I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Carly, devastated after losing her mother to cancer, drops out of college and takes on an investigation of her aunt's murder.

Flashbacks between Carly, in the present, and her Aunt Viv, in the past, are eerily interwoven. I got lost in the plot and couldn't put the novel down.

I've read everything by Simone St James so far but on seeing the description for this one I wondered if I would be quite as into it. I love historical mysteries and she's done some awesome ones (Like a post-WWI gothic paranormal mystery set in a creepy convalescent home: I knew before reading it that Silence for the Dead would be my jam) but the 1980's in a motel? Hmmm. And guess what? It is actually everything I wanted.

We've got a dual perspective from the 80's and present day with an aunt (who disappeared back then) and her niece trying to find her. I loved the little touches (like description of clothes) that just made the 80's spring to life. I loved the young, present-day heroine who had a weird infatuation with creepy stuff and true crime her whole life - relatable! And I loved the Sun Down Motel, so atmospheric.

One thing I found to be a neat twist for a story that had ghosts in it was that this was much more mystery than horror. You get some spooky ghostly stuff near the beginning and though we've got hauntings the whole way through, the vibe of them changes from "What's going on? What will these ghosts do?" to "I must find who killed these ghosts", like the ghosts are present but allies. Neat.

Not just that, but this absolutely feels like a feminist paranormal/historical mystery. You've got two strong, active female protagonists; the direct references to so many "dead girls" in the town of Fell, NY (a nod to the entire mystery/thriller genre, I'd say); and a constant awareness of the dangers that women feel around strange men.

I received a free copy from NetGalley/Berkley in exchange for an honest review. And honestly, I'm just sad that not everyone is able to read it right now too!

I’m a huge Simone St. James fan. She is one of the few authors I automatically buy when I see their name. While this one isn’t my favorite book of hers, it’s still a great read.

She used a dual timeline approach to tell the stories of Viv, a young woman working at a seedy motel in the early 1980s as a night shift clerk, and of Carly, her niece who comes to work at that same job in 2017 in order to investigate the disappearance of Viv in 1982 from the Sun Down.

It has the signature St James blend of supernatural creepiness, historical fiction with great attention to detail, and low key romance. She should never ever ever change her formula!

I did feel the first third was slow to grab me and felt a little plodding. But it picked up quickly after that and the last third was absolute perfection.

I continue to be in on whatever else she writes! Thank you to Berkeley and Netgalley for the free advanced digital copy!

4.5 stars for me.

First of all the cover of The Sun Down Motel perfectly describes this dark suspensful book that I could not put down .

It's eerie, the atmosphere is right on point, there is murder, a serial killer, ghosts that can't rest and a hotel that makes you think of The Bates Motel.

The story is told from two perspectives : Viv in 1982 who disappears and in 2017 , her niece Carly who comes to this creepy motel to find out what happened to her aunt.

Don't want to give anything away, suffice to say put this book on your list !!

If you haven't read The Broken Girls by Simone St James, don't miss that one either!

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for the opportunity to read The Sun Down Motel.

A young woman out to solve a family mystery finds herself in a situation where she is reliving the events from many years ago that led to the disappearance of her Aunt that she never knew. the hotel where the story takes place is spooky and the events makes you wonder why the protagonist is so willing to stay there. Lots of surprises and almost made me believe in ghosts.

“This place is dark.”

“Some of us like the dark. It’s what we know.”

Me immediately prior to reading this book . . . .

If you follow my reviews, you know I’ve been kind of in a book slump – especially when it comes to wrongreading giant hits that everyone else all over the intertubes have been loving. I attempted to lower my expectations before starting this one (I didn’t fall head-over-heels for The Broken Girls so I was trying to be realistic), but damn the cover alone had me like “Hey Girl.” In fact, that was the only thing I knew about this before starting. What I found upon opening her up???

Mysteries that take place in dual timelines. The then is told from Viv back in 1982. Viv left home in hopes of becoming a famous actress in NYC, but ended up as the night watchperson at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York instead. The now is told by Viv’s niece Carly. Carly is a hobbyist with a focus on true crime. The fact that her own aunt went poof in the night never to be heard from again is fuel to her websleuthing nature and she has traveled to Fell in hopes of finding some answers regarding Viv’s disappearance.

