Book Review - Murder Road by Simone St. James

Title: Murder Road
Author: Simone St. James
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery/ Horror
Published: 2024
 
Description: 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 one hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But nor long after the hitchhikers 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 strtch 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.
 
Review: April and Eddie, a young newly-wed couple, have taken a wrong turn. They pick up a woman by the side of the road, who clearly needs help. When she enters the car, they see she’s bleeding and drive her to the hospital. The hitchhiker dies and April and Eddie are the prime suspects.
 
When trying to find out the truth, the road that they found the hitchhiker called Atticus Line, has a dark history. It seems that many people have been found dead there. The police is not really being friendly to April and Eddie, but they get help from a few of locals.
 
I consider Simone St. James one of my favorite authors. I have read three other books by her, which I had all rated 5-stars. I had high hopes for “Murder Road”. Even though I didn’t give it a perfect score this time, I really enjoyed her newest novel.
 
Where we normally follow different timelines in St. James’ stories, we only follow one in “Murder Road”. The story is set in 1995, which I really loved. I loved the 90s vibes, the nostalgia, pop culture references and the fact that the main man is called Eddie (Vedder, from Pearl Jam anyone?). The book had a supernatural element to it, which is also something this author does a lot. And again I enjoyed it. It’s a fast paced thriller that I couldn’t put down. I liked reading about the history of the town and that titular murder road. But, I did found the story a bit predictable and the ending felt a little lackluster.
 
Yet another win for Simon St. James. She still has a large backlist that I need to get to. “Murder Road” is not an all-time favorite, but I would recommend it to people who have loved her books before.
 
Rating: 4/ 5

Book Review - The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Title: The Sun Down Motel
Author: Simone St. James
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery
Published: 2020
 
Description: The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before.
 
Upstate New York, 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…
 
Review: I used to think I didn’t like supernatural thrillers. Until I discovered Simone St. James. “The Sun Down Motel” is the third novel that I read by this author and I’m very confident to say that she is an all-time favorite author for me now.
 
“The Sun Down Motel” follows two timelines, set in a small town called Fall, set in the state of New York. A town where it seems time stood still. The young Carly Kirk travels to this town, trying to figure out the truth about her aunt Viv Delaney, who went missing in 1982, while working the night shift at the Sun Down Motel. When Carly manages to get that same job at the now rundown motel, she soon figures out something is not right in this place.
 
We read two timelines. The one of Carly, in present day, digging deep to find out what happened to her aunt all those years ago. The other timeline follows her aunt Viv, as she is working at the Sun Down and following a mystery of her own.
 
One of my favorite elements in thrillers is a the dual timeline. I just enjoy reading about a historic event, preferably a cold case, and then following a person I the present that is trying to unravel the mystery. Simone St. James sets her books up lie this and this is a format that really works for me. Her writing is beautiful and also accessible. And her book also have a supernatural element, which I didn’t know I liked until I read her books.
 
“The Sun Down Motel” has a spooky, eerie atmosphere, you know something’s up and it’s genuinely creepy at times. Both female characters are compelling and complex women, interesting to you about. And the story is well-crafted and has some masterful plotting, even though they aren’t many shocking twist or reveals. This was a book I just couldn’t put down. And I want to read everything that Simone St. James has written.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

 

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

Title: The Book of Cold Cases
Series: -
Author: Simone St. James
 
Description: 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 to 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?  
 
Review: If you enjoy crime thrillers with a hint of supernatural to it, “The Book of Cold Cases” by Simone St. James might be just the book for you. It’s just the right amount of spooky if you are not a big fan of ghost stories.
 
Shea is the main character in the book. She works at a receptionist at a doctor’s office. But he true passion is her website: The Book of Cold Cases. Where she writes about true crime cold cases. When she meets Beth Greer, a woman who was accused of murder in the 70s but was acquitted for the crime, Shea wants to interview her. And to her surprise Beth says yes.
 
I loved Simone St. James’ book “The Broken Girls”, which I read earlier this year. It was a perfect thriller for me. And “The Book of Cold Cases” did exactly the same for me. I love how St. James build her stories. Dual timelines, a crime that happened in the past, linking it to someone in the present. And a supernatural element added to is as well. I love her writing as well and I can say that Simone St. James might become a favorite author for me. She is definitely one that I will auto-buy from.
 
Even though the story isn’t filled with major surprises or twists, I could not put this book down. I was super invested in the case, in the characters in their backstories. I loved the dual timelines and how the book switches perspectives. And the big reveal was actually pretty early on in the book, but still I wanted to keep reading.
 
If you have read from Simone St. James before and enjoyed her books previous books, you will “The Book of Cold Cases” probably like this as well. I know I did.
 
Rating: 5/ 5

Book Review - The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Title: The Broken Girls
Series: -
Author: Simone St. James
 
Description: Vermont, 1950. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants, the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It’s called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship is blossoming. Until one of them mysteriously disappears.
 
Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.
 
When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past. And a voice that won’t be silenced.
 
Review: Set in Vermont in the 1950s, four girls share a room at Idlewild Hall, a boarding school for girls. All of them being disowned by their families for different reasons. Reliant on each other, a deep friendship develops. When one of the girls suddenly disappears, they are unanimous that the truth must come out.
 
Years later, someone has plans to have the haunted Idlewild Hall restored and turned back into a school. Journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot understand this; her older sister Deb was found dead on the grounds of Idlewild Hall twenty years ago. The culprit is behind bars, but Fiona has never been able to let go of the case. She doubts the truth. She decides to write a story about the renovation of Idlewild Hall, to find out the truth about the past.
 
I’ve had several of Simon St. James’ books on my shelves. This was the one I heard about the most and I decided to pick it up first. I’m glad that I did, because I loved “The Broken Girls”.
 
We follow two storylines, the one set in the 1950s and one that takes place in 2014. Fiona manages to unravel the real story of Idlewild Hall piece by piece. Past and present blend together beautifully and once again a story with dual timelines manages to captivate me from start to finish.
 
In the chapters set in the 1950s we meet four young girls that go to Idlewild Hall, each time a chapter is told from another girl’s perspective. This way each of them get a voice and they become all are well fleshed out. All girls have a feeling of not belonging anywhere and together they form their own little family.
 
The 2014 timeline is completely told from Fiona’s point of view. An interesting character, driven, determined and smart. She want to find out what really happened to her sister, but stumbles upon other mysteries revolving around Idlewild Hall. I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy the supernatural element, but I surprisingly did.
 
“The Broken Girls” is a very well-written and strong mystery, that remains in the dark for a long time. The setting, Idlewild Hall, is atmospheric and eery. Friendship, suspense, fear and unprocessed grief are all themes in this story. It’s the type of book that will stay with you for a long time.
 
Rating: 5/ 5