The Sun Down Motel by Simone St James
This was another #bookstagrammademedoit kind of a deal. It was also a BOTM pick as can be seen in the photo, that means the #BOTM community talked about this book non-stop and I had a hard time escaping it – lol. On the other hand, Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James was my first book by this author, and it won’t be my last.
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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 USA Today 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.
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St James
MY THOUGHTS
So, I must admit I wasn’t blown away by this book. The beginning was slow. And it took me awhile to get invested in the story and the overall supernatural vibe of the novel.
Nevertheless, the further I got into the book, the more I enjoyed the connections and parallels between past and present, in other words between Viv and Carly. When I got to the point where I actually realized what was going on, it was easy to see the book’s allure.
Moreover, besides the story’s supernatural feel, The Sun Down Motel was also a full blown mystery, a whodunit spanning two generations. The overall surprisingly eery, and creepy mood turned the book into a very atmospheric mystery/thriller.
I think what I enjoyed the most, was the connections, the parallels between Viv and Carly. How they both went through similar situations, and experienced the motel and its peculiar inhabitants in nearly the same ways. And then of course the wrap up was quite the success itself. High in tension, but not at all predictable, and with some nice twists and turns to bring it all together.
On the whole, the story was enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to future books by this author. Also, while listening to the audiobook, I was again reminded how much I love listening to thrillers and mysteries. It’s probably my most favorite genre for audiobooks.
In regards to the audiobook itself, the narration was top notch, both narrators did a marvelous job, and it was an easy and fast book to get through. The 11 hours, didn’t feel like 11 hours at all, thanks to the two timelines which made the book go by rather quickly.
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The Sun Down Motel by Simone St James
I have this book to read. I’m not looking forward to that slow to get into part… I hope I find the mystery as fascinating as you did. Great review.
I enjoyed it overall. And I don’t regret reading it, which is already a point for it. The mystery was intriguing and the way the plot was structured was quite interesting too. I think you’ll at least enjoy it, because all in all it wasn’t a bad book.
I think I’m going to save it for when I’m in a slump. I usually read a darker read then and it gets me out.
It’s a good book to have on your back burner. 😀
Nooooooooooooo, no mysteries!!!! lol
It’s creepy too 😀
Lol. Still not reading it. 😛
This one is on my TBR! I really like the premise of the book, but then I don’t like books with slow beginnings that much ? still, i’m very intrigued by the motel’s mystery!
You never know, it might not be a slow beginning for you. I would definitely give it a go, maybe you can get a sample from Amazon, or grab it from the library.
This book was so creepy and good! You should check out The Broken Girls by her if you haven’t yet! I liked that one even more than this one ❤❤
I added The Broken Girls to my tbr, since it’s the book everyone talks about 😀
I finally found you Corina! LOL Now I do agree with you thrillers and mysteries are perfect in audio! I loved this one more than you did it seems though.
lol, glad you found me! It was my first book by her, but I’m interested in reading The Broken Girls, it seems to be her most popular book.