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The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
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The Sun Down Motel (edition 2020)

by Simone St. James (Author)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,7421149,814 (3.92)90
I absolutely loved this book. I went into it pretty blind (I hadn't even realized that it involved the supernatural), and was very pleasantly surprised. The characters were likeable, the setting and Big Bad were creepy and made me feel tense, and the story kept me guessing. ( )
  kordasix | Oct 31, 2021 |
Showing 1-25 of 114 (next | show all)
YUCK 
  Jenniferforjoy | Jan 29, 2024 |
Amazing! THE SUN DOWN MOTEL is an addictive and chilling paranormal mystery set in the small town of Fell, New York. The story is told in dual time periods — Viv in 1982, and her niece, Carly, in 2017. Viv was the lone night clerk of the creepy motel when she went missing without a trace 35 years ago. Now Carly has come to Fell and taken Viv’s old position in hopes of finding out what happened to her aunt decades ago.

Simone St. James knows how to create the perfect dark, eerie atmosphere and compelling mystery. I adored the cast of characters who were mainly strong and intriguing women. Of course, one the most fascinating characters in the book was the motel itself. That place felt so alive and real with the creepiest vibe ever!

THE SUN DOWN MOTEL is a haunting page-turner that kept me reading all night. Highly recommended!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )
  bookofsecrets | Jan 14, 2024 |
This story wasn’t particularly complex but it was fun and enjoyable to read. Definitely a love letter to “murderinos” and other true crime followers. ( )
  HauntedTaco13 | Dec 29, 2023 |
I can’t stop thinking about this book. It’s got everything I love, a creepy haunted motel in upstate NY, a murder mystery, ghosts, and main characters you can root for.

I especially loved Vivian and how, despite the times, she wasn’t deterred from her goal. Carly, her niece, was fun to read about as well. The mystery and tension build to a satisfying conclusion, and I absolutely adore the women teaming up and women helping women aspects.

Both of our leads are written realistically and the pacing was perfect, IMO. I would definitely look at other books by this author! ( )
  galian84 | Dec 1, 2023 |
I loved this book so much. A brilliant mix of mystery and ghost story. I figured it out pretty early on but the this isn’t unusual for me. I read with a ferocious appetite to devour all the lovely words. ( )
  cdaley | Nov 2, 2023 |
Where do I even start with this train wreck of a book? I love crime thrillers, but I can't remember the last time I wanted to throw a book at the wall so many times during reading it before. It was a good thing I was listening to it on audio, or I would have DNF'd it very early on.

For one, the characters leave a lot to be desired. They go chasing after a serial killer like underwear-clad teenagers heading into the dark basement of a house when they know a serial killer lurks there. I have never been angrier at a group of amateur sleuths -- and that includes Carly, Viv, Heather, Nick, Marnie, and Alma. Really, all of them.

The writing was pretty terrible, too. If I took a shot every time a character "felt like throwing up", I'd be throwing up by now, too. And the "reveal" wasn't a reveal at all. I saw the twists, if you can even call them that, coming from a mile away. I was so frustrated when everything I'd guessed about where the story was going came to pass.

