Wow.
I never wanted to stop reading this, and I wanted to get to the end so badly. I wanted to know so badly everything about it and you know what? It was perfect. This book, from the beginning, was astounding, enthralling even. It truly captured the spirit of obsession around solving crime and I LOVED IT. My inner murderino is SCREAMING with how good it was.

Carly’s aunt, Viv, disappeared in 1982 from the Sun Down Motel. Now, in 2017, Carly wants answers. She finds herself in Fell, New York working the same motel night shift as her aunt in 2017. But, the Sun Down isn’t just any roadside motel, there are strange things happening there- doors opening on their own, the smell of cigarette smoke when no one is around. Carly soon realizes that there’s more to her aunt’s disappearance than she realized, and the hotel itself may know what happened. Switching perspectives between Viv in the past and Carly in the present magnifies the suspense of this haunting novel. St. James mixes horror and crime genres in this chilling take on the tale of the roadside motel. Readers will love the character development, the detailed setting, and every twist and turn. This unpredictable novel will draw in any mystery reader.

EXCELLENT, solid 4 star read!!

Loved the mystery and loved the ghost story! I loved both MCs and even when I was certain I knew where it was heading (and I was right) it didn’t take away one iota from the suspenseful story. This was a book that I will absolutely be recommending to others...

Loved it!

I will read anything Simone St. James writes. I've been a fan since reading The Haunting of Maddy Clare. This one does not disappoint, and I will look forward to recommending it when it's published. Thanks for the early look.

Simone St. James does it again!

I loved St. James’ previous novel, The Broken Girls so I was so excited to read her follow-up, The Sun Down Motel. The old, run-down motel/small town setting really appealed to me.

In this story, we are following two timelines. Viv In 1982, who works the night shift at the Sun Down motel and becomes engrossed in finding out who is responsible for murdering young women in the small town of Fell, New York. But then Viv goes missing herself and her disappearance is never solved.

Thirty-five years later in 2017, Viv’s niece, Carly, is determined to find out what happened to the aunt she has never met and who her late mother always refused to speak about.

I loved the writing in this novel and I found the “creepiness” to be right on point. A small town, a haunted motel, murder.....what’s not to love?

The only small issue I had with this story was that I found myself getting slightly confused at times due to the two, very similar, timelines. However, this did not take away from my enjoyment and I would 100% recommended this book! Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early!

Excellent !!!! Not since The Shining has the thought of staying at a hotel made my skin crawl like it did reading this novel. We have all had occasion to stay at a motel like the Sun Down Motel, a place to rest for the night on long journeys, which is what makes this novel so believable. Part noir, part ghost story, part mystery, this novel has it all. There is a redemptive ending that comes full circle and closes the story nicely. I can not wait for the movie. Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for making this one available to me. I truly loved this story.

Probably 3.5 stars, but I rounded up. Loved the atmosphere, and in the first half of the book, I found the ghosts genuinely unsettling (enough so that I felt uneasy reading after dark). I got very caught up in Viv's investigation, which felt suspenseful--and also sadly typical for the time period. I was less attached to Carly, perhaps because with the book switching between 1982 and 2017, a lot of the time it felt like she was retreading stuff that Viv had already discovered (which is more of a structure issue than a character issue, I admit). I liked Helen and Nick.

The ending fell apart a bit for me, merely because I wasn't sure about the Callum revelation and thus felt a little detached reading everything. And as much as I love the atmosphere created by two of the ghosts haunting the Sun Down Motel (Betty and the smoking guy), at times the sheer number of ghosts in one place felt a little too <i>Sixth Sense</i>. I don't know, I think the little boy ghost and the final (spoiler!) ghost nudged it over the line to too many spooky spooks in one place.

The Sun Down Motel is an atmospheric mystery set in 1982 and the present day. This novel was not what I was expecting -- I thought it would be a dual storyline mystery, but it has a strong supernatural element that is not my cup of tea.

The Sun Down Motel has lots of secrets, ghosts, unknowns, and more, such that when Viv Delaney worked as the night clerk and disappeared, it causes a family to be torn apart with a lot of unanswered questions.

Viv's niece, Carly arrives in the same town where her Aunt disappeared 35 years earlier and gets a job in the same motel as a night clerk. The question now becomes, will the same thing happen to her what happened to Aunt Viv?

While an interesting premise, it wasn't the page-turner I was hoping for. Too many repetitive situations, and I stayed confused with the back and forth between characters Viv and her niece. With that said, If you are a fan of the mystery genre, you may enjoy this read.

