I’m going to be honest this book was not on my list of most anticipated reads this year. Don’t get me wrong I read the synopsis and I was intrigued but with this being my first book by this author and all the surrounding hype I’ve been seeing about it I was preparing myself for a possibly mediocre read. I. Was.Wrong. When I first opened the book I read the dedication and when I saw “murderinos” made the list I realized this might actually be my type of book. I couldn’t put it down, the two or three days I read it I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. It was fun yet creepy and had a real kind of old school “B” movie feel to parts of it, and I mean that in the greatest way possible; I could practically smell the hair spray and shitty 80’s cars (R.I.P. to my ‘89 Corsica ✌🏼). I would have liked to see to go a little darker, I feel like there was real potential to get nice and hauntingly gruesome in this one however it’s still a solid read and probably more audience appropriate.

Do you believe in zombies, ghosts and things that go bump in the night? Neither do I, unless I'm in the middle of a Stephen King novel - or this one. What could be more perfect for reading over a couple of icy cold winter nights?

The story takes place in the quintessential creepy place: A broken-down motel in small-town upstate New York, where lodgers - at least those who actually exist - typically stay one night, pay in cash and leave at odd hours. In 1982, a young night clerk (yes, there was one, if only to deter vagrants from trashing the already disheveled rooms) named Vivian Delaney mysteriously disappears - never to be found. That bothers Carly Kirk, a college student who happens to be Viv's niece. Long a lover of murder stories, in 2017 she leaves college and sets out for remote Fell, New York, to look into her aunt's disappearance.

Carly finds an apartment with another young woman, and once she sees the Sun Down Motel, she realizes the best way to learn more is by working there. Low and behold, the mostly absent owner needs a night clerk - and you guessed it, Carly gets the job. Chapters flip back and forth to the perspectives of Viv and Carly (switching so often that I nearly got whiplash until halfway through, when I was able to keep each time frame in perspective). Almost from her first night at the desk, Carly hears and sees strange things - some of the same things that, readers learn through those flashbacks, Viv experienced as well. Clearly, this motel has sordid secrets; and if Viv has gone to her grave as Carly suspects, it'll take some digging to unearth them.

But terrified as she may be, Carly is nothing if not determined. Gradually, she identifies people who were there when Viv disappeared - some human, some cooperative and others not so much on both scores - but just as her aunt did all those years ago, she pushes on at her own peril. Then and now start coming together near the end, bringing some not entirely unexpected "surprises." Needless to say, you won't learn anything more about that from me.

Without a doubt, this is a book that reeled me in and I didn't want to put down (and except for sleeping, I didn't). Definitely a winner, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get a pre-release peek.

Following the death of her mother, Carly leaves school and investigates the disappearance of her aunt, Vivian Delaney. Her search leads her to the town of Fell and The Sundown Motel… a place full of secrets and paranormal activity.

Told in alternating timelines, Viv in 1982 and Carly in 2017, Simone St. James unravels the mysteries of the haunted hotel and the murders that plague the town.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced, tension-filled, creepy thriller and look forward to reading other Simone St. James novels.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James had me turning the pages quickly and staying up late until my eyes couldn’t stay open any longer. While most of the book didn’t give me the creeps, I did get chills towards the end with the little boy in the pool. I thought for sure it was going to get really dark, and I think if St. James had taken it that way, she and the reader could have had a lot of fun with that part of the story.

It’s a mystery that evolves into a second mystery 35 years later that is engulfed in the world of the supernatural. You also get feminist power and rage which grows more as the book goes on. At times I felt my own rage because women being gaslighted or not believed just because they are female has been going on forever. Even other women not being able to help because it would be detrimental to their own lives. It is so frustrating and Viv’s emotions were written so well in regards to this.

I kept thinking that Carly was actually a ghost reliving her past, and when the novel didn’t end up going in that direction I was pleasantly surprised. After reading The Sun Down Motel, I want to check out more of her books, especially The Broken Girls. Highly recommend!

Thank you @berkleypub #partner for an early copy of this for an honest review.

I walked into one of the best books of 2020! It was on point with a touch of horror, mystery, psychological thriller, all the works. The novel and the words were all beautifully woven together like a masterpiece! I could NOT put this book down if my life depended on it. I was truly sad when real life took me away from it. It gives you all the feels from beginning to end. The characters were relatable and heartfelt. So much so, you invested not only your heart, but everything you had into what they did. I can not recommend this novel enough!!! I give it a full blown 5 stars.

Once again Simone St. James has created a gripping and eerie mystery with both real life anxieties and supernatural elements. I absolutely adored THE SUN DOWN MOTEL for all of it's well plotted and paced intricacies. Both narratives, the first person POV of Carly in 2017 and the third person POV of Viv in 1982, were very effective and helped weave a web that built upon two mysteries: what happened to Viv, and why is the Sun Down Motel so haunted? Both mysteries were well conceived and kept me going, and when they came together, along with the past and the semi-present, I was very satisfied. I also liked the undercurrent of feminist rage that was on these pages, as missing women fall into the patterns that we see all too often in real life: they're portrayed as either whores or madonnas, when the case goes cold people stop caring, and they are always somehow blamed for their own victimhood.

