I absolutely adore Simone St. James’ writing style - it’s fast paced and she has a way of making you read without taking a break. This can certainly be said for Murder Road; the pace is relentless with so much air of mystery.

That being said, I sadly didn’t like the characters or the plot, both of which were a little weak, compared to her other work. I enjoy a paranormal story but this was just a little too ridiculous.

Thank you to NetGally and the publishers for allowing me to read this book. I’m disappointed that this one didn’t work for me.

I wasn't convinced about the book at first, but it pleasantly surprised me with its twists and turns as the story progressed. Even though the main characters didn't seem very interesting to me initially, they slowly revealed their hidden depths, making the story more engaging. All in all, it was a pretty enjoyable read!. The plot revolves around a newlywed couple who end up being falsely accused of a crime after taking a wrong turn on their honeymoon trip. While some parts of the story seemed implausible, they were done for a good reason, and I should have trusted the author's ability to weave an intricate plot. For instance, I would, have left that town as soon as possible and filed a complaint against the police department if I were in their shoes. Despite that, the book kept me hooked until the end, where the author ties up all the loose ends, leaving me feeling satisfied.

I love a good creepy tale and this ticked all the boxes.

A newly married couple and a terrifying experience.kicks off this tale of the unexpected and from there on in it is shivery and clever, unraveling layer by layer in darkly observant fashion.

Clever and haunting I really loved this.

A compelling, emotional and exceptional supernatural thriller.
4.5⭐️ rounded up.

This was a delicious and gripping read through and through.
I went into this with no knowledge of plot or even read anything by Simone St James. I love starting a book with no real knowledge of its plot and with zero expectation.
St. James' is now high on my list of authors I want to read.
Somehow she managed to make this book engaging from early on, drip feeding information, with a nice blend of action and suspense. Giving each character plenty of body and motive but without even breaking the flow of the narrative. I care for the characters, which is huge for me. I felt like I was part of the story, I felt the characters emotions and could understand their motives.

I'd recommend this novel to almost anyone and would urge them to go in open minded.
Exceptional storytelling!

I've got to admit this wasn't quite what I was expecting and was a little disappointed by it in the end.

It was a bit of a slow burn with not much going on for the first third but did pick up a bit as it got to the end.

More of a thriller than a supernatural horror, and would be good for people that like those kinds of books but it just didn't quite click for me.

My first Simone St. James book, this was a pleasant introduction and I can see why she is praised.

We follow newlyweds, Eddie and April who are travelling for their honeymoon just days after their wedding, but mysteriously they find themselves driving in the wrong direction, down a road known by some of the locals as murder road where hitchhikers meet their demise.

They don’t leave the road alone and find
themselves apart of a murder investigation.

On the road begins a thrilling, paranormal and spooky mystery that’s throughly gripping throughout.

The book is well written and the pacing is engaging that you’ll forget about time and will want to keep reading.

I found April to be more fulfilling to read about, she is a character with a mysterious past, keeping secrets from those closest to her. She’s more believable and is not frustrating to read about.

Eddie is a well written character but compared to April I found him quite dull and didn’t see myself interested in how he was feeling or the secrets surrounding him.

The pacing slowed down between roughly 20-40%, I felt it focused too heavy on the investigating and detective aspects which isn’t what I’m interested in, loosing my interest slightly.

The beginning and ending picked up making everything feel more worth it. Picked up more on the supernatural qualities which kept me hooked.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. I will be sure to check out the authors other works as I believe this may not be her strongest.

I enjoyed the plot of a couple going on a honeymoon and basically solving a murder investigation that is supernatural. That was fun. This is my third book from this author and I will be coming back for more. I found it gripping, tense, and it kept me on edge the whole time. Worth a read if you like this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a review copy of this book

April and Eddie have just got married. They are on their way to a resort by the lake for their honeymoon, but, somehow, they took a wrong turn and found themselves on a deserted road in the middle of the night. As they try to figure out where they are, they notice someone walking on the side of the road. They ask the young woman if she needs help and they soon realize that she has been stabbed and a car is following them. They manage to take her to the nearest hospital, but she dies soon after and now the police considers them suspects. When they discover that she is not the first person to be killed on that road in the last few decades, April and Eddie decide to start to investigate on their own. And the series of mysterious murders on a remote road in the span of decades is not the only thing that kept me on the edge of my seat. April is hiding her own secrets, a twisty and intriguing past that is slowly and shockingly revealed.

I don’t usually read thrillers with paranormal elements, but for a Simone St. James’s novel I always make an exception. I love her writing and Murder Road is yet another chilling, dark, and gripping novel. An isolated road in the middle of the night, victims that no one is going to look for, a possible serial killer, a couple whose honeymoon is ruined before it’s even started and determined to find out the truth. Who was the young girl who was killed and how did she end up on the side of the road in the middle of the night? Is there a serial killer who has been killing for more than 20 years or none of the murders are connected? I couldn’t put it down!