Also, the supernatural angle was a joke. It didn't work at all, and the author didn't even try to explain it except to hand-wave, "well, it's spiritual magic". Such a disappointment. ( )
  Elizabeth_Cooper | Oct 27, 2023 |
I loved this book.
Without giving any spoilers...just when I thought I had it all figured out, Simone turned me on my ear. It was so scary at places I had to put it down and watch YouTube to get to sleep, but it was so beautifully written that even though it terrified me, I felt so good about it I couldn’t wait to get back into it.
10/10 would recommend. ( )
  Danielle.Desrochers | Oct 10, 2023 |
Intriguing killer story with great ghost story involvement as well. Story flips back and forth from 1982 to 2017, being told in two different perspectives. Addictive read. Read it in several hours once I could actually sit down and not be disturbed by children. ( )
  NicoleScuderi | Sep 14, 2023 |
loved this book. So fun and enjoyable. Yes, it goes a bit of the rails in the end, but it's a ghost story, it's supposed to. ( )
  leahorr | Jul 13, 2023 |
Interesting mystery. Like most modern thrillers, the narrative flips flops between past (Viv) and present (Carly). I found it a bit confusing at first because the two voices aren't distinct and they're, for the most part, investigating the same things. It was still enjoyable and I liked that it subverted my expectations at the end. ( )
  LynnMPK | Jun 29, 2023 |
Well written but I fear the author follows a similar formula for her books as this story is too much like her book The Broken Girls just with different characters. Still the story is good and there are a number of unseen twists. ( )
  zmagic69 | Apr 20, 2023 |
I brought this book with me on an Adirondack camping trip last summer. Started reading as I sat beside an early evening campfire, and by nightfall I was TOTALLY FREAKED OUT. The surreal back-and-forth timelines of 1980s Viv and present-day Carly at the haunted Sun Down Motel had me wishing for a self-defense weapon and a padlock for my tent. Didn't sleep so well that night, but loved the book! ( )
  ReginaButtner | Apr 1, 2023 |
Meh. For all the hype surrounding this book, I was expecting something really cool. It was just a run of the mill ghosty-mystery. I liked the creepy setting- but the ending was pretty obv. I did think it was readable and atmospheric at times, but definitely not as polished as I expect from Adult Mysteries.

Since this book came out, I've been hearing so much about it. How it was such a good, creepy mystery-- so it sounded like the perfect book to read around Halloween time!! To say I was hyped going into this was an understatement. I was 100% on board to love this book (especially because I've been reading and loving mainly Adult Mystery/Thrillers lately).

And I did like this book. But did I LOVE it?? No. I think a list is in order to organize my feelings about this book:

▪️The Setting. This book is set in a motel on the outskirts of a town called Fell. Both the motel and the town brought some interesting things to the story. The motel was one of those relics from the past-- those cheap motels that are never updated and probably end up being rented by the hour at some point. The town of Fell was basically a place where time stood still. The modern part of this story takes place in 2017, but it was clear little had changed from the 2nd timeline of 1982. I enjoyed the creepy motel setting and the way Fell felt unchanged by time-- it was endearing in a way and made things easier to figure things out in the 2017 timeline.

▪️The Dual Timelines. The first timeline is in 1982 and features Viv, a girl who was originally going to New York City, but winds up in Fell working the night shift at The Sun Down Motel. While there, she discovers that there's been a string of unsolved murders taking place in and around Fell.
The second timeline is present day (2017) and features Carly, Viv's niece who is determined to find out what happened to her. Viv disappeared while working the night shift at The Sun Down Motel and has never been found. Carly has always been curious about why her mother refused to talk about her aunt that she's never seen or met beyond a faded newspaper clipping. She ends up traveling to Fell and working the same shift that Viv worked at The Sun Down-- all the while looking into what could've happened to Viv.

▪️It was an interesting concept and definitely could've worked, but for some reason it just didn't for me. The 2 timelines were so similar-- the girls were around the same age, were both very similar in how naive they were, they were both investigating virtually the exact same crimes and coming to the same conclusions, and they were both living in the same apartment and working at the same motel. Adding to that, the town of Fell was like a time-warp-- it was practically unchanged from Viv's time there to Carly's. Because of these things, I was forever getting the details confused (was Carly the one who saw the ghost that time, or was it Viv?? Was Carly the one who figured that one detail out, or was it Viv?). I needed more differences in the characters and their movements to be able to keep things straight.

▪️The Ghosts. Normally I do not like a surprise ghost book. I mean, I don't mind a this place is creepy and may be haunted book, but this was straight up real ghosts in your face from the get-go. And usually that would bug me and make it feel fake, but here I actually liked it. The ghosts were scary in a The Sixth Sense kind of way-- they were angry and had unfinished business. I really think the ghosts saved this book for me.

▪️The Mystery. I thought it was an interesting mystery. Did I think that BOTH Viv and Carly would figure out everything a serial killer was doing when the police couldn't?? I mean, that's kind of far fetched-- but it was a really good mystery to follow despite that. There were multiple twists and I kind of did love that because I saw the major twist coming, but didn't figure out the minor twist at all (even though the minor twist was kind of unnecessary and didn't really make a ton of sense).

