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There are currently 45 member reviews
for The Sun Down Motel
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Sarah B. (Streamwood, IL)
Another gem
This is my second Simone St. James book, and it is another gem. The two narratives made sense, and both drove the story forward. I cared about both "main" characters. This is one of my favorite books of the year.
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Barry E. (Margate City, NJ)
Well Done
Not truly being a fan of the paranormal theme, I found this book was able to combine an exciting mystery with just enough ghosts not overwhelm the plot. The paranormal enhanced the quality of an excellent mystery, not making the outcome unrealistic.
Having never read anything by the author, I would surely read her other books because of the quality of this writing. Using the technique of discussing two separate characters in alternating chapters, bringing them together as the book ended lent a sense of wanting to always continue and see what the outcome was. Once started I could not put the book down until finished.
The author was able to combine many pertinent topics of the time especially those, as a male I feel primary relate to the ongoing issues of male-female relationships in our society. Discussed in nuance terms are facts like women get killed because of the vulnerability, men like women who are vulnerable, and women can do their own things and do it well.
I highly suggest this book to all people, you will never forget Viv Delaney, her niece Carly and all the ghosts of the Sundown Motel.
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Carole P. (Framingham, MA)
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St James
Creepy, scary, intense , gripping....I can go on and on. Simone St James is one of my favourite authors anyway, but this time she has gone to a new level. I love a good ghost story and this one was very unique. The story alternates between Viv and her niece. Carly is determined to solve the disappearance years ago of Viv. Now around the same age as her aunt when she vanished , Carly wants to solve the mystery and so retraces her aunt's steps. Honestly, I don't know how to end this review. I couldn't put this down, was constantly holding my breath and was sad and relieved when it was done. Great read for a dark winters night.
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June A. (Fort Worth, TX)
Hard to put down!
I stayed up way too late finishing this book. Loved the premise of the haunted motel, as I stayed in many creepy roadside motels as an Army brat . Many of the independent motels in small towns have an air of neglect that lend them a "Bates Motel" vibe. Viv works at and disappears from the Sun Down Motel in 1982. Her niece, Carly, follows literally in her footsteps 35 years later to try and find out what happened to her. I have added Simone St. James' other books to my "Want to Read" list after enjoying this page turner.
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Frances N
Motel with ghosts and links to murders
I really enjoyed this book. It was perfectly creepy and kept me guessing for 300 pages. I liked the premise of not knowing who (or what) people/events really were. Thankfully, the chapter titles helped to remind me if I was in 1982 or 2017, since Carly and her Aunt Viv were so very much alike in their curiosity and bravery.
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Mary H. (Ocala, FL)
Ready to be Scared?
I thoroughly enjoyed this atmospheric novel that is part ghost story and part murder mystery, Told in alternating chapters about two women, one in 1982 and the other in 2017, it is set in the fictional upstate New York town of Fell. At first glance, Fell appears to be a quiet place where very little happens. That is indeed the case except for the serial killer who claims a victim every two years or so and the ghosts who reside at the Sun Down Motel.
While the story revolves around the two main female characters, the motel becomes a character in its own right, adding tension and spookiness to the atmosphere. The author skillfully weaves the women's stories ever closer until they converge in a dramatic climax.
Good ghost stories are hard to find and this is the best one I have read in a long time. Highly recommended.
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Teresa L. (Corona, CA)
Ghostly Creepy Goodness!
Do not read this book alone in the dark...like I did! Ghostly, creepy supernatural with a mystery thrown in...all the good stuff you have come to expect from a great Simone St. James book! The interwoven timelines of Carly Kirk looking for her missing aunt, Viv Delaney, at a haunted motel in the middle of nowhere New York leads to an un-put-downable gripping read! And the cover is amazing! If you like ghost stories, loved "The Broken Girls", then do yourself a favor and pick up "The Sun Down Motel" on sale February 18, 2020!
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