What readers think of The Sun Down Motel, plus links to write your own review.

I found this story to be a mix of a ghost story mixed with a mystery. It started off really strong and keep me interested, but the middle lagged a bit with a lot of extra detail that I could have skipped. Over all I enjoyed the story and the twist at the end.

I am normally a Historical Fiction or Contemporary Fiction reader. This one was a little different for me and I found that I really enjoyed it. I like the way the author starts off the action right at the beginning of the book with the mysterious disappearance and then slowly revels what happens with the back and forth between the past and present characters. The characters were well developed and the story was delightfully spooky. Once I started the book I didn't want to put it down.

Mysteries and thrillers are some of my favorite books. It takes a deft hand and a bold imagination to not only conceive the idea but also a clever mind to patiently tease out the storyline while never losing sight of the journey that the reader is on. I thought the concept was quite original and especially liked that the pacing of the various plot lines never felt hurried. I very much liked the different timelines and appreciated that the author didn't bounce back and forth unnecessarily but only as it served the overall experience for the reader. The characters were well fleshed out and I found myself thinking about them afterwards which is, for me, one of the hallmarks of a talented author. I look forward to reading more from her.

I have to admit - I was not sold on this book right away. It is written with alternating narrators from different eras, something that is becoming very common and, for me, boring. The mystery seemed like it would unfold predictably and I was sure I knew within the first chapter who did what to whom. Happily I was wrong! The characters were fairly well developed even though their motivations were not entirely believable. Background details were sketchy and relationships were not well explored. Some characters could have been fleshed out more, yet In spite of that, I was very engaged - it was a hard book to put down! Being accustomed to books showcasing the differences between the way women were treated in the past compared to now, it was refreshing to read a book that showed the strides women have made even since the 1980's. Halfway through I had figured out the mystery, however that really didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel. On a minor note -
I am hoping that the cover art is changed - the book repeatedly mentions a blue sign - on the cover it is red, and the fact that the motel has 2 stories while the cover shows a single story motel - rather careless....
A fun, fast easy read!

I have revamped my review. Initially I was going to give this story a 3. It's a good, solid paranormal / mystery story. Why was I not completely satisfied? I guess I expected it to be edgier and more scary.

I realized that it was my own expectations of the story that made me think it wasn't a great book. This isn't a fair way to look at a story. So, in rethinking my review, I asked myself the following questions:

Did this story keep me engaged? Yes, it kept me completely under its spell and I read for 4 hours straight with no breaks other than to recharge my body or drinking glass. Now that's a tremendous benchmark of a very good story.

Did this story keep my engagement and involvement in the characters? Absolutely.

Did I care about the outcome and did I believe the story? Yes. Not 100 but a solid 85. This is another very good mark.

And this is the reason why I changed my rating from 3 to 4. I was expecting an edgier, noir story. The book was very thrilling in parts and I was immersed in these moments. (I haven't outlined the story because you can read this in other people's reviews which have more skill with reviewing.)

This is a solid and pleasurable novel. I even passed the book on to my next door neighbor and she enjoyed it thoroughly! So, that's two for two -- and that's a pretty darn good book. Enjoy

I coundn't put this one down - made my skin crawl! If you enjoy a good mystery along with a "scary" story, this is one for you. Trying to solve the mystery of her aunt's disappearance 35 years ago, Carly relives the life her aunt was persuing wgen she suddenly disappeared, A good story.

In general, this was a good mystery/ghost story. I found the past-present format a bit annoying, but understand why the author did this. It's just not my favorite way to read a story.
This was not a literary book but the writing and premise was sufficient to keep me going. Most of it was believable and with further editing, it should turn out well.
I have not read "The Broken Girls" but am curious enough to take it on.

The Sun-Down is a place that time forgot -- but its ghosts have not. Two young women are determined to uncover the motel's secrets. Even though their stories occur 35 years apart, the similarity of their personalities, surroundings, and activities sometimes blurs the dual narratives. Nonetheless, the plot is clever and packed with impressive amateur detecting. The author pushes too hard at the idea that young women are easy prey for evil men but, she's not wrong! Though not as compelling as her previous novel, The Broken Girls, the blend of mystery and horror in The Sun Down Motel is suspenseful and creepy enough to satisfy most readers of either genre.