Member Reviews
I was extremely frustrated at the opening to Murder Road, for me the premise fell apart at the ridiculous behaviour of the detectives. I flat out refuse to believe that a couple of newlyweds finding and driving an injured woman to hospital would then immediately become prime suspects in her death. No evidence, no murder weapon, no motive. It makes no sense.
Murder Road was interesting yes but it felt like a Lifetime movie. As much as I did want to uncover the secrets, the story was simple and silly. The characters were loveable caricatures but despite the serious nature of their histories it was all so over dramatic I couldnt connect emotionally to any of them.
There's a lot of 90s pop culture shoe horned in to remind you of the time period and whilst I enjoy a little nostalgia I got sick to death of hearing about the Princess Diana decor in an American B&B.
An entertaining book if you want to spend a few hours without putting any thought into it.
This is my first read if anything by Simone St James and sadly this wasn't for me. I found the story did not pull me in at all. There were parts that were a little repetitive and seemed like they were written for a young audience.
I couldn't connect with any of the main characters at all and I found the female main character a little annoying, with her childish talk of how the other men in the story looked or smelled nice and her back story just did not keep me interested to find out more.
I did however like the parts with the two younger girls playing detective and helping them nearer the end. This seemed to fit the whole feel of the story best and I think It may have been better if it was written regarding these two trying to solve the murders in some way instead of the actual main characters.
I do see other people have enjoyed this so don't let me opinion put you off reading this alone. Sadly, it wasn't for me.
Many thanks to the Author, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ARC.
Review to appear at SFFWorld.com on 23rd March.
It's July 1995. April and Eddie Carter are newly-weds on their way to a stay at the Five Pines Resort, a cheap motel on the edge of Lake Michigan.
They're on a long dark road, late at night, and they see a woman up ahead, clearly in trouble. They stop and pick her up. It's only once she's in the car that they see the blood. And then they see the headlights, and at last, the woman, whose name is Rhonda Jane, speaks, her voice faint. "I'm sorry, he's coming."
The hitchhiker's injuries prove fatal, and the couple are trapped in the small town of Coldlake Falls, prime suspects in the eyes of local police. The detective interviewing them suspect April and Eddie of the murder and are told to not leave town.
Forced to stay in the small settlement whilst the crime is being investigated, Eddie and April find that Rhonda Jane is not the first victim to be found along Atticus Road. There are deaths and mysterious disappearances that go back to the Sixties, with the cases still unsolved.
The police seem particularly unhelpful. Whilst under suspicion themselves, they try to both find evidence that shows their innocence and uncover who the real murderer is. Being 1995, this means no mobile phones, or instant photographs or videos for evidence, of course. Further mysteries unravel – who is ‘The Lost Girl’? And why according to local legend does a sighting of her mean that you’re the next victim? As Eddie and April have seen her, does it mean that they could be next?
Although there are elements that give good solid X-Files type chills, this is really more of a murder mystery than an out and out horror story, but Simone does well to keep the lines blurred between the supernatural and the ‘real’, which keeps both the characters and the reader guessing along the way.
What complicates matters further is that the couple discover that they don’t know each other as well as perhaps they should – both of them have secrets from their past that may well have been left hidden.
All is resolved by the end. It’s a solid page-turner that drags you in and kept me reading, with touches of Stephen King small town America, and some minor chills to keep your interest.
But by the end, what struck me most was what was perhaps the main moral of the story? Make sure you know your partner before you marry them….
Many thanks to Michael J. Books and Penguin UK Books for a free copy of “Murder road” in exchange for my honest opinion.
I am a big fan of Simone St. James, she is my favourite horror and mystery author. I’ve read almost all of her books and I enjoyed all of them. It’s no surprise I enjoyed “Murder road” as well.
As all of her novels, the story starts in the past, in July 1995, when Eddie and April are on their way to a cabin for their honeymoon on a shore of Lake Michigan. But along the way, Eddie takes a wrong turn onto Atticus Line, a dark road where the lives of many hitchhikers were taken, since 1976. Ahead of them, a woman is on the road and she looks likes she’s in trouble. So Eddie stops the car and when the woman gets in, they see that she’s covered in blood.
Now, they are suspended of her murder and, to show the police that they’re innocent, they start investigate on their own.
And this is the point where their lives change.
I actually enjoyed this book a lot! Simone St. James is perfect at describing eerie scenes and ghost appearances. Her books are the only ones that give me goosebumps and I’m always excited when she’s out with a new novel.
