Simone St. James is a master storyteller! She grabs you tight and does not let go! On a lonely road, is there a serial killer or more than one? Is it something not of this world? What has been killing hitchhikers for over 20 yrs? Keep reading if you dare!

I really enjoyed reading this book by Simone St. James! She is an excellent storyteller, and her writing kept me engaged throughout. I particularly love supernatural stories, and this book had a ghost-hunting theme, which I loved! If you're looking for a murder mystery, paranormal fiction, a couple with many secrets, and a surprising conclusion, then you should definitely read this book! It's set in 1995 and follows the story of Eddie and April, a newly married couple who end up on the deserted Atticus Line, which is known for a series of unsolved killings. They stop to help a hitchhiker, only to find out that things are not what they seem. I won't spoil the plot, but it's definitely worth reading to find out what happens next. Simone St. James is a master at writing thrilling ghost stories, and this book had me hooked from beginning to end. I found the conclusion of this book to be more satisfying than some of her other works. Four of five strong stars for me!

It's the summer of 1995 and April and Eddie have just gotten married and are en route to the place they plan to honeymoon at. It is nighttime and Eddie makes a wrong (very wrong) turn and the couple finds themselves on Atticus Lane. They spot a young woman walking alone on the road and offer her a ride. What seems like a very kind gesture turns into a nightmare. April realizes that the young woman is bleeding. They take her to the local hospital, but she dies soon after. They become the main murder suspects and are told not to leave the area. Eddie and April learn that Atticus Lane has been the location of a series of deaths which started twenty years ago with an unnamed victim known as The Lost Girl. Rose, the local innkeeper, educates the young couple on the murders and the rumors and legends surrounding them. As the story unfolds, Eddie and April, who both have their own secrets, come to the realization that there is something unexplained and eerie going on in Coldlake Falls.

Author Simone St. James writes intense mystery thrillers which delve a bit in the paranormal. This aspect of her storytelling is not something I normally seek, but in Murder Road, and the other books of hers that I have read, it works. And while there is a ghostly atmosphere, I wasn't terrified - I was intrigued and couldn't wait to find out how it would turn out. April and Eddie were appealing characters as was Rose. I also enjoyed the characters of Beatrice and Gracie Snell, two local teenagers who area completely absorbed in the tales of Atticus Lane and are trying to solve the murders. If this took place in the present time, they'd surely have their own podcast. Placing the story in 1995 removed all technology such as cell phones to call for help as well as the ability to take photos and videos, which added to the tenseness. This is a fast-paced page turner worth a look. You may want to keep the lights on.

This one starts out so strong and it never let up for me, I was hooked after one chapter and that never waned for one minute. The author is one of a select few who can get me to read anything with a supernatural twist and it’s really just due to the fact that she’s so damn good at incorporating things of that nature into an everyday setting. Speaking of setting, the vibes from the start were so creepy and unsettling to the point where I felt like someone was watching me while I was reading 😂 A deserted road where strange stuff happens and a legend about The Lost Girl who haunts the road is already super creepy, then you throw in finding a hitchhiker who has been stabbed, and yeah creepy vibes for sure. The tension steadily builds as things progress and there are several interesting angles that are explored as the local cops are quick to want to pin the murder on April and Eddie and then this married couple are both harboring secrets of their own as well. The secondary characters were great too, specifically Rose who owns the house where April and Eddie are staying and the Snell sisters who are quirky teenagers with an obsession for true crime. It all leads up to an excellent conclusion with twists I didn’t see coming and answers that shocked me. The author can do no wrong for me, I loved all of her books!

Murder Road by Simone St. James

I warmed up to this paranormal mystery quickly. It's July 1995 and newlyweds April and Eddie realize they are lost as they are driving to their honeymoon location. It's a dark night, April had fallen asleep and when she awakens she and Eddie are lost. Eddie doesn't know how it happened, somewhere back there he must have taken a wrong turn, he doesn't remember what he did or why.