THE SUN DOWN MOTEL is a great read and a fun, well done thriller. Fans of the genre need to pick it up!

Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured and loved the atmospheric The Broken Girls (published by St. James in 2018) - when I saw the cover, title, and synopsis of her latest novel, I HAD TO HAVE IT.

The year is 1982. Viv Delaney takes a job as the night clerk at The Sun Down Motel, and vanishes while trying to uncover the motel's dark secrets.

Fast forward to present day. Viv's niece, Carly, arrives in Fell and takes the night clerk position at The Sun Down Motel while on a hunt to learn what happened to her mother's sister so many years ago. The Sun Down Motel might not host many human travelers, but it sure is a busy place...(cue spooky music).

St. James is a master at setting the scene, and I give this eerie story a solid five stars. The slow build, the alternating storylines, the mystery...it was the perfect winter read. (Or save it for October!)

I give this book and overall rating of 4.5 stars

First off let me say, Simone St. James knows how to pull you into a story from the start and doesn't let go until the end. I've loved all the books I've read by her.

The Sun Down Motel is a story that follows two time lines; the first follows Vivian in 1982 and the other her niece Carly in 2017. It is very easy to follow and both story lines are fast paced and keep you in the story.

Vivian leaves her home due to problems with her family and heads to New York where she wants to become an actress. She ends up in Fell, New York however, and her life is changed with ghosts and unsolved murder. After living there for a short time she disappears and is never seen or heard from again.

Carly leaves home as her mother as just died and she has become determined to find out what happened to her aunt 35 years before. So,she too, ends up in Fell and starts searching for answers.

I loved the two time plot line and the characters were very believable. Yes, there are some parts that people may figure out quickly, but I think there are surprises to be found no matter who the reader is.

I would highly recommend The Sun Down Motel for those who like murder mysteries with some ghosty stuff thrown in. And I would also recommend Simone St. James other books as well, including The Broken Girls and The Haunting of Maddy Clare.

This was super creepy and very good! I devoured it all yesterday. I'm generally tired of the dual timeline thing, but it was done fairly well in this book (but didn't really feel necessary). The two timelines were so similar sometimes that it was hard to keep them straight, but that might have been an intentional part of the structure. There were some errors in some very minor details, mostly time period details, or things that just felt more later 1980s than 1982.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James is an intriguing mystery/thriller. Viv Delaney disappears without a trace while working nights at the Sun Down Motel in 1982. In 2017, Carly, her niece, comes to the Sun Down looking for answers about her missing aunt.

The story is told in a dual timeline. It alternates between Viv in 1982 and Carly in 2017. The town is mysterious and very much in the past. The motel is spooky. There are so many secrets in such a small that the author keeps the reader guessing for the entire book. Where is Viv? What is happening at the Sun Down Motel?

I do not like ghosts in books but I loved this book. The author keeps you on the edge and doesn't give the reader too much information but just enough to keep guessing. Each chapter made me want to read one more chapter.

This was a 5⭐ read for me even though I was disappointed in part of the ending. I understand it but I didnt like it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mystery & Thriller
Release Date: February 18, 2020

Viv takes a night shift job at a run down hotel, and her guest are more that just humans.. there are also ghosts. The motel seems to awaken when a certain guest signs in. She starts to do some research on the murders of this sleepy small town.

Fast forward 35 years and her niece Carly decides to find out what happened to Viv. What better way than to retrace her aunts foot steps? She take the night shift at the same motel. The dual times lines weaves together great. I loved the twist and the satisfying ending.

Simone St. James' latest thriller- The Sun Down Hotel- weaves an atmospheric tale of murder and the paranormal when a young woman decides to find out what happened to her aunt who disappeared 20 odd years ago. Alternating between the past and the present, St. James lets her imagination flow as she expertly builds a story rich in tension and fear. The unexpected bites of humor blend well with the layers of family, expectations, and small-town prejudice. Another winner from this author whose voice only continues to grow in this genre.

This was a story that took me back to my younger days. One summer I worked at a family-owned motel. I even worked the "grave yard" shift quite a few times. (Pun intended.) But thank goodness the place wasn't haunted. The detailed description of this motel made me think of the one where I worked.back in the 60"s. I liked the way the story went back and forth from Viv to Carley and back to Viv. I didn't feel it was that repetitive, just reviewing events. This is an eerie, spooky book, but one you may well enjoy. The violence is there, but not too graphic. The foul language fit the characters saying it. I didn't find it too offensive (like I usually do) and it wasn't that often. The ending is good. However, you want to scream at the author, "Aw, come on! Make them admit everything.!" This book is right up there with the Twilight Zone.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC for an honest review.