“Murder road” is the same. Starting very chill for a creepy book, a few pages in and you’re surrounded by things that appear in the darkness and you’re in creepy forests and you hear strange footsteps next to you from something you can’t see.
I loved the 90’s vibes and I was surprised that there’s no time jump between periods like in her other books. But I wasn’t sad about it!
I liked how real the characters were, how flawed and how much they tried their best to solve this strange mystery.
I liked how eerie was the atmosphere and how the murders were done (which is a strange thing to say, but trust me, it was ingenious). I liked the town where the action took place, Cold Lake Falls, a very strange city woth mysterious inhabitants. Something the author is good at, beside writing horror books, is making the side characters likeable. I loved the Snell sisters and I loved the B&B’s owner, Rose and her story.
“Murder road” is a page-turner, extremely captivating and chilling. It’s an unsettling story, perfect for dark, rainy and windy nights, while trees are screeching so you can be truly scared!
The writing is great and easy to read, the chapters are short as they should and the characters are likeable.
I was not extremely satisfied with the ending, I felt it was just a tiny bit rushed, but I wasn’t mad about it! It was still a good ghost story, with well-developed characters and an enjoyable journey. I was absorbed from the start of the book and I couldn’t put it down. The mysteries were intriguing and interesting and I must say that I didn’t figure it out who the killer was, which doesn’t happen often.
If you’re not a fan of horror, but you would like to try a book, this is for you! I received immensely and I can’t wait for her new book!
A great book and brilliant characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the pacing. It had me hooked from start to finish. A great pageturner
St James' writing is brilliant and this concept was amazing. Overall, it mostly paid off with a dark and twisty plot centering around generational trauma and forgotten victims, with an interesting take on ghosts and hauntings. However, I wasn't a huge fan of the final twist.
Yet another Simone St. James novel I DEVOURED!
Right from the get go we are thrust into a thrilling plot with horrific consequences. Newlywed couple, Eddie and April are heading out to their honeymoon destination when things take a turn (literally) for the worst. Coming across an injured hitchhiker, they try to get her to a hospital whilst being chased down by a truck.
At the local hospital the hitchhiker dies soon and the police have their number one suspects in sight. Forced to stay in the small town, it becomes clear there is more to the incident that occured on Atticus Lane.
I was hooked the whole time this mystery was unravelling. I would definitely say this is multi-genre, with supernatural elements, horror, mystery and a little light touch of romance. So if you're looking for a ghost story with a cold case mystery that has you sweating from anxiety, I think this could be for you 😂
I was completely obsessed with the 90's setting, it was so atmospheric and I could clearly picture everything which was super spooky! Especially the scenes on Atticus Lane!
April & Eddie are newlyweds driving on their way to a resort at Lake Michigan for their honeymoon when they see a hitchhiker on a lonely stretch of road just outside Coldlake Falls. Something about the way the hitchhiker is walking tells April that it's a woman & she doesn't want to leave her vulnerable in the dark so they pull over. The young woman seems reluctant to accept help but eventually she gets in the car. Once in the car, April & Eddie realise something is very wrong & the young woman has been stabbed. Suddenly headlights appear behind them & the woman says "I'm sorry, he's coming." They decide to try to outrun their pursuer & take the woman to the hospital but this ends with them being questioned by the local police & asked to stay in town for now. It turns out that this isn't the first victim to die on this stretch of road & the police believe April & Eddie know more than what they are saying.
'The Sun Down Motel' & 'The Broken Girls' by the author were 5 star reads for me, unfortunately this one is more like 'The Book of Cold Cases' which I found only okay. I think for me, the problem was that the main characters were just not that interesting - side characters such as Rose (the bed & breakfast owner) & the Snell sisters were much more intriguing. None of the twists were really a surprise & the haunting aspect (there's always a supernatural aspect with this author's books which usually works really well) felt quite flat to me. It is still a good read but in my view it doesn't live up to the author's best works. Slightly disappointing. 3.5 stars (rounded down)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Random House/Michael Joseph, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
#Netgalley #Gifted
I’ve read a good few of this author’s books by now and I keep coming back for more; supernatural thrillers aren’t always my thing but I like Simone St. James’s writing style, and she certainly makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, so here we are again!
It’s July 1995 and newlyweds April and Eddie are on a road trip towards a cheap and cheerful honeymoon. Unfortunately for them, they’ve taken a wrong turn. They find themselves on a deserted road and stop for a hitchhiker, who at first seems a bit strange and monosyllabic, that is until they spot the blood seeping out of her abdominal wound.
