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

This is the first book of Simone St James that I have read and I loved it. It's like Bates Motel on steroids. I grew up in a town that had many roadside hotels just like the one on the cover of the book. I never thought of them as being haunted, but that's what I will think now whenever I see one.

It's a combination thriller, mystery and ghost book. It was a perfect distraction (much needed these days). I'm going to read more from this author.

This was my first time reading this author, and I was not disappointed. The dual time line between Viv in 1982 and Carly in 2017 was well defined with the chapter headings, though there was enough similarity (& overlap) in the characters and the locations that I kept notes to keep it straight (but that's my quirk). Characters were well defined and described, as were the settings. I had all of the characters visualized, and the description of the motel and events were sufficiently creepy. I liked the shorter chapters that kept my attention, reading late into the night, but definitely with more than a few lights on!
There were well paced plot twists, so reading this was like peeling back layers of the onion, with each new piece of the puzzle eventually fitting into place. I was quite surprised to find out what happened to Viv (no plot spoiler here), but was somewhat unsatisfied with the story's ending...felt like I was left hanging a bit...but then it helped me identify with the families living so many years with unanswered questions.
I enjoyed this book immensely, and can't wait to read Broken Girls by the same author.

I was in the mood for a good suspense book. This book didn’t disappoint! The story has lots of twists and turns. Unlike most suspense or mysteries, it doesn’t take you all the way to the end and ta da, mystery solved! The different layers are revealed in layers. It’s very well done. I would highly recommend this book!

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 at this motel and what happens now 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 entire book and the ending are twisty and brilliant. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Are creepy motels, the '80's , and ghosts your thing? Then this is the book for you! I truly loved this story. It's been a long time since a book has given me the heebie jeebies, but this one did. The creepy motel setting, perfect. Supernatural elements, that for me, were not over done, again, perfect. The eerie atmosphere and the 80's time line, superb. This book is a definite must read if you enjoy mysteries with these elements!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a good mystery that flipped back and forth between the present and the past with a few supernatural characters thrown in. I'm not a huge supernatural fan, but in this case, I felt that it really added a thriller element to the story that worked very well.

The Sun Down Motel was an exciting read! I enjoyed both Viv and Carly's characters as the book switched from 1982 to 2017. They were both strong, determined women who were fearless in their quest for the truth. The story was steeped in mystery and suspense. For anyone who enjoys the show, "Stranger Things", I feel like this book is somewhat similar...bouncing into parallel universes. Carly was experiencing the same events and situations as her Aunt Viv 35 years prior. Ghost story, mystery, and crime solving all wrapped into one great package!

Simone St. James has written several other novels that combine mystery and ghost story, and here's another 5-star one that takes place in upper New York state. It switches back and forth from Viv, the young night clerk at the Sun Down Motel, who disappears in 1982, and her niece Carly in 2017, who takes the same night clerk job hoping to find out what happened to her aunt. It's a clever meshing of mystery and ghost story that has believable characters, like people you might know. It moves right along without a wasted work or scene. Highly recommended.