Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
The Sun Down Motel
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
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 there. Upstate NY, 2017. Carly Kirk has always been fascinated by her aunt Viv who disappeared from the Sun Down before Carly was born. Using a small inheritance from when her mom dies, Carly leaves college to go to Fell to figure out what happened to her aunt thirty-five years ago. Soon, Carly is mirroring her aunt's life, working as the night clerk at the motel, which hasn't changed since 1982. The guest book is still handwritten, the rooms still have actual keys, and a haunting presence still lingers. Carly discovers that Viv had been trying to unravel mysteries of her own--including a possible serial killer working in Fell. If Carly can find the answers Viv was searching for, she might be able to solve the mystery that has haunted her family for years.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
itsjustme40something
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

My God was this book good...a haunted who done it. It wasn't scary, but it was creepy and I enjoyed every second I spent in this story

review
lisavie_12
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

Oh it was so good. Just so fun. Ending was honestly a little so-so. However, I enjoyed this classic take on a haunted motel story. Such a fun element to jump between stories as well. If you‘re craving a classic not-to-spooky ghost story, I highly recommend this one. #ghoststory #mystery #horror #horrorbook #motel

review
CSeydel
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

Very soft pick. I was drawn in by the ghosts and the mysterious disappearances, clearly everything would be linked somehow, and at the center of it all is a cursed motel. Unfortunately the dual timelines made for a lot of repetition as the 1982 sleuth and the 2017 sleuth both uncover the same clues. The story bogs down as the layers pile up and ultimately the whole thing collapses in a mush of mediocrity. Great premise; execution needs work. #aam

TheLudicReader I am happy to find someone else who thinks this book was mediocre. 5mo
39 likes1 comment
quote
CSeydel
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

I‘m enjoying the ghost story and murder mystery very much, but the sloppy writing just keeps getting under my skin. “Her eyes were slightly wide, the only tell that she knew who he was.”

Um, do you mean besides the fact that she just greeted him by name? Cause that feels like a sign that she probably knows who he is. 🙄

rwmg I haven't read the book, but could it be that she knew she was going to meet somebody called Nick without knowing that it was this particular Nick? 5mo
CSeydel @rwmg Theoretically possible, but unlikely in context 5mo
CSeydel @rwmg (I mean, one has to assume that‘s what the author was going for, but it doesn‘t really make sense) 5mo
37 likes3 comments
review
CatLass007
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

This was a good mystery/ghost story. The mystery had a surprising “culprit,” and I didn‘t think the ghost story was particularly scary. But that‘s just me. I would recommend this book and wouldn‘t object to reading more books by Simone St. James, the October #AuthorAMonth .

Soubhiville I found parts of this one pretty creepy! 5mo
CatLass007 @Soubhiville The first time the doors and lights thing happened, it was. But after that, it really wasn‘t anymore. Also, I started The Southern Book Club‘s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix near the beginning of the month but had to set it aside when a library hold came in. I‘ve only listened to the first third of it, but if it had been a movie I would‘ve had to watch it with my hands over my eyes peeking through my fingers. 5mo
56 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Bklover
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

I started this book over and over for the last couple years. Finally read it this month for #authoramonth and finished it with mere hours left in October. (I really wish October was a longer month, it‘s such a good one!) I‘m reading The Haunting of Maddy Clare as well, but won‘t get it finished today. Oh and they are both good! I love the atmosphere in her books!

gossamerchild I really liked this one. It surprised me, as I don't really like “thrillers“. 5mo
Bklover @gossamerchild I was surprised I liked it too. I kept bailing on it in the past, but got right through it this time and loved it 😊 5mo
Soubhiville Aw, your pups are cuties. They made me smile this morning. 😁 5mo
See All 7 Comments
dabbe Hello there, adorable fuzzies! 🖤🐾🐾🖤 5mo
Bklover @Soubhiville @dabbe They weren‘t happy that I was reading in that pic! They were both wanting me to “put the damn book down and rub my belly!” ❤️❤️ 5mo
dabbe @Bklover 🤩🤩🤩 5mo
Bklover @dabbe🤎🧡 5mo
75 likes1 stack add7 comments
review
BooksNBowls
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

