5 stars, excellent read full of mystery and straight up gave me chills! I was pulled in immediately and could not put the book down$ absolutely loved it!

Okay, to be fair, I had completely forgotten about this book. I was holding off reading it for so long because it had been hyped-up so much. Well, I am glad I finally picked it up, because the hype was real! I don't often click with mystery/thrillers, as I find most predictable, but this one was not.

Usually, when someone says a book is atmospheric they mean it's mildly gothic or occasionally that it's set in New Orleans. So, to be clear: I don't mean that. I suppose what I'll say instead is that it has a whole vibe, and it works.

This book was sooo good! I loved this twisty haunted tale about a woman who went missing in the 1980’s and her niece who tried to solve the mystery of her Aunt’s disappearance 35 years later. The twist and turns increased with the captivating plot and I was hooked until the very last page! Definitely my favorite of Simone St. James books so far!

A run down motel in a tiny town in northern New York. It would be completely forgotten except for the mysterious disappearances of several young women and the strange happenings in the middle of the night. Told in alternating chapters set in 1982 and 2017, we learn what terrible things have happened there.

After her mother dies (2017), Carly decides to try to figure out what happened to her mother's sister, Viv, who disappeared without a trace in 1982. Viv (1982) is trying to escape an unhappy homelife, but lacks the money to get to NYC. She lands in Fell, NY and takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel. Strange things start to happen -- the smell of smoke, doors that open & close, lights go out -- and Viv is seeing ghosts.

This is an intriguing suspenseful novel. I couldn't put it down. Sometimes the time-swapping is a bit jarring, but the way the real truth is revealed slowly to the reader (and Carly and Viv) is very well done. The setting is appropriately eerie -- you can smell the smoke, feel the cold presences, and totally visualize the seediness of the Sun Down Motel. Nothing particularly shocking or graphic, just a good suspense story in the Twilight Zone vein. Nicely done.

I love a good creepy thriller this time of year, and am always on the hunt for the elusive atmospheric writing, so I when I was approached by Berkley to join the blog tour for The Sun Down Motel I was definitely excited about it. The Sun Down Motel is full of strong women, creepy ghosts, and a mystery that spans decades. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. The atmosphere was definitely my favorite part of the story. It was just so creepy (sometimes too creepy), and I enjoyed that uncomfortable feeling it gave me. Viv (1982) and Carly (2017) both worked at The Sun Down, each for their own reasons. Viv was there as a means to an end, and Carly was there to find out what happened to her Aunt Viv. This motel is the epitome of everything repulsive. Nobody would ever actually want to say there, and that made it way creepier. It’s run-down, outdated, and full of noises, mysterious smells, and questionable guests. And both women worked the night shift. Alone. Both women go to the point where they knew the ghosts and talked to them. Well, except the man with the noisy shoes who smoked outside every night. He kept quiet. Doors would open and closed by themselves, the lights would flicker or go completely out, there were voices and footsteps… It’s just a very scary place. These were strong women to put up with working there.

2. Strong women is a huge theme in this story. You’ve got Viv, who left home to go into show business in NYC but actually just wanted to get away from her family. She’s a Nancy Drew type who paid a lot of attention, started connecting dots, and made it her quest to stop a serial killer who was preying on women. Nobody believed that there was anything that needed solving, so she jumped in. Then you’ve got Carly, who left home to find out what happened to her Aunt Viv, who disappeared from the Sun Down one night without a trace. Again, nobody really paid any attention to her. Viv and Carly both had cool roommates who helped them solve their various mysteries. There was also a female police officer named Alma, who was given the night shift because nobody else wanted it, and a freelance photographer who I can’t remember the name of that was also involved. All of these characters were strong, persistent, brave, women who stuck up for themselves and looked out for each other. All of them did things they were not comfortable with because they thought it was their only option.

3. The detective work was so exciting to me. I loved reading about the stakeouts and the research and following people around, hoping to not be seen. Carly/Viv were impersonating people on the phone to get info and sending anonymous tips. It felt like Veronica Mars a little bit in this regard.

4. I really could have done without the ghosts. Actually, I could have done with less activity from the ghosts. It’s fine that they were there, and they really added to that creepy feeling I liked. Sometimes it just got to be too scary for me, though. Some of these ghosts were… mad. Very mad. But they ended up being there for very a important reason in the end, so I understood the need for them.

5. I did struggle sometimes with keeping Carly and Viv straight across the dual timelines. They had the same jobs, were about the same age, each had a roommate, both worked with Alma and the photographer… Sometimes I just got lost on who was who. Even thinking back now on my reading experience, I can’t exactly remember which girl did which important thing. I don’t think it matters, though. Maybe the point was to have these girls live parallel lives so there was barely a seam between them.

6. The plot itself was not very complex, but I was still riveted and had to know what happened.

7. The book starts out pretty slow, so hang in there!

All in all, I ended up enjoying The Sun Down Motel way more than I thought I would. There were a couple spoilery twists that I called… and one was just a little too twisty to seem reasonable to me, but I still enjoyed the story overall. It’s a great book to read during spooky season, and I’m definitely interested in getting more atmospheric reads from Simone St. James in the future!

One night in 1982, Viv Delany goes in to work her usual night shift at a haunted motel. However, she disappeared and was never found. In 2017, Carly Kirk comes to the Sun Down Motel to find her missing aunt. Could Carly find the truth about what happened to her mysterious aunt? Her investigation leads her to discover the motel’s secrets and the ghosts that haunt the place.

Viv was the most fascinating character in this story. I liked reading her parts more than Carly. Viv is very daring. She is also very clever and observant. I love her sleuthing skills, and it was fun following her to be on a hunt for a killer. Viv is characterized as an introvert. She does not have many close interactions with other people. However, I found her to be a strong heroine.

Carly was a bland character. She seemed to be more interested in romance than finding her aunt. I found her to be judgmental and unforgiving. This made it harder to like her. While Viv was a strong character, Carly was weak. Many times she was a damsel in distress. She also made foolish decisions. Therefore, Carly was the opposite of Viv.

Overall, this novel is full of paranormal elements with a predictable mystery. The setting of the haunted motel had potential. However, it was not developed well. The ghosts did not have much of a personality. They were just there. This made the supernatural element unnecessary. The ending was disappointing and felt anti-climatic. Therefore, I recommend this book if you love paranormal romances. However, I recommend readers to read Mrs. St. James’s earlier works instead because those are her best novels that she has written so far.

The Sun Down Motel is one of those "can't put it down" novels. I alternated between reading the hardcover at home with my Netgalley copy on work breaks and after I turn out the light at night. Ms. St. James has done an outstanding job combining a ghost story with a real world mystery. I can't wait for her next book!

After several chapters I knew it would not appeal to my students and do not plan to purchase it. Thank you for the opportunity to read it for preview purposes.

Clear some time for a stay at 'The Sun Down Motel'
By Sandy Mahaffey For The Free Lance–Star

loved Simone St. James’ novel, “The Broken Girls,” so was delighted when I received a copy of her newest release, “The Sun Down Motel.” It did not disappoint.

Carly Kirk’s 20-year-old aunt, Viv Delaney, mysteriously disappeared in 1982. Viv had left home to seek a career in theater in New York City, but hitchhiking-gone-awry left her in Fell, a town in upstate New York. Viv had found work as receptionist at the night desk of the Sun Down Motel.

Now, Carly has lost her mother to cancer. Her mother had mourned her sister without ever getting an answer as to what had happened to her. Carly decides to use a college break to investigate her aunt’s disappearance, so she also heads to Fell, a place that gives her the sense something is just not right. There are too many dead bodies in this small town. Starting her search at the Sun Down, Carly applies for the same job—working the late night shift at the reception desk.

The Sun Down appears to be stuck in the ’80s. Little has changed, including the eerie, haunting atmosphere:

“Come on in, the building seemed to say, with it’s 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.”

eerie, haunting atmosphere:

“Come on in, the building seemed to say, with it’s 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.”

This is the perfect book to read on a winter night, and it's one of the most fun (and creepiest) stories I've read in a long time.

Of course I absolutely loved it.

Simone St. James continues to be an author to watch and I can't wait for her next book.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!!
This is the best thriller I’ve read in a long time! It grabs you from the start! A young woman moved to a small town in New York in search of her aunt who has been missing for 35 years. She learns about a string of murders while investigating her aunt’s disappearance. She ends up working at the same motel that her aunt had when she disappeared Things in the motel are not quite right. At random times she’ll smell cigarette smoke for no reason. Room doors will open for no explanation and don’t even stay when they’ve been locked. She’s about to unmask the biggest secret of them all. Is her aunt alive? Can she figure out the mysteries of the motel? Does she know what happened to the missing women from the town? All these things come to light in the end but is it fast enough!?!

I wanted to love this so much but it was impossible to get into and I don’t know why I will try again eventually but I can’t call this anything but a wash right now

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. First off, I very much enjoyed this book. The atmosphere was incredibly creepy and some sections kept me up late at night because I didn't want to put the book down until that section was done. St. James writes suspense very well, and I think I'll probably check out some of her other books, too.

However, the ending for this book felt rushed. But the biggest flaw with this book is how much of it happened "off-screen", with the narrator only finding out about it later. I wish St. James had decided to show more than tell. Personally, I would have loved to have seen first hand the showdown that took place after the final "guest" checked into the motel.

Simone St. James is among my favorite suspense writers and when I spotted this book on NetGalley, I might have almost fell out of my desk chair. I was overjoyed! I must confess I read the story last year and for whatever reason I failed to write a review. I do remember having a few issues with it and I couldn’t remember some details of the story. This prompted me to read the story again for a fresh start.

St. James is brilliant at setting the stage for a creepy story! Reading Sun Down Motel definitely gives one pause about staying in a road side motel! The location and the people of the story are intriguing and you do sympathize with their troubles. Like the first time reading the book, the second time around, I still had trouble with some parts that were dragging. I felt there were too much detail in the telling and not enough showing. Maybe that is just me.

Viv and Carly’s story were so similar that at times, I became confused who I was reading about. Maybe it was because of the lapse of time when I wasn’t reading the story? Not so much the second time around.

There was a scene in the story where I guessed what happened to Viv. It actually was a small detail and I was actually surprised to pick up on it. Towards the climax the story started to weaken and I was really disappointed in the ending. It fell completely flat in my opinion.

Don’t allow my thoughts on Sun Down Motel sway you from not reading this story. It is a good premise, atmospheric and over all I enjoyed it.

I’ve rated this story three stars and I obtained a galley copy from the publishers through NetGalley.

Stephanie Hopkins

4.5 Stars!

I have had my eye on this book for months and I am so glad I grabbed the audiobook! I loved the alternating narrators and the moodiness and overall chilling atmosphere of this wonderful thriller.

The story alternates between the 1980s when Viv, a young woman passing thought Fell, New York, takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel. Viv intends to continue on to New York City and work as an actress, but she is sidetracked in Fell. From the start, there are eerie and unexplained occurrences at the motel and a building sense of dread.

Fast forward to 2017 and Carly is Viv's niece who is determined to find out what happened to her Aunt Viv decades before. Carly's mother rarely mentioned her sister but Viv is driven to solve her aunt's disappearance.

These two women are very smart, capable and strong personalities who are similar in many ways. How could Viv have disappeared without a trace? Carly soon uncovers several other young woman who died mysteriously at the same time as her aunt Viv. In the alternating timelines, we learn that Viv was also investigating the deaths of the same young women. The police had seemed to have given up on the deaths but Viv was obsessed with learning what happened to them.

There are several very memorable characters in this book, and let me just say that you do need to have a belief in the supernatural to accept the premise of this book. There are ghosts and unexplained phenomena at the Sun Down Motel and they are all spooky as hell! I loved how the author mixed crime, mystery, thriller and paranormal genres in this story. The underlying mystery is absolutely fascinating. This book had me hooked and I could not wait to get back to the story.

I can't explain any more details about the plot without giving it away. The author did an amazing job at making the town of Fell, New York, seem very menacing. Nick and Heather were both great supporting characters, as were Marnie and Alma. If you are a fan of spooky thrillers, then 'The Sun Down Motel' is a must-read. I could not put it down!

Well, well, well, what have we here? A mystery/psychological/supernatural mashup with relatable characters and an atmosphere you can sink your teeth into? You bet. I had read The Broken Girls by Simone St. James when it came out a couple of years ago. It had that same supernatural mystery type vibe as well. I liked it well enough and thought it was a solid story. The Sun Down Motel swoops past that story and soars off into the shadowy sunset by far for me.

With similar tools as her previous novel, this story alternates between two timelines, one in the 80s and one in 2017. In the 80s, Vivian is hitching her way to New York when she finds herself in Fell, New York working at The Sun Down Motel. Aptly titled because the place gets much of it's business and attention in our narrative during the dark shadows of the night. Viv hears about the strange murders of local women that have happened in the town across the years and decides to do some amateur sleuthing while working the night shift at the motel. In 2017, Carly, Viv's niece, rolls into town to amateur sleuth her way into another mystery, someone's disappearance all those decades ago. You guessed it, her Aunt Viv.

As the timelines alternate and slowly converge into each other, the lights start to turn on in your head and you see just how all of the elements the author threaded through the plot work to give you a haunting but powerful story. Of the seen and unseen. This story had great relatable main characters. Strong main and supporting characters that felt normal and real. Like you could pass them on the street. These heroines weren't superhuman sleuths or helpless princesses. Just normal young women pursuing a fault line that life had opened up at their feet. The setting and atmosphere were also wonderfully dreary and foreshadowing. All elements worked together well.

Spooky, mysterious, unsettling, and tense at times. Loved it. Didn't see a certain major plot piece when it hit the board and it was a game changer for my rating this book even higher. Would recommend if like Scooby Doo, you like your mysteries to be supernatural but also reveal the scary fact that sometimes the true monsters you should be afraid of are still alive and breathing. Blew up my expectations in a good way. Would read more of her books without blinking. 5 out of 5 stars.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

I was afraid to pick this book up because I feared it would be scary, but I'm so glad I read it! I found it deliciously creepy, just the right amount of spooky, without tipping into terrifying territory.

This mystery is about a twenty-something woman who's determined to discover what happened to her aunt Viv many years ago. Her quest takes her back to Fell, New York (GREAT name for the town in this book!) because they think that her aunt died, and Carly wants to figure out what really happened. This has been a family mystery since she was a little girl.

That brings her to Fell, where she takes a job working at the same motel where her aunt Viv worked. When she starts to work nights there, the hotel seems to wake up. Doors open and close by themselves. The smell of cigarette smoke lingers in the air, even when no one is smoking. She hears people walking, but no one is there.

At first she thinks she's crazy, but of course she's about to discover there's much more to this old story.

"Some of us like the dark. It's what we know."

A haunted motel. Ghosts. Murder. Are you in the mood for a chilling thriller?

Carly Kirk heads to Upstate New York in 2017. She wants to find out what happened to her aunt, Vivian Delaney, who disappeared from Fell, New York, thirty-five years ago. Viv was working at the Sun Down Motel when she went missing, leaving all her personal belongings behind and lots of questions though the police investigation was minimal. As Carly insinuates herself into life there, even taking the same job Viv held as night clerk at the Sun Down, Carly finds that something strange is really going on there. The motel seems frozen in 1982 and Carly soon falls prey to the mysteries that consumed Viv. NO SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed this. It was so well-written that I could not put it down and I read it much more slowly than I typically do most other novels. The characters were engaging and, even though I'm not typically enamored with the supernatural in books, I found myself totally captivated by the atmosphere and the narrative. The story is told in shifts back and forth in time between present day and 1982 with the points of view of both Carly and Viv. I couldn't help but see that this book would make a fantastic film with all of the scary elements and amateur sleuthing. Simply a great story and I definitely plan to look for more titles by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

Two timelines which at times were hard to keep straight, but they went hand in hand. One in 1982 where Vivian is on her way to NYC and ends up stopping in a small town of Fell, NY and ends up as the night clerk at a motel. In 2017 her niece Carly goes to this small town to figure out the mystery of her missing aunt and maybe even solve a few other mysteries at the same time.

For me the hardest part about reading this book was keeping straight the investigation that Vivian ends up doing of the mysteries that had just occurred before she arrived into Fell and the investigation that Carly ends up doing where she concentrates on Vivian's disappearance, but the other missing ladies come into play during the book. This was one of those books that I took a bit of notes to keep the storylines straight.

I don't want to spoil some key ingredients to this book, so I will keep this light and brief. I read a lot of mystery/thrillers, but for me this book almost felt close to the horror side of things. There was definitely some grit and gore, but more - just don't want to spoil things!

For more than one reason, this book is the perfect read to pick up for a Halloween weekend. It took place in November in 1982 and I suggest you read it in the fall season for peak enjoyment!