I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of St. James and this book didn’t disappoint. I like the supernatural elements that she adds to her stories. The story flowed well and had lots of twists. The characters were good. A fast paced read with some great scares! I also love that it took place in the 90s. Talk me right back to high school.

What a thrilling honeymoon for two young newlyweds! This book had a good story. Great characters but it was a little predictable.

"Murder Road" captivates from the first page with its eerie atmosphere, intricate mysteries, and thirst for revenge. The author skillfully weaves a tale of suspense, drawing readers deeper into the twisted paths of its characters. With great pacing, it ensures that you're hooked from start to finish, unable to put it down. A must-read for fans of chilling mysteries with a satisfying dose of revenge.

Simon St. James is the ultimate queen of ghost stories and this did not disappoint. As someone who grew up on #Scarystoriestoreadinthedark this reads like a full length adult story. I don’t get creeped out very often but I was reading this one late into the night and had to put it down, which I actually love! A book that is creepy reading late at night is the sign of a fantastic scary story! I did guess the twist about half way thru but it didn’t take away from the story at all.
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It’s 1995 and April and Eddie are on the way to their honeymoon and they take a wrong turn. They see a woman on the side of the road and pick her up. It turns out she was bleeding to death and dies once they get to the hospital and they become the prime suspects in her murder. There have been many unexpected deaths on this road that they didn’t know about and of course; there’s a ghost tale about this road. I’m not going to say much else but being set in 1995 really sets the tone and works for this. Cell phone and gps aren’t accessible and if you are lost you are really lost. I loved this one!

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The year is 1995. Eddie and April are newlyweds. On the backroads of Michigan en route to their honeymoon, they end up lost on the infamous Atticus Line near Coldlake Falls with no memory how they got there. Atticus Line is known for a string of hitchhiker murders dating back years prior with mumbles from the locals of a serial killer on the loose. When Eddie and April stop to pick up a hitchhiker who had been stabbed on AL, they find themselves in the middle of multiple murder investigations. The girl they picked up, the many that died on this road under similar circumstances before her, and the very first unidentified body, called by the locals “the Lost Girl.”

This book combines police procedural and whodunit murder mystery with supernatural elements (which I hear Simone is an expert at), so not exactly realistic but had shock and entertainment value. I definitely would not have guessed the twists and the ending… ever! I loved the atmospheric vibes, the character development (including lovable side characters like Rose and the Snell sisters), and the odes to the 90s.

Thank you so much to Berkley, Simone, and NetGalley for the advance e-galley!

I love love love everything I have read by Simone St James, and Murder Road was no exception! I was not big into anything supernatural until I started reading Simone St James, but now I cannot get enough. I devoured this book in a day, it was so fast paced and I always wanted to know what was happening next.

This book follows a couple that is on a journey to their honeymoon destination, but they end up getting themselves into some bigger problems when they make it onto a deserted highway known by the name of Atticus line. They find themselves launched into this big investigation, and even are being looked at as suspected murderers.

I couldn't recommend this book enough to any and everybody that I know. Please pick this one up!

Thank you Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Simone St James is an auto buy author for me. I have read all her books, some multiple times and she is one of my most recommended authors when people are looking for a thriller. Even if you aren’t a fan of ghost stories, her books have a strong thriller/murder mystery component that generally off set the paranormal in the book. This book has been on pre-order for me for MONTHS and I couldn’t wait to read this book. I did read it in one day which is pretty standard for me with her books.

This book had a lot of 1990s nostalgia which was a big draw for me. Being set in 1995, I was excited to time travel in a way back to my teen years and a time when things were simpler. I think the lack of technology in a book and murder mystery like this really added to the sense of ‘unknown’ for me. It wasn’t entirely unheard of for teens to hitchhike still back then, and of course there was no ‘grid’ for them to fall off of so all of this added to the undercurrent of unknown in this book.

If you love thrillers and solid mysteries, and maybe you want to dabble in some supernatural elements or perhaps you are a die hard paranormal fan, wither way there is something for readers to love in this book. I highly recommend any of St James’s books. I never feel disappointed or underwhelmed when I pick up one of her books. Naturally there are books by her that I like more than others but overall I never feel like ‘darn I wasted my time with that one’ I always feel like I read a good story and was fully entertained beginning to end!

Summary

A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel.