▪️The Pacing. The best part of this book (besides the creepy ghosts) was that it didn't drag. It's the kind of book that will hook you and keep you wanting to read just one more chapter.

▪️Is it YA or Adult?? I know this is classified as Adult Mystery, but it felt VERY YA to me. It's one of those things where just because a book is about teens, doesn't mean it's YA-- and just because this one is about girls in their 20's doesn't mean it's Adult. I think there's more to those categories than age-- and this one just didn't have the Adult Mystery feel. I don't have a definitive reason why I feel it's YA beyond the fact that the writing felt like YA-- it's just my gut feeling being a reader of both genres, but I feel it works better as YA. One reason could be that it didn't feel as polished or developed as Adult Mysteries usually are. Not that I'm talking crap on YA, it's just that Adult Mysteries usually get pretty deep into their characters and this one was very surface level.

I definitely had mixed and complicated feelings on this one. I think some things could've been done better and that the 2 main characters could've been differentiated better-- but I do not regret reading this. It really was the perfect Halloween-time read and I was happy that it was a page-turner.

OVERALL: I'm in between on this one. I liked the creepy motel and the real ghosts that resided there. I wished the characters were better developed and better distinguished from one another. I do recommend this, and I think if you're looking for an easy Mystery to read, this is your book.

My Blog:

Pink Polka Dot Books
( )
  Michelle_PPDB | Mar 18, 2023 |
The Sun Down Motel, takes readers on a spine-tingling journey through time and mystery. When Viv Delaney takes a job as a night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in 1982, she quickly realizes that there's something off about the place. Decades later, her niece Carly Kirk arrives in Fell, New York to investigate Viv's unsolved disappearance from the motel. But as Carly delves deeper into the Sun Down's dark secrets, she finds herself facing the same hauntings and terrors that her aunt encountered. A haunting and atmospheric tale, The Sun Down Motel will keep readers on edge until the very last page. ( )
  Cam_Torrens | Mar 17, 2023 |
CW: Murder, rape

4.5 Stars

Well that was utterly gripping!

I loved the dual time line and character narration. It meant that I absolutely had to continue reading, despite the sandpaper feeling in my eyes, because I needed to know how everything unfolded. The book is very well written with tension so thick I got the 'stress sweats' in parts. All of the characters were incredibly well developed and engaging.

I thoroughly enjoyed this atmospheric novel. ( )
  Mrs_Tapsell_Bookzone | Feb 14, 2023 |
Laugh out loud funny at times that delights at skewering common fantasy tropes. Can get a bit much at times; way too many poop and fart jokes for my taste.

Huge fan of the LGBT love story. ( )
  buukluvr | Feb 14, 2023 |
This book had so much potential but fell flat for me in a few places.

It was an eerie read, I'll give you that. But you know how sometimes, too many coincidences can really make all of them a bit less creepy? That's what was happening with The Sun Down Motel.

I LOVED the way the story was told from both girls perspectives simultaneously. It gave the reader more information than Carly and made it a bit more eerie. Both girls go from shy and unsure of themselves to strong, determined main characters and I loved their personal growth and dealing with the evidence they were digging up.

My main issues come with the anticlimactic ending, and the loose threads that never really made sense. But I think most of it comes with the foreshadowing not being laid out as prevalent as the coincidences were and all chapters forgetting the sub plots going on through out the book. All of the side characters were there to move the plot forward and nothing more. Which always makes a lackluster read for me.

Overall, I liked it. But I wouldn't read it again. If you're looking for a light spooky thriller to read before bed this is worth checking out, but if you're wanting to be terrified of strange smells in the night, it misses the mark. ( )
  SabethaDanes | Jan 30, 2023 |
I really liked this book. A good mystery - a classic motel - and solid characters. With a little revenge ghost stalking.

Told between alternating timelines - 35 years apart - I often couldn’t remember which timeline I was in because the experiences of the main characters were so similar.

Carly (2017) goes looking for what happened to her missing aunt 35 years ago In Fell, New York. Vivian (1982) finds herself in Fell after hitchhiking through New York. Their stories parallel each other - caught up in a murder mystery can Carly find what she’s looking for and did Viv ever find what she was looking for?

