The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James – 327 pages

ARC from Berkley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Blurb:

The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before, in this new atmospheric suspense novel from the national bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate NY, 1982. Every small town like Fell, New York, has a place like the Sun Down Motel. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to New York City. But something isn’t right at the Sun Down, and before long she’s determined to uncover all of the secrets hidden…

My Review: 4 stars

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The Sundown Motel was a spooky novel that I’m so glad I read. You all know I don’t do many thrillers and my tolerance for anything that gives me the frights is ridiculously low.

This book was written with a dual timeline between Carly, in present time, and her aunt Vivian, in 1982. I really enjoyed both, however it took a minute getting used to the alternating timelines because many characters showed up in both timelines. Once I got used to it, I absolutely loved it.

I’m usually not someone who enjoys true crime; however, I dig a good ghost story. Both are present in the storyline and the author married the two so well, that I found the true-crime aspect to be completely absorbing. This story definitely kept me on my toes, gave me the spooky kind of chills and had me turning the pages with relish. The paranormal elements were a bit of jump for me, but once I enveloped myself into the world of Fell, New York, I was able to enjoy the novel for what is was.

There were a few parts in the book that felt a bit too convenient and borderline unrealistic, but it didn’t mar the overall story. Those segments reminded me of TV shows in which you’d believe everything that happens because there is such a short amount of time to establish relationships and plots in each episode.

If you love this genre you’ll adore this book; if thriller takes a backseat to other genres, you’ll still be completely engrossed.

Quotes I liked:

Spend my nights at the Sun Down? I was the kind of girl who would spend the night in a supposedly haunted house, just to see what would happen. That sounded like my ideal vacation.”