The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

The Sun Down Motel

by Simone St. James

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.

Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

5 of 5 stars

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Move over Norman & the Bates Motel, welcome to Fell, New York and the Sun Down Motel. Fair warning ⚠️ Turn off your phone, lock your door and tell everyone you have plans because once you begin this tale you won’t be able to set it down. St. James delivers an atmospheric tale that is part mystery and part murder-mystery. It weaves in plenty of supernatural elements to get the heart racing. I. Loved. It.

The story is told from two time lines, both from the POV of a twenty-year-old. Both are compelling and both made my heart race as they sent shivers down my spine.

The first time-line is from 1982. Viv Delaney, left home and ended up taking a job as the night desk clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fells, NY. It wasn’t planned, in fact when she left she told her mother she was headed to NY to become a star, but here she is. Something is wrong at the Sun Down and Viv is scared.

The second time line is present day 2017. Carly Kirk’s mother has just died from cancer and she takes time off from school to learn more about her Aunt Viv. Aunt Viv mysteriously disappeared from Fells, NY in 1982. When she visits, she soon finds herself caught up in same mysteries that haunted her aunt. Will she find answers, or will she disappear too?

The synopsis is vague, and if I am completely honest, I didn’t even read it before reading. I loved the author’s first book that much. I will not give spoilers either. Why ruin the fun! I will tell you there is plenty of mystery and suspense as both girls try to answers questions about the motel and things happening locally. Both are quite clever. There were twists I didn’t see coming, and the paranormal elements were pure perfection. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 12 January, 2020: Finished reading
  • 12 January, 2020: Reviewed