Then there’s the motel . . . .

With lights that turn on and off, locked doors that randomly get thrown open, yelling and pounding in rooms with no checked-in guests, a little boy who appears sans parents and the occasional smell of cigarettes despite the place being no smoking was just what Momma needed. After all THIS IS HALLOWEEN THIS IS HALLOWEEN! (Which leads me to – WHY THE EFF DOES THIS NOT COME OUT UNTIL FEBRUARY???? It’s the perfect October mystery.)

The entire time I was reading this I couldn’t wait to call my real-life book buddies and tell them . . . . . GUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRL. It didn’t matter that I figured out the twist behind the whodunit, or that there was a moment of the MC running TOWARD danger rather than away, or that regular civilians were trying to solve this old stuff themselves (only without the Mystery Machine). Mainly because the snooping in both the past and the present made sense and it wasn’t like either timeline had a bunch of inside knowledge or outside help. They used things like newspaper clippings, the internet and a dang phone book to link clues together.

Bottom line is I loved every thing about this. It was the perfect book at the perfect time. I read it in about 14 seconds and was pretty bummed when it was over so it gets every star.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Viv wants to travel and and preferably live in New York City, but when her money runs out, she ends up in Fell N.Y. where she decides to take a job as a front-desk clerk at the Sun Down Motel. Ironically, the motel was the last place Viv's aunt (who was also a front-desk clerk) was seen 35 years ago. So naturally, being a curious and frankly, dark, person, Viv decides to take the opportunity to investigate her aunt's disappearance while she's there. While she's investigating, the motel seems to become more and more sinister, and Viv's not entirely sure her own safety isn't at risk.

Reading this book at home alone late at night before going to bed is not a good decision! I really enjoyed this one, as I have of Simone St. James’ books. Very creepy. I recommend it for fans of her other books, those who enjoy Susanna Kearsley, and fans of ghosts/mysteries with gothic elements and/or dual timelines.

A completely stellar read. Was lucky enough to get an ARC from NetGalley. I loved reading THE BROKEN GIRLS, so this was an obvious choice. Simone St. James has created an intricate time-jumping narrative that all centers on the Sun Down Motel. I normally have a hard time with multiple POV in different eras, but each of these women were easily differentiated, and had their own unique take in their investigations of the motel. St. James’ writing is compelling, and I found myself devouring pages expeditiously.
If you’re a fan of amateur detectives, family history narratives, or creepy motels, grab this up when it is released.

Carly Kirk is a 20 year old woman from Illinois who finds herself fascinated by a cold case that happened in Fell, New York thirty-five years before. In 1982, a 20 year old woman named Vivian Delaney disappeared without a trace when working the night shift at The Sun Down Motel. She was one of several Fell women to go missing around that time. Carly travels to the town where Vivian disappeared, searching for clues about Vivian’s demise. In an ironic twist , Carly finds employment as the night shift manager of the Sun Down Motel. Carly soon discovers that The Sun Down is not a typical motel and the more investigating that she does, the more secrets that she uncovers.
This novel is an intriguing blend of true crime, suspense, and supernatural. It alternates between 1982 and 2017, from the perspectives of Vivian and Carly. This book catches the reader’s attention in the first chapter and keeps their interest until the final page.

This was like a love letter to murderinos and fans of true crime. The Sun Down Motel is a ghost story told in alternating viewpoints: Viv, the night shift worker at the hotel in 1982 who is trying to track down the serial killer responsible for the murder of young women of Fell, NY, and Carly, Viv's niece in 2017 trying to solve the case of Viv's disappearance in 1982. Both women find themselves working nights at the Sun Down Motel, where each night, the hotel's ghosts make themselves known. I love hotels as settings for horror novels because the point of a hotel is to be as ignorant of the previous guests as possible, but at the Sun Down Motel, the guests who have stayed and died there come back again and again.
I always love Simone St. James, and her writing just keeps getting better. She manages to make this story really feminist and female empowering, and I loved the references to Michelle McNamara and My Favorite Murder.

