The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James (2020) – A young woman goes in search of the aunt who disappeared without a trace thirty-five years before. In the upstate New York town of Fell, the trail begins in a rundown motel. A trail that takes through more mysteries than she could imagine.
I read very little in the horror genre. When I read Stephen King, I lean towards his more science fiction type titles (“The Stand”, “The Dead Zone”, “Firestarter”, although they are all pretty horrifying as well), rather than his classic “horror”, like “Salem’s Lot”. The description of this one sounded too good to pass up. Yeah, it’s a ghost story, but I decided to give it a try.
Oh. My. God.
“The Sun Down Motel” is a “go away, I’m reading” kind of book. Filled with twists and turns, amazing characters (both normal and paranormal), and some great writing. Describing the rough trade at the motel, St. James talks about people who have had “hard collisions with life”. A phrase I like so much I may steal it. Carly’s search for her mother’s only sister runs in parallel to what happened to Eva back in the ‘80s. The two young women share determined personalities, both working on mysteries that no one in Fell want to discuss.
A moment to discuss the little town of Fell, NY. The author creates a fascinating little town that’s a fraction away from…something. Both the main characters feel as if they were inside a bubble in the town. It’s quiet, a little outdated, a little strange, and, for both of them, a place where they feel at home. This is the only book by this author I’ve read so far, but this little town feels setup as a regular backdrop for stories. And if she isn’t thinking about regular returns to Fell, she’s crazy. If you write them, I will read.
The book isn’t long, but I screamed through it in little more than a day. I read it at lunch, at bedtime, any time I could carve out more than a couple minutes to read. What would Carly find? What would happen to Eva? Were the people helping them friends, or was there something creepy happening in Fell that was waiting to snag them? (No spoiler to tell you the answer to that question is Yes) (Make that YES!)
“The SunDown Motel” checks all the boxes for me. Wonderful storytelling carried by solid writing. Characters I can connect to, caught in circumstances that feel real. And for a ghost story, spirits that touch me emotionally, while still being scary as hell.
Loved this book.
Rating – **** 1/2 Recommended
Stories Are My Life 