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!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️partner PUB DATE . Thanks to @netgalley and PENGUIN Publishing Group for the review copy.

I’m trying to be less stingy about giving 5⭐️ in 2020 and this book earned it. The story had a grungy, dark, eerie vibe and I absolutely loved it. Dual timelines, ghosts, murder and mystery led by two female leads who were equally bad ass and naive. I was gripped and could not wait to see where the story took me next.
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As an aside- we’ve all seen hotels like this. A bit run down, neglected and worse for the wear. Hotels that make the perfect setting for a thriller. I actually stayed in a nicer version of this hotel last fall to save a little money. After reading this book I vow- NEVER AGAIN. I will drop the extra coin for the ability to sleep at night.

Snag it from Book of the Month, preorder or place your library hold.

One creepy motel.
Two women searching for a new life direction and getting more than they bargained for.
And a bunch of dead women.
Mix them together and you have the basis of this new paranormal mystery.

This story is told in two timelines, with two narrators (in the third person).
1982, Viv Delaney
In this timeline, Viv has stumbled upon the Sun Down Motel, after making an attempt to get to NYC and finding herself alone in a small town in upstate NY. Short on money, she's accepts a job working the night shift at the motel, and quickly discovers its disturbing history. And we know from the prologue, that she disappears shortly thereafter.

2017, Carly Kirk
In this timeline, a young woman purposely goes to this same small town, Fell, to get answers on her aunt's disappearance years prior. She too agrees to work the same night shift offered to Viv, to learn about the secrets this motel holds within it and hopefully find out what happened to her aunt.

It is clear in both timelines that this motel has an ugly history, with several deaths occurring on its grounds, and it is fair to say that the spirits of those still haunt the place.
Random smells come and go (cigarette smoke, perfume).
Lights going out.
Doors opening on their own.
Any of the above would have sent me hightailing out of there, but these two women are clearly braver.

Adding to the mystery of the town is a series of unsolved murders of young women, which both narrators seem determined to solve. What's impressive with that part of the story was how Viv and Carly put together a possible suspect with very little to go on. They have some help along the way, but it is clear that without these women, the murders would remain a mystery.

The author did a good job building the two timelines so that the story-line flowed, as each woman narrowed down their search. There aren’t any huge twists in the book, but there were a couple surprises that helped tie everything together. Overall, this was an intriguing read, and perfect for anyone looking for a mystery with some supernatural elements.

It's 2017 and Carly's mom has passed away from cancer. Carly is grieving and just can't seem to get past it. Add to that an obsession she's had since she was little with her Aunt Vivian's disappearance back in 1982. Mom would never talk about it and it seems to Carly that no one ever really investigated properly. So, in an effort to change things up and pull herself out of the funk of grief, Carly takes a what's supposed to be a week off from her college classes to go see the Sun Down Motel for herself. Upon arriving in Fell, NY, Carly ends up accepting a position as a night clerk at the Sun Down, the same position Viv held when she disappeared. Eventually, Carly's obsession leads to more questions than answers and a week turns into months as Carly spirals down the rabbit hole.

Told in alternating chapters, timelines, and POVs between Viv in 1982 and Carly in 2017, we get a thriller that is part ghost story and part mystery. Lots of clues and a few red herrings will keep the reader guessing. I enjoyed the ride and the writing is excellent. I did get frustrated with the stupid, dangerous choices the characters made - but that's kind of par for the course in ghost stories and "horror" fiction.

If you enjoy thrillers, paranormal stuff, or ghost stories, I recommend this book.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Simone St. James has woven a great, dark tale between the 1980s and the present day, complete with a mysterious disappearance and ghosts.

I don’t want to give too much away, but this is definitely a four star read. I really liked this, but I also recognize that the ghostly aspect won’t be appreciated by everyone.

**Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for graciously providing me an ARC in exchange for review. My opinions are my own.**

You'll need to stretch your imagination with this one and just follow where St. James takes you. If you can do that, you’re in for a real treat!

This one is bit hard to label-it doesn't quite fit into one specific genre.
It's dark, with a twilight zone feel to it at times as well as some horror scenes. The are a lot of characters to sort through, but in time things start to come together and as bizarre as some of the chapters can be, there is a solid mystery behind it all that kept me hooked.

Definitely a different feel from my last read of hers, [book:The Broken Girls|35533431], but I actually enjoy being surprised by an author.
I look forward to what she surprises me with next!

ARC provided by NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing for the advance copy of this upcoming ghost story / mystery. I was not familiar with the author and went into this blind. I got sucked in immediately and had to finish before picking up anything else. I enjoyed the mystery aspect more than the supernatural aspect. Overall, pretty good although parts strained credulity (no spoilers so I won’t say what) but it was mostly good and kept me reading. I’d give it 3.5, rounded up to 4.

In 2018, St. James came out with a The Broken Girls and it was one of my favorites of the year. Cut to The Sun Down Motel which comes out next month and I have a new favorite. Told in duel story lines, we have a tale of an aunt and her niece. Auntie has gone missing, from years before, last seen working at the Sun Down. And now niece is on fire, trying to hunt for her aunt. She takes a part time job at the Sun Down, like her aunt did, and begins her arm-chair investigation.

It's a little spooky, ghost story, murdery, thriller. I loved it. This is only my second book read my St. James, but now I'm thinking I need to read more.

The Sun Down Motel publishes 2.18.2020.

