35 years ago, Carly’s aunt went missing. No one in her family wants to talk about what happened, but Carly is determined to find out. She sets off on a trip to Fell, New York, and lands herself the night clerk position at The Sun Down Motel… working the same job in the same place as her aunt when the mystery began. She starts digging into the mysterious people and places of the town and finds out that maybe some secrets just need to stay buried.

The Sun Down Motel is a paranormal murder-mystery featuring a spooky 80’s vibe in a middle-of-nowhere-town, a broken down motel where tragedy has already struck at least once before, and a slew of questionable characters that make you wonder who the murderer really is. Or, shall we call them a serial killer? The story is told from both Carly and her aunt Viv’s points of view, switching back and forth between 1982 and 2017.

We meet several people in each perspective, and some cross over to the present as Carly investigates. There’s also a few generational character bridges that I found to be interesting, but not surprising as The Sun Down Motel seems to be a place forgotten by time that while it ages, doesn’t ever really change over the span of decades. In 2017, they don’t even use electronics there to keep guest records, it’s all done in a guest book just like it had been done in 1982.

The murder-mystery unfolds nicely and the plot stays fresh the whole book through. New details emerge evenly throughout, and there are plenty of red herrings and misdirection. And if you’re into the paranormal part, then let’s talk about the ghost in the room. YES, there are actual ghosts in this story and they actually communicate with the characters in the book. I wouldn’t call it scary, but if you’re sensitive to the idea of a ghost in your room at night, then it can probably be a bit creepy.

I really enjoyed this book. The audio version was good, but I found Viv and Carly to sound too much alike so sometimes I got confused about who’s perspective we were on. This motel was a bit reminiscent of the kind Sam & Dean Winchester stayed in while on the road so it has a Supernatural feel to it that made me enjoy it all the more. And, I’m always up for a good ghost story!

Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5.

If you’d like to read more about The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James, check it out on Goodreads.

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