Simone St. James | THE SUN DOWN MOTEL

Plot (via Goodreads):

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…

Review:

Simone St. James is a powerhouse author with one hell of an imagination. The Broken Girls was one of my favorite reads last year and I was stunned when I read the synopsis to The Sun Down Motel. It sounded so eerie and atmospheric; I needed it ASAP. This is definitely a weekend read for me because I find her writing to be so beguiling and I don't ever want a story by Simone St. James to end.  If it's possible, I think St. James actually topped The Broken Girls. 

The first chapter to this one is petrifying and really sets the scene for the rest of the novel. I was immediately creeped out and felt that the atmosphere really brought an eerie vibe to the rest of the novel that I was completely captivated with. Featuring one motel and a dual timeline with two characters, I loved that the motel sort of played its own character throughout the novel - moody and creepy as it is, the night scenes at the motel were my favorites. Now, I loved the characters in this one once again and thought that the secondary characters were at times outshining our leading ladies. St. James has this knack for writing realistic and honest characters that at times can be a little bit of a pain in the ass. I absolutely find characters like this much more enjoyable to read. Now, what I loved the most about this one is St. James's ability to have both contrast and similarities within both timelines and perspectives. Atmospherically, this one is a stunner. As someone who lives in upstate New York, I can definitely vouch for how creepy and unsettling it can be, especially at night. St. James captures this perfectly and weaves it brilliantly into her story. 

I was really bewitched by this one early on, but around half way through things really started to take a turn and the pacing increased rapidly. Smaller details and other things mentioned started to fit like puzzle pieces into the bigger picture, a serial killer story-line heads to the front of the line, and the remarkable women in this novel really bring their a-game. The supernatural elements took a little while getting used to, but as the novel progressed I found them to be important and well done without being over-the-top. By the end of the novel, they almost seemed necessary. Once all of the major twists were revealed and we are watching the dust settle, I found that this one ended on a rather emotional and definitive note that was perfect. I cannot wait for more Simone St. James.

Special thanks to Berkley Publishing for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5/5