Despite living in Maine, home of horror hero Stephen King, for 20 years, I am not drawn to horror when it comes to my reading habits. I am, however, drawn to quirky and mysterious, which is why I was drawn to Murder Road by Simone St James.

It is July of 1995. On their way to a small honeymoon in the mid-west, April and Eddie find themselves lost. Stopping late at night for a young woman who appears to be hitchhiking, they quickly find themselves racing to get her to the hospital, where she dies of her wounds. They find themselves the suspects in a protracted string of murders. Despite this, they still don’t tell the police about the truck they saw following them… or whatever they thought they saw in the back of that truck.

Unexplained murders have been happening along the old Atticus Line for a long time, and April and Eddie are the first-ever witnesses. Unable to leave the town while being questioned, the couple starts to dig into the history of the murders and the history of the stretch of road that locals now avoid. Very quickly things start turning supernatural, and, as April and Eddie try to leave, they find themselves drawn back to the small community in more ways than one.


Images: Penguin Random House
Murder Road was a compelling read, with some interesting character points and a ghost story that was creepy enough to be engaging and subtle enough to not make me want to put the book in the freezer. As usual, I found myself drawn more to the side characters than anything else. The state detective who has been unable to crack this 20-year-old case and the wife of the deceased cop who was sidelined in the department because of his race.



The book centers on a young married couple, each with their own complicated past. April has spent most of her life on the run from an abusive father and from a past that chased her no matter what name she used. Eddie was abandoned as a child and was discharged from the army for some pretty severe PTSD. St James weaves in several other character pairings that balance things out nicely, the aging residents of the town, who know more than they let on, and the teenage Harriet the Spy wannabes who know far more than everyone. Everyone has a piece of this puzzle, and April and Eddie can’t quite let themselves step away without seeing everything to its fullest conclusion. The story starts quickly but then builds itself up with remarkable subtlety. You are about halfway through the book before you realize that the town is a vibrant community and not some ghost town being tortured into oblivion by a specter. Moms are doing yoga and kids are going to the library, but, to begin with, we only see what April and Eddie see.

April and Eddie are a wonderfully put-together couple. Quite frankly several of their conversations reminded me of things that my husband and I have said to each other. While most of their situations are wildly different from my own marriage, the way that they worry about each other but also talk each other down was touching in such a familiar way.



“We’ve had terrible ideas before. At least I have.”
“Like marrying me?”
The question was a surprise… “Like the time I drank vodka before going to the fall fair and eating a funnel cake. I’ll never eat a funnel cake again.”
His shoulders relaxed. This was how it worked: I eased him down, and in return I got to watch some of the pain leave his body and his face.

Sure their life is simple, and their marriage was pretty hasty, but they are an excellent fit. Not without its emotional moments for all the characters, it was hard not to feel deeply for Rose as she told the tale of her husband’s death and how the community has treated her ever since. But it is April’s practicality in the face of PTSD, police over-zealousness, and ghosts that really captivated me.

I had gotten this far in my life by being practical, by dealing with what was right in front of my face without dithering. So now I believed in ghosts. Or at least I believed in this ghost. What do you want? I asked her in my head… If a ghost stopped your car in the road, then she wanted something. It was the only logic that made sense.

The setting of 1995 is mentioned often enough to feel nostalgic for someone who grew up at that time—I myself was 14—but not so often that it impairs the movement of the story. Interestingly enough, the time period actually serves to highlight how little has changed in these small communities where they live, love, and die together. My favorite moment was when April is looking around the guest house for a book to read and stumbles on V.C. Andrews Flowers in the Attic. I was obsessed with the TV series in my youth, and I remember reading the book several times. Having it just lying around a mid-nineties house is such a perfectly normal thing.

Murder Road is an engaging dive into the myths and monsters we create ourselves in small-town America and definitely a great one to pick up for any road trips you might have planned this summer. Just don’t follow the light on a quiet road and you’ll be fine!

Murder Road was released in March of this year and GeekMom received a copy for review purposes.

✨Book Review✨
Murder Road by Simone St. James
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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This book was a decent thriller. You definitely have to be ok with supernatural elements with any of St. James’s books. The story got a little old at times, but for the most part I was engaged and wanted to keep reading.
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I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narrator.

As usual, Simone St. James does the supernatural like no other. Following along with April and Eddie on their honeymoon unlike any other was...interesting. The book started off strong, but somewhere along the way it lost some steam for me. I didn't enjoy this one as much as Sun Down Motel or The Book of Cold Cases. Some of it seemed a bit too coincidental at the end, but I suppose that's why they ended up taking that wrong turn to start with. Hoping Simone St. James' next book pulls me in a bit more than this one.

This was my first read from Simone St James and I really liked it. The offending highway had a deliciously creepy atmosphere throughout the story and I thought it was a fun premise that Eddie and April got sucked into a crime as they were headed to their honeymoon destination. It was refreshing to read about a couple that genuinely loved one another without any backstabbing or cheating involved. I loved the fact-finding mission they went on and I quite enjoyed paranormal aspect too. The only thing that felt a little odd to me were the parts concerning the police and the big explanation for everything. That part was so-so. But the rest of the book was a lot of fun! I‘ll be reading more by this author, especially in the autumn due to the fun, atmospheric quality of the setting.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for sending me a digital review copy via NetGalley. It was a lot of fun to read, and these thoughts are all my own!

I am a huge fan of Simone St. James and when I read this synopsis of this story and saw it had a paranormal aspect I was so so excited to read this book. Unfortunately it was just a so-so book, I felt the paranormal part was underdeveloped, I didn’t get that creep factor out of it that I wanted. I did like how the author tied everything together in the end connecting the characters to the past. It is an easy fast read, but overall it left me just wanting more.

Greetings from Outlier Island!!!

I want to start this off by saying that I loved The Broken Girls, The Sun Down Motel and The Book of Cold Cases. I fully expected to have the same experience with this one. In fact, upon learning the title and reading the synopsis, I expected to enjoy it even more than those previous novels, as it sounded like this was going to be toeing over the line into my favorite genre: horror.

Unfortunately, here we are, 3-stars. My lowest rated St. James to-date; such a mixed bag for me. I'm sad about it, but feel like it is bound to be a one off. It has to be. I find it hard to believe that it's not. For me, this felt completely different than her other books and not in a good way. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed.

I really hadn't read any reviews prior to picking this one up, so after I finished it, shocked by how I didn't love it, I scurried over here and was even more shocked to discover I'm almost the only person who didn't love it!

I fully expected to find a mix of reviews. Those who loved it and those who didn't as much. I started to doubt everything. What did I miss? I can understand it's objectively still a good story, but it didn't deliver me the vibes, tension, or mystery I'm accustomed to with this author. I felt I was being generous giving 3-stars, but apparently I am being the biggest Debbie Downer in the book community. So, apologies all around for that.

I am going to move on. I'm going to pretend it never happened. I'm looking forward to whatever Simone St. James writes next. I still love her and her work. For some reason this one just did not work for me. I think it started off bad. I don't want to get too far into it, but the police suspecting these two MCs right away, the way they were treating them for assisting an injured woman was bizarre, to say the least. It was like, what?

It made no sense whatsoever for them to be treated with such hostility. Even though, ultimately we get a bit of an explanation for this, I wasn't buying it. Too little, too late. It felt so contrived on the part of the Officer involved. I think that opening left a sour taste in my mouth that left me judging the rest of the story too harshly. I admit that. I can appreciate some of the aspects of the story, but for me, I just wish it had been told differently.

Nevertheless, I'm glad I gave it a shot and as mentioned, I look forward to more from this author. Keep in mind, this is just my opinion. Even though it didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't for you. If it sounds interesting to you, please pick it up. You'd do well to just ignore everything I just wrote. You most likely will not find yourself on Outlier Island with me. But if you do, bring drinks!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I love you and appreciate you.

This is the third book I’ve read by Simone St. James, and it’s safe to say she’s solidified herself as my favorite thriller author. The way she weaves real people and paranormal aspects into each of her stories always astounds me. I try to guess where each of her plots will go, and I’m never right. With Murder Road, she created such a spooky atmosphere with Atticus Line, that it’ll stick with me for a long time. Both April and Eddie had enough things they were hiding from each other and to us as readers to keep me thoroughly entertained. If you like spooky stories that have you wondering if a person committed these murders, or if it was something paranormal, I would highly recommend it!

I really liked this book! I thought it was really spooky and had a lot of twists and turns. I haven’t loved other books by this author, but this one made me have hope in her again! This is perfect fit for readers who crave a supernatural thriller and those who like to be drawn into the eerie world of unexplained murders, ghostly apparitions, and small-town secrets!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I love Simone St. James’s books. I’ve read The Haunting of Maddy Clare, The Broken Girls, and The Sundown Motel, all of which were excellent. This story was just as excellent as the others. I love that her books are horror-adjacent but still fit into the thriller category. Best of both worlds!

In 1995, Eddie and April are on their honeymoon when they see a bloody woman at the side of the road. They pick her up, take her to the hospital, and then are accused of being her murderers. They know they aren’t but don’t know how to clear their names. As they begin to dig in her death, they uncover more secrets about the stretch of road where they found her.

This story has a lot of great secrets and reveals that I didn’t see coming. Eddie and April are great characters who you really root for, even though they have pasts that they are running or hiding from. Add in a good cop, a stubborn widow, and two nosy teen girls, this book has a great cast of secondary characters. I thought this book was great and will definitely recommend it.

This didn’t feel like a Simone St James book… not what I was hoping for. The storyline was a mess, the characters had unnecessary backstories that had way too much detail, a lot of what was happening seemed random and it wasn’t anything like her precious books. It’s not horrible, but I don’t know if I would ever recommend it for a book club or anything. I love that her books always have paranormal ghost aspects, and this one didn’t really have that. Just the lost girl… and that left me wanting more.

A young couple takes a wrong turn when headed to a resort town for their honeymoon. On the long stretch of highway, they come across a hitchhiker. They stop to help, and soon realize the hitchhiker is injured. When the hitchhiker dies, the couple become the suspects instead of witnesses. As the couple looks into the mysterious town, they discover a series of murders along the highway.

Murder Road is an atmospheric supernatural thriller. Intriguing characters in an eerie setting. Recommended for fans of Simone St. James’s other books.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book hooked me from the start being set in the summer of 1995. I remember that time immensely as I graduated HS and was one foot out the door going to LSU 💜💛.
The couple in the story was in their mid twenties just married and was heading to their honeymoon. During the drive, the couple somehow got lost and ended up on a long deserted highway at night. Finally they see a flash of light and realize it’s a girl hitchhiking. Offering her a ride the girl reluctantly gets in and soon after that’s when they realize this girl is in serious trouble but from what or whom and where did she come from?
Finally finding a small town and rushing the girl for help to save her, has put themselves headfirst into a greater danger.

With twists and turns this one was hard to put down. I love all things supernatural. Reading things set in the 90’s is always a trip down memory lane because of all the profound changes in technology that decade provided. Saying that, my only issue was the facts in the story reminded me more of circa 85-92. Maybe rural Louisiana in 1995 was more tech savvy than Michigan? 💜💛

April and Eddie are on their way to spend their honeymoon at a small town resort but they take a wrong turn onto a deserted road and when they spot a young woman hitchhiking they stop to help her. Despite Eddie’s hesitancy to help, they can’t leave this girl alone at night.

Once inside the car, it’s evident the girl has been seriously hurt and they rush to find help. At the same time they become aware of taillights gaining up behind them. It’s a tense ride and unfortunately things don’t get any better once at the hospital as they become primary suspects and are told not to leave town.

As they spend their first days of what was supposed to be their honeymoon at Rose’s inn, the couple starts to find out more about the story behind Atticus Lane and why it’s called the Murder Road. They get involved with some other local town characters and in true Simone St. James fashion there are supernatural elements surrounding the happenings. This was very atmospheric and overall another great read from this author.

For starters…that dedication. As someone who is currently on their 190th read of the year, you get me.
I love how Simone St James masterfully crafts paranormal with a mystery/thriller. Like it’s a mystery, but with a paranormal solution. And I love that. I started this one last night—- and that was a mistake as I started getting spooked.
But I really enjoyed the premise and the follow through. I actually guessed the answers in this one, but I enjoyed following the clues that get us there in the story.
It starts out with this couple going to a resort for their honeymoon. They’re on this road in the middle of nowhere (this book made me grateful I live in a big city), and they see a girl walking alongside the road. This road happens to be known for hitchhikers who go missing. But they didn’t know this. They offer her a ride, and turns out she’s been stabbed so they bring her to the nearest hospital. She dies and suddenly this unassuming couple are the prime suspects for murder.
What doesn’t help is that they both have a checkered past, including secrets they’ve kept from each other. There have been a number of missing cases/deaths along the same road, and the police think it’s a serial killer and that they may have just caught them. Meanwhile, the couple goes on a journey hunting down clues themselves in order to clear their name. The answer is haunting— literally.

Got this one in my BOTM box but also had an egalley copy from NetGalley/Berkley!

Murder Road is my favorite Simone St. James novel so far, and I highly recommend picking it up if you need a spooky thriller with mystery elements to binge this year! Murder Road follows April and Eddie who are a newly married couple embarking on their honeymoon. On the way to their destination, they pick up a wounded hitchhiker who later dies at the local hospital. As the only two witnesses, April and Eddie become the main suspects in the crime.

As the book goes along, the uneasiness picks up and you know something is not right with this stretch of road that April and Eddie found the woman on. I am usually not a fan of supernatural elements in my thrillers, but this really worked for me and felt it only added to the story. I liked the depth we got to see in April and Eddie as characters as well. Simone wove a great story with excellent atmosphere, and I definitely recommend picking this book up!

I love Simone St. James in the way that the Sundown Motel was a 5 star for me. I dislike her in the way that after you read one, you've read them all. This book was a DNF for me. I could not get into it or suspend my disbelief even to give it a fair shot. I think that I may just have to move on from Simone St. James

"I didn't like guns as a kid...Didn't even like them as toys. And there I was, years later, and I knew how to kill people"

this was so disappointing like she really had me in the first 50 pages, the mystery was intriguing and creepy and this town was so weird, and I loved Rose as a character and wanted to read more of her, but oh boy did it go downhill. The two main characters were so dull and their tragic, hidden backstories were so obvious, so many of the "plot twists" were cringy, and everything that happened was oh so convenient. The last 50 pages had me groaning from how awfully things tied up and the fact there was 50 more pages of nothing happening except what we already knew.

This definitely feels like a departure for St. James from her other work. There's a lot of her hallmarks here, but there's also a lot of hallmarks missing. I don't think I liked it as much as her last few, I was able to guess some of the twists, but it was fast paced and kept my attention.

I am SO BUMMED that I didn’t love this one. Simone’s other books have all been huge hits for me and this one just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and it just fell flat for me. I still appreciated the story and the supernatural, I just wish it had more!

A thriller that’s set in Michigan written by Simone St. James? Yes please! This book immediately grabbed me, hook, line and sinker! I loved the suspense and twists in this book. They just kept coming! Every time I thought I figured it out, there was another twist which lead me to believe it was someone else. This was a fast paced book that kept me on the edge of my seat, and the whole hitchhiker thing? That just creeped me out! I also liked how she slowly incorporated the history about each character giving us a better insight of their past, leading us to start questioning whether that particular character had anything to do with the murders (at least for me it did). It made it even better that information would randomly pop up during the most inopportune times, almost as if to put them into the position of “getting caught with their pants down”, causing them to look even more guilty.
This was a really intriguing gripping story that I had a hard time putting down. I tore right through it! I’ll definitely be reading more by this author!
Thank you Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Simone St. James for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