Huge thank you to @prhaudio for the free audiobook. #PRHAudioPartner

Also, thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for an ebook ARC copy to read and give my honest review.

REVIEW:
I tandem read this one. And it caught my attention straight from the get-go. Narrator Brittany Pressley did a great job immersing you into all the different vibes this book entailed. Her voice matched and correlated with the characters perfectly.

A honeymoon from hell! A couple gets caught up in a paranormal murder mystery when they decide to pick up a hitchhiker who was hurt. Things most certainly spiraled from there.

I loved the mystery aspect of this book. The whodunit is always so fun to pick apart. But I really was engrossed in the paranormal side. That's not typically something that I gravitate towards. But how it all worked together in this story was seriously so creepy yet kept me hooked the entire time.

If you love a good mystery-ghost story with some '90s vibes you totally need to pick this one up. Honestly if you just love a good thriller I'm telling you the story is addictive!

Simone St. James’ latest spooky thriller Murder Road takes us to a small town in Michigan with a really big problem.

July, 1995: When they pick her up, she is reluctant to speak. She looks shell-shocked. Eddie and April Carter only offered her a ride because a (seemingly) drunk girl walking dazedly along the side of the road at two in the morning was definitely in need of help, but would they have stopped if they knew just how much help? She isn’t inebriated; she’s badly injured and bleeding out. “I’m Rhonda Jean,“ she says when their questions finally penetrate her stupor. And then a bit later, “I’m sorry. He’s coming.” “He” turns out to be driving a large truck, which slowly gains on them as they race down a road called Atticus Line. They are only able to get away by taking a particularly sharp turn at a rather reckless speed. It had seemed safer than facing whatever was chasing them in the dark.

By the time they get Rhonda Jean to the small local hospital, April, who had been holding her hand throughout that wild ride, is covered in her blood, and so is Eddie, who carries her into the ER. Their car, the backseat of which is now soaked in gore, looks like a scene from a horror movie. The nurses make a call even as they deal with the patient. A policeman comes almost immediately, questioning them about where they found her, where they were going, and how they wound up on that particular road in the middle of the night. Not too much later, the officer informs the Carters they are suspects in the murder of Rhonda Jean, who has just died. But the state detectives arrive before he can ask any more questions. It seems Cold Lake doesn’t have the kind of force that can handle murder cases but oddly enough, they have more than their share of them - Rhonda Jean is only the latest in a string of hitchhikers stabbed, choked, or bludgeoned along that road. In spite of the prolific number of crimes, however, no one has ever been implicated, much less arrested. April and Eddie are the first witnesses/possible villains Detectives Quentin and Beam have had the pleasure of interviewing. After the interrogation, their car is impounded, they are advised not to leave town, and are dropped off at a simple home doubling as a bed and breakfast.

The owner, Rose, doesn’t much care for the cops who give them a ride to her house and makes that clear from the start. She is equally unexcited to have possible murderers as guests. The abode, while not the kind of ornate Victorian one pictures when the words ‘bed and breakfast’ are mentioned, is comfortable enough, even though the decor is mildly disturbing. Photos of Princess Diana are prominently displayed pretty much everywhere, but the hostess, while taciturn, is at least kind enough to feed them. April and Eddie clean up, get some sleep, and settle in for a long day. They aren’t comfortable for long, though, since they are quickly whisked back to the station for more questioning. They aren’t arrested - there is nowhere near enough evidence for that - but they aren’t given their car or permission to leave Cold Lake either. It is pretty clear they remain the only lead the cops have. It is also clear that if Eddie and April want to be free of this problem, they had better figure out for themselves just who or what is killing young people on Atticus Line.

Ms. St. James has a knack for writing chilling, atmospheric tales that enthrall readers and lure them into compulsively following her down dark, twisting paths. Her smooth prose and scintillating characters make it easy to immerse ourselves in a world that doesn’t quite make sense but is nonetheless deeply fascinating.

In Eddie and April, we have a seemingly ordinary couple caught up in a truly macabre situation. Eddie, freshly back from a tour in Iraq, is still in fighting form. Lean but muscular, with the watchful awareness of someone recently on a battlefield, he is quick to pick up on the bizarre nature of the investigation. Something about the entire situation is off, and he is determined to figure out just what he and April have stumbled into. For her part, April has been living a rather clandestine life behind an ordinary facade for a long time. Grit, wit, and determination have kept her one step ahead of the demons that follow her, and she plans to put those skills to good use to get them out of whatever strange shenanigans have Cold Lake in their grip. A young bride (the two are on their honeymoon when this all goes down), April is keeping secrets from her husband and has no desire for the inquiry to unearth them. Both of them have just enough of an edge to make them good amateur sleuths, and their courage, caring, and basic decency make them easy to root for.