5 stars ( )
  BookGirlBrown | Dec 30, 2022 |
A haunting and engaging mystery horror novel that never misses. I thought this was a brilliantly written and placed tale of both feeling lost and dealing with loss. ( )
  Chris.Cummings | Dec 29, 2022 |
The instant I saw The Sun Down Motel’s cover, I knew I had to have this book. Its simple-but-clever design demands attention. Throw in a decades-old murder and some kind of haunting, this should easily have been my favorite book of the decade. But.

The story suffers from some of my least favorite fiction ailments:

First, telegraphing. I am going to do my absolute best not to ruin a fun read for someone less analytical, but I saw that ending coming a mile away. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a logical conclusion, but the twist is my favorite part of any good book. Bonus points if a writer does it seamlessly and I couldn’t have expected what was coming without the benefit of hindsight.

Second, coincidence. I have to be tight-lipped about this one, too, but when one of only a handful of characters is intimately and inexplicably tied to the plot, I’m let down. I think the story could’ve easily done with just letting Callum MacRae be the library assistant that Carly needed.

Third, like any reader, I’m willing to press the “I believe” button for the advancement of a good plot line on a minor point. For instance, I am one hundred percent on board with believing that the Sun Down is haunted by the ghosts of victims past. The paranormal aspect of this story might’ve been my favorite part of this book.

What I can’t believe are the bread crumbs that just don’t add up. When no one suspects corruption, even in the seventies, and when one disappearance goes unreported and another uninvestigated, and two people who shouldn’t be connected are connected and are thrown together in a plot bolstered by illogical assumptions... well, it's a lot to ask of any reader. And that confession! Don’t even get me started on why I don’t think someone on their last breath would make a five-page confession straight out of a B-rated movie.

Maybe it would’ve been better to just let Viv’s work stand on its own, to let the reader make their own well-thought-out determination. I feel spoon fed and I just don’t like that.

What I did like was the allure of the town of Fell. A dark place where dark things happen. The author did a great job establishing setting. The roadside motel was darn brilliant. I enjoyed Viv’s discovery and felt like hers was the better plotline.

Carly’s story, on the other hand, felt very “contrived young adult” to me. Maybe that is intentional, since she is a young adult, but, again, I like my fiction a little less “tween,” without the after school special feel of “cancer runs in the family, get yourself checked” and the whole losing of one’s virginity bit.

For me, The Sun Down Motel is a well-written three-and-a-half star book, perfect for a beach read. Entertaining-but-predictable. Unfortunately, I wanted something a little bit deeper. ( )
  bfrisch | Dec 9, 2022 |
This is quite the ghost story/murder mystery. I liked 95% of the author's choices and all of the underlying themes, and I never got bored or reluctant to continue. This is a great read if you like these genres. There's an observation re: a body that's not factual, but in retrospect, that is probably the character's shock, not a literal fact in the scene. The story has two protagonists, Viv in 1982, and Carly in 2017, and the way the author presents them didn't confuse even me all that much. :) That's high praise. Recommended! ( )
  terriaminute | Dec 4, 2022 |
A great story full of twists and turns involving a missing girl decades ago in creepy hotel. ( )
  caanderson | Nov 27, 2022 |
This book starts out a little slow but about halfway through it begins to get exciting. Almost at the edge of your seat. the only thing is there are a couple errors I caught the Author in. when Carly was pushed in the pool, she noted that her shoulder was dislocated. But then when the paramedics come , they check her out, nothing was said about that and she said she was fine. The other thing is, her roommate had a car when Carly first moved in, but later she said she couldn't drive because she was so bad at it. Never mind, a good thriller/mystery gets a little pass.
The story takes place on two timelines, both in November, but one in 1982 with Viv, Carly's aunt, and one in 2017, when Carly goes to find out what happened to her aunt.
Both protagonists are trying to find who murdered numerous young women and teenagers in the town of Fell, New York.both worked at the sun down motel, which is haunted.
P.96:
" 'Victoria Lee,' Viv said, ignoring her and flipping to yet another page, pulling out another hand-drawn map. 'she was 18. The article said she'd had "numerous boyfriends." That means everyone thought she was a slut, right?'
Alma pressed her lips together and said nothing.
'It does,' Viv said. 'Victoria had an on again, off again boyfriend. they fought all the time. she fought with her parents, her teachers. She had a brother who ran away from home and never came back.' That was almost all she knew about victoria. there had been considerably less coverage of her in the newspapers next to pretty, upstanding young mother Cathy. after all, Victoria's killer had been arrested. and next to Cathy, Victoria was a girl who deserved it."