Wow! I did not see that coming! I loved the cover of the book and it sounded like it might be pretty entertaining. I’m so glad I requested this one! Excellent mystery with just the right amount of creepy! Can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simone St James and Berkley publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I actually chose this book because I loved the cover when I saw it, and the cover did the book perfect justice!
After reading what the book was about I didn't think I would like it but I'm glad I judged a book by its cover in this case since I loved this book way more than I thought I would.
It was fast paced made me want to keep reading and transported me there with both of the main protagonists. It is a book loaded with good old fashioned creepiness.
I actually chose this book because I loved the cover when I saw it.
I will definitely be following and reading more from this author.

I loved this even more than The Broken Girls! I admire St. James' ability to blend real life monsters with incredibly believable ghosts is impressive. Her characters are so well-developed and real--flawed, but believably so. Pre-order this today!

Simone St. James does not disappoint. This is my second book by her, Broken Girls being my first, and this won't be my last.
First I have to say that the setting genuinely creeped me out. When the author describes the setting in the beginning of the book it kind of takes on its own character and even though you are not physically at the Sun Down Motel you are painted a perfect creepy picture that will make you think you are. While reading the first 50% of this book I did not want to be alone while reading it, it was that creepy. There are not many books that can do that to me,so I know that our author has done a fantastic job in her writing.
I really enjoyed the dynamic of the back and forth between times at the Sun Down. So you know what Carly may find or experience as you have already lived through it with Viv. It gives you that vibe of wanting to jump up and say "don't go in there!!" like you get a the movies.
Without spoiling anything, I think this is an absolute must read for anyone that loves a good mystery along with some paranormal elements.
I loved it and I cannot wait to read more by this author.

OH.MY.GOD. It has been about two days since I finished this book around 4am and I am STILL thinking about it. I loved the author's other book, The Broken Girls, so I had very high expectations for this one. Well, they were met and then some.

It has been a long time since I read something that literally had me shaking with fear. The atmosphere in this book is so insane that I felt like I was put in Viv or Carly's shoes.

Decades ago a young woman named Viv went missing without a trace at The Sun Down Motel. This invoked seriously creepy vibes (ala The Shining and the motel in the movie Identity). Now someone else close to her starts to dig into the past, therefore, waking up all the hides within the motel....

One of the best books I've read this year and will no doubt be a huge hit when it comes out! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Ms. St. James does it again! I am not normally a fan of ghost stories, but this author can spin a tale like no other. This story takes place in 2 different time periods, 1982 and 2017. Viv is from 1982 and has decided that she wants to move to New York City. On her journey, she ends up in a place called Fell, NY. There she takes a job as the night desk clerk of the Sun Down Motel. A couple of murders have happened in the 2 years before her arrival. Viv has a curious nature and starts to investigate. Carly is from 2017 and is the neice of Viv. She is there to solve Viv's disappearance or murder. She runs into some unlikely allies who might have known her Aunt Viv back when she lived in Fell. Carly and her roommate Heather begin investigating and turn up some very interesting that could lead to solving the murders from 35+ years ago. Carly also gets the job of the night desk clerk at the Sun Down Motel to try to solve the mystery. This is where she meets Nick Harkness. He has his own story involving a murder, and to be quite honest, I thought he was going to end up being the bad guy.

The last book I read of Ms. St. James, Broken Girls, had me guessing until the twist at the very end. This book, The Sun Down Motel, got predictable close to the end. There is a twist that was a bit surprising, but the rest I had pretty much guessed. All in all, this was a read I couldn't put down!

In my opinion, Simone St. James set the bar very high with The Broken Girls, but The Sun Down Motel almost reaches it. Both ladies remind me a bit of Veronica Mars because they’ve gotten in the middle of something and need to work out the what/who/when/where/why of the situation and make educated decisions based on what they learn and the people they deem trustworthy. As per usual, surprises are abundant and not ones you’ll be guessing from the start!

ARC from the handlers at the wonderful NET GALLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not a ghost story guy but I did enjoy the mixing of ghosts and bad guys.

4.5/5 This book was so much fun to read. There are ghosts, yes actual ghosts, haunting the Sun Down Motel. Through alternating POVs, Viv from 1982 and Carly from 2017, we see our protagonists go down similar journeys of trying to figure out what makes people return to haunt the motel. Oh, and we also know from the beginning that Viv is Carly's aunt who mysteriously disappeared from the motel in 1982. There are so many great characters and other than the ghosts, the plot wasn't too far fetched.