One of my most anticipated reads of 2024. I loved it - great plot, intrigue and complicated lives. Time period is 1995 - loved the nostalgia and culture references.
After a brief courtship, April and Eddie marry and travel for their honeymoon. Ending up in a small town - Cold Lake Falls, and on their local haunted road. Driving at in the early morning and pitch dark on Atticus Lane, Eddie and April find an injured woman. And the mystery begins.
Very creative, some paranormal elements and lots of intrigue. Great read!

I loved, loved, loved this book! I’m not always a big fan of the supernatural in my thrillers, but this one had just the right balance of real and fantasy. It was creepy and I could not put it down! If you enjoy this author already or Jennifer McMahon, I think you’ll love this book too!

When April and Eddie get lost heading to the Lake Michigan-front resort for their honeymoon, they find themselves on an empty, dark road. When they pick up a hitchhiker and discover she’s badly injured, they think they’re doing the right thing by taking her to the local hospital - instead, they become the prime suspects in her murder and embroiled in a decades-long mystery surrounding the strange town they’ve found themselves stranded in.

Let me start off by saying that I’m a Simone St. James fan. I am coming at this book from that point of view.

I love her amazingly unique stories and the way she weaves real-life mysteries with bits of the supernatural. This book was another great example of her work, with a spooky mystery to look into, coupled with a bit of a ghostly legend. It’s just enough of a spooky touch to creep you out without having the supernatural elements take over the story. That’s the right balance, IMO.

As I said, the mystery is super intriguing, and I was devouring pages to see what was going to happen and what the solution was. I did not see the ending coming - but it was really intense. I was blown away. Like I said, this author knows how to craft a tightly-would storyline with multiple layers that all come together in the end.

I cannot recommend this book and Simone St. James’ other books enough. Murder Road is a great place to start as an introduction to the world of spooky mysteries in her repertoire, as it combines all the elements of a great mystery thriller: a chilling mystery, ghosts, murder, and a frightened young couple.

You won’t regret picking this one up!

Big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really LOVE Simone St. James! I love the little paranormal twist she throws into her books. And it seems I'm never expecting it.
Starts off easy enough - newlyweds, on their cheap honeymoon, driving to the motel and getting lost on a back road. Then there is someone, a woman, who is running in the middle of the road in the middle of the night. So let's stop and pick them up and see if they need help. (That's what I would do, too.) But she ends up dying and the newlyweds are left with literal blood all over themselves. So now they have to "walk the line" with the local police and end up launching their own investigation into the murders along "Murder Road". It's a great ride!

Simone St. James simply does not miss when it comes to a ghost story. Murder Road is only behind The Broken Girls as my top book by her. Call me a millennial but I’m an absolute sucker for a 90s setting. I also really, really loved that this one has just one timeline since SSJ typically loves to play with dual timelines. That alone really set this apart for me. Highly recommend if you love ghost stories, urban legends, slowly revealed secrets, great twists, and satisfying endings. Can’t wait to see how much others love this one!

I loved Simone St. James’s The Sun Down Motel, but, sadly I wasn’t a huge fan of the next couple of books I read by her. I was nervous going into this one, but I ended up loving it!! Definitely a solid 4 stars. This was a crazy supernatural thriller. Usually, I struggle being able to picture these kinds of books actually happening, but this one was very clear for me. It was very well done and I was a fan of all of the supernatural aspects.

MURDER ROAD – Book review!

If you have ever read anything by this author, you know that there is a certain element that she always includes in her stories. Admittedly, I’m not always a fan of this particular feature, I do have to say that Simone St. James always seems to do it well that I actually enjoy it!

This story takes place back in 1995 so there is a bit of a nostalgia vibe to it. Newlyweds, April and Eddie, are en route to their honeymoon when they accidentally detour down Atticus Line in the small town of Coldlake Falls. There, they pick up a young female hitchhiker who, once in the backseat and a truck is chasing them down, they realize has been stabbed. She eventually dies in the hospital and April and Eddie find themselves at the center of a murder and potentially serial killer investigation.

