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.

So, I haven’t read a lot of Simone St. James’s novels, and I don’t have deep opinions about her writing, but I do know this novel was just “okay-ish”.

Thank you @prhaudio for my early copy of MURDER ROAD by Simone St. James, which is out now.

The couple is very wishy-washy and they just sorta unrealistically jump into solving this crime that just happened to fall into their laps while on a honeymoon. Not that I need to to be realistic, but that process just did not JIVE with me as a reader.

Also, Eddie and the hitchhiker's connection was totally predictable and the ending, while not necessarily predictable, was like “gasp oh my gosh!” but more of a “oh, okay, so that’s the end? Cool.”

I will definitely read another SSJ novel, just to form my own thoughts and foundation for her writing in this genre.

I enjoyed parts of this story but ultimately it's not one of my favorites. I loved how atmospheric it was, the time period, and characters. But some of the paranormal elements just didn't work for me. The middle was really really slow and fell apart for me. I was intrigued enough to finish but there were too many holes in this story.

3.5 One can always count on St. James for a solid, original ghost story. I am particularly impressed when authors can make hot, sunny weather feel creepy and cold. St. James' characters feel real and nuanced and her stories are original and affecting. Keep writing, Ms. St. James, and I'll keep reading!

Simone St. James has become an auto-buy author for me -- however her most recent release, Murder Road, fell a bit flat for me personally...

LOVED the small town setting near Lake Michigan
LOVED the spooky, paranormal aspects

However...
- I didn't fully believe the MC and her husband's relationship -- it seemed awkward and boring
- Because I wasn't invested in their relationship/background stories, the "twists" seemed a bit of a stretch and unimportant

I would've loved if we could've gotten a change in POV or time jump (like so many of her other books), so I could've been more invested

Don't get me wrong, I will definitely continue to read more Simone St. James in the future -- just disappointed this one didn't hit the mark for me.

Thank you Berkley for the free #gifted book.

Simone St. James has been an auto buy author for me for a while now, so I was thrilled (ha) to read Murder Road. She spun a tale of suspense and added a bit of her signature paranormal that I've come to expect and love!

Hitchhikers turning up dead along one road and no leads on who the killer is. Two newlyweds are driving to their honeymoon destination and pick up a girl that clearly needs help - turns out she's been stabbed. When they get to the hospital, she dies, and April and Eddie are immediate suspects. They didn't do it, at least April doesn't think so. But something strange is going on and April is determined to figure out who this girl is, why she was killed, and who killed her and the other victims over the years.

I really don't want to give anything away, but this was a really fun read and had me wondering where it was going and how everything would be explained. There were a couple parts that were a bit creepy, but I didn't find this book quite as spooky as her previous books. That's totally ok though, because I"m already looking forward to her next release, whenever that may be!

I have been a Simone St. James fan for a long time, and this one did not disappoint.

I loved the throwback vibe of the story being set in the 90's. Newlyweds April and Eddie take a wrong turn and come across an injured hitchhiker. She dies on the way to the hospital, and they find themselves as prime suspects in the middle of a murder investigation. This was a bit of a genre bend with some supernatural horror aspects, and a thriller plot twist.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one with the 90's throwback and urban legend vibes.

Simone St. James never disappoints. I love a creepy vibe horror book that's light on graphic violence, but scares me by creating an atmosphere that transports me into the story. And that is probably why I love Simone St. James. We've got a couple on their honeymoon that wind up lost on a mysterious road. This road has been the site of several murders over the last several years. There are rumors of a ghost and some shady behaviors by many of the locals. Our honeymooners make some friends and several enemies on their unplanned visit to Coldlake Falls as they try to solve the mystery of what's really happening in this remote Michigan town.

Creepy galore!
I got chills up and down my spine as I read parts of this book. Supernatural sightings and unsolved murders sling a stretch of road in Michigan.
I was ambivalent about Eddie and April. I knew April had more secrets than Eddie, but each had parts of their past that remained in the dark.
I made a key connection Halfway through the book and I was right in my assessment.
I thought the cause for the first murder was a bit lame.
Eddie and April need to take a different road!

A planned honeymoon celebration goes terribly wrong when the couple lose their way on a dreary road & pick up an injured girl who later dies, apparently murdered. Thrust into the center of a police investigation, April & Eddie fight to prove they’re innocent and help find the real murderer. Folklore of a cursed road, where many have died, questions as to eerie happenings within the community of Coldlake Falls, lead to so many unanswered questions. Sometimes, the answer hits a little too close to home. Can April & Eddie clear their name, or will they be imprisoned in this town and its haunted past forever? Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

A young couple are on their way to their honeymoon when they stumble across a hitchhiker. They offer to give her a ride, but quickly realize she's injured and although they get her to the hospital, she dies. The police are suspicious of them and think they're involved, but the couple decides to find out what happened on their own. Overall, a mystery that has a hint of the supernatural and uncovers the past not only for the couple, but also residents of the town.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a DRC!

"Murder Road" by Simone St. James is a gripping mystery that delivers suspense and intrigue in equal measure. Set against the backdrop of a small, isolated town, the story follows a young woman who uncovers dark secrets from the past as she investigates a murder that happened decades ago. St. James' writing is atmospheric and immersive, drawing readers into the eerie world she has created. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the plot is full of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Overall, "Murder Road" is a compelling read that is sure to satisfy fans of the mystery genre.