguing to me, the was it all intertwined I thought to be interesting. I very much enjoyed the book and having a relative mentioned in the acknowledgements and having them actually know and live by the author is kind of cool as well.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Lark weaves a tale that is one part Detroit history, one part family mystery, one part human drama, and all parts creeping horror of many varieties. He plays on classic tropes, adding his own flair and style to what could be just another typical haunted house story - but is so much more than that.
An excellent read and very well written, it shows Andrew Lark's flair for drama and sense of pace and timing, well-paired with his writing style. I am very excited to read more from him!

[Barry Brickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! Besides the fact that it was very suspenseful and creepy, I loved all of the Michigan references and landmarks noted throughout this creative story. Excellent horror novel and I look forward to reading more of his books. Barry

[Camellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book you will not be able to put down or forget. Andrew Lark's writing is phenomenal!!

[Kasey Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique read; 3.5-3.8 for me. The description is a little heavy, but once I got into it the premise got me hooked. The technical detail and scientific potential here is fantastic.

[Stacy Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read...can't wait to see what's next.

Loved this book! Suspenseful, a little creepy, great characters. Kept me guessing and anxious to see what the next pages would bring. Loved the Detroit references.