Reading this book was like having a black and white film play in my head. A good story and an enjoyable read.

I am an unabashed Simone St. James fan. I was super excited to read her latest book. And friends? It doesn't disappoint.

Those familiar with her work know that she weaves ghost stories with human stories in a completely unique way. This one centers around the aforementioned Sun Down Motel. A derelict, still open, run-down motel in upstate NY. The story flashes between the 1980s and the present time, with two family members desperately trying to solve the past. I was hooked from the start.

Highly recommended for a twisty, gothic, psychological suspense thriller. I thought I had the twist figured out, but she got me in the final few chapters!

I can't wait for more from this author.

Another well-written page-turner by Simone St. James about a haunted motel and an unsolved disappearance! The book opens in 1982 on the night that Viv disappears from the Sun Down Motel, where she has been working as the night clerk for the past three months. Bad things are happening there, and things reach a crisis point on this cold, fall night. By 3:00 am Viv has disappeared, and her family never sees her again. In 2017, Viv's niece Carly comes to Fell, an eerie town in upstate NY, to find out what happened to her aunt all those years ago. Carly's mom died not knowing what happened to her sister, and Carly intends to find out. While working at the Sun Down, and researching the town's history, Carly uncovers the secrets surrounding the disappearance of four local women. I really enjoyed this spooky, believable thriller--highly recommended! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkely for the preview copy!

not sure about this one. overall story i liked, the style maybe i didnt. just something off but still worth reading, maybe just had a bad few days reading for me, four stars

This was my first book by Simone St. James and my expectations were high because I had heard great things about it. I'm so happy to say this book did not disappoint!

Almost everything takes place in one of these creepy old L-shaped motels you keep seeing next to the road. We have to main characters: Viv and Carly, who are both 20-something and are both working as the night clerk of the motel, only 35 years apart. We know from the start that Viv disappeared from the face of the earth in 1982, in the midst of the murder of several women around the town of Fell, near NYC. Now, 35 years later, her niece Carly goes to Fell after the death of her mother, trying to make sense of the murder of her aunt, a subject that was never really talked about in her mother's house and has always been a huge mystery.

Being a Murderino myself, this was incredibly interesting. The writing is excellent and the story never gets boring, even if sometimes you figure out what's going to happen in advance. I am SO glad I read this, I will absolutely read more from this author!

Not my favorite haunted thriller, but still an enjoyable read. I felt the same way with the other St. James I've read, and that one got a lot of buzz too. I guess there's something about her writing style that just doesn't quite suit me.

Two girls 35 years apart work at the Sun Down Motel and try to solve the mysteries of the town. Both become ensnared in the mystery and put themselves in danger. I really enjoyed the story told from the two different viewpoints 35 years apart, it added a layer of complexity to the story. I also liked how it highlighted the struggle women have of feeling safe. Heather, Carly's roommate, could have had more character development.

I thought this book was very suspenseful through about 2/3 of it, then it started to lag some. I read it in one day, so it kept my interest, but I did start wishing I could get through it faster. But we will buy it I am sure, as we have her first book and it gets checked out well.

This was so freaking GOOD! And SCARY!! And I LOVED IT! First off, the dedication is to Murderinos. Whaaat?? You KNOW it’s gonna be good when this is how we begin.

We are in Fell, New York, past (1982) and present day. Past - Viv's POV, she left home and is trying to get to NYC but gets diverted at The Sun Down Motel. She starts working, taking the overnight shift, and soon after begins to see things happen that are a little out of the norm.... Then Viv herself disappears, never to be heard from again.

Present day - Carly is Viv's niece, and has recently lost her mother to cancer. Feeling lost, only having her brother left, she sets off to Fell, determined to find out what happened to her aunt all those years ago. Carly also begins working at the Motel, and starts to experience some of the same odd things that Viv did.

Side note - I grew up out in the country, driving on dirt roads and used to get a wee bit creeped out at night as my mind would think of scary things that could happen. Oh hey, guess what? There is a scene in here that utilizes the hood of a car in the EXACT same way that I envisioned these creepy things happening. And yes, I freaked out when I read that in the book, but I loved it.

The two different POV's, switching from past to present, that creepy as hell motel, the characters, the ghosts - it was all just brilliant, and terrifying!! I won't be able to stop talking about this one for a while, and will go ahead and call it now - Top read of 2020.

I also will never be the same again if I ever witness a door opening on its own at night. Js…

Pure entertainment! I really enjoyed this book and I don't normally enjoy supernatural tales. However, this one had me from the start. Simone St. James' writing is compelling and fun, a real page turner!