Part paranormal thriller, part true crime mystery and I was invested from the start! A spooky, haunted motel, and a serial killer on the loose made this the perfect read for the season. This is my first Simone St. James and not the last. I fell a little behind on my #12bookchallenge this year, but I‘m hoping to get a few more completed! 4.5/5

blurb
CatLass007
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

This moves back and forth between the perspectives of two different people at two different points in time, 1982 and 2017. In 1982 the character just found some papers printed by a ditto machine. A ditto machine! I haven‘t heard that term in so long. I had completely forgotten about them. Listening to the book and hearing those words made my brain kind of go “boing!” How many people have read this book and not (cont) ⬇️

CatLass007 even know what the machine was? I would like to think that those readers paused long enough to google “ditto machine” because readers are curious about such things. I wonder how many people are reading this and saying “Boomer?” 5mo
rwmg I had to google it. I don't think I ever heard them called that. To me they were duplicators. 5mo
CatLass007 @rwmg It may be a regional thing. 5mo
41 likes3 comments
blurb
DHill
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

So much going on in this one it was hard for me to commit to either the mystery thriller aspect or the supernatural one. A so-so read for me.

@Soubhiville #AuthorAMonth #AAM

review
gossamerchild
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

OMG, this book 😵 I was so tense and freaked out while reading this. Not my usual jam, but I REALLY enjoyed it. Such a satisfying book.

Many many words found for Team #BOOklovers!
#aam #scarathlon #bookspinbingo #OutStandingOctober

@TheAromaofBooks @Bookwormjillk @Andrew65

Bookwormjillk 👻🎃👻🎃 5mo
Andrew65 An excellent book, well done 👏👏👏 5mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 5mo
36 likes3 comments
review
Melismatic
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Mehso-so

Second St. James book complete (another bucket list item crossed off!). I enjoyed this more than the first but overall, it felt very PG13 thriller to me — repetitive timelines, mystery that is easily/cleanly solved, hero has no scratches on her, etc. It was definitely a quick read, I just think her style probably isn‘t for me - but I get why she‘s well liked. #AuthorAMonth #Scarathlon #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall

bthegood love the decorations 🎃 5mo
FlynnDewey Well, at least you got points and a Bucket List cross-off out of it. At least not a total waste of time lol. 5mo
24 likes2 comments
review
mariaku21
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

Ok. A book this good shouldn't have taken me as long as it did but trying to read this at night in a home that makes weird sounds and then randomly nothing but silence creeped me enough to just read this during the day which thanks to work took longer than what even I wanted.
St. James did an amazing job of keeping me in my toes!

#popsugarreadingchallenge #taylorswiftreadingchallenge

blurb
Julsmarshall
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

Love this seasonal #Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView
1. I love Reese‘s peanut butter cups
2. I don‘t like anything too scary but I do like a slow-paced psychological spooky book. Thrillers and something like the tagged are my favorites.
Thanks for the tag, @Eggs !

TheSpineView Love Reese's too! Thanks for playing! 6mo
Eggs You‘re most welcome 🤗 6mo
33 likes2 comments
blurb
Jess
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

New month (my favorite month), new set of books. Starting these two today. The tagged for #authoramonth

quote
mariaku21
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

When my current read gives me such a good quote featuring two of my favorite books, I need to gush about it.

Please know that this book is so good I've scared myself a few times already reading this at night!

