This book was amazing! I couldn't put it down. A mix of The Shining, Bates Motel and a missing person's story, this mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat. I loved it. More from this author.

Lets all decide to agree that ghost stories are super fun to read. Because, they are! 👻 The Sun Down Motel was sensational! It reads like a movie for the mind and some parts get pretty spooky.

The story is told from two alternating perspectives and timelines. This thriller is full of mystery and I didn’t want to stop reading, which lead me to finishing it in a day. Yay for quick reads!

The book definitely brings up the vulnerability and limitations that so many women face in society regardless of their intelligence and abilities. It was chilling to read the subtext and reflect on it. Also, I liked the subtle nods toward Stephen King, true crime fans, and other authors and stories from the horror/thriller genre. Nicely done!

I would have given it 4 stars if not for some redundancy issues with the writing and some minor parts that felt flat. I still really enjoyed it.
3.5/5 stars Rounded up to 4 for this review

A great beginning and very readable overall, but a bit more "horror lite" than I'd prefer. Perfect for readers who don't go in for mega-scariness.

I love spooky mystery stories and The Sun Down Motel did not disappoint! Great plot - every time I thought I'd figured out something crucial, I was wrong.

Summary:
The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before. Upstate NY, 1982. Every small town like Fell, New York, has a place like the Sun Down Motel. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to New York City. But something isn't right at the Sun Down, and before long she's determined to uncover all of the secrets hidden.

There were lots of twists in this book which kept me guessing and intrigued until the very end. I love that there are so many strong women in this story. Super suspenseful and haunting, this is a great book!

I read and enjoyed The Broken Girls by the same author so I thought I’d like this one as well Not so much. The plot was really slow building and had relatively dull characters. No surprising twists either- it was pretty predicable.

Another great book from this author! She really knows how to write great atmospheric books. I loved how the hotel is almost it's own character and the two timelines melded together very well. This story kept me guessing and I can't wait to recommend this one to my patrons!

The Sun Down Motel is an atmospheric suspenseful murder mystery. Flipping back and forth between past & present, Carly tries to piece together what happened to her Aunt Viv, while we find out Aunt Viv’s story. The dark, ominous tone of this book is just bang on, so brilliantly written. The characters are so well developed and seem so real - even the ones that aren’t.

Simone St. James has written a stellar ghost story! The creepiness factor was perfect and the characters sympathetic, including some of the dead ones. I had figured a couple of things out before the ending, but was compelled to keep reading as I knew i didn't have it *all* figured out and I was thoroughly satisfied. The jump in time from the 80s to 2017 was entertaining to me as I well remember the fabulous 80s and those old roadside motels. If I had a criticism of the book at all, and please note that this is very minor, it is that the author pushes the unfairness of the world toward women a little too hard or too obviously. It's not that she's incorrect, it's more that the story and the events speak that truth well enough without the female police officer pointing out how tough she has it as a female cop. Then again, perhaps those who didn't live in that decade and earlier ones wouldn't find the emphasis unnecessary, so a very small issue in an otherwise fantastic book.

In 1982, Viv Delaney left her home, headed for New York City. She got as far as Fell NY, and started working as the night manager at The Sun Down Motel. Strange things happen at The Sun Down Motel. As Viv looks deeper into the mysterious happenings, she uncovers a serial killer, who targets her. In 2017, Carly Kirk shows up at The Sun Down, looking for her aunt, Viv Delaney, who disappeared in 1982. As Carly begins her hunt, she, too, begins work at The Sun Down as the night manager and her life will never be the same. Equal parts paranormal and crime fiction, this was an interesting book with lots of red herrings and ghostly phenomenon.

Thirty-five years after her Aunt Vivian goes missing from the Sun Down Motel, Carly travels to Fell, New York to solve the mystery of what truly happened.

I requested this title because I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Broken GIrls' by this author.. This follows the same narrative format as that book, changing the point of view between Vivian's in 1982 and Carly's in 2017.. As someone who isn't a huge fan that stylistic choice, it didn't enjoy quite so much this time around, It read a little more redundant than informative. It made the pacing a bit frustrating - it was a quick read but the plot was slow until the last third of the book. I also don't think that it added anything to either character. If anything, it really drove home this idea that Carly and Vivian were exactly the same.

Everything else was okay. Characters, setting, etc. I do like Simone St. James historical/ghost/mystery story format. I liked how the stories all came together, both the ghost stories and the mystery part. The suspense wasn't anything earth-shattering but I found it to be more enjoyable because it wasn't shocking. Sometimes something that isn't descriptive in its gruesomeness is a nice break.

Anyone looking for a quick mystery/ghost story would probably enjoy it.

An excellent, eerie mystery and thriller. This is the second novel I've read from this author and loved every minute of it.

The story is narrated in dual timelines and takes place in Fell, NY. First, in 1982 Viv moves temporarily to Fell to save up some money to go to NYC and start her acting career but she disappears mysteriously and is never heard of again. The second timeline takes place in 2017, and is narrated by Carly who happens to be Viv's niece, she goes to Fell to investigate her aunt's disappearance 25 years later.

The imagery and scenes at the Sun Down motel are vivid and made me feel as if I was there. The author did a great job with the story and I look forward to her upcoming books.

Highly recommend this one!

ARC provided by Publisher via Netgalley

This novel had me hooked right from the beginning. I loved the back and forth between present sat with Carly and 1982 with her aunt, Viv. I believe it added to the whole spooky atmosphere of the story, and it really worked well. I was actually surprised with how it ended, I thought I had it all figured out, but the author did a great job of leading the reader on.

What a gripping story...kept me on the edge of my seat.

This story fluctuates between the past (1982) and the present (2017) and if you didn't believe in ghosts before you might after reading this book!

Vivian found herself in Fell NY in 1982, not quite where she meant to end up. But because she was young and needed money to continue her journey she took a job at the Sun Down Motel. This motel is just what you might picture in a small town, not on a major road, that doesn't have many occupants. Carly ends up in Fell searching for the truth about what happened to her Aunt Vivian. The truth that is uncovered is mind-blowing!

I enjoyed this book more than I ever expected. It is a mystery, thriller, and suspense all rolled into one and the characters keep you guessing as to what they are thinking or what they will do next. It is definitely a spooky book and I felt a bit apprehensive about what the story was with the ghosts in the motel. Plus a few characters were a bit creepy once you learned their true nature and motives.

I have been a huge Simone St James fan since Silence for the Dead, and have read all of her work. After her last knock-out book, The Broken Girls, I had very high hopes for this one. It did not quite live up to my expectations. Though I appreciated the feminist lens she took to violence against women, I didn’t particularly care for the 80s setting. Her heroines usually have a richer backstory than Carly was given, so I didn’t feel connected to her in the way I have to St James’s other characters. That said, I am glad to have read it and still eagerly anticipate her next book.

Simone St. James has done it again. The ability to create a criminal thriller with supernatural elements is enticing. I'm usually not someone who reads a lot of supernatural or fantastical fiction, but this was excellent.

Viv Delaney arrives in Fell, New York in 1982 and decides to stay long enough to figure out her next move.  In the mean time, she's working night shift at The Sun Down Motel, a shady roadside motel with even shadier guests.

Creepy things are happening during night shift ---doors opening, lights flickering, disembodied voices--- and it doesn't help that Viv has learned there are a few too many unsolved murders in the small town of Fell.

As Viv begins to look into the murders and how The Sun Down Motel may be linked, she befriends a local photographer and the city's only female cop. While the police have never believed the murders of three local women were the work of one killer, Viv pieces together a few clues that make her believe otherwise.  Her friends warn her she's in over her head but the amateur detective has become obsessed with hunting the hunter.

In 2017, Carly Kirk stops in Fell, New York for closure.  Her mother has recently died from cancer and one thing they never discussed was the unsolved disappearance of her mother's sister, Viv.  Viv disappeared some time during her shift at The Sun Down Motel in November 1982, leaving behind her belongings in the office and her car in the parking lot.

Carly answers the wanted ad for a night clerk at the very same motel where her aunt Viv was last seen in hopes of finding answers to her disappeance.  It isn't long before Carly begins to experience the strange events at The Sun Down and learns her aunt disappeared around the same time as a string of unsolved murders in Fell.  Now it's Carly's turn to play amateur detective.  Can she solve the cold cases and finally learn Viv's fate?

This book pulled me in from page one and didn't let me go! I read this book every spare second I had and finished in less than 24 hours.  I loved the mystery, the strong female characters, and the chilling atmosphere!  The paranormal aspect of this book is pitch perfect: eerie without being cheesy or over the top.
The alternating chapters of Viv's and Carly's narratives kept me hooked and I was completely invested in both timelines.  I really enjoyed how Carly's narrative began to mirror Viv's and how readers get to go down the rabbit hole not once but twice as both women attempt to solve the three murders.
The ending was completely solid and I absolutely loved the timing of events and how everything is solved.  An overall excellent and well-executed plot!

If you love the mystery/thriller genre with some ghost story vibes, this is absolutely a book worth picking up!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.  The Sun Down Motel is scheduled for release on February 18, 2020.

I finished this book last week, and it is still on my mind. You know that's the mark of an excellent book. Living in Daytona Beach, we have a lot of motels like Sun Down, and it gives me the chills to drive by them now. The characters are engaging, even the ghosts! I loved the ending. This book is the perfect mix between ghost story and murder mystery. The first few chapters I read during the day because I didn't want to go to sleep with the ghosts on my mind. Kuddos to the author!

This book was everything!! It’s been a while since I have read a book that actually had me scared. I had to stop reading multiple times because it was getting too scary for me. And then the mystery of this book! It was perfect!! Definitely a must read for people who enjoy spooky mystery reads!

I've come to expect a lot from Simone St. James and she has yet to disappoint! I thoroughly enjoyed and was adequately creeped out by this one. And I adore the cover!

I really like how Simone St. James blends supernatural events and human criminal activities. Her books are consistently creepy and entertaining - she's become one of my favorites.