And then they see a girl sort of standing by the side of the road. Not wanting to leave her out there by herself, they offer her a ride. She's acting strange and it's once they are back on the road that April realizes the girl is bleeding from the chest. By the time they get her to the nearby Coldlake Falls hospital, there is nothing that can be done to save the girl and April and Eddie are in a heap of trouble. Things don't look good for them since that road where they picked up the girl has a long history of hitchhikers being killed in a variety ways and the Coldlake Falls top detective has made it his life goal to find the killer/killers. With April and Eddie, he's the closest he's ever come to catching a hitchhiker murderer or two.

April and Eddie, in their twenties, already have more than a lifetime of bad baggage. Now they are stuck in Coldlake Falls, having to live at the bed and breakfast of eccentric, grumpy Rose, one of Princess Diana's biggest fans. Along with a houseful of dusty knickknacks and Princess Diana portraits and memorabilia, it turns out that Rose is no fan of the Coldlake Falls Police Department. Her late husband was a minority cop and he was treated very badly by some of the people still working there. Slowly, handsome Eddie, who is great with people, wins Rose over to his side, even if Rose still gives April the stink eye. Rose is all kinds of awesome behind her hobbies and quirks and became a favorite character of mine.

Two other characters that I really like are the Snell sisters. They deserve an entire book about them (and Rose, be sure to include Rose). I won't say more about what happens in the story but I like how it brings to mind old fashioned ghost stories, the kind that get told around campfires in the middle of nowhere. My grandad loved to tell those kinds of ghost stories and I could see him telling this one, in bits and pieces, causing little old eight year old me not be able to sleep at night.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

First line: That July night seemed full of possibility, with the empty highway stretching out before us.

Summary: April and Eddie have just gotten married and are headed to a resort town for a blissful honeymoon until they pass a hitchhiker along a deserted road. Like any Good Samaritan, they stop to help the young woman only to find that she has been fatally stabbed. After reaching a hospital where the hitchhiker dies, April and Eddie give a description of the mysterious truck they saw following them along the dark road.

After years of murders along Atticus Road the police finally have witnesses. But could these witnesses also be suspects? In an attempt to clear their names the young couple dig into the history of what has happened along this particular stretch of road. But with each new discovery it appears that something more paranormal is behind the deaths along Atticus Road.

My Thoughts: I think I have found my new favorite Simone St. James book. This book was creepy, twisty and completely addicting. The supernatural element was perfectly blended into the contemporary mystery of the murders along Atticus Road. This is one of St. James’ most intense books in my opinion. There are ghostly sightings, angry townspeople and a murderer on the loose. I found myself gripping my iPad as I read, constantly worrying about the characters. Even the supporting characters were well rounded giving the story more substance.

Near the end is a twist which I found rather predictable but it did not spoil my love for this book. But the last interaction between our heroes and the detective was excellent as the truth comes out. I never once considered this twist but it made me question all that had happened between our characters up until this point. Once you read it you will understand!

What a disappointment and from a trusted author no less. I’m so sad. I am throwing in the towel at 85 pages in. This story feels corny and not like her chilling last few stories. I LOvED Sun Down Motel. It’s still one that gives me chills thinking about it. Something feels off about April and Eddie and the police seem to be either possessed or dimwits. I’ll give the author chance but this is a no go for me.

This one had me hooked! The action started right from the beginning. I loved how this also had a paranormal aspect to it. I had no clue who the killer was going to be and the ending had me shocked.

Murder Road by Simone St. James is as creepy as the blurb makes it sound. I stayed up long into the night reading it and loved every minute of the creepiness, tension, and ghostly sitings. Usually, ghosts scare the bejesus out of me, but they add just the right amount of thrills and mystery to this story.

