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 kaliwinn on

5 of 5 stars

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What you need to know: ghosts, spooky, a sprinkle of feminism, multiple perspectives

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I want to start by saying I am not a big horror fan. The Sun Down Motel, however, was the just creepy enough to keep me entertained but not so creepy that I needed to keep my lights on at night! After this, I am strongly considering picking up another Simone St. James book. Would you recommend any other of her books? 

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It's not a huge surprise when I tell you that SDM centers around an haunted, run-down hotel in the middle of Fell, New York. In the present day, Carly travels to the Sun Down to try to discover what happened to her long-lost aunt who was last seen working the night-shift at the Sun Down. While working the night-shift herself, Carly discovers that this tiny town was not as sleepy as it seemed. During the time her aunt Viv was living in Fell, there were a string on murders of young girls. Told between the perspectives of Carly and Viv, we slowly uncover who the murderer is and what really happened to Viv.

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You can also see my reviews on IG @alittleshelf.ish

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 23 October, 2020: Finished reading
  • 27 October, 2020: Reviewed