Thank to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!
#TheSunDownMotel #NetGalley

Twilight zone’s intro music blasting out in my mind: nananana!!!! I’m in the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition and I’m at the dimension of imagination….Nanana!!!

I cannot sleep! I cannot move! I cannot breathe! When I was younger so much younger than today I never needed anybody’s help in anyway but even all ghost members of Beatles cannot save me! I’m numb, terrified!
I’m speechless! I’m about to do something in my pants but I don’t! I barely hold myself! Thankfully, I wore diapers before reading something sooooo scary! So I’m giving my 5 gaazzzzzillion ssstaaarss (I cannot even speak or properly write, this book is so horrifying! I wish I hold my childhood Teddy bear to gather my wits but I already ripped its head when I was nine, reading Salem’s Lot! Dammit!)
It’s midnight in LA, even my 24/7 partying neighbor is sleeping. My husband is still making entire Jurassic
World’s sound effects by snoring loudly. But I’m alert! Eyes shut open! Already all lights in the house are turned on! I’m at the verge of hysterical breakdown, waiting to see Sun Down Motel’s ghosts banging on the door.

Is this smoke I smell right now? Is this a salesman walking toward me? Who keeps knock, knock my heavenly house’s doors? Eric Clapton! Daattt! Freddy Mercury! Nope! He will rock not knock! Okay, I can’t stand anymore, dear lovely occupants of Sun Down Motel, I’m not night clerk, I’m just regular reader who loves your stories (I’m not talking about one of your friendly one named “Casper”, I actually find it overrated!) and Simone St. James did an amazing job because I didn’t eat for 8 hours, I didn’t move an inch and now my legs turned into jellies that I couldn’t move them, they’re useless right now. And of course I had limited booze service from my husband (you can imagine drinking and empty stomach could be definition of living dangerously!) I didn’t blink and I think my face is also paralyzed! I’m just looking like a survivor after over botox injections. I didn’t even visit to bathroom so my bladder already performing “Under Pressure” as a tribute to Bowie and Mercury.

As a summary: This book is mind blowing, horrifying and so much better than entire horror movies I’ve watched lately. It’s better than Bad Times at the El Royale (I wish salesman Simon could dance like Chris Hemsworth but you cannot get what you want all the time!), entertaining as Bates Motel (this time night clerks are women and innocent, but we cannot say the same for the deceased occupants of the place whose souls stayed there for their unfinished businesses!) and they’re as creepy, spooky, disturbing as Overlook occupants.

So we have an amazing gem is an impressive combination of Vacancy, Inkeepers and Poltergeist.
In 1982 Viv Delaney, night clerk of Sun Down hotel, vanishes into thin air. They never find her corpse. Nobody knows her whereabouts. Till in the present time her niece Carly, arrives at the hotel, getting the same job her missing aunt had performed decades ago. After her mom’s sudden death because of big C, Carly is so adamant to find out what has happened to her aunt. By getting rid of the burden of the past, she feels like she may designate her own path for her own future steps.

As soon as Carly arrives to Fell and starts her new gig, she’s going to find out, she’s living ten times worse experience of Paranormal Activity movie sequels and she knows who she is gonna call (of course Ghostbusters!) but there is bad reception at the hotel.

The story is narrated by two people and two timelines. We move back and forth between 1982 and today. We have Viv and her niece Carly as narrators. They’re so interestingly similar each other, only their zones are different but both of them brave, smart, risk taker, loner, introverted, happy with their own terms and small things kind of ladies. ( I thought too many times, Carly could be daughter of Viv. Their instincts and approaches to the events, their actions are so similar.)

Carly is too determined to find the secrets about the hotel and what happened to her aunt which puts her life in danger because she literally has to deal with the supernatural entities who could help her show the truth!!!!

There are so many amazing characters such as Helen ( I visualized as Billie Lourd, only Carrie Fisher’s talented daughter could handle this creepy, weird but also loveable character.) And of course nobody knows what is like to be the sad man behind blue eyes Nick is also memorable character, hiding from his traumatic past, a great partner of crime to help Carly to solve the puzzle.

I had great, terrifying time and I truly enjoyed every second of it by reading this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group to share this best ARC COPY and give me early Christmas gift in exchange my honest review. And honestly guys, PLEASE READ IT, READ IT, READ IT!
And special thanks to Simone St. James for creating this amazing, memorable, stunning, mind blowing masterpiece!