This was a super fast paced read that definitely had a bit of a creep factor to it. The atmosphere of the story was great as it really felt like I was transported into Coldlake Falls and was a part of that little community of nosey folk. The investigation aspect was interesting because you learn about The Lost Girl, who was supposedly the first victim of the serial killer. As April and Eddie get pulled deeper into all the town goings, eerie things get revealed and the method of killing is both chilling yet intriguing.

Adding into all that, April and Eddie both have secret pasts that the other is not quite privy to, so it makes you wonder if they have any ties to what is occurring. As the story progresses, questions get answered, but then of course more come up. Towards the end though, everything started to come together and even though there was a unique little twist to it all, I still found it to be just a bit underwhelming.

Overall, if you are a fan of this author’s previous works I think you’ll probably enjoy her latest one once it officially releases!

Thanks @berkleypub for the gifted digital copy!

Simone St. James excels at writing paranormal storylines and well developed characters. Her ghost stories are always top tier and I really enjoyed Murder Road. The mystery element is layered and thick from the very start making for a book that's hard to put down.

The story begins as a newlywed couple, April and Eddie, are driving to their honeymoon destination. It's dark out, and they take a wrong turn, ending up on a desolate road. They see someone unsteadily walking on the side of the road and pull over to see if they need assistance. From that point on, the couple finds themselves being pulled deeper into a cold case and their lives will never be the same.

I felt like a dog begging for scraps at the dinner table, wanting more and more information as St James slowly doles it out throughout the story. I had to know more about April's secretive past! I had to know more about the urban legends surrounding the road and the various deaths that happened there! I had to have all the answers and I was mesmerized by this book until the very end.

This was one of those novels that had me reading at red lights and whispering "one more chapter" to myself as I neglected my responsibilities. Something about St. James' books always has me hoping for a film adaptation. I loved this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy. Below is my honest review.

A wrong turn leads a newlywed couple down a back country road where they find a bloody injured woman wandering aimlessly down the middle of the road. They pick her up and take her to the local hospital, and on the way, they're chased down by pair of headlights belonging to a speeding pickup truck. When they get there, the police show up and tell the couple not to leave town... because they're now suspects. Things go sideways when legends of a local haunting creep into their own investigation, raising the stakes much higher than anticipated.

I really enjoyed this one and will definitely pick up more by Simone St. James. The twist was a little predictable if you were paying attention, but guessing it ahead of time didn't detract from the story at all. The characters were full of depth and the story was dark and twisty.

Definitely recommended for thriller/light horror fans.

I've loved every book by this author. This may be my favorite yet. I will be recommending this book to all my patrons who love suspenseful thrillers.

April and Eddie Carter are on their way to their honeymoon when a wrong turn takes them into Coldlake Falls, Michigan. This town is haunted by a string of unsolved murders which immediately start to haunt April and Eddie, as well. Simone St. James is a master at blending true crime, mystery, and the paranormal in this book. She makes you really care about the characters and what happens to them. Her writing is always a treat, and I cannot wait for the patrons at my library to read this book!

Simons St. James has been on my to-be-read author list for years- and Murder Road had made me a huge fan! The pace, the character development, the twists, the horror, the humanity- all these things PERFECTLY blend together in Murder Road making it a one sitting read for anyone. You truly think you know the plot from the first few chapters, only to have the story completely flipped on its head leading to an epic finale. I cared about these characters more than I have in any recent book, and was truly invested from start to finish.

Murder Road follows April and Eddie Carter, who, on their way to their honeymoon, come across a woman who was brutally attacked. Though they try to rescue her, she ultimately passes, making April and Eddie suspects in the murder - the latest in a string of murders that have occurred on that road. No longer able to celebrate their honeymoon, April and Eddie decide to stay and see if they can solve the murder. There's a lot of old fashioned sleuthing combined with supernatural elements that St. James is known for including.

I think this was a fine story. I really enjoy the idea of a supernatural mystery/thriller, and St. James is the go-to for this genre. Her ideas are interesting and I think she excels in setting a spooky tone and atmosphere. During action scenes, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next. This book lost me, however, in the character development. I never cared about April nor Eddie and often wished we were experiencing this story through other characters' perspectives. Furthermore, at no point was I surprised by what we learned about them, which was especially disappointing because their stories ended up being important for the plot. I feel like St. James could have been a little more risky with the reveals to make for a more exciting and interesting read.