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all. (summary from Goodreads)

Review

First of all, I really enjoyed this book. While maybe not my most favorite from St James, but certainly entertaining and thrilling/chilling as I have come to expect from her! This book, like her others, has a strong supernatural/ghost presence but for me, I didn’t feel the same sense of dread and menacing from this particular ghost that I have felt in other books. My two favorite books from this author are The Sundown Motel and The Broken Girls, both of those had a lot more ghostly presence throughout the story. This book has a ghost but I felt like she didn’t take on a larger role in the way that ghosts do in other books by St James. I would have liked to see the ghost take on more of a role in the story. I didn’t get the sense that the ghost was as threatening as they are in other books. For me the ghostly presence in the books really adds to the creep factor of her books and this book didn’t feel as creepy as other books she has written.

I also didn’t feel connect to either of the main characters. April and Eddie felt distant and unreliable. I also kept waiting for the ‘other shoe to drop’ with them. Throughout the book there is a lot of talk about both their pasts and things were implied and ‘veiled’ but never truly discussed or realized. Their stories felt incomplete and I kept waiting for them to be directly connected to the larger mystery of this book. While one of the characters ended up being connected to the larger mystery, for me it felt a little flimsy (no spoilers!). I would have liked to have seen their individual stories and pasts more developed and more strongly written into the narrative. This book started out so strong and promising with the ghost and murder mystery, but then it felt like it lost steam.

I did enjoy the setting and the time period. Obviously I’m a Gen X-er so I love all things 1990s and I think this one did a good job highlighting some nostalgic points but at the same time I think it could have gone more in for the setting. It was more references to songs of the decade rather than true nostalgia. I will say though, I did like how the setting did set modern readers up for a simpler time where people (and in this case characters) didn’t have social media, Map Quest, or the internet to research someone with. I liked that but I would have liked to have seen St James go all in on the 1990s nostalgia.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and read it basically in one sitting but I finished it feeling a little underwhelmed. It could have been so much better, in fact I kept waiting for it to get GOOD but it just didn’t. I would rate this one in the ‘good’ category. It was solid and I enjoyed the mystery, but it could absolutely have been way better and we could have had a lot more creep in it to make it really stand out.

Book Info and Rating

Format 352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 5, 2024

ISBN 9780593200384 (ISBN10: 0593200381)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: thriller, paranormal, mystery

Simone St. James has done it again! The undisputed queen of the scary-as-hell ghost story. This one follows a different pattern than her other books, in that the lead female character has a strong man at her back. I would have liked a little more easing into the story before things go so wrong but nevertheless this was a thrill ride. I loved the side characters in this, almost more than the main characters. There are some hard-hitting social themes here too, but they're seamlessly woven into the story. As expected, everyone is hiding something, including our lead characters. Probably the scariest of her books so far!

I will read everything and anything that Simone St James writes and I really enjoyed this latest from her. April and Eddie were fantastic characters and the tension throughout the book was so well done. I am always on the hunt for truly spooky ghost stories and Simone always delivers without fail.

This was my second book by this author. I didn’t care for my first read, thinking it was just OK. However, first page of this book, I was 100% committed. This paranormal thriller, historical fiction mashup (I mean seriously the 90s are historical fiction nowadays? I must be getting old!). The main characters were likable and realistic. The connection of a cold case, with over zealous local detectives, unexplained murdered hitchhikers, and a supernatural secret. There are a few curves that added to the fun! This book was absolutely fantastic and is a must read!

At no point in time did I know where this story was heading.

This was super entertaining! And I’m always a fan of a ghost story.

On a dark and lonely road in rural Michigan, July 1995. Newlyweds April and Eddie Carter are on their way to their honeymoon destination when they make a wrong turn onto Atticus Lane. In the blackness of the night, they suddenly spot a lone hitchhiker in their headlights, stumbling and incoherent. At first, the couple think the hitchhiker, a young woman, is drunk. But when they get her into the car, April realizes the stranger is covered in blood. “I’m sorry,” the woman says. “He’s coming.” Soon, their car is pursued by a pickup truck barreling through the darkness.