This is my first “thriller” of 2020, but I would classify it more as a ghost story because this book definitely has all of the ghosts you can hope for. I was so excited to see The Sun Down Motel as an @bookofthemonth pick for January and I jumped on reading it right away because of how much I loved The Broken Girls by Simone St. James when I read it not long ago. Like her other book, The Sun Down Motel did not disappoint and stood apart from all of the other thrillers that are saturating the book industry right now. I really enjoyed this book and read it within a few days which says a lot because I have to make time to read on a daily basis. I loved this book because of how fast paced and intriguing it was with elements of mystery, horror, and suspense all wrapped into one. I loved how interconnected all of the stories were and how you are kept guessing the whole time you are reading. I do not want to say too much because I do not want to give anything away but this spooky story about a haunted motel in a town known for its missing girls is a great read for anyone look to be on the edge of their seat. I cannot wait to see what Simone St. James writes next!

This book fulfilled all the creepy cravings I had for a mystery/thriller ghost story. The heroine was top-notch, the storyline was compelling and kep me up way after my bedtime and the setting of a haunted motel was perfection! If you like a good creep-out, pick this up right away!

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James is quite possibly one of the best suspenseful ghost stories I’ve read in a long time. It jumps right in to the action and suspense, creating an eerie atmosphere combined with a chilling murderer and creepy things that go bump in the night.

"Come on in the building seemed to say with its jagged up-and-down lights, its blue and yellow neon cheeriness. Get some sleep. Take it easy until the sun comes up again. And if you see someone sitting at the end of your bed, pay them no mind. That's just one of my secrets. And I'm not going to tell."

Welcome to The Sun Down Motel located in Fell, New York. It’s 1982 and young Viv has started as night clerk to fund her dream of becoming an actress in New York City. But something just isn’t right at The Sun Down and as Viv digs deeper, she discovers the history it holds is ominous and dark.

The night it all ended, Vivian was alone... She felt like crying. She felt like screaming. She felt sick.
"I don't want to go in there. But I will. Because I always do."

Jump forward to 2017 and 20-year-old Carly arrives in Fell, looking for answers to her Aunt Viv’s mysterious disappearance 35 years prior. A disappearance that was never solved and no one in Carly’s family ever talked about. Carly takes a job as The Sun Down Motels night clerk, the very same job her aunt held and starts to look for answers.

Cleverly written in alternating timelines, The Sun Down Motel is so compelling I had a hard time putting it down. The characters are beautifully well-written and developed; I quickly became invested in their plight and worried for their welfare. The weaving of the paranormal into the story is done brilliantly and just so freaking creepy that I had chills for most of the book.

This is a must read for any fan of thrillers, suspense, mystery, and a good ghost story!
A big thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Simone St. James for providing a DRC of The Sun Down Motel in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so far out of my normal read zone, but it was relentlessly compelling and addictive!!! The plot was juicy, the characters (both alive and dead) were breathing entities and you can't get much better of a setting than Fell, NY and the Sun Down Motel. I've already started to recommend it to fellow librarians and readers.

4 1/2 spooky stars for this 1/2 ghost story, 1/2 murder mystery. I really enjoyed The Broken Girls which was the 1st book I read by Simone St James so I was excited to see this book coming out and that it seemed that it would have a similar feel to it.

When Carly’s mom passes away she decides to do a little investigating on her own to see if she can figure out what happened to her Aunt Viv who disappeared in 1982. Everyone assumed she was dead. There were a string of girls killed in Fell, NY around the same time. The murders seemed to be unrelated. Carly ends up getting a job at the Sundown Motel just like her Aunt Viv did in 1982. Separately we read how they each start unraveling what really happened to all the murdered girls. All the while working in the very creepy Sundown Motel.

I have a new favorite author. Her first novel The Broken Girls made my top ten list and is one I continue to recommend. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James will them as well! Addictive, atmospheric, and original I could not set this down! - Caffeinated Reviewer

Full review will post February 18, 2020.

I am a huge fan of Simone St. James and have always enjoyed her books so I was super excited to receive an ARC of her newest book! I love the mix of spookiness and history that she creates (her last book, The Broken Girls was one of my favs of 2018!) and The Sun Down Motel was no exception.

Alternating between 2 women’s perspectives that parallel in many ways, between 1982 and 2017, this book hooked me from the start. St. James is amazing at creating spooky moments that make your heart speed up, while making you want to keep reading even through the fear. Working the nightshift alone at a haunted motel? There’s not enough money in the world that would make me take that job, but I loved reading Viv’s experiences that build up the increasingly pressing curiosity of what exactly happened to her?

I devoured this book in a weekend, thoroughly enjoying it. The spookiness, the mystery, the ending, all worked very well together!