EKonrad I got scared reading this book too! It takes a lot to spook me but this one did it. 🙃 6mo
mariaku21 @EKonrad ok so I'm not alone! 😅 it doesn't help that late at night my house makes the weird creepy sounds 6mo
12 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Robotswithpersonality
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

I am really digging this unique blend of straightforward mystery and supernatural spooky elements St. James has going, in this book and The Broken Girls. Not sure any of her other works have quite the same mix (we know I don't do thrillers so I'm hesitant to explore her whole bibliography), but I would happily read another in this vein. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Such a sensitive, yet raw, affecting examination of the realities of women trying to live lives existing in a world with an acknowledged prevalence of male violence against women seemingly shored up by the patriarchy: how women are socialized into unsafe scenarios (be nice), how they're admonished to protect themselves, physically (don't go out alone at night) and socially (good reputation is best defence against anyone thinking the victim put themselves in harm's way) because it's acknowledged there are men that will hurt them if they can get away with it. 6mo
Robotswithpersonality 3/? Arguments can be made about the gender binary emphasis but you risk missing the lived experience of people who identify as women if you're not acknowledging this as part of a broader discussion on the violence that humans of all gender do to each other. 6mo
Robotswithpersonality 4/? The paired modern and historical time line also bring into sharp relief the added trouble that comes when misogyny is more blatant, when women cannot rely on being held as credible as professionals, witnesses or victims - if no one believes you, what would you what could you do to make the bad thing stop? 6mo
See All 7 Comments
Robotswithpersonality 5/? Love interest doesn't take over the story, but I think St. James recognized including a positive male presence as a good addition. Pitch perfect: not misandrist, not exploitative, but rather compelling and twisty. I didn't expect the exploration of justice/ethics in the third act, but I like the book better for having it. If any other authors similarly skillfully toe this line of mystery NOT thriller, supernatural NOT gross, compassionate NOT sensationaliist PLEASE tell me! 6mo
Robotswithpersonality P.S. I appreciate the discussion of, and respect for, mental health, a parallel acknowledgement of how similar situations were handled in the 80s versus in 2017.
6mo
Robotswithpersonality 6/? I'm on the fence about whether a specific side character is technically ace rep or alternatively touch averse and dealing with heightened anxiety in relation to physical intimacy with men based on overexposure to material on heterosexual crimes (male assault, murder) against women as a further data point in how violent misogyny has a range of effects on women. Food for thought. 6mo
Robotswithpersonality 7/7 ⚠️SA, misogyny, heavy focus on violence against women, dated/offensive language (1980s timeline) regarding homosexuality and sex workers
6mo
9 likes7 comments
blurb
Kshakal
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Eggs Horror‘s not my jam, but I make an exception for Simone St. James🙌🏻 7mo
34 likes1 comment
review
mom2bugnbee
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

A bit predictable, but still a page turner! (12 months to read 12 books recommended by 12 friends)

⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

blurb
paper.reveries
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

The Litsy #TITLESANDTUNES June challenge is #GUILTYPLEASURE. Such a fun one to pick! My pairing with The Sun Down Motel is the song 80s Mercedes by Maren Morris. Pop country is 100% my guilty pleasure 🤫 and so are mainstream thrillers, so this set is a double whammy! I've still never read anything from St. James; reaallly hoping I can get through it this month. I have a week long vacation, so the conditions are looking primo! 🤞🏻👏🏻☀️🕶️

MyNamesParadise The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James is really good!! 10mo
paper.reveries @MyNamesParadise It's on my neverending TBR!! Hahahahaha 10mo
Cinfhen Great pairing!!! And the book is really good 👻 10mo
paper.reveries @Cinfhen Can't wait!! 😁 9mo
29 likes4 comments
blurb
IndoorDame
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

#TemptingTitles #WithAWeatherWord The one that got me obsessed with her in the first place. @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Loved this one ☝️ 📚 12mo
Eggs This one‘s great too 12mo
IndoorDame @Eggs yes! One of my favorites of hers 💙 12mo
59 likes3 comments
review
Kboltz
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

Loved this mystery/haunted story about Carly who goes to a creepy little town that has a creepy motel to try to find out what happened to her missing aunt. 1982/2017 timelines. Loved it👻

blurb
Graciouswarriorprincess
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

Book 24/100 of the year.

review
Booksnchill
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

This is my third by Simone St. James and I have given 4⭐️ to each one. They are on the border of mystery and supernatural and are compelling and quick reads. When you need a gripping, pacey, fun thriller mystery with good female leads try this author- I know I will continue to have her on my must read list!