The secondary characters here remain very secondary. April and Eddie receive help with their search from Rose and the Snell sisters, Beatrice and Gracie, who appear later in the novel. We scratch the surface of who these folks are, but we don’t really get the chance to connect well with any of them. Detectives Quentin and Beam also remain enigmas, although it is clear that Quentin, at least, has secrets and information we are not made privy to. Typically, such characters have more depth in a St. James novel, so their superficiality was disappointing.

I have a few other quibbles as well. Because the mystery here is carefully layered, with each piece revealing a bit more of a rather incredible puzzle, I won’t be talking much about the plot. However, fans of the author know her books always contain paranormal elements which are key to the puzzle being solved. In this case, something haunts Atticus Lane. Eddie, who has experience with peculiar apparitions, saw the specter of a young girl in the back of the vehicle following them that night, and it isn’t long before it appears to both Eddie and April fairly regularly. This being has rather unusual and terrifying capabilities that border on the demonic rather than ghostly. It gives a creepier edge to the tale, and the nature of its abilities/behaviors don’t point to the villain except in a roundabout way. It isn’t surprising that no one else has been able to lay the ghost to rest (so to speak) since the creature hasn’t exactly been haunting the right people. That troubled me, given the number of deaths that could be laid at its door.

I also felt vaguely displeased with the final chapters, which aren’t definitive and in which there is a clear setup for more. I was frustrated to drive off with April and Eddie at the end, feeling that while one portion of the issue was solved, some pretty interesting events were forthcoming that I wouldn’t experience without a sequel. (Please give me that sequel!)

Those negative notes aside, this is still a riveting narrative. I would recommend Murder Road to fans of the author and to anyone who enjoys a bit of horror mixed with their thriller.

Newlyweds April and Eddie inadvertently become suspects in a series of unexplained murders after picking up a dying hitchhiker along Atticus Line during their honeymoon. Their efforts to clear their names uncover the town's dark, sinister secrets, threatening to engulf them in its ominous history.

I've always been a fan of Simone St. James' thrillers so I was excited to hear about her upcoming release. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me and I wish I DNF’d it. While the premise seemed intriguing at first, the story ultimately proved forgettable. The protagonists, April and Eddie, came across as both irritating and dull, with their motivation for investigating the murders in the small town feeling weak and unconvincing. Additionally, many of the plot twists were predictable. I was particularly disappointed by the paranormal elements in this book, which, unlike in St. James' previous works, failed to add any depth or eerie atmosphere to the story. This isn't a book I would recommend. If you decide to give it a try, I suggest keeping your expectations low.

I was so excited when I got the chance to review Simone St. James’s new book! I really enjoyed The Sun Down Motel and had wanted to read another of her books. Let me tell you I was not disappointed! It had been a long time since I had read a book that creeped me out like this one. I told my husband I shouldn’t be reading it before bed because I was creeped out. I was hooked right from the beginning.

The plot was well done and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen and not put it down. First, you have the main random murders that are happening that are trying to be solved, but then on the side, you have April and Eddie’s backstories that also have some mystery involved. What was nice is that all of the mysteries flowed well together and you weren’t left bouncing back and forth and trying to figure out how it all works together. I liked that this book had action, mystery, and some supernatural parts to it.

The characters were well written and I was invested in what happened to them. I was rooting for them to be able to work through everything that happened to them on their honeymoon and have a happy ending. The side characters were also well written, some of them even had some mystery about them as well that was fun to learn about. I found myself going this person must be involved in this somehow and then going wait no they surely aren’t! It is nice when a book has side characters that help move the story along and you are invested in them as well.

I definitely would recommend this book and can’t wait to read more of her books.

Murder Road gives all the creepy vibes. The first chapter had me seriously contemplating if I was ever gonna drive in the dark again. I love the way Simone St. James tells a story. I didn't want to put the book down, The main characters were well rounded, flawed but relatable. Rose was the sass the story needed to give it that kicking butt feel. Anyone that likes a creepy, ghost story will enjoy Murder Road. Just make sure you luck your car doors at night.