I loved the lore aspect because small-town lore fascinates me, even in fictional towns. The townspeople believe that the Lost Girl (the ghost of someone found dead on the side of Atticus Line - aka. Murder Road - in the 70s) is still haunting the road and murdering hitchhikers that are going to and from a small beach on the lake where free-spirits tend to stay. But the police are trying to find actual corporeal killers. The story is based on discovering who the murderer is and whether or not there is any truth to the lore.

The mystery of who stabbed (and killed) the girl April and Eddie found walking along Atticus Line is so complex, especially when so many unexpected pieces come into play. I loved every minute of trying to figure it out. There are plenty of red herrings and loads of thrills, plus a fun pair of sisters (who reminded me of the Frog brothers but more intelligent and strategic) who bring it all together and offer a townie's POV.

The atmosphere is perfect, especially when the main characters - April and Eddie - are traveling along the road. It's described in such a creepy, repressive way that the terror comes naturally to the reader and the characters. It's just a perfect blend of paranormal and mystery that created a story I couldn't put down.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's my third from this author and she has yet to disappoint. Simone St. James usually has a slight paranormal element to her books and this one was no different. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a paranormal touch to their thrillers.

We follow newlyweds, April and Eddie, on their journey to start their honeymoon. Things quickly go wrong when they make a wrong turn and happen upon a hitchhiker. They soon realize she is severely injured and rush her to the hospital.

The hitchhiker ultimately dies and they now find themselves at the center of a murder investigation as prime suspects and they have to figure out how to clear their names. How can they be honest with the police when they have yet to be honest with each other?

Overall, this book was really good. The ending was a little predictable but I really enjoyed the journey it took me on!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Murder Road!

Murder Road by Simone St. James is another one of her excellent psychological thrillers. Murder Road takes place in the summer of 1995, centered between newlyweds April and Eddie. They are embarking on road trip to for their honeymoon destination, only to discover they had taken a wrong turn to Coldlake Falls; as they end up on a deserted highway called Atticus Line. On the dark road, a flash of lightning shows a woman slowly walking; they stop and offer her a ride, which she hesitates, but then accepts. April notices blood on the girl, and they rush to find a hospital, to help the her; who in a short period dies.

Detectives Quentin and Beam show up at the hospital, and after being interrogated, they warn April and Eddie, not to leave town. Instead of being good Samaritans, they now are considered suspects. Unexplained murders have been happening along the Atticus line for many years, and legend has it that a vengeful spirit roams the road, hunting for hitchhikers. Rumors say twenty years ago, someone was murdered, unable to identify her, they name her Jane Doe, but legend calls her The Lost Girl.

Unable to leave, April and Eddie manage to have the owner of a B&B allow them to stay. At first Rose, was very weird, but in a short time, Rose opens up, and beings to help them, explaining the stories from the past. They learn more about the ghostly legends of The Lost Girl. They also meet Beatrice and Gracie Snell, two teenage sisters, who are wannabe detectives, with lots of information about the missing people. Truly, they were better then the detectives. Both Eddie and April have their own secrets, which neither knew about; they both suffered from domestic abuse, adoptions, and personal drama. As we reach closer to the end, there is a surprise that will reveal some things from the past. Besides that, I really liked April and Eddie.

What follows is an exciting, dark, suspenseful and creepy mystery in both time periods, which kept me hooked to find out what happened. Murder Road was an exciting and awesome mystery, with a slight paranormal element, as well as being chilling and captivating. The mystery has so many surprises, which were gripping and horrifying at times; a page turner all the way. Simone St. James did an amazing job writing this captivating thriller. If you enjoy suspenseful thrillers with a ghostly background, you should be reading Murder Road.

Murder Road by Simone St James
Release Date: 3/5/24
Format: audio/ebook hybrid
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have been a huge fan of Simone St. James since I read The Sun Down Motel in 2020. I haven’t met a book by her I haven’t enjoyed. However, I’ve been chasing the high of The Sun Down Hotel since I closed that book. Enter: Murder Road.