They bring her to the nearest hospital where they become suspects number one and two with the local police, not just in this girls attack, but in a series of unsolved murders that took place on the road they were on, dating back to the 70’s.
They both have dark pasts that add to the mounting suspicion against them and so they set about solving the town’s many cold cases before they end up in prison for crimes they didn’t commit.
The first half of this book has serious momentum; I flew through it, loving the dynamics between the two main characters and also, just how creepy the story is! April in particular is a great protagonist; a scrappy survivor type, and I was really rooting for her.
When it got about midway, I felt the pace slowed a bit and possibly overall the book was a bit longer than necessary. That said, it quickly picked up again after that middle section and I found myself eager for the big reveal at the ending.
To reiterate; the main plot here involves supernatural goings on; I know that’s not something everyone enjoys in a book, so be warned!
Aside from that element of the storyline, it’s also a murder mystery/detective drama, which is very much my cup of tea. Overall I enjoyed this and will of course, be reading whatever St. James writes next.
With many thanks to @netgalley @penguinrandomhouse for my early copy, #MurderRoad is available to buy on the 28th of March.
This marks my first venture into the works of this author, and it certainly did not disappoint. From the outset, the narrative brims with tantalizing mysteries that persist until the final chapters, heightening the story's eerie atmosphere. As I delved deeper, the allure of unraveling each twist became irresistible, culminating in a spine-tingling encounter that left me reaching for the light switch.
The characters proved equally engaging, particularly the two troubled souls who find solace in each other's company. Even the supporting cast, such as the seemingly harsh Rose with a heart of gold, the inquisitive Snell sisters teetering on the brink of danger, and the initially abrasive Quentin who reveals unexpected depth, were fully fleshed out and added depth to the narrative.
Overall, this impeccably crafted tale held me captive from start to finish, showcasing the author's skill in weaving a gripping thriller.
Murder Road ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 I want to preface this and say I did enjoy this book, it was not a bad book at all!
However, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped, purely because I was going in expecting something a bit different. I went into this hoping for a bit more horror and got a lot more of a thriller. Which is completely fine, but inevitably I felt a little disappointed when I didn’t get as spooked as I was anticipating!
“If you see her, you’ll be next”
It’s 1995 (the year I was born, woohoo!). Newlyweds April and Eddie are driving along a deserted road in the middle of the night, en route to their honeymoon at a small, affordable lakeside resort - when they find a young woman, stumbling along the roadside and covered in blood. They pick the girl up and rush her to the nearest hospital they can find – but soon find their good deed leads them to becoming key suspects in a murder. But there’s more to this murder than meets the eye.
Murder Road is fast-paced and thrilling, with a drizzle of the supernatural. Simone St. James did a fantastic job at creating a tense atmosphere throughout, and I found all the characters to be endearing and intriguing, all with their own secrets to share, including the main couple.
Despite the disappointment I felt by not quite getting the scare I was looking for, I still really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend picking it up. I know lots of thriller fans who will enjoy this 100%.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy & to Penguin Books for a hard copy in exchange for an honest review.
It's 1995 and April and Eddie are on their honeymoon, driving to an idyllic lakeside hotel in Michigan. But, they're not going to make it to their destination. Instead, they take wrong turn and end up picking up a hitchhiker on the deserted Atticus Line.
What they don't realise is that the woman they've picked up is bleeding out from a stab wound and, despite doing what they can and racing to the local hospital, she will die. And the newlywed couple will become embroiled in a decades-long small-town murder mystery as the prime suspects in the case.
To unravel the mystery surrounding their hitchhiker's death, the two have to look to the past; to the original Jane Doe found dead on the same road. The Lost Girl. She was the first, but she's making sure she won't be the last. And, "If you see her, you'll be next."
This is the first I've read from this author, although she's been on my radar since her popular release The Sun-down Motel. And, now I can see that the hype is real. I really like the blend of genres in this story; it's a murder mystery at its heart but it's sprinkled with just the right amount of supernatural horror and psychological drama as the flawed young newlyweds reveal their own secrets along the way.
The characters feel authentic, the era is nostalgic and the claustrophobic setting of a run-down B&B in a small town is oppressively sinister. Plus, the sightings of The Lost Girl herself are spine-tinglingly creepy. "She was a dark, cold hole in the fabric of reality, punched through with a naked fist".
Murder Road is a solid, exhilarating ride with plenty of twists and turns along the way. It delivers on everything it promises, and readers of paranormal thrillers are sure to enjoy it. I'll be looking at this author's backlog now!