Again, I want to stress that this was a fine story - overall, I enjoyed my time with this book and will continue reading and recommending St. James' books to others. I think she is writing mysteries/thrillers that others wouldn't dare to attempt, and that makes me appreciate her work all the more. This one just wasn't my favorite of her works... but I look forward to her next one!

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Simone St. James is an auto-buy author for me, and her latest, Murder Road, is no different than the rest of her works: mysterious, cryptic, and fast-paced. I know when I pick up one of her books, I’m in for a well-written mystery with some paranormal elements, something she writes incredibly well. Murder Road follows newly weds Eddie and April as they travel towards their honeymoon destination. However, they travel down Atticus Line, a road with a dark past unbeknownst to them.

This is a solid murder mystery that borders on police procedural. St. James always does an incredible job writing characters I’m immediately invested in and find themselves in the middle of some form of an investigation. Given that paranormal occurrences are on the table, literally anything can happen which only adds to the mystery. Sure, some aspects of this story were slightly predictable, but I greatly appreciated how neatly this story was wrapped up by the book’s end. It was satisfying all-around, and I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good mystery.

Murder Road was solid ghost mystery. It may contain a bit more romantic elements than some readers like and the plot never came quite together for me . But it had some interesting twists and turns.

3.75 Stars

I love Simone St James’s writing. She builds brilliant spooky atmosphere with that touch of mystery, adding in elements of multiple genres. But I do think this one was on the lighter side in comparison to her previous few titles. Still good! But not quite as deep and dark.

While it was eerie, my biggest emotion was indignant frustration at the authorities. I wanted to see them all get their asses handed to them with whatever truths were discovered versus wanting to solve the actual mysteries. The story was more character driven, for me, than plot driven. April and Eddie had all my support. Together, their trials, backstories, and strength, gave this story life.

Overall it’s a steady paced ghostly book that’s entirely entertaining. Plenty of secrets all around to keep things moving and not OTT paranormal, which I love about James’s stories. The 90s small town setting was fantastic and it had just enough quirk to keep it fun amidst the murk and murder. Great balance. Definitely recommend.

Simone St. James sets her news suspense novel in Michigan in 1995. April and Eddie are on their way to a honeymoon cabin when they get lost and end up on a deserted road, Atticus Lane. Eddie pulls over when he spies a woman hitchhiking, injured and scared. Discovering the severity of her injuries, they take her to a local hospital and quickly find themselves the main suspects in a murder investigation. Now stuck in Coldlake Falls, they find themselves doing a little investigating of their own. And what they discover is that murders have been occurring on this road for years, and the police will do anything to solve the crimes.

This was a fantastic, creepy murder mystery. A bit different from this author’s usual storytelling style, there is no back and forth timeline- but it worked for me, nonetheless. I don’t think there is anything Simone St. James will write that won’t work for me. Part of the murder mystery revolves around a series of murders that have occurred on the deserted back road where the newly married couple pick up the injured woman, and part is April and Eddie’s own backgrounds.

I at first thought that April’s tumultuous and sketchy past would be the thing that would end up being the bridge that would connect all the pieces together at the end… but I was wrong. I was surprised, and pleased, at the way this author wrapped everything up.

One of the things I love about this author’s books is that they defy genre classification. There is always a supernatural, gothic element, but the suspense is always at the forefront and as with Murder Road, a mystery that holds readers captivated.

Another winner from Simone St. James. Definitely recommend.

I enjoyed this book but I wasn’t in love with it. I enjoyed that the main characters were both unreliable and untrustworthy; it made things more interesting. Some parts really got my heart pumping! But ultimately, I just wasn’t blown away and kind of lost interest.

If you are looking for a murder mystery with a touch of paranormal activity this is the perfect read! Incredibly addicting page turner that will leave you wanting more at the end!

Worst honeymoon ever!

April and Eddie have neither ever had a lot but they've found each other and just married on their way to their honeymoon when they take a wrong turn. Soon they find themselves on a deserted road and spot someone walking so they stop to help. It's a girl and she's hurt so they head to the hospital only to realize someone is coming after them - at a very fast rate of speed!

So begins Simone St. James' lasted supernatural thriller. Really good and really quick read. I mean what could go wrong with a deserted highway, an injured girl being chased and ghosts?!

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC