Definitely give Murder Road a read if you're in the mood for a slower-paced mystery with sprinklings of paranormal elements! This was set in 1995 and I absolutely loved the 90's nostalgia combined with the questioning of the supernatural. If you've read and enjoyed this authors previous work, I think you'll enjoy this one as well.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for my early review copy!

**Review of "Murder Road" by Simone St. James**

"Murder Road" by Simone St. James is a novel that unfortunately falls into the 'did not finish' category for many readers. The premise—an eerie, suspense-laden road shrouded in mystery and past tragedy—starts promisingly enough, offering all the elements of a classic thriller that could keep readers glued to the pages. However, the execution doesn't quite hit the mark.

St. James is known for her ability to blend supernatural elements with chilling historical fiction, but in "Murder Road," the pacing seems off. The story begins slowly, and for some, it remains too meandering and fails to pick up speed. The initial chapters, crucial for grabbing attention, lack the immediate hooks necessary to draw readers deeply into the narrative.

Character development, often a strength in St. James' works, feels somewhat lacking here. The protagonists might come across as underdeveloped or not compelling enough to invest in emotionally, which can be a significant deterrent for those trying to push through the slower parts of the book.

Moreover, while St. James usually excels at atmospheric tension, here the setting and mood might not be engaging enough to overcome the plot's slower pace and thinner storyline. For readers who thrive on fast-paced, tightly plotted thrillers, "Murder Road" might seem to drag, leading to a lack of satisfaction and the decision not to finish the book.

Although "Murder Road" may have its admirers, particularly among those who appreciate a more leisurely and atmospheric storytelling style, it unfortunately does not manage to universally captivate. Potential readers might need a good dose of patience and a love for slow-burn narratives to find this road worth travelling.

I love anything that Simone St. James writes and this was no exception. I enjoyed the nostalgia of the 90s setting, and definitely feel like it added to the creepiness factor. I was invested in the mystery and loved the relationship between the main characters. That being said, the side characters were perfection, and should anything happen to me, please find some real-life Snell sisters to seek me out, please and thank you. Also, I couldn't read it at night for fear of summoning the Lost Girl's face, so fair warning if you're a wimp like me.

A young couple quickly become go from witness to suspects after rescuing an injured hitchhiker and taking her the hospital where she dies. While clearing their name, they find something more sinister might be happening on this road.

I enjoyed this book. It’s not my favorite Simone St James novel but I I found it interesting and it kept me wanting to know what happened next.

This is a fast paced, paranormal thriller. I thought it was a nice little palate cleanser. I have to mix up my thrillers and romances! I read this one in a night and overall thought it was a lot of fun! Those that dot. Like ghost stories should maybe skip this one but I really enjoyed it.

Murder Road by Simone St. James is a paranormal thriller novel with a decades old mystery at the heart of the story. The story is a nostalgic one being set almost thirty years ago in the year 1995 before the explosion of cell phones and social media giving it an even more ominous feel if possible.

April and Eddie have taken the plunge and gotten married and are heading to a small resort town in Michigan for their honeymoon when the find they’ve taken a wrong turn. Heading down a dark and deserted road they spot a hitchhiker in need of assistance and stop to help but before they know it April and Eddie find that the hitchhiker is bleeding and they are being chased by a strange truck.

As quickly as possible to get away from the dangerous truck and try to get help for the young woman April and Eddie head to the nearest town and hopefully to a hospital for help. April and Eddie soon find their good deed has gotten them into more trouble than just getting lost though when they are caught in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police investigation after the young girl dies at the hospital.

Murder Road is not the first book I’ve read by author Simone St. James and it certainly won’t be the last with finding yet another winner with this latest read. The author is know for her creepy supernatural thrillers that slide into horror territory and I’m all for the mash up of genres that I found in Murder Road. The remote setting and eerie investigating had me hooked from the very start and again I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see how it would all unfold. Definitely a book and an author I recommend and will look forward to reading again and again myself.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I always enjoy Simone St. James' books and this one was no exception.

A young, newly married couple finds themselves off course on the way to their honeymoon destination. Unsure of how they even ended up taking this detour, they come across a woman walking down a long, deserted stretch of road at night and offer her a ride. It isn't long after she gets in the car that she begins speaking nonsense and ultimately dies of severe wounds.

The couple are now suspects and stuck in town until they can clear their names, They begin to hear about other murdered hitchhikers and soon experience things that make no sense. It becomes clear that something drew them into town and doesn't want them to leave.

Overall this was a very good book. The characters were well-written and the descriptions of the town and the events that occurred were vivid. There were parts of the story that I felt were lacking and I would have liked to see just a little more scare factor. This is a good book for people who want something scary but don't want something terrifying, although I suppose that is subjective. Solid read for those who like paranormal mysteries.

3.5⭐
Thank you so much to Berkley, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for providing advanced copies of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

Simone St. James is hands down my favorite thriller/mystery author. I love the way she incorporates paranormal elements into her stories. And they often revolve around wronged women getting revenge - which we love.

And all of that was in this book!

This book had one of the most unsettling intros I've read in a long while. It gave me vibes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre as these 2 drove down a dark, eerie roadside only to find an injured lost woman. And honestly this scene has STUCK with me. *shudders*

This leads them to get wrapped up in small town drama and a serial killing investigation.

On one had I loved the atmosphere and constant unsettling vibe of the small town. It's remote and since this is set in the 90's ,feels so cut off and isolated from the rest of the world. It really added to the stakes of the investigation since it truly felt like the couple couldn't escape.

I was just left feeling a little underwhelmed by the conclusion. The paranormal parts were horrifying (that scene in the car will also stay with me forever). But the ending didn't give me that same satisfied feeling as some St. James' other books.

However, I've seen SO many reviewers who loved the ending so take my opinion with a grain of salt. The endings of thrillers are so subjective and everyone enjoys different things.

If you're a thriller fan or Simone St James fan, definitely don't skip this one! And maybe read with the lights on.

✨Murder Road by Simone St. James✨

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 339

💫Thank you @berkleypub for my free copy #berkleypartner #berkley 💫

📚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 hitchiker 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.

📝Part ghost story, part mystery/thriller, this story takes the reader on a ride…unfortunately that ride is along murder road. (I’ve had too much coffee, forgive me💁🏻‍♀️)

I liked the story and it definitely kept me guessing. My only comment is about the genre. The book genre listed online is horror and I disagree with that classification. There are paranormal elements, but I wouldn’t go so far as saying horror.

I loved the romance intertwined with the creepy and paranormal! I had the audio and the physical so I really felt immersed in the story. I wasn't a huge fan of Simone St. James' last work, but I enjoyed this one a lot more.

Is there anything that this brilliant author writes that I don't love? It was such a treat to read, I am a huge fan of anything and everything supernatural and she delivered. I binged this book and bought a copy for my shelf.

Simone St. James does ghost stories with the right amount of creepy, and Murder Road (her newest novel) is no exception. This paranormal thriller was a fast paced read with great 90s references.

Thank you to Berkely Publishing and Netgalley for the electronic copy.

Absolutely loved it. It was super spooky and I had to stop reading it at night. I loved the way it all came together at the end. Great twist. Wish it was a bit longer!

I really enjoyed this book. The author did a great job blending just enough supernatural elements without it being scary or nightmarish. I was very invested in the couple's backgrounds and how their stories unfolded with the rest of the story. I also felt that each character played a part to enriching the plot - as in there was no "throw away" characters or red herrings. Overall, this was such a beautifully written book and thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced readers copy!

Looking to go back to the ‘90s?

It really takes a lot for a book to creep me out, I don’t get the heebeejeebee’s easily when reading but this book succeeded in spades.

It’s a scorching summer of ‘95 in Michigan, and a young, just married couple, April and Eddie, are cruising down a desolate Michigan road for their honeymoon. It’s night time and they see a hitchhiker so they stop to pick them up but once the person gets in the car they see she’s been stabbed. Next thing you know, they’re knee-deep in a murder mystery that’s been haunting this road since the ‘70s.

Everything from here on out is literally pulse pounding and spine tingling. The frightening atmosphere was dripping from the pages. I absolutely loved how the paranormal element was seamlessly threaded into the story. I found I was holding my breath at times.

The characters in this book were so great. April and Eddie are the kind of flawed yet utterly captivating protagonists you just can’t help but root for. And I also loved the supporting cast. Each character felt so real, so fleshed out, like they could jump right off the page and join you for a cup of coffee. Rose, the Snell sisters – they all added layers to the story that kept me glued to the pages.

I devoured this book. It’s so addictive. And the ‘90s nostalgia? Absolutely on point. It was like taking a trip down memory lane while simultaneously being gripped by a tale of terror.

Simone St. James, what a masterpiece this book is!

This one is so creepy. The author does such a good job of making books creepy without pushing it too far. I enjoyed the characters and thought they were well written. Overall I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you partner @berkelypub and @netgalley for the Arc of Murder Road.

Okay, So confession time. I have never read a Simone St. James book. Do I own them? Yes. But life happens and other things come in, and the TBR gets massively bigger to the point it’s like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and its very overwhelming. HOWEVER! When i saw I had this book just sitting waiting for me to download, I instantly did it, and threw all others out the window.

Now this book, from the very first few pages had me hooked. Like freaked out hooked and I knew i was going to be in for a wild ride. It’s been a while since my stomach has dropped from reading a book because i was spooked - I’m also a baby, and can get spooked at quite a few things, but this was different. Made the mistake at reading this during a thunderstorm — at one point the thunder cracked and the lightning was bright and lawd I almost tinkled because I was that freaked out. Another point, the bf was sleeping, and he moved and his whole arm hit my back while i was reading and there i was, freaked out and almost tinkled myself yet again. It always happened at the spooky moments.

But this book was incredible. From the characters (absolutely loved Rose and the Snell sisters), to the twists that I didn’t see coming, and the ones I even figured out - it didn’t annoy me that I did figure it out. I am now a SSJ fan and will read her grocery list if she decided to produce it.

Go get this book if you have not done so already.

Whats the last spooky book you read that almost had you tinkle from fright?

I love SSJ books, everyone that I have read has been fabulous! Loved that she added a thriller aspect to this one. And I like how she subtly gave the main characters back stories, instead of one huge info drop. Also really enjoyed her plot twists, and the ending.

This was a fun small town horror - is that a thing? I liked the side characters in this town that our two main characters happen upon. I liked the uneasiness I felt and it kept me on my toes as to what to think was actually happening. This isn’t the scariest horror, more mystery with eerie vibes.

So this book definitely gave me vibes of Chevy Steven’s Dark Road but a little different obviously. I enjoyed the creep factor of the book and wanted Eddie and April to be ok in the end. I even enjoyed snarly Rose. I did figure it out quickly though but wanted to see how it all fit together.