Chased into the sleepy town of Coldlake Falls, they make their escape. But it is too late for the young woman, who dies at the local hospital, and the police are now making the Carters their prime suspects for her mysterious death. It seems that this is not the first time something like this has happened on Atticus Lane, where murders involving hitchhikers have been happening for years. As April and Eddie try to clear their names and find the real culprit, they uncover a haunted history in Coldlake Falls going back decades. But the two of them have secrets of their own as well—something to hide and something to fear—and the truth may yet tear them apart.

This is the premise of Murder Road, the newest thriller by Simone St. James which combines horror, mystery, and a generous helping of the supernatural. This is also the third book I’ve read by the author, and so far, it’s probably my favorite—and the creepiest. St. James has a real knack for crafting hauntingly atmospheric stories, and the suspense in this one was through the roof! Remember to proceed with caution, and whatever you do, don’t read this alone at night!

From the start, the story had me hooked with its nostalgic mid-90’s setting, and as someone who has lived through that glorious decade, I felt instantly transported back to the time of grunge rock, Princess Diana love, and when ubiquitous smartphone use was still a distant reality. The plot itself was a rollercoaster of questions and elusive answers which are revealed gradually, and the mystery comes at us from two angles—first, who has been killing hitchhikers along Atticus Line, and second, who are April and Eddie, and what aren’t they telling each other?

On that note, the characterizations of our newly married couple were excellent, drawing readers deeper into their complicated lives full of past trauma and lies of omission, and strong supporting characters mostly made up of Coldlake Falls residents rounds out the rest of the cast. From the surly local cops to the quirky owner of the bed and breakfast, their various personalities helped bring the town to life.

Speaking of which, Coldlake Falls itself could be a character in its own right, a town full of suspicious people, thick with unease from witnessing so much death and tragedy, not to mention it is also home to a legend about a vengeful spirit. In other words, the perfect setting for a ghost story.

If you are an admirer of Simone St. James, Murder Road is not one you’ll want to miss, and for fans of chilling tales that send shivers down you spin, this novel delivers in spades. Just remember to keep the lights on while you read—you never know who or what might be lurking in the shadows.

What is happening to me? I am obsessed with creepy thrillers lately and I am LOVING it! Murder Road by Simone St. James is the latest murder mystery novel that I devoured in one sitting. And it was fantastic! I would absolutely recommend it to everyone looking for their next great read - you are going to LOVE this book to bits! It's an exciting story with elements of suspense and the supernatural - whoa! I found myself hooked right from the start - this is one book you won't be able to put down for anything - it's soooo good!!

So, what exactly is Murder Road about?

July 1995. Instead of enjoying their honeymoon weekend, April and Eddie find themselves suspects to murder after a wrong turn leads them to deliver a dying hitchhiker to the local hospital. Rumored to be haunted by the legend of The Lost Girl, unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

Talk about a riveting read, right? I know that I wanted to pick the book up after reading that blurb. How could I not? A honeymoon gone wrong, a legend called The Lost Girl, small town history that is rife with murder - all of that screams, "READ ME!" So, I did. And let me just, "Damn! That was a freaking good book!" So, make sure to grab a copy of Murder Road ASAP and dive right in - you won't be disappointed!



Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

After reading Murder Road by Simone St. James, I found the story riveting and visceral, with captivating characters and a haunting story. One of the reasons that the narrative is so interesting is that the initial concept, a haunted road, is so compelling. But without complex and rich characters, full of depth and flaws, this story would just be another book about a haunting.
Instead Simone St. James puts her characters front and center and puts them in the middle of a complex murder mystery, one in which others will find their proof unbelievable. The supernatural and thrilling aspects are well written and I love how the mystery unfolds, especially the red herrings that are thrown out along April and Eddie’s journey to the truth.
I especially love the backgrounds of both April and Eddie, how meaningful that is to the solving of the supernatural narrative and how ghosts, both in each’s past and ghosts of the dead, play such a huge part in the story. It is captivating, riveting and visceral, incredibly gripping and I loved each beat of this novel. If you like haunting stories about murder with complex characters, this is the novel for you.

Thank you Netgalley & Berkley Publishing for an eARC of Murder Road by Simone St. James! Wow! This is my first read by this author, and now I'm ready for the entire backlist of books. Murder Road will certainly be one of my favorite reads of 2024, and I won't hesitate to recommend it to other thriller lovers. This is a chilling, atmospheric book that will truly have you guessing.

