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.

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

Murder Road opens to newly-weds April and Eddie driving on the open road. Destination - honeymoon spot. While en route, they make a wrong turn, end up on a desolate road, and find themselves wanting to help an isolated hitchhiker. They find that the hitchhiker has been stabbed, so immediately look for a hospital for her. Sadly she dies at the hospital. Eddie and April only wanted to help and they didn’t plan to be the prime suspects for investigation. These honeymooners decide to take matters into their own hands to figure out what happened.

Simone St. James in typical fashion delivered another compelling read. While I guessed some pieces that were to unfold, it didn’t detract from my willingness to read on. She always writes in a way that makes you eager to turn to the next page. Though it took 3 days to wrap-up this read, it wasn’t due to an unwillingness to binge read.

I also enjoy her ability to set the scene and make it so vivid to envision the environment which contributes to the reading experience. The additional characters in the book also added to the entertainment. I enjoyed the B&B owner and the Snell sisters.

As an aside, I didn’t rate this one 5 stars. I attribute it to two things. First, the pace on the back half of the book wasn’t as strong as the first half. Second, I felt that there were some questions that I was looking to have answered that weren’t.

Thank you #NetGalley and #BerkleyPub for an arc of #MurderRoad in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 rounded up - I really struggled with the pacing of this one. It was such a slow burn and then I thought it had picked up but turned out to then just be uneven for the rest of the story. Same for the creep factor... I personally like faster, creepier supernatural mysteries. But some people found this to be totally bingable, so to each their own.

I did like the side characters and all the mystery going on. I also liked the creepy aspects we did get! The setting and premise were fun too.

I also did have the major twist spoiled for me, which may have impacted my overall feelings. So please don’t spoil books in reviews without proper warning if you must spoil.

Not my favorite by St. James, but I will say there was a point that gave me Supernatural the tv show vibes, which I loved. Although this didn’t really work for me, I think it will for others so I’d still recommend trying if it sounds like your jam.

I have read quite a few books by Simone St. James and this one is my absolute favorite! She creates such a mysterious and creepy atmosphere in her books that keep me coming back. Loved it!

I found that this book tried too hard to juggle so many minor plotlines and characters, to the point that it was hard for me to attach to any one storyline. I really enjoyed the beginning and the setup of the book but found myself less and less interested as time went on.

"A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases.

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They're looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all."

First, just never pick up hitchhikers, second, avoid the supernatural.