April and Eddie, a newly married couple, are on their honeymoon when they find themselves caught up in a situation that cannot be explained. Having taken a wrong turn, they pick up a hitchhiker and discover she has been stabbed. They drive her to the local hospital, but she dies later that night. Suddenly, April and Eddie are suspects in a murder investigation.
Though interviewed by the police, they keep some details of what they saw that night to themselves.
Before we know it, the details of a gruesome string of murders are laid out for us. Hitchhikers along that road have, over the last few years, been killed and abandoned. Nobody seems to know who is responsible, and though many of the victims have been identified there is one who has not.
The first victim, the missing girl, seems to be at the heart of things. Locals have told rumours about a lost girl, and it’s believed that once you see her you’ll be next. Though so many deaths have hit this area there have never been any witnesses…until now.
Supernatural horror, but the investigations very much focus on the living and their issues.
April and Eddie have their secrets, which are relevant, and go some way to explaining why they stick around to try and get answers. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this before publication.

If you want a chilling spooky read, this book is for you.

Newlyweds April & Eddie are off on their honeymoon, only they seem to have taken a wrong turn and are now lost. Trying to find there way back on the right road, they see someone walking in the distance, a girl? They decide to stop and help her and once she’s in the car she says the dreaded words “I’m sorry, hes coming”

They manage to outrun him, but what seems like the end of their nightmare, is only the beginning.

I’ve of course seen the hype around Simone St. James’ books and always thought they looked right up my street. Get it? Terrible joke, sorry. When I received the opportunity to read this, there was no way I could say no. There is a good mix of horror, crime, thriller, supernatural and mystery, and a good mix of different characters, all flawed in some way or other. I was impressed with the variety of ways the author conveyed just how hot the weather is throughout the book. I had a strong idea of where the book was heading early on—Gothika vibes—but this book was so much more than that.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about the two main characters at first. They hadn’t been together very long and were both keeping secrets from each other, so how strong could their relationship really be, and how much did they truly trust each other? And when Detective Quentin, a most frustrating character, spilled their secrets in what felt an attempt to tear them apart and pit them against each other, I did wonder how they would come back from it, but they proved that time doesn’t always equate to the strength of love and commitment.

I really liked Rose, the widowed B&B owner. I found her strong, passionate and, unexpectedly, very kind. Someone who has high potential to rub people up the wrong way, and often does, but yet will be your loyalist acquaintance from up close and from a distance. And although she doesn’t have the easiest of lives, a certain small revelation at the end of the book left me knowing she’s okay and she’s going to be okay. I couldn’t help wishing her husband was still alive as I read the book, as I got the impression they had made a formidable team and he could really have made an impact in solving this investigation a lot quicker.

The small-town vibes really made me feel trapped and added to the chilling feel, and although I don't tend to like slow reads, this one kept me glued, as when it picked up, it REALLY picked up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simone St. James and Michael Joseph for this DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I adore Simon St. James books, because they always keep me at the edge of my seat and are very suspenseful. Most of the times they give me chills. Unfortunately, the "Murder Road" was missing some of the mentioned above.
However I need to admit that nobody writes the supernatural thrillers like Simone St. James. In this story the young married couple turns the wrong turn on the road and instead of going to peaceful place for their honeymoon, they end up in the middle of the night on the empty road, trying to save the girl they found on the side of the road from bleeding to death.... And they become the main suspects in the case of murder of the said girl... The plot of this book focuses mainly on the characters for most of the book. Their past, darkest secrets, traumas and their new life as married couple. I didn't mind this, as their secrets and past lives were surprising in the turn of events, and every one of their secrets could be used against them in the investigation. And past links to the present- which is one of my favorite themes in the books of Simone St. James. But there are some things happening to the town and the couple, that were never seen or experienced before, and no one can explain them. But is this all real, something unexplained is hunting them and the small town or is this just their pure imagination and tangled minds? I have a feeling that focusing on the characters, author took away a bit of suspense of the whole story and didn't give us to many breaking plot twists. But the unexplained supernatural parts of the story were written so well, that I wouldn't tell the things that were happening were unusual. Reading this book you don't feel like Simone St. James was seeking for the cheap thrills in this book- she written it all so well that you could tell this all was real, and all this really happened. I liked how slowly we reached to the end and the explanation of it's all, and how few characters showed up in this book.
I am giving this book only three starts, because I think I am used to more chilling and scary stories from the author. And this one didn't give me this. But it was definitely a page turner!

The review is available on my Goodreads and is coming to my Instagram on the day of the premiere!

