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The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

The Sun Down Motel

by Simone St. James
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (5):
  • Readers' Rating (50):
  • First Published:
  • Feb 18, 2020, 336 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Oct 2020, 352 pages
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Reviews


Page 3 of 7
There are currently 45 member reviews
for The Sun Down Motel
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  • RoseMarie G. (Lewes, DE)
    Those old hotels!
    This was a fun book to read. Don't mean "fun" like "haha", it kept my interest going.

    The story takes place in 1982 and present. Viv, who left home, makes a wrong turn on her way to NYC and ends up in a town named Fell. She ends up as a night clerk at an old hotel, where a woman's body had been dumped, before the hotel was built, and a young boy died in the pool. And they have not moved on.

    Years later, Viv's niece, Carly, looking to find out what happened to her aunt, shows up in the town of Fell. And she ends up as the overnight clerk at the Sun Down Motel. As she tries to figure out what happened that night her aunt disappeared, she just about becomes a victim also.

    I'll be staying at newer hotels from now on!
  • Charlene M. (Myrtle Beach, SC)
    Bates Motel - no knife
    1982 - a mysterious disappearance; unsolved murders; a journal; 2017 - a niece searching for answers; a haunted motel; ghosts; a handsome stranger; a serial killer - still around?; sounds interesting? The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James is the book for you.
  • Bev C. (Latrobe, PA)
    The Sun Down Motel
    Simone St James had me once again on the edge of my chair
    with the chilling panorama of events associated with the macabre Sun Down Motel.
    2 time lines seamlessly interweave.
    Upstate New York, 1982: temporary night clerk Vivian Delaney is saving to journey to New York City.
    Upstate New York 2017: Carly Kirk arrives at the Sun Down Motel to investigate her Aunt Vivian's mysterious disappearance from the Sun Down before Carly was born.

    Creepy, haunting and chilling, Simone St James does a convincing portrayal of paranormal phenomenon lingering within the location and the walls of this eerie dwelling.

    Perfect for the author's longstanding fan base as well as someone interested in a foray into her unique interpretation of ghostly suspense and thriller.
  • Patricia W. (Homewood, AL)
    For Chills and Thrills visit the Sun Down Motel
    This book keeps you on your toes. The writing keeps you involved to the point you smell the cigarette smoke and perfume. When the character breaks out in goosebumps so does the reader. That is what good writing is all about. The storyline was engaging and the atmosphere seemed very realistic. Stay out of the rain and leave the lights on until you have finished it.

    Everything was on target for a good read and I enjoyed having the opportunity of an ARC in exchange for a review.
  • Colleen T. (Lakewood, CO)
    The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
    This is the first book of Simone St. James that I have read, and I was delighted and very impressed. I really enjoyed the story and all the twists and turns she put into the plot. Many of the twists were well hidden and just when you thought you knew what was happening, you didn't. I liked that the characters are well depicted, and the plot is well written. I especially enjoyed the paranormal aspect of the story. I could not put the book down and when I did, I kept going back to the story, trying to figure out what was going on. For me, that is a great tale. I encourage all to give it a read!
  • Elizabeth P. (Lower Burrell, PA)
    The Sun Down Motel
    Carly left college for a "few" days so she could head to Fell, New York, to see if she could find anything out about how her Aunt Viv died or where she might be.

    Viv disappeared from The Sun Down Motel where she worked in 1982 and was never found.

    When Carly arrived and checked out The Sun Down Motel, she couldn't believe her aunt would even think of working there.

    It was a creepy, out-of-the way place, but Carly surprised herself and took a job there on the same shift that her aunt worked.

    Carly saw strange things and knew she should leave, but she stayed. She had to find out what happened and what happens at THE SUN DOWN MOTEL.

    We follow Carly as she investigates and as Viv's story is told back in 1982.

    Besides the creepy town and motel, we meet ghosts, creaky doors, weird guests, odd sounds, and no way to contact anyone not on the hotel grounds. We learn about the hotel and the murders that took place in the town of Fell as well as the connection to The Sun Down Motel.

    Each chapter got stranger and stranger as the motel seemed to come to life and have a life of its own.

    If you enjoy tense, creepy, spooky story lines that include unsolved murders from years ago, THE SUN DOWN MOTEL will be your perfect read.

    Be careful with the motel you choose, and especially do not stay at a motel that has anything remotely close to the name of this motel.

    The ending is twisty and brilliant. 5/5

    This book was given to me by the publisher and BookBrowse in exchange for an honest review.
  • Joan W. (Orion, MI)
    Scary -
    This read is as good as The Broken Girls. My imagination went a little off the chart with this one - working the night shift at an old motel with strange happenings helped Carly find out about her Aunt Viv who became missing while working at the motel 20 years ago, Ghosts, strange odors, doors closing and shutting on their own would make anyone jump. Very good story, and I would suggest you keep the lights on while reading this great read.

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