Simone St. James is a new author to me and Murder Road certainly was a strong introduction to her work. This is a thriller set in the 90's with supernatural elements that will keep you on the edge of your seat, frantically turning the pages.
Murder Road follows April and Eddie Carter, mid-twenties newlyweds on their honeymoon. Or, at least they were headed to their honeymoon destination before they took a wrong turn late at night and stopped to help a woman who had been attacked. The woman, Rhonda Jean, died shortly after they got her to the hospital and now the police think April and Eddie might have done it. The pair of lovebirds might not have murdered Rhonda Jean, but they each have their own secrets and in order to get back to their lives they have to start doing a little digging on their own.
Atticus Lane, the road they were traveling on into Coldlake Falls, has a dark history of mysterious murders starting in the 1970's. Young men and women were found brutally killed with no evidence and Detective Quentin has been trying to catch the killer for years. April and Eddie just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and the Detective would love to finally have a resolution to a series of cold cases.
I loved reading about April and Eddie investigating all these cold cases on their own. They make a determined pair and take their research to multiple locations - from the local lake hangout to the hometown of one of the murdered women. They’re aided by the odd woman who owns the bed and breakfast they’re staying at. She’s got a vendetta against the police department because her husband, a police officer before his death, was always passed over for promotions and big cases due to his race. The supernatural elements of this story are extremely creepy and added a nice bit of extra complexity to the plot.
Overall, I was really impressed with this and will definitely prioritize picking up The Sun Down Motel, which I’ve had a copy of for several months. I was completely hooked on this story and I loved both April and Eddie. I appreciated the fact that even though they both know the other has secrets, they respect the other’s privacy and trust one another enough that this doesn’t create relationship issues. If only fantasy romance could take a hint from this. I’d highly recommend this for folks who enjoy a good crime thriller and like a smidge of horror thrown in for good measure.

Pub Day Review:

Let’s travel back to 1995 but include 19 years of hitchhikers getting murdered along the way on an isolated road. Bonus: this takes place here in Michigan!!!

April & Eddie are the most imperfectly perfect flawed newly wed couple who find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders along this isolated road. Next, add in some sass with another side character named Rose. It’s the perfect binge worthy read!

The perfect take on the ghostly hitchhiker urban legends. The author gives us the right amount of creepy to have us devouring this book in no time and staying up wayyyy into the night because you just can’t put it down!! Kudos on another awesome book by the amazingly awesome storyteller Simone St James!

A huge thank you to the author, Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!! I absolutely LOVED it!!! 5 stars!!!

📖 : Murder Road
📝: Simone St James
🗓️: Today - 03.05.24

Thank you for the free book @berkleypub !! #penguinrandomhousepartner #berkleyIG #BerkleyBookstagram

I know it’s only February but I know that Murder Road is going to be one of my top thrillers of the year! Actually it will probably be very hard to top this one because I truly enjoyed this so much!

I started reading it and just couldn’t put it down. And let me tell you how hard that was because I just discovered Disney Dreamlight Valley and I couldn’t resist playing that one either 😂

You know how each town has that one “haunted” road? This book is pretty much about it!

Our leads were on a roadtrip to their honeymoon when they took a wrong turn and stopped to help a hitchhiker. That’s all I’m going to say because the story pretty much picks up from that point!

This book had everything I want in a paranormal thriller! It had urban legends, ghost stories, and a small town cold case story!

I have a very high scare tolerance when it comes to books and tbh I rarely get spooked now but let me tell you, I read that scene in the dark room and I literally threw the book away from me when it got to the scary part 😂 (as if the book being out of my hands will make me forget what I just read😂)

This is probably the best of Simone St James books! I love how the spook factor is present with an equally interesting plot!!!

I loved this book so much that I picked up Sun Down Motel as my next read because Im craving more ghost stories from this author even if I have a bunch of ARCs for March! That’s how much I loved this one and I highly HIGHLY recommend for you guys to pick it up!

This comes out March 5 (next Tuesday!) so preorder it now!!!

💭 What’s the thing that distracts you the most from reading?
☕️ When I discover a new Switch game, it really is a struggle to pick between playing and reading lol

Thank you @berkleypub and @prhaudio for the free #gifted book.

A dark stretch of highway. A string of murdered hitchhikers. An old urban legend.

April and Eddie had plans for beer and scrabble along the shores of Lake Michigan. Instead, they find themselves in a much more harrowing game. One where they must prove their innocence. And one where they aren’t sure who the opponent really is.

Cinematic and full of atmosphere, St. James perfectly depicts the ominous roadway and derelict lakeside town. A strong sense of foreboding ruminates through the storyline and each scene is painted with dread.

But it’s also full of 90s nostalgia. From Seventeen Magazine to Blockbuster Video, I was transported back to my youth. And references to the OJ trial and Tonya Harding provided an easy timestamp for technology and police procedures. But my favorite mention: the obsession over Princess Diana.