After a whirlwind romance, April and Eddie marry and drive off to a lakeside park for their honeymoon. But they take the wrong turning off the motorway and find themselves lost in the middle of nowhere. A young woman appears on the lonely, dark road. They offer her a lift but when she gets into the backseat they realise she’s been stabbed. She directs them to the nearest hospital but dies shortly after they get there. April and Eddie find themselves arrested on suspicion not only of this murder but also of killing several hitchhikers along the same road. The attacks go back years to when the couple were young children, so they can’t be responsible for them all.
And yet Eddie and April have secrets, not only things they withhold from the police but also from each other. Why was Eddie discharged from the army? And why hasn’t April told her husband that April isn’t her real name?
As the couple do some digging to find the real culprit, they encounter a vengeful, unquiet ghost who haunts the road. They realise proving their innocence will require cold, sceptical local detectives to suspend their considerable disbelief.
April made a determined, likeable narrator and Eddie, too, was a strong, yet vulnerable lead. The supporting characters were well drawn. My absolute favourite was Rose, their reluctant landlady at the guesthouse the police put them in. (And Trish, if you’re reading this, go see a neurologist…)
Simone St James writes terrific ghost stories, some with the feel of historical fiction (such as Silence for the Dead), some set in the more recent past (The Sun Down Motel) and others that blend distant and more recent past (The Broken Girls). Murder Road has a more modern feel, although it’s set in the mid-90s. (It startles me to realise a decade that seems five minutes ago is now some 30 years in the past.) I would guess the author chose that time rather than present day so that the protagonists couldn’t solve the mystery with a couple of internet searches. Instead they had to visit remote locations, track down witnesses, engage with conspiracy theorists and scour old newspapers. It was refreshing to read a mystery that had a contemporary feel but without references to mobile phones and social media.
As usual Simone St James built up tension beautifully and blended the otherworldly with the gritty real world seamlessly. Four and a half stars.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

I posted my review on my blog: https://www.rachelsargeant.co.uk/my-book-reviews-for-march-2024/ and GoodReads and BookBub. Amazon review to follow on publication tomorrow.

I loved "The Broken Girls" and have followed all of Simone St. James's works since reading it. While I was underwhelmed with "The Book of Cold Cases", I can confidently say she's back with another hit!

Though the book isn't as spooky as her earlier works, it makes for a great thriller with great characters and an intriguing mystery as the plot. The beginning had me hooked and the rest of the story is just as good.

The book also has some hilariously memorable side characters (I would love a spin-off series or just a few short stories with the Snell sisters) and other intriguing ones like Rose and Detective Quentin.

I wish I had enjoyed reading about April and Eddie as much because even with their backstories, I found them to be rather dull. It seems we were told how they are rather than shown who they are.

Overall, an enjoyable supernatural thriller that has me looking forward to more from the author. Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph for the e-copy!

I chose to read a free eARC of Murder Road but that has in no way influenced my review.

It's July 1995 and newlyweds Eddie and April are driving to their honeymoon at Five Pines Resort when Eddie takes a wrong turn. April, who has been asleep in the passenger seat, senses they're lost the moment she wakes up. Trying to correct Eddie's mistake, they spot a young woman by the side of the road. Unable to leave the woman on her own on such a dark, lonely road the Carters offer her a lift. Reluctantly the woman agrees but it soon becomes clear that they need to get to a hospital ASAP. Because the woman is bleeding from a horrific stomach wound all over the back seat of their car. When the hitchhiker utters the words 'I'm sorry, he's coming' both Eddie and April know they've somehow ended up in a nightmare, and this is only the beginning...

Murder Road is a highly addictive, thoroughly gripping supernatural thriller which I devoured over the course of a day. Chilling, engrossing and nigh-on impossible to put down, I was drawn into April and Eddie's story as they became prime suspects for the murder of Rhonda Jean, the hitchhiker they picked up on Atticus Line. With little to no evidence, Detective Quentin and his bumbling, less-effective partner, Detective Beam, do everything in their power to make the evidence stick. Because Rhonda Jean isn't the first hitchhiker to be killed on that particular stretch of road. Sure there is more to the story, April decides to dig further into the horrific deaths that have been happening since the 1970s on Atticus Line. But the truth is more terrifying than April ever imagined it could be.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I loved Murder Road with its atmospheric, creepy setting and small-town vibes. I fell completely in love with April and Eddie who both have their own secrets which they are yet to tell their new spouse. The other characters are all so wonderfully written. Detective Quentin is deliciously frustrating and highly antagonising. He's like a dog with a bone and just won't quit. He'll do whatever it takes to make the few facts he has stick to April and Eddie. He makes some highly inappropriate moves to ensure there is tension between April and Eddie. Violence is never the answer but I was ready to thump him one! Detective Beam is the more crumpled, older detective. Waiting it out until the day he can claim his pension but he's more than happy to offer up his opinion on April. Both Detectives take an instant dislike to April. But have they got the true measure of her? I have to mention Rose who is the owner of the B&B the couple stay at. She's highly disagreeable with a gruff exterior. But when it comes to Eddie, her frosty shell does melt a little. In a town where Eddie and April are very much alone, Rose is the only person on their side. The characters are all so beautifully written. It was a joy (if a somewhat unnerving joy!) to spend time in their company. The plot moves at a steady, intriguing pace with twists and turns along the way keeping the reader immersed in the story. Personally, I was hooked throughout. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! It's been a while since I last felt so completely absorbed by a book. All in all, I loved Murder Road. I've been wanting to read a Simone St. James book for a while now having heard so many positive things about the author's writing and I'm so pleased I started with this one (I have a couple on the TBR but I haven't had a chance to read them yet). It's a creepy, unsettling tale with an overarching, cleverly crafted sense of impending doom and I loved every moment of it. Absolutely excellent in every respect. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Murder Road. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