April and Eddie, a young couple newly married, have taken a wrong turn on the way to their honeymoon. They spot what appears to be a hitchhiker, but once she gets into their car they realize she's bloody, and someone is chasing her. She dies at the hospital - And since this isn't the sole murder happening along the highway, Atticus Line, April and Eddie find themselves having to answer to the Coldlake Falls police. They take matters into their own hands to clear their names, and end up uncovering a whole lot more than they bargained for.

Okay - I usually completely steer away from books with any sort of paranormal or supernatural aspect. This one, however, is executed so masterfully that I couldn't help but continue to turn the pages and love every minute of it. An eerie setting, fantastic writing and characters that intrigue you - This is a definite 5 star read!

“Stories don’t always end the way they’re supposed to. They don’t always end at all.”

Murder Road had a lot going for it. A haunted highway, a 90s timeframe, and a dark history of hitchhikers being murdered. The first few chapters were very promising. It’s scary to see how a situation you’d read about in an urban legend could be handles in ‘real life’.

My biggest pain point was the pacing. I don’t mind a slowburn but do need some sort of action to keep me entertained. Had certain aspects and characters been introduced sooner, it would’ve changed my opinion a lot. As it was, I didn’t connect with the main character which always makes it hard to connect to a book.

I do think this was one that just wasn’t for me. The overall plot was amazing and I loved the nostalgia that this brought up. I did appreciate that this book didn’t fall into a certain trope as I expected. It could easily work as a limited time series. Many of the scenes were cinematic, especailly the horror ones.

If anyone else has read this, I’d love to chat about it! The best part about this has been buddy readying with @ again 🥰

What was the last read that didn’t meet your expectations.

Thanks to Berkley for my copy.

Set in July 1995, we follow a newly married couple, Eddie and April on the road to their honeymoon in Michigan, when they come across a bleeding murder victim on the side of the road. After getting to the nearest hospital the local police are weary of the couple and soon the two are trapped in a small town connected to a murderous and ghostly road.

The short chapters and high stakes make this a quick and propulsive read. Simone has a way with building an atmosphere and creepy and ghostly good time. I loved our main characters, they had a mysterious background that pushed the story forward.

The only issue I found was the pacing, it lolled sometimes and randomly the fourth wall was broken, which I don't mind but it just felt so random. But still it was a fun popcorny thriller that had some ghosts mixed in, which is why I love Simone St. James.

Simone St. James is one of the authors I recommend most frequently when people ask for a dark, moody mystery. I always say that St. James writes ghostly horror for psychological thriller fans, and psychological thrillers for supernatural horror fans.

“Stories don’t always end the way they’re supposed to. They don’t always end at all.”

The novel is set in summer of 1995 and something about the throwback to that time period before cell phones and social media made this story feel like it really might have happened. There’s something romantic and nostalgic about stories that take place in a small town that is largely uninfluenced by the media and populated cities. There are abandoned or not-well traveled roads that are blanketed in darkness, untouched by light or even life most days.

April and Eddie are newlyweds and make a wrong turn on their way to a small resort town where they booked their honeymoon. April later says that she saw an ad for the resort and thought it looked cute. This relatively mild comment is one of many things in the story that make the reader question if something else drew these two to the area.

The wrong turn leads them to a deserted road called Atticus Line. On this dark and lonely stretch of road, April and Eddie notice a lone hitchhiker. With no one around for miles, they stop to help the girl who they learn is named Rhonda Jean. However, after she gets into their car, they notice that she has blood seeping through her clothing and a truck with bright lights is barreling down the road after them. Rhonda apologizes, and days eerily, “He’s coming.” At the hospital Rhonda Jean dies before she can be treated, and April and Eddie suddenly realize they are covered in her blood.

The police pretty quickly have suspicions about April and Eddie. It’s a small town and the road is not one that is frequently traveled. The wrong turn theory also seems suspicious to the police, who question why the couple would be going here for their honeymoon over other places. For their part, April and Eddie aren’t exactly sure why the wrong turn happened or how they ended up in Coldlake Falls, but the police have a lot of questions about it. Have they been here before? Do they regularly pick up hitchhikers? What road did they find Rhonda Jean on?