I liked the sound of this book, it had a spooky vibe to it which really appealed to me. The book started well meeting newlyweds, April and Eddie. They are travelling on their honeymoon when they come across a young woman in the road in the middle of the night, covered in blood. When she dies in hospital, they find themselves being prime suspects in a murder enquiry.
I enjoyed meeting April and Eddie, the opening scene of them finding the woman in the road was scary and thrilling. When they are held as suspects and they find more out about the town they are staying in, and the rumours that the road they travelled on was haunted. I thought the first third of the book was good and held my attention well. However as it moved on I found the storyline slowed considerably and I struggled to keep connected with the story or the characters. It had the premise of being a good ghostly thriller, but it just didn't work like that for me.
Newly married Eddie and April are driving down a deserted road after taking a wrong turn to get to their destination for their honeymoon stay but all of a sudden things take a bad turn when they find a young woman in the middle of the road covered in blood. Rhonda Jean is in desperate need of help, they drive her immediately to the local hospital. Unfortunately Rhonda Jean passes away from her injuries and from there Eddie and April become suspects in a murder investigation.
While staying in town, they hear rumours of the road being haunted and that there is a murdered victim from the 70's, 'Jane Doe' is said to haunt the road and anybody who sees her will be the next one to die. April and Eddie decide to investigate the unsolved murders and to finally found out who Jane Doe is and why she is haunting said road.
April and Eddie both have secrets and a troubled past that they don't go into too much detail until later on in the book and i was constantly intrigued about April's backstory and what she was running away from. I also enjoyed reading about Eddie and again wondered why his walls were high. Despite everything i enjoyed how the couple investigated the murders and tried to find out what also happened to Rhonda Jean. Despite everything the couple were likeable and felt real, it was nice how they actually worked as a team and you could feel the love they had for each other. I also really enjoyed the other characters, each one was unique in their ways and i liked how everybody were helping each other in their own ways.
A few times my heart was quickening in some scenes the couple managed to get themselves into and i rooted for them when they was getting more close to finding out the backstory of Jane Doe. Simone St James has a very likeable and unique way of writing that creates a suspenseful scary atmosphere and as you go along you feel the hair on your arms sometimes stand up. From the beginning it is instant fast pace and doesn't stop until near the ending when everything finally comes to blow which i enjoyed.
Murder Road was an amazing book and i enjoyed every second of reading it. Suspense, mystery, creepy and so. much more in summed up into the book and i would definitely recommend to fellow book readers. A must read. 5*
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the copy of this arc in exchange of my full honest review.
This is the first book I have read from this author and I was not disappointed.
This book starts with many mysteries that remained so until towards the end of the book which just ramped up the creepiness of the story! The more I went into the book the more I had to keep reading just to keep uncovering the twists that came before, and even had to leave the light on 1 night after the part where they finally meet The Lost Girl, a sign of a good thriller for me!
I very much enjoyed the characters in this book too, the 2 damaged people who met each other and just found solice together, even the supporting characters were fully fleshed, Rose who came across as mean but actually had a heart of gold, the 2 Snell sisters whose curiosity nearly ended them in a sticky situation and Quentin who you think is an asshole but turns out to have been switched on the whole time.
Thoroughly enjoyable read and well written, kept me captivated!
A book written in true Simone St James style. Set in the 90s, recent newlyweds, April and Eddie are on a road trip for their honeymoon, however, they end up taking a wrong turn on to Atticus Line. Here they encounter a young woman walking alone. They stop to give her a lift only to discover she has been fatally stabbed. April and Eddie become the prime suspects in this ghost story of missing hitchhikers and the legend of ‘The Lost Girl’.
I really enjoyed the unfolding of this story and getting to learn about the events that April and Eddie lived through and ultimately how they have come together. I wouldn’t say this was a scary ghost story but it did have its tense moments. There were some slow parts to the story but I was hooked enough to keep going. Some of the subplots were a little predictable, however, some of the twists I didn’t see coming.
Overall, a hugely enjoyable book that should be added to your reading list.
4.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/03/07/murder-road-by-simone-st-james/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Absolutely Loved It. Deliciously Creepy
I went off track a little and decided to pick up Murder Road a little earlier than planned. I couldn’t help myself, I’ve been wanting to read this author for so long and in fact have previously purchased at least two of her other titles but not yet managed to pick them up. Anyway, I was excited and sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants so I just went for it. And this does not disappoint. This was so wonderfully creepy. Believe me when I say those