AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERSomething 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 … 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.
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Viv, a 20-year old who wants to be an actress, leaves her home in Illinois to go to New York, in 1982. She ends up in Fell, New York and starts to work the night shift of the Sun Down Motel. One night she vanishes. 35 years later, Carly, also a 20-year old, follows in her aunt’s footsteps to look into her disappearance. Carly also gets a job working the night shift of the Sun Down Motel. Her roommate Heather, and Nick, a former resident of Fell who has a notorious past, helps her investigate her aunt’s disappearance.
In 1982, Viv hears of local women that have been murdered. This upsets her, and she plays amateur sleuth to attempt to solve the crimes. In 2017, Carly starts to investigate the murders, to piece together what happened and figure out of Viv was killed by the same person.
The motel is haunted by those that have died there. Although these spirits play a part in the storyline, I don’t feel like this is a supernatural thriller. This book alternates between Viv in 1982 and Carly in 2017. Each section ties together nicely.
In 1982, VIv was working at the Sun Down Motel and disappeared. Present time, Carly is VIv’s niece and she returns to the Sun Down Motel to try and find out what happened to her aunt. This was a fast paced, crazy ride of a book. The Sun Down Motel has lots and lots of secrets to be uncovered. I enjoyed this book even though it totally scared me! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.
My first introduction to Simone St. James was reading her previous notel The Broken Girls, it was one of my top 10 books last year. I went into this with a crazy amount of anticipation and and hoping been another 5* read.
The novel revolves around a young woman, Carly, following up on her long dead aunt Vivian. The family never felt any kind of closure because her body was never found. She just disappeared one night during her late night shift at The Sun Down Motel. In order to understand Carly’s point of view we must be taken back in time to when her aunt disappeared. Meanwhile Carly will get a job at the Sun Down herself in order to try and find an answer.
Here begin some of my problems with this book. Lots of situations happened around the same time in the women’s timelines. I also found things were just too repetitive having to weave the two stories together. At first I was just a little confused about whose story I was reading. As I got into the story I did enjoy the ride but it wasn’t a page turner for me.
Ms. Simoe’s writing here is top notch and the story is a good one. I found the characters to be well described but I did have trouble with believability. I asked myself so many times, why didn’t she just quit? Why would they intentionally put themselves in such danger? In each storyline there is a good friend and a boyfriend.
This novel has Ms. Jame’s signature creation of a ghostly vibe and it’s a good mystery. There were lots of lights going on and off, doors opening and shutting on their own, “smoke scent in the air” and apparitions. Both Vivian and her niece Carly are looking for answers as to what is going on and putting themselves in grave danger.
The ending moved my rating up to a solid 4 and I can definitely recommend it. Ms. St. Jame’s followers won’t be disappointed.
I would recommend this as a “long sit” read in order to keep the timelines straight and to ratchet up the tension and vibe. This is a great Fall and Halloween read.
Publication is set for February 18, 2020.
I received a ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
4.5 stars for me
First of all the cover of The Sun Down Motel perfectly describes this dark suspenseful book that I could not put down .
It’s eerie, the atmosphere is right on point, there is murder, a serial killer, ghosts that can’t rest and a hotel that makes you think of The Bates Motel.
The story is told from two perspectives : Viv in 1982 who disappears and in 2017 , her niece Carly who comes to this creepy motel to find out what happened to her aunt.
Don’t want to give anything away, suffice to say put this book on your list !!
If you haven’t read The Broken Girls by Simone St James, don’t miss that one either!
Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for the opportunity to read The Sun Down Motel.
Thank you to Netgalley, Simone St James and Berkley publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I actually chose this book because I loved the cover when I saw it, and the cover did the book perfect justice!
After reading what the book was about I didn’t think I would like it but I’m glad I judged a book by its cover in this case since I loved this book way more than I thought I would.
It was fast paced made me want to keep reading and transported me there with both of the main protagonists. It is a book loaded with good old fashioned creepiness.
I actually chose this book because I loved the cover when I saw it.
I will definitely be following and reading more from this author.