St. James is the best at writing thrillers where you’re toeing the line of “is this paranormal or nah???” and that is my favorite kind of mystery!

Murder Road follows a newlywed couple who both have secrets! They are on their way to a low key honeymoon in Michigan when they pass a bleeding woman on the side an abandoned road. As they race her toward a nearby hospital, they find themselves full of more and more questions and anxiety.

This is a thriller that you will not be able to put down! It’s full of family trauma & drama, a couple you love to root for, and just enough spooky to keep the lights on! You do not want to miss this book & as usual, Brittany Pressley absolutely shines in the audiobook! She really is such a fab narrator!

Thank you to @prhaudio for the free audiobook and @netgalley for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest opinion! This was an easy one day listen and five star read for me.

Thank you so much to Netgalley & the publisher for this review copy! I am so looking forward to this and to writing a full review on my social media when I am able! Thanks again!

I had high hopes for this one as I've enjoyed Simone St. James novels in the past. But MURDER ROAD didn't quite do it for me. But first what I did like. I liked the main character April, and I liked getting to know her through the mystery at hand as well as through flashbacks, and I liked getting to know her character and how it helped explain some of the things that she does in the book. I also liked some of the supporting characters, like the salty but ultimately generous Rose, and the precocious and pretty humorous Snell sisters, who fancy themselves amateur investigators. But I was disappointed by the urban legend/supernatural factor of the Lost Girl, who is said to kill hitchhikers on a lonesome highway, and how it didn't quite expand upon itself in ways that I was hoping for. I also called a huge twist super early because it was presented as a way that completely telegraphed where it was going, which was too bad.

I think that MURDER ROAD was just an anomaly for me, as I fully intend to seek out whatever St. James does next. It just didn't connect for me.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Horror + Mystery Thriller

The story of this mystery thriller is set in 1995. April and Eddie are a young couple who just got married. They decide to spend their honeymoon in a small resort town, but on their way, they take a wrong turn and end up on the eerily deserted Atticus Line, notorious for its string of unsolved murders. On that road, they stop to help a hitchhiker, only to discover that she's not what they thought she was. You should get to the book without knowing anything more. Knowing more information will spoil the story.

Murder Road is the second book I have read by the author. The first one was The Sun Down Motel, which I really enjoyed a lot. Fortunately, Murder Road is even better than that one. I love how the author mixes mystery thriller with paranormal elements. These kinds of stories work for me when they are well-structured and narrated.

I admire the fact that the author did not employ the present and past alternating structure in this piece. Instead, the author chose to remain in the present for most of the story, with only flashbacks pertaining to the main characters' pasts. This immensely helped the reading focus more on the present and the eerie atmosphere.

The protagonists undergo significant growth throughout the course of the plot. Throughout the story, readers are able to see right through April and Eddie as they undergo extensive analysis of their past and present. This kind of development makes it much easier to relate to their circumstances and the challenges they face.

Although the first fifteen percent of the book may appear to be a bit slow, this is only the beginning of the book. As each chapter goes by, the situation becomes more interesting, and from then on, the pace will pick up further. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this atmospheric mystery thriller and would recommend it to any reader who enjoys paranormal elements in mystery thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Set against the backdrop of the summer of 1995, "Murder Road" follows April and Eddie on their honeymoon, where a wrong turn leads to a fateful encounter with a bleeding hitchhiker on Atticus Line, a desolate road. As they rush the hitchhiker to the hospital, a pursuing truck adds to the chaos. The hitchhiker dies, making April and Eddie murder suspects. However, Atticus Line holds a dark history of unexplained murders, prompting the newlyweds to investigate. Their quest reveals supernatural forces at play, risking the nearby town's unraveling and testing the resilience of April and Eddie's budding relationship.
Simone St. James, known for her supernatural twists in suspense thrillers, weaves a gripping narrative. April and Eddie, both with challenging pasts, become relatable protagonists, earning cheers from readers. April and Eddie stay at the local B&B, run by the formidable Rose. Assistance comes from the humorous duo of teenage sisters, Beatrice and Gracie Snell, adding levity to the tale. The well-crafted characters contribute unique elements to the storyline, making "Murder Road" a thoroughly enjoyable read with a compelling plot.