I've been a bookworm and Library lover all my life, so Carly was a girl after my heart when she said this:
P.102:
"Libraries were my places. I was that girl who maxed out her library card every week, starting with The Hobbit and The Witch of Blackbird Pond and moving up from there. I could kill an hour by wandering into an unfamiliar part of the Dewey decimal system and checking it out. Computers, catalogs, microfiches – I could navigate them all."

P.177:
"She walked to the stairs and climbed them, her hands numb with cold on the railing. her cheeks were losing sensation and her nose was starting to run. but she kept walking. She reached the doorway where she'd seen the woman and, with only the briefest breath of hesitation, she stepped inside.
it was dark in here, with a stuffy smell. Viv's tennis shoes went silent on the old carpet. The wind skirled in through the open door, but it was no longer cold. it was airless in here instead, unpleasantly warm like a chair that someone else has just sat on, the smell a little sickening, like a stranger's armpit. Viv made out a bed, a cheap nightstand, a mirror. and the woman.
it was the woman from that first night, the one who stood in front of Viv's car as she cowered inside. run, She'd said then, and Viv had simply stared in terror, unable to process any other emotion. now the woman stood with her back to her, wearing that same dress, and all Viv could feel was pain and a horrible, horrible kind of pity.
I couldn't just leave her, she thought.
'betty,' she said, the word coming out a rasp from her dry throat.
slowly, the woman turned. Viv's eyes had adjusted to the dark – or perhaps it wasn't as dark as she thought – because she could see the woman so clearly, the line of her neck and the white of her skin. the hair that fell just past her shoulders, dark Honey brown and carefully brushed, pinned back from her face. the way, Viv knew now, that Betty had pinned it back that final day before she opened the door to the wrong man.
her stomach dropped because in the strange light she could also see Betty's scratches. The bruises and scrapes on her cheekbones. The deep marks on her neck. The blood smeared over her hands, over her fingers and palms, the nails ruined. Betty's lip was split and her left eye was swollen mostly closed. below the hem of her dress, blood ran from her knees down her shins."
P.178:
"horror came over viv, so complete it was a wash of sensation crawling up her back and burrowing into her stomach, like cold hands on her neck and cotton in her throat. she stared with cold tears on her face as Betty spread her hands and looked down at them.
And then she spoke, like the man had spoken, like the boy. her voice a far off reedy sound in the wind. coming from somewhere and nowhere at once.
'how did this happen?' She said.
Viv raised a hand to her cheek, smeared one of her tears with her icy fingers. 'betty,' she said in a whisper.
Betty lifted her face and looked at viv, and her expression was confusion and burning rage. 'how did this happen?' She said again.
'I don't know,' Viv said, and she had no idea if Betty could hear her or not, because she simply stood unmoving, her bloody hands held out. 'who was he? Tell me.'
Betty stared with those blazing eyes, and through her terror Viv had the urge to step forward, get closer. her feet wouldn't move. a plume of white rose in the air, and Viv realized it was her breath in the suddenly freezing air.
Betty's mouth moved. Her voice was fainter. 'how did this happen?'
'tell me!' Viv shouted. 'I can fix it! Please!'
a horn honked from the parking lot and Viv jumped, a scream coming from her throat. red and blue light briefly flashed through the window in the half open door, and there was a blip of a siren.
Viv turned her head, distracted, and when she turned back Betty was gone."