St. James is a master when it comes to portraying the line between the seen/knowable and the paranormal. I found myself questioning each detail. Imagination? Ghost? Trick of the senses? Something not yet explained? Even halfway through this one, I found myself totally unsure how it would unwind, which made the ending that much more satisfactory.

Sun Down Motel remains my favorite by St. James. But this one proved to be a fast paced, entertaining read. And I’ll be the first in line for whatever she writes next.

🎧 As always, Brittany Pressley’s narration is pitch perfect. It encapsulated the tension and creepiness while also giving our main characters distinct voices. Her depiction well hones the mood of the story and of the characters.

Murder Road by Simone St. James

(Thank you @berkleypub for the #gifted copy)

Happy pub day to Murder Road! I’m not normally a fan of paranormal thrillers, but I’ve enjoyed my previous reads by this author and immediately started this new one.

I loved the premise and the mystery. There was a ton of action from the very first chapter, which kept me engaged. I loved the main characters so much 💕 this book was also spooky, and I made the mistake of reading it at night before bed 🙃

I enjoyed the twists throughout, but there were a few that seemed a bit unnecessary or far-fetched. Regardless, this was a great popcorn thriller!

Is this one on your radar?

Simone St James has done it again! This is a well crafted story that just sucks you in! It took me 2 days to read but I probably could have read it in 1 if I had had the time to do so.
The story is set in 1995. There were a lot of pop culture references made, so it did a great job of portraying that time. I could see this being a movie. I felt like I was watching one as I read. The 90s had the best ghost story movies and slashers. The characters were likable for the most part. They did make some very questionable decisions but that made for a great read. My heart ached for both Eddie and April, learning about their experiences in life. There weren’t a whole lot of characters introduced in this book, so they were all easy to keep up with. We got a small glimpse of each one’s background as the book went on. Not a lot, just enough to explain why they are a certain way. I’m really not sure how I feel about the ending at this point. That’s the reason it’s 4 stars instead of 5. There were some jaw dropping moments that I didn’t see coming and some that I did. I don’t want to give too much about the book away so I’m not going to say anything more. Other than I highly recommend this book! Especially if you like ghostly stories.

This book had us gripped from the very beginning! The creepy small town setting with secrets was the perfect setting for Murder Road. Simone St. James does an amazing job at weaving mystery and ghostly supernatural elements into her story lines. There were so many characters that added to the story. They were fun and very well developed! Some scenes were really spooky in the best way. This is one of those books that you won't want to put down until you get to the very end. This will be the thriller of the summer!

Simone St. James has always been enjoyable for me, however, Murder Road was not my favorite of her books. A little too slow moving with characters that didn't capture my attention, this was ultimately not a winner for me.

I'll chalk this up to a one off and look forward to what comes next!

Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to PRH Audio and Berkley Publishing for my review copies of the book. All opinions are my own.

This was not my favorite of St. James' books. It's considered a historical mystery, but I'm not sure if I would consider that as "historical." It is set in 1995, where cell phones were not prevalent, and so it worked for this plot, and the paranormal angle. I liked the little twists and the relationship, but overall this was not a WOW thriller. One of those that I won't remember in a couple on weeks.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for my free ebook for review.

Reading "Murder Road" was like riding a roller coaster of suspense that sent shivers down my spine. The mystery intertwined with the fabled hauntings of Atticus Line kept me absolutely riveted, leaving me with an unquenchable curiosity about the dark secrets of the past. Was there a lurking serial killer all along?

Diving into the horror aspects—without spilling any spoilers—each element was masterfully crafted, serving a greater purpose than merely provoking goosebumps. I was impressed by the intricate connections between characters and events, creating the compelling realization that nothing in this story happened by mere coincidence. It's the kind of narrative that makes you appreciate the cleverness of the plot and how every piece of the puzzle is deliberately placed.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the free book! #BerkelyPartner

A wrong turn and an injured hitchhiker on a deserted road turn the lives of newlyweds April and Eddie into a nightmare as they become suspects and are stuck in a strange, small town full of suspicious characters and weird happenings.

This was my first read by St. James, and I am kicking myself for not picking up one of her books sooner! I stayed up way too late reading this, but it was totally worth it! What a spooky, twisty, atmospheric mystery/thriller about a string of unsolved murders and a couple of newlyweds who stumble into trouble. The world-building was fantastic, from the opening scene on the terrifying road where danger lurks to the small-town drama, the paranormal elements, and the nostalgic 90s setting. In addition to the creepy atmosphere, the plot is intriguing, and tension builds up as the suspenseful mystery unfolds.