5/5 Stars

This book was amazing! I couldn't put it down. A mix of The Shining, Bates Motel and a missing person's story, this mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat. I loved it. More from this author.

Lets all decide to agree that ghost stories are super fun to read. Because, they are! 👻 The Sun Down Motel was sensational! It reads like a movie for the mind and some parts get pretty spooky.

The story is told from two alternating perspectives and timelines. This thriller is full of mystery and I didn’t want to stop reading, which lead me to finishing it in a day. Yay for quick reads!

The book definitely brings up the vulnerability and limitations that so many women face in society regardless of their intelligence and abilities. It was chilling to read the subtext and reflect on it. Also, I liked the subtle nods toward Stephen King, true crime fans, and other authors and stories from the horror/thriller genre. Nicely done!

I would have given it 4 stars if not for some redundancy issues with the writing and some minor parts that felt flat. I still really enjoyed it.
3.5/5 stars Rounded up to 4 for this review

A great beginning and very readable overall, but a bit more "horror lite" than I'd prefer. Perfect for readers who don't go in for mega-scariness.

I love spooky mystery stories and The Sun Down Motel did not disappoint! Great plot - every time I thought I'd figured out something crucial, I was wrong.

Summary:
The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before. 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.

There were lots of twists in this book which kept me guessing and intrigued until the very end. I love that there are so many strong women in this story. Super suspenseful and haunting, this is a great book!

I read and enjoyed The Broken Girls by the same author so I thought I’d like this one as well Not so much. The plot was really slow building and had relatively dull characters. No surprising twists either- it was pretty predicable.

Another great book from this author! She really knows how to write great atmospheric books. I loved how the hotel is almost it's own character and the two timelines melded together very well. This story kept me guessing and I can't wait to recommend this one to my patrons!

The Sun Down Motel is an atmospheric suspenseful murder mystery. Flipping back and forth between past & present, Carly tries to piece together what happened to her Aunt Viv, while we find out Aunt Viv’s story. The dark, ominous tone of this book is just bang on, so brilliantly written. The characters are so well developed and seem so real - even the ones that aren’t.

Simone St. James has written a stellar ghost story! The creepiness factor was perfect and the characters sympathetic, including some of the dead ones. I had figured a couple of things out before the ending, but was compelled to keep reading as I knew i didn't have it *all* figured out and I was thoroughly satisfied. The jump in time from the 80s to 2017 was entertaining to me as I well remember the fabulous 80s and those old roadside motels. If I had a criticism of the book at all, and please note that this is very minor, it is that the author pushes the unfairness of the world toward women a little too hard or too obviously. It's not that she's incorrect, it's more that the story and the events speak that truth well enough without the female police officer pointing out how tough she has it as a female cop. Then again, perhaps those who didn't live in that decade and earlier ones wouldn't find the emphasis unnecessary, so a very small issue in an otherwise fantastic book.

In 1982, Viv Delaney left her home, headed for New York City. She got as far as Fell NY, and started working as the night manager at The Sun Down Motel. Strange things happen at The Sun Down Motel. As Viv looks deeper into the mysterious happenings, she uncovers a serial killer, who targets her. In 2017, Carly Kirk shows up at The Sun Down, looking for her aunt, Viv Delaney, who disappeared in 1982. As Carly begins her hunt, she, too, begins work at The Sun Down as the night manager and her life will never be the same. Equal parts paranormal and crime fiction, this was an interesting book with lots of red herrings and ghostly phenomenon.

Thirty-five years after her Aunt Vivian goes missing from the Sun Down Motel, Carly travels to Fell, New York to solve the mystery of what truly happened.

I requested this title because I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Broken GIrls' by this author.. This follows the same narrative format as that book, changing the point of view between Vivian's in 1982 and Carly's in 2017.. As someone who isn't a huge fan that stylistic choice, it didn't enjoy quite so much this time around, It read a little more redundant than informative. It made the pacing a bit frustrating - it was a quick read but the plot was slow until the last third of the book. I also don't think that it added anything to either character. If anything, it really drove home this idea that Carly and Vivian were exactly the same.

Everything else was okay. Characters, setting, etc. I do like Simone St. James historical/ghost/mystery story format. I liked how the stories all came together, both the ghost stories and the mystery part. The suspense wasn't anything earth-shattering but I found it to be more enjoyable because it wasn't shocking. Sometimes something that isn't descriptive in its gruesomeness is a nice break.

Anyone looking for a quick mystery/ghost story would probably enjoy it.

An excellent, eerie mystery and thriller. This is the second novel I've read from this author and loved every minute of it.

The story is narrated in dual timelines and takes place in Fell, NY. First, in 1982 Viv moves temporarily to Fell to save up some money to go to NYC and start her acting career but she disappears mysteriously and is never heard of again. The second timeline takes place in 2017, and is narrated by Carly who happens to be Viv's niece, she goes to Fell to investigate her aunt's disappearance 25 years later.

The imagery and scenes at the Sun Down motel are vivid and made me feel as if I was there. The author did a great job with the story and I look forward to her upcoming books.

Highly recommend this one!

ARC provided by Publisher via Netgalley

This novel had me hooked right from the beginning. I loved the back and forth between present sat with Carly and 1982 with her aunt, Viv. I believe it added to the whole spooky atmosphere of the story, and it really worked well. I was actually surprised with how it ended, I thought I had it all figured out, but the author did a great job of leading the reader on.