Review: Murder Road by Simone St. James

 Author: Simone St. James
Publisher:  Berkley
Publication Date: March 2024

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.

Murder Road is the latest paranormal mystery by Ms. St, James.  For the most part, I have enjoyed her books, so I was eager to read this one.  April and Eddie are headed to their honeymoon site when they get lost and come upon a figure wandering down the highway.  The woman has been stabbed.  After taking her to the ER, they become the prime suspects in her murder.  

I did ultimately enjoy this one.  The best part of the book was the main couple.  April and Eddie were just great characters.  Their relationship was fun and strong.  There wasn't really any angst between them as they went though their ordeal.  I really liked that aspect.  There is a ghost story here, but I found it confusing.  I didn't understand the motive behind the ghost. So that was disappointing.  The story is well paced and and had me hooked. There were also some surprises. I do recommend it.

Review: The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

Author: Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkeley

Publication Date: March 2022

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect--a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases--a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea's surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth's mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she's not looking, and she could swear she's seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn't right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

The Book of Cold Cases is a dual timeline thriller/ghost story that involves Shea.  She has a popular true crime blog and spends her nights investigating cold cases.  Claire was acquitted of murder in the 70s.  But, there was always a question of whether she really got away with murder or not. 

I ultimately enjoyed this one, I just didn't love it.  I will admit to not liking it as much as her last book, The Sun Down Hotel.  It was more mystery and less ghost story.  There is a paranormal element, but it was kind of underwhelming.  I was surprised as to who the ghost was, so that was a nice twist.  I was just hoping for more.  I feel like there was too much time spent in the past and not enough of Shea finding out what really happened.  It was told to us instead of her figuring it all out for herself.  I did like Shea's character.  Her trauma as a child really drove her life as a adult. She was the best part of the book.  I do recommend this one, it's just not my favorite of hers.

 

Review:: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Author: Simone St. James
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 2020

The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before, in this new atmospheric suspense novel from the national bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.
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…

I have been having good luck with ghost stories lately and I am happy to include The Sun Down Motel among them.  The story follows two timelines: The past where, Vic ends up in the small town of Fells and works at the Sun Down Motel to earn money.  She finds that strange things are going on at the motel.  And the present, where Vic's niece Carly has come to Fells to investigate the disappearance of her aunt Vic back in 1982.

This is one of those books that not knowing a lot about it  is best.  Talking too much plot would give away key points.  I will say that this book is creepy, scary and definitely one to keep you up reading into the night.  I loved the setting of the creepy run down motel. I also loved not knowing if things that were happening were real or paranormal. The characters were interesting.  I found that Carly and her aunt Vic were a lot alike. Both were strong characters who weren't afraid to try to get to the bottom of what was happening. Even knowing Vic goes missing, I found myself tooting for her.  I loved the combination of mystery and paranormal.  I also loved the twists at the end.   I highly recommend this one!

Review: The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James

Author: Simone St. James
Publisher: Penguin
Date of publication: March 2012

Sarah Piper's lonely, threadbare existence changes when her temporary agency sends her to assist a ghost hunter. Alistair Gellis-rich, handsome, scarred by World War I, and obsessed with ghosts- has been summoned to investigate the spirit of nineteen-year-old maid Maddy Clare, who is haunting the barn where she committed suicide. Since Maddy hated men in life, it is Sarah's task to confront her in death. Soon Sarah is caught up in a deperate struggle. For Maddy's ghost is real, she's angry, and she has powers that defy all reason. Can Sarah and Alistair's assistant, the rough, unsettling Matthew Ryder, discover who Maddy was, where she came from, and what is driving her desire for vengeance-before she destroys them all?

The Haunting of Maddy Clare is a good old fashioned ghost story.  I'm not sure how I missed this one when it came out.  In it, Sarah is hired through a temp agency to be an assistant to a ghost hunter.  Alistair is a war veteran and firmly believes in ghosts.  They travel to a small village where the ghost of Maddy Clare haunts a barn.  

I really enjoyed the book.  It was creepy and actually kind of scary.  The author did a great job of setting the dark atmosphere.  Maddy is a formidable ghost bent on revenge.  She wants Sarah's help in solving what happened to her.  She will stop at nothing to manipulate those around her until the truth is discovered.  The characters were great.  I loved Sarah's independence and boldness.  The story takes place after the first World War.  Alistair and Matthew are war heroes who have battle scars inside and out.  I even liked the ghost and  genuinely wanted a solution for her horrible ending.  If you are like me and missed this one, do check it out.