Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James Narrator: Brittany Pressley, Kirsten Potter
Published by Penguin Audio on February 2020
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Length: 11 hours
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.
Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.
I’ve been wanting to read this author and finally grabbed this audio and did. It’s easier with non series to jump into the work but it’s also a whole new world and story and characters.
The Sun Down Motel is a told in two alternating points of view. One is Viv who worked at the motel in the 1980s and disappeared. The other is her niece, Carly, who comes to Fell, NY to try to figure out what happened to her aunt. Fell is a smallish town in upstate NY where a development was planned and didn’t happen, so the motel has stayed in its original state with landline phones, actual keys for the doors and in continuing deterioration.
I really enjoyed the world. There’s a touch of paranormal. Mostly, it’s just people with their hopes, dreams, schemes and secrets. Viv and Carly are both problem solvers and seek the truth. However, I like Viv more.
Viv has to find things out by physical research at the library, calling people and watching people. In the end, she makes choices with compassion to help others, regardless of any personal cost to herself. She is out in the world alone, without funds or family support of any kind. Viv hasn’t always made perfect decisions but she lives with her consequences.
Carly comes to town and follows in her aunt’s footsteps, living in her old apartment and working at the motel. But she has family support and money, so she can afford to be an idealist without regard for others. She quickly has a friend in her roommate, Heather and a guy staying at the hotel, Nick. Carly also uses the library for physical research, but she has the Internet for even more information. Heather helps her with this research. So Carly has financial support and is not alone with family and friends to help her.
I enjoyed the contrast of the time and technology as each woman investigates and tries to solve the mystery of missing women. They are both smart, capable women. It’s interesting how the difference in time affects the attitudes in the community and the police.
Narration:
Each section is told by either Carly or Viv and there is a separate narrator for each. The voices seemed appropriate and I was comfortable with them, both male and female in the story. Carly sounded younger though, even though they would both be about 20. Viv sounded older or at least huskier, maybe like she was a cigarette smoker, which did add to the feel of her sections being historical, from the 1980s. I slowed this down a bit from my usual 1.5x to 1.25x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Simone St. James
Simone St. James is the award-winning author of The Broken Girls and The Haunting of Maddy Clare, which won two RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school, and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives outside Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled cat.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Excellent review, Anne? I have the author’s last book still in the queue but I may just listen to this one first.
I’m pretty certain they are stand alone. I also want to read Broken Girls and will be trying to get back to it.
I’ve not tried this author yet, but yours is the second really favorable review and the mystery situation and characters sound interesting so I’ll give it a try when I can.
It’s a good mystery with a bit of ghost story. I really enjoyed it.
i am seeing this book all over the place and the reviews make me think i would enjoy it too
It’s good. I think you would like it.
Oh I keep seeing this one everywhere
I hope you enjoy it if you get to read it. I really liked it.
I just read a review for this on Carole’s blog. It’s now going on my must read list!
This type of mystery / thriller seems to be popular with me, Carole, Kimberly and Jonetta. And you! I want to go back and read her other work, The Broken Girls.
I almost hled out for the audio like I do for Ruth Ware, but over the holidays I devoured this and it was just so good.
Sometimes you just can’t wait. For example, I tend to read Ilona Andrews ebook the minute I get it and then follow up with the audio closer to release date. I buy both so I don’t feel too guilty about getting ARCs and reviewing both.
Very nice review and this book is appealing. I like the idea of the parallel time lines and stories. This sounds so good.
Thank you! It is good with a touch of paranormal too.
I’m on the waitlist for this one at the library on audio. Ready to try more out of the romance genres.
I have to switch up my genres or I get weird. I’m in a total mystery / thriller binge right now. I never seem to tire of them, or UF or romantic suspense.