The Sun Down motel is used by shady sorts, including truckers, a woman who checks in to get drunk away from her husband, and a couple having a tryst. But apparently, the woman having an affair was blackmailing her lover.
P.247-8:
" 'I've got the goddamn money,' Robert said. 'she told me to meet her here in room 112. But you say she isn't here. Why wouldn't she be here to collect her paycheck? that's what this whole thing was about, right? Helen has to be here. Unless you're lying, you little bitch.'
he was fast. she thought she had time to duck, but she didn't. Robert grabbed her wrist in a hard grip and yanked her forward, pulling her off balance. He pushed her into the vinyl siding of the motel, shoving her wrist into the middle of her chest and jerking her like a doll. The back of Viv's head knocked against the wall. she opened her mouth, but Robert already had one hand over her throat, his grip strong and male, willing to do anything.
'don't scream,' he said.
Viv gasped as his grip tightened just a little.
Robert's eyes looked into hers. They were hard with fury. He didn't look like a normal, rational man. he looked crazy.
'tell me the truth or I'll kill you,' he said.
Viv felt her breath saw in her throat. 'I don't know anything.'
He squeezed a little, his fingertips digging into her flesh. 'you think I won't kill you? You think I can't? There's no one here, bitch. I can choke the life out of you and leave you in the parking lot.'
she had left her knife in her purse in the office. six feet away, but it might as well be on planet mars. She was never making that mistake again. 'please don't,' she said.
' "please don't," ' he said in that mocking voice of his. 'you're pathetic. the more I look at you, the more I know that you're covering for her. she was too afraid to meet me in person, wasn't she? She knew how angry I'd be. She knew I'd hurt her. so she sent you instead. What did she promise you? A cut of the money? She's a lying bitch . She doesn't intend to give you a penny. you're as stupid as I was. It would probably be a mercy to strangle you right now.'
'you're wrong,' Viv managed. She had to convince him. She had to get out of his grip, get to her knife. if she could get to her knife, this would never happen again. 'you have it all wrong. I don't know what you're talking about.'
There was a hum of a car motor, and headlights appeared on number six road. the approaching car slowed, and Viv realized that even through the rain, she and Robert were clearly visible under one of the motel lights, Robert with one hand on her wrist and the other on her throat, pinning her against the motel siding. Whoever was in the car would see them.
She opened her mouth to shout for help, then realized that the person in the car was helen.
For a second, their eyes met. Robert squeezed viv's throat and she gasped for breath. his back was to the road, Helen behind him. Viv stared at helen, silently begging her.
Helen's face held no expression. She hit the gas and the car sped away, off down number six Road again.
'No!' Viv rasped, struggling to get free.
'shut up,' Robert said. He took his hand from her wrist, keeping the other on her throat. he reached into the breast pocket of his windbreaker and pulled out an envelope. 'take it,' he snarled. 'take her fucking money. She's your problem now, her and her husband. tell her if I ever see her bitch face again, I'll kill her with my bare hands. You know I can.'
he yanked at the neck of Viv's sweater, pulling it roughly down. He shoved the envelope down her shirt, the paper cool against her bare skin, the edges and corners scraping her. the only sound was their heavy breathing and the crinkle of the envelope as he pushed it on her."

Viv has identified the murderer, who has been at his crime for years. But her discovery puts her in danger.
P.257:
" 'hello?" Came Simon hess's his voice.
'I know you,' the other voice said. 'I know what you've done.'
there was a pause. Then hess again. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'
'yes, you do.' Viv closed her eyes. He was doing such a good job. It was Jamie blaknik saying the Lines she'd given him. 'meet me at the corner of Derry Road and Smith street. I'm calling from the payphone there. I saw you with Tracy. if you aren't there in 20 minutes, I'll tell everyone what I saw, what I know. Not just about tracy. About the others, too.
Silence on the line. Viv held her breath. This was the moment of truth.
then Simon hess spoke. 'you're the one who's been following me, aren't you?'
'I saw you in plainsview, watching her,' Jamie said, following the Lines Viv had written for him. 'I saw you at the high school choir night. I know everything. and I'm going to tell.'
'is this blackmail?' Hess said. 'do you think you'll get money out of me?'
Viv bit her lip hard, trying not to sob. I was right, she thought. I thought I was crazy, but I was right. I was right.
'you won't know what I want until you meet me,' Jamie said. '20 minutes or I'll go to the police.' He hung up.
hess breathed into the phone for a second, then hung up as well. Viv put the receiver down. her throat was tight, her eyes burning.
A minute later, a car motor started in the parking lot. she walked to the door and watched hess drive away. Now, except for the passed out mrs bailey, Viv was alone at the sun down."