diving back into a st james novel was so fun. this book had the perfect creepy vibes, perfect supernatural element and had me unable to put the book down. i absolutely loved this and am already excited for whats to come next!

I've never read a supernatural book before or this author I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did and now look forward to reading the other books I have by her

This is my first Simone St James book, although I’m aware of her work from recommendations and know that she’s skilled at creepy thrills. It’s also technically a historical novel (I feel old!) as it’s set in the 1990s, which predates mobile phones, the internet and other easy ways to report ghosts and murders. When the characters set out to do research on murder victims, they head to the library. It’s far easier for people to vanish.

Combined with the small-town vibe of the setting, this book really made me feel trapped. It’s not exactly literally inescapable (the roads from Coldlake Falls lead both in and out, which is good to know), but the scenario draws our protagonists back… and instead of yelling ‘get the heck OUT!’, I was definitely there with them. This is a mystery that needs to be resolved.

Plus the tale of the Lost Girl on Atticus Line isn’t the only secret. Eddie is a lovely ‘hero-husband’, for example, but he’s ex-army and suffering with PTSD at a time when men didn’t talk about such things. And protagonist April absolutely has her own baggage, in spades.

From the action-packed opening, the story slows to allow breathing space and consideration, upping the atmosphere and carefully unravelling the truths behind what we think we know. It’s never overwhelming, but nothing should be taken at face value. If you want to last the journey, you need to keep turning the pages, as first and foremost this is a mystery. Clues aren’t revealed all at once. Also don’t underestimate the Princess Diana Lady. Just saying.

There was one particular bugbear for me: the very stereotypical depiction of police. Possibly because I’m in the UK, I really couldn’t accept how downright stupid and cartoon-baddy they were. Maybe this is in line with ‘90s dramas, but I truly wished one sadly-deceased policeman was still present to balance them out. This is in sharp contrast to the sympathetic and accurate portrayal of antisocial local teens looking to find their place and survive in a crazy adult’s world.

And April… I really wasn’t sure I was going to like our leading lady at first. A pretty blonde with her new husband, caught in a strange supernatural (?) story. She’s that for approximately the first couple of chapters, before revealing her spine of steel, brains and heart. She’s a fighter and a survivor, which threatens those cops and had me rooting for her the entire rest of the way. She’s not an unreliable narrator; she just doesn’t tell anyone everything at once, and that includes You.

I didn’t find this a speedy read, but that’s because like any good rollercoaster, it has its highs and lows. When it’s fast, it moves! - before the detective work takes the time it would actually require in a strange place full of unhelpful people.

At its core, this book seems real. I kept thinking of an episode of ‘Supernatural’ with a similar hook, but with its mostly-multilayered cast and excellent storytelling, this tale is so much more plausible; the ‘what would I do’ aspect of each speedbump was more than strong enough to keep my attention. By the time we find out if it is otherworldly or not, that seems appropriate too.

I enjoyed my time on Murder Road, and if you like retro-thrillers with sympathetic protagonists, I think you will too.

I wasn’t convinced in the beginning, but as with all the author’s books the tale twists and turns as it develops. The main characters, who initially seemed bland, turned out to have a lot more to them. A newly married couple on their way to their honeymoon destination take a “wrong” turn and end up being accused of a crime. A lot doesn’t make sense but I should have had faith that this was for good reason. For example- I would have been so out of that town as soon as I could get away and with a few complaints about the police department!
I was rating this book it as a solid 4 stars until the end- which left me well satisfied so 5 it is.

This is the third book I have read by Simone St James. It is not my favorite (that would be The Sun Down Motel) but still very enjoyable. It is hard to put down even though it is very creepy and mysterious.
"If You See Her, You”ll Be The Next One Dead"!

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.