Meredith's Reviews > The Sun Down Motel

Dark, Ghostly, & So Good!

Something strange is going on at The Sun Down Motel.

In 1982, 20-year-old Vivian Delaney stumbles upon a job opening as the night shift clerk at The Sun Down Motel, located in eerie Fell, New York. During her shifts, Vivian begins to notice some inexplicable occurrences at the rundown motel: doors randomly opening and closing, strange phone calls, the smell of cigarette smoke when no one is present. It seems that the Sun Down is haunted. Making things even more dramatic are the creepy customers who come to stay. At the same time, young women in Fell are being murdered. Vivian plays investigator and when she comes up with a lead, she vanishes without a trace.

Fast forward to 2017, Vivian’s 20-year-old niece, Carly, arrives in Fell seeking answers about her aunt Vivian’s disappearance. Carly finds herself doing Vivian’s old job at the Sun Down and also begins to notice the strange happenings at the motel. As she investigates her aunt’s disappearance, she finds herself in extreme danger.

There are so many things I loved about this book. Simone St. James transported me to Fell, NY. The atmosphere is rife with eeriness. The whole time I was reading this, I kept thinking that it would make for the perfect Halloween read. The supernatural plays a large role--I am not the most tolerant when it comes to the supernatural, but it works in this book. The ghosts serve a purpose--not to scare, but to remind of events from the past. Vivian and Carly share some of the same characteristics, but their voices are distinct. The mystery is intriguing and while the plot is not the most complex, I was riveted and could not put this book down.

It was a little rocky in the beginning and felt like a cheesy tv movie, but the more the better it got. I was wholly entertained by The Sun Down Motel and I highly recommend to those who enjoy creepy, atmospheric mysteries.

I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.