P.268:
"Hess's fingers brushed over her mouth, traced her lips in the dark. 'I don't remember,' he said, his voice faint and vague now. 'there are so many. I know all of their faces. But I can't see you. which one are you?'
'I'm the one you didn't kill,' Viv said. She pulled the knife out of his chest. And as he took in a breath of pain, she plunged the knife back down." ( )
  burritapal | Oct 23, 2022 |
As another reviewer said, "How can a ghost story be boring?". Well it was. Achingly boring. I think I am being generous with a 3 star review. It is well written in that it flows, makes sense, clears up the mystery, and gives good descriptions. It was not suspenseful, mysterious, or scary. ( )
  debbie13410 | Oct 22, 2022 |
It is the middle of the night in August 1982 and 20-year-old Vivian Delaney is fleeing her unhappy suburban Illinois home, trying to make it to New York City and an acting career. Running out of money, she hitches a ride and when the driver’s hands wander into areas they shouldn’t, Vivian demands to be let out immediately. Unfortunately, it is in the middle of nowhere, i.e. Fell, New York.

Down the road is the Sun Down motel where she begs for a room to rest. Instead, she gets a job offer—in exchange for a room, Vivian can work the night shift in the run-down motel. Built in the late 1970s with the promise of big things to come, the motel has slid into disrepair as the high expectations never materialized.

Vivian takes the job. Working the night shift anywhere can be daunting, but when no one stays at the motel except drug dealers, drunk wives or cheating husbands, time can work against you.
Vivian ultimately finds another 20-year-old girl, Jennifer who also works at night and is looking for a roommate. So, Vivian moves in. But things aren’t calm in Vivian’s life, especially at night. The vacant motel has strange goings on…doors opening and closing, lights going off, the smell of cigarette smoke when no one is there. Apparitions appear on the balconies of the motel. Vivian learns that in the last 4 years three girls have been murdered and no one has been brought to justice. As the summer ends and the autumn begins, Vivian puts two and two together and gets the feeling that someone using her motel is the killer.

Move forward to 2017. Carly Kirk’s mother just passed away and Carly has inherited a bit of money. Unexcited about college, she decides to leave Illinois and sets out to Fell, NY, the last place her aunt Vivian was last seen. Vivian disappeared one night in 1982 (before Carly was even born) and was never heard from again. Carly’s mother, Vivian’s sister, would never talk about her sister, the black sheep of the family. But the aura of her beautiful aunt and her mysterious disappearance has captured Carly’s mind.

As fate would have it, Carly got a job at the Sun Down motel…the night shift. More coincidentally, she moves into the same apartment that Vivian inhabited 35 years earlier. Carly’s roommate, Heather, is a fount of information on the goings on in Fell, specifically the deaths of 4 young girls in the late 70s and early 80s. As Carly works her night shift, motel doors open and close, lights go on and off, cigarette smoke wafts through the air and ghosts appear.

While my description of these occurrences may not send shivers down your spine, believe me, they sent shivers down mine. Neither Vivian nor Carly are satisfied with the status quo. They need to investigate and find out what’s going on and why.

Vivian’s story, told in third person in 1982 and Carly’s story, told in first person in 2017, are populated with strong, maybe even headstrong, women who will not take crap from people. There is a load of creepy people, both within and outside the motel. The decrepit motel which hasn’t changed in its 30+ year existence, is a character unto itself.

As Vivian’s and Carly’s lives converge, although 35 years apart, the mystery and thrills remain.
I’ll admit that about two thirds of the way through the book, I sort of knew part of the ending, I clearly did not know the whole ending. Simone St. James has a way with words and a way with plot line. She will keep you reading and keep you guessing and keep you squirming throughout. I’ve read two of her books and I’m looking forward to reading more. ( )
  EdGoldberg | Oct 9, 2022 |
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