A couple of years ago I read and thoroughly enjoyed Simone St. James’ book, The Broken Girls which was a delightfully creepy and engaging read. Now with her much anticipated latest book, The Sun Down Motel, this Canadian author is back with another hair-raising story, this time set in a moldering old motel in a small town that has more than its fair share of secrets.

The Sun Down Motel is an atmospheric story with a strong paranormal vibe that quickly pulls readers into a mystery with sinister motel guests with axes to grind and a decrepit old motel, which felt like a character in its own right. The story has great pockets of suspense and a cool setting, but I wish that the eerie inhabitants were used better to maintain that menacing feel.

The story is told by two characters – Viv in 1982 and her niece Carly in 2017 which gives readers different perspectives of what’s been happening at the motel. Due to the overlapping nature of their points of view, I found that there was a bit of redundancy in the story telling, but soon the energy increases as things come together leaving readers with an atmospheric whodunnit with a side of supernatural.

St. James continues to be an author I can trust for a good, eerie read. If you haven’t read her previous books which include The Broken Girls (my personal favourite), An Inquiry Into Love and Death and The Haunting of Maddy Clare (and several more), you can find copies at WPL and catch up on this talented Canadian author’s work. Copies of The Sun Down Motel are now available at WPL!

— Laurie P.