The story ends up revolving around a string of murders that have happened on the road where they found Rhonda Jean over the years—Atticus Line. The murders often involve someone traveling alone on that road by foot. Not many cars pass through but that particular road attracts more than its share of death. At the police’s request, April and Eddie stay local while they investigate Rhonda Jean’s murder. Eventually, the police track down the driver of the pickup truck and arrest him, but the mystery isn’t over.

April and Eddie feel compelled to stay and help with the investigation when they encounter the ghostly visage on that same road. They learn that murders occurred over a 19-year period, and that all of the victims have been identified except for one—the Lost Girl. The Lost Girl was murdered in 1976 and she was the first. She was discovered wearing a letterman jacket from a local high school, but no one ever came forward to identify who she was.


The rest of the book centers heavily around the mystery and lore of the Lost Girl. Who was she and why does it appear that she’s haunted that stretch of road ever since? The murders all seem similar, but different people were accused of each. There are other strange pieces to the mystery and the alleged murderers that can’t be merely a coincidence. As they investigate April and Eddie meet a few other locals around town, and some of them have theories about the murders that took place on that road. Is there a serial killer? Or something else?

Intermixed throughout the mystery are stories about April and Eddie—who they are, how they came to meet and get engaged. There have only known one another six months. April has a rich and troubling backstory, and it had largely caused her to avoid getting too close to people. Until Eddie. She says at one point that she accepted his proposal so quickly because she saw someone who had darkness inside that mirrored her own. But April starts to wonder if Eddie had more knowledge of the area than she realized. She doesn’t know much about his life before her—he served in Iraq and suffers from PTSD. Eventually Eddie learns there is a lot he doesn’t know about April either. I thought learning more about April and Eddie before they met was captivating!

There are so many secrets buried in this town, and April and Eddie seem to be the ones destined to help uncover some of them. There is something unexplainable that pulls lost and broken people to that lonely road. As more secrets are uncovered, there are more questions. How many more bodies may be buried along that road? And how do they tie to the Lost Girl?

The mystery all comes together with a blend of supernatural and real answers. This was the scariest of Simone St. James’ books, in my opinion. I loved how it could exist solely as a ghost story, and it could exist solely as a mystery. What makes it special is the way that it is both—the genres are woven together so elegantly within this novel that I can’t imagine the story coming together any other way.

Captivating, eerie, and brilliant!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Penguin Random House for my copy. Opinions are my own.

A hauntingly creepy supernatural thriller about a young newlywed couple on their honeymoon who find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation when they pick up a hitchhiker in trouble. ⁣
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I love Simone St. James’ haunting reads and 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 did not disappoint. Loved that this was set in the 90s - the timeline (70s - 90s) fit so well with the hitchhiker vibes. The MC’s, Eddie and April, were wonderful. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the secondary characters too - especially Rose. This book had an underlying theme of found family and friendship that fit so well with the characters and the storyline. I was so invested in these characters.⁣
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𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 had me gripped by its eeriness from the beginning - there were a few seriously ghostly car rides that had me spooked. I love how she wove in the supernatural elements - it was dark without being gory for readers who aren’t into that. It was more of a pulse quickening, can’t tear myself away because I have to know what happens vibe. ⁣
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Another Simone St. James win for me! Thank you @prhaudio for the complimentary audiobook which was perfectly narrated by the amazing Brittany Pressley.

In July 1995, newlyweds April and Eddie are driving to an upstate Michigan resort for their honeymoon when they take a wrong turn and find themselves lost on an isolated rural road. A hitchhiker flags them down, and April realizes she’s bleeding under the coat she’s wearing. Soon a black truck starts following them. They rush the hitchhiker to the hospital while evading their pursuer to no avail—she’s lost too much blood.

Though April and Eddie insist they are only witnesses, this is just the latest in a long line of unsolved killings on Atticus Line, and the Coldlake Falls police see the couple as prime suspects. They have to solve the murders themselves before they are arrested—or before the malevolent force that operates on Atticus Line puts them in its crosshairs.

What I liked about the book:
▪️Simone St. James’ books scare me like no others! The paranormal aspects of this book evoked Stephen King to me.
▪️I loved the couple’s local allies: the grumpy B&B owner, Rose, and the teen true crime aficionados, the Snell sisters.
▪️Set in the year I graduated college, the book was filled with fun 1990s references from fashion to music.

I did find that it took me quite a long time to become invested in the story, but the last third of the book was very fast-paced and engaging.