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love this one 🖤👻 14mo
Booksnchill Me too!! 14mo
CoffeeNBooks This is my favorite Simone St. James book! 14mo
See All 6 Comments
KathyWheeler She‘s a must read for me too. 14mo
Booksnchill @CoffeeNBooks I really liked this one as well! 14mo
Booksnchill @KathyWheeler hi Kathy! Yes I seem to read her around Christmas break and it is really fun- my sister in law and I pass them back and forth when she visits! Hope you are well! 14mo
64 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
Decalino
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

In parallel stories set in 1982 and 2017, Viv and her niece Carly investigate the murders of multiple women in the small town of Fell, NY, where the Sun Down Motel reveals traces of the dead. The twist is that in 2017, Viv has been missing for over 30 years, and it is up to Carly to retrace her steps. This was a sufficiently gripping read to rate as a pick, although the ending seemed a bit contrived and unnecessarily convoluted.

blurb
Decalino
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

"The night it all ended, Vivian was alone."

A spooky read for this Friday the 13th!

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

review
TheLibrarian
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

Simon St. James is an auto-buy author for me now. I love her mystery/paranormal books. The setting for this books is great, a run down motel, and the story is intriguing.

review
currentlyreadinginCO
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

I started this last night and finished it today because it was so much fun

review
MelKelsey
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

Book 4

I listened to The Sun Down Motel, a ghost story/mystery, by Simone St. James. In hopes of uncovering what happened to her aunt, 20-year-old Carly travels to the small town from which her aunt disappeared 35 years earlier. She gets hired as a night clerk at the seedy motel at which her aunt had worked.

MelKelsey The novel is well-done; it starts out strong and heavier on the supernatural. It loses some momentum but is still recommendable. There are a lot of characters and side storylines, important to the book, but rushed. 1y
20 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
sofiapernilla
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James

Just started this. Very excited!

review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

I enjoyed this more than The Book of Cold Cases. It has a dual time line with the narrative told from both Viv & Carly's points of view. I found Viv to be a much more interesting character than Carly, who is a bit bland. The plot itself is fantastic, it's a thriller with a paranormal edge & at times it sent a bit of shiver down my back. (Continued)

OutsmartYourShelf Running through this is the message that the world can be a dangerous place for girls & women due to the predators circling unseen in our communities. It was all very well done, so why wasn't this the full 5 stars? The ending - for me it was a little too cut & dry, too pat, & a bit too flat considering the brilliance of the rest of the book, so I had to knock half a star off for that, making it 4.5🌟 1y
Andrew65 This is a wonderful book. Well done 🎄☃️🎄 1y
kspenmoll This was such a great read!!! 1y
34 likes4 comments
review
ClairesReads
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

Murder meets ghosts for some spooky, mysterious fun. If ghosts don‘t work for you then this book won‘t either. But if you‘re here for a sprinkling of the supernatural you could do a lot worse than this. An excellent palate cleanser.

41 likes1 stack add
blurb
ElizaMarie
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

I can't believe it's been a whole year since I read this one! I need to start re-recommending this to everyone! I loved this book! I loved the writing and loved this story!

January 2022 pick

@12BooksOf2022
@Andrew65

Andrew65 Totally agree, loved this book. 1y
14 likes1 comment
review
Johanna414
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

After loving The Book of Cold Cases, I was so excited to read this. I'm relieved to report that it absolutely did not disappoint! I listenesld to most of it since I'm in full panicked Christmas knitting mode, and the narrators did a great job. #audioknitting

IndoorDame She has yet to disappoint me! 1y
42 likes1 comment
blurb
Johanna414
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

Loving this book today! Ive been going back and forth between the paper book and the audio while working on some socks for my son
#audioknitting #knitting

review
StellaDz
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

A mix of paranormal and mystery (little more mystery though), The Sun Down Motel is a place where a lot of people have gone missing from, died at, or just generally met misfortune. In 2017, Carly is trying to discover what happened to her Aunt Viv in 1982, who mysteriously disappeared during one of her night shifts. Split POV between Carly and Viv unveils the mystery slowly but intensely. A great listen!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

blurb
StellaDz
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

The next audiobook! #currentlylistening

blurb
BarkingMadRead
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

#currentread for my neighborhood book club!

BarkingMadRead Finished today, this was my #bookspin for November @TheAromaofBooks 1y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
38 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
OriginalCyn620
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

Thanks for the tag @kspenmoll 😊

✨ both, but thriller a little bit more!
✨ haunted house
✨ the tagged came to mind first…St. James does excellent ghost stories! But I also love Riley Sager‘s books.

If you want to play, consider yourself tagged! 🖐🏻

MoonWitch94 Thanks for playing 🎃✨🕯📖🏚 1y
27 likes1 comment
blurb
SeaToSkyes
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

#ThoughtfulThursday @MoonWitch94
✨Mystery
✨I can't choose! I love both types of books
✨The tagged book is my forever favorite spooky book

@JessClark78 @BookishMadHatter @VioletMoonBooks

MoonWitch94 This one is on my bookshelf; I‘ve heard it‘s very good. Thanks for playing ✨📖🎃 1y
20 likes1 comment
review
Magpiegem
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

51/22 it was interesting to read/listen to two books by the same author at the same time. I really enjoyed this book set in a dual time line. It was spooky and unsettling but not so much I couldn‘t listen at night. And it had quite a satisfying ending. Spooky and mysterious is definitely my thing. I think I had forgotten that over the last few years but I‘ll definitely be reading more of them & more of St. James too. #scarathlon #teammonstermash

blurb
Magpiegem
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

This is the first time I‘ve listened and read books by the same author at the same time. It has really highlighted St. James great skill and made her amulet read author. #scarathlon #teammonstermash

blurb
SeaToSkyes
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
review
Buchbeeg
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

This has been on my TBR list since it came out and I finally got around to it! Honestly two years out is pretty good for me. . .
A girl decides to investigate her aunt's disappearance from 35 years earlier. It all revolves around Sun Down Motel and the strange things that happen there.
Great story and writing. This is one that actually is as good as everyone says!

review
starlight97
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

I've never read a book before where paranormal is mixed with murder mystery, but this one had me on the edge of my seat all along. So good! 👻
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#paranormal #murdermystery #LitsyLoveReads

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Loved this one!! 🖤 1y
24 likes1 comment
blurb
BookishMadHatter
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

This is the last week for the pool to be open this season so I'm doing some reading while the girls take advantage

BeeMagical Oooo just finished this!! Enjoy!! Love that bookmark!! 2y
BookishMadHatter @BeeMagical I feel like this is going to be a "stay up way too late to finish reading it" kind of book lol 2y
BeeMagical @BookishMadHatter it 1000% is😂😂 2y
16 likes3 comments
review
BeeMagical
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

Book 144📚 4⭐️

Just another fantastic haunting from St James!👏🏻

I love a spooky dual time line👻

What happened at the Sun Down Motel.. and why does it “wake up”…

review
BeckyWithTheGoodBooks
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Mehso-so

Part true crime sleuth, part paranormal, The Sun Down Motel should be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it didn‘t grab me like the other thrillers/mysteries I‘ve read lately. This has a solid premise and the motel definitely spooked me, but it wasn‘t as “un-putdownable” as I wanted it to be. I found it to be fairly predictable and the ending a little too neat. Nothing really “wrong” with the book - I think my expectations were just too high. 3.5⭐️

quote
Buchbeeg
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image

"The night it all ended, Vivian was alone."
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

21 likes1 stack add
review
Tothemoonandback
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
post image
Pickpick

This was a good book. A semi slow burn but overall good. A mix of true crime with a dash of paranormal

review
Crazycatlady1
The Sun Down Motel | Simone St. James
Pickpick

I just went in a wild ride with twists and turns galore. Carly is a twenty year old woman who goes searching the past for answers about her missing aunt. Some people aren‘t whom they seem to be and yo I ever know who‘s going to show up in the small town of Fell. Get lost as you follow along with Carly‘s journey. I promise you won‘t be able to put this one down.