The characters are well-developed, flawed, and layered. April and Eddie had great chemistry together, and as their backstories came out, I found each of them increasingly more interesting. But my favorite character was Rose for the times she was a scene-stealer. Everything about this book worked for me, and I was hooked from the start. I cannot wait to get my hands on St. James's backlist now. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys a compelling mystery/thriller with chilling paranormal elements.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for access to this arc.

What a wild ride this book is. I zipped through the first half in a few hours (note to self, do not read a murder/thriller before going to bed). Then I tore through the rest the next day.

Eddie and April Carter both have some issues in their pasts to go along with their quick marriage after only a short time knowing each other. Eddie has post Iraq PTSD while April’s backstory is amazingly convoluted. Late in the story April muses that “I saw someone who was so different from me, yet whose darkness mirrored my own.” And somehow they fit together, know each other, are ready and willing to take on each other’s demons. What I really like about these two is that they are working class, living in a cheap apartment, headed for a low rent honeymoon when “life” sweeps them into this free-for-all and they want to stay and investigate. At first it’s to get them out from under police suspicion but then it’s a quest that they just won’t give up on solving. For all their faults, Eddie and April are decent people.

There are some other fantastic characters here. The Snell sisters are pieces of work. As one person says, they should be in the FBI because we want them working for us and not against us. Rose is another wonderful though crotchety older woman. She’s been given a hard road to travel, fills her house with kitsch, holds an unshakable grudge against the town police (for Reasons) but deep (really deep) inside she’s also a person you want on your side. Brava for what they all do at the end.

The police? Oh, dear. Just about every bad thing that can be said about police could be said about these police. But one of them does see Eddie’s truth and, backhandedly, gives him sage advice. One is a bastard but also determined to get to the bottom of these killings. The way he rounds things off is maybe – no, totally – unbelievable but this does answer some questions that would have been left flapping around in my brain so, there is that.

When I saw that this book was coming out, I immediately asked for it after only a cursory look at the blurb. I didn’t even go back and refresh my memory before starting to read it. Some authors I will just trust to give me a wonderful story and that has happened again with this one. It’s dark and twisted. Secrets are unearthed and loyalties are tested. The answers, when they’re finally discovered, are things that most people would probably never admit to believing. April does one really stupid thing but then, it gives us answers. There are a few other things done that are brushed away with “Why did this person do that? We don’t know.” but overall this is one hell of a good read. B+

Growing up, I’ve heard of stories about hitch hikers disappearing or getting murdered. I’ve also heard about ghosts posing as hitch hikers and haunting the roads less travelled. Both scared the heck out of me! Now, I’m just fascinated because for sure there are some back stories behind these urband legends which also served as cautionary tales.

Murder Road begins when a honeymooning couple got lost and helped a hitch hiker, only to discover that the person was stabbed and subsequently succumbed to death. Now the couple’s a suspect. Apparently, there have been a series of murdered hitch hikers on that same road for the past several years. They have to solve the mystery themselves if they want to clear their names.

As expected from Simone St. James, the story combined both creepy ghost hauntings as well as the investigation of the mystery. I enjoyed getting to know the flawed couple (April and Eddie) and their pasts. I also loved Rose which to me, was the perfect sassy side character to balance the horror of the book. I didn’t care that some parts were predicatable and other parts were unexpected. I liked the overall story and was invested in unraveling the mystery so much so that I devoured the book in a pinch! I’m so glad I got to read the ARC. Definitely pick this up if you are a fan of this author, or if you just want a “tame” ghost story.😉

I love paranormal thrillers!! This one does not disappoint! St. James is a go-to author for me, and I just couldn't put this one down. I just needed to know how things ended. Highly recommend if you are looking for a quick, intense read!!

*Thank you @berkleypub and @prhaudio for the #gifted egalley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

A Haunted road filled with ghost and murder, sign me up. I was so lucky to get an arc copy of Murder Road. I love Simone St. James writing style so much. Man does she know how to kick off a book. That opening scene was everything. I also loved Amy and Eddie from the very beginning. Their relationship was so interesting. I’m a sucker for a flawed main character and these two were definitely flawed.

I will say the middle of this book did drag for me a bit. Some of the things happening felt strange and a little bit unbelievable.

Overall I still really enjoyed Murder Road. I can’t wait to read more from Simone St. James. If you love a thriller sprinkled with a little bit of supernatural elements you will definitely love this book.
3/5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.