March Book Review:

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Reviewer: Chelsea Leigh

 Told in two different points of view, this is a classic missing person mystery with a ghostly twist. Even once you’ve “solved” the case, this story keeps you guessing until the very end. This novel made my spine tingle and my heart race without all the horror and darkness of other suspense novels.

Centered around a small rundown motel in upstate New York, the story introduces you to two narrators in two different time periods. Viv, a young woman who works as a clerk in the motel and disappears in 1982, and her niece Carly who comes to search for her decades later in 2017. As Carly looks for clues she ends up inadvertently mirroring her aunt’s own actions in 1982. In between watching Carly’s investigation we flash back to 1982 and see Viv become increasingly uncomfortable at work as learns that the hotel is haunted – and by more than ghosts.

Despite the differing time periods and points of view, the story is easy to follow. St. James writes young women incredibly well, combining naiveté and tenacity into both of the main characters. Young true crime enthusiasts will see a bit of themselves in Carly, while young adults everywhere will sympathize with Viv’s desire to strike out on her own. While this story has ghosts, mystery, and suspense, it doesn’t fall cleanly into one type of story format. Rather, the author combines them seamlessly into a multi-faceted story with a satisfying conclusion. 5/5 stars!