I've read a handful of Simone St. James' other works and this one felt a little different. I did think that the writing was a little choppy, but that didn't completely affect my reading experience. The plot was incredibly fast paced- I read this book in one day. Additionally, I was genuinely frightened at some points, and that is a rarity to me. Although this wasn't my favorite my St. James, it was a fast-paced intriguing thriller.

I don't know why I didn't expect a paranormal element to the book given the author's past novels, but I went into this thinking it was just a thriller.

The book is about a couple in the 90s going for their honeymoon, when they take a wrong turn and give a ride to a hitchhiker, only to find that the hitchhiker is severely injured. They get chased by a weird truck on the way to the hospital and find out that the hitchhiker is now dead, and they have to clear their names.

The horror part was definitely scary for a wuss like me, but I don't know if it was interesting enough when things finally got clearer. It seemed like an obvious conclusion to the tale. The side characters are interesting in their own ways, adding to the creepiness of the town. The backstories of the main characters were supposed to add to the mystery element but fail to do so. The first half of the book is much more fast paced than the second half, and I think the obvious twists and turns subtracted instead of adding to the complexity of the book.

Read it if you like horror/supernatural thrillers and don't mind obvious twists and turns.

This hauntingly addictive read draws you in from the start and just doesn’t let you go. The immersive writing really makes you feel for the young couple caught up in a tragic event in a small town. There is a supernatural element that is there from the start and just adds to the creepiness and darkness of this tale. But it is not just about a supernatural killer, it is also about family drama and tragic pasts and small town ghosts.

The story revolves around the story of Eddie and April, who make a wrong turn while driving to their honeymoon destination. The story is only told from April’s point of view, but you get to know both characters quite well. We learn pretty quickly that both of these young people have lived very tragic lives and feel lucky that they have found each other. Even though I never felt like I could totally trust either of these characters, their stories helped to make the mystery that unfolds more realistic. I loved how resilient both of them were and how they supported each other throughout the book, even as lies about their pasts catch up to them.

There is a wonderful cast of secondary characters ranging from the detectives who harassed and accused April and Eddie of murder, to the B&b owner who ends up being an ally. I loved the two Snell sisters, two young ladies who are into conspiracy theories and really help April and Eddie with their investigation. These two girls gave a little light in such a dark story.

The story itself is well plotted and paced with lots of good twists that will keep you guessing. There were some plot elements that were very predictable, but I enjoyed the journey so much that I didn’t really care. What was really happening with the murders was pretty obvious from the start, and my only complaint is that the motive wasn’t as explained as well I would have liked. But the writing is wonderful and you really feel what it is like to be in this small town in Michigan in 1995.  

This is only the second book that I have read by this author, but it is really making me want to read more. I love the supernatural elements that she adds to her stories. If you like your mysteries dark, twisty and creepy with believable characters that you can root for then this is a book you must read.

Being a good Samaritan doesn’t always work out.​

Eddie and April Carter were heading to a resort for their honeymoon and made a wrong turn.​​

That wrong turn put them on a deserted road that had a young girl needing a ride.​​

They didn’t know that she had been stabbed and was bleeding when they offered her a ride.​​

They picked her up, took her to a hospital where she died, and now they are murder suspects.​​

We follow the tension as the police try to get them to confess and as they try to figure out this murder and others that occurred on Atticus Road. ​​

Ms. Simone has given us another spine-tingling page turner with paranormal scenes and characters with secrets kept from each other and of course from us.​​

I’m not a fan of paranormal, but I always enjoy how Ms. Simone incorporates it into her books.​​

The ending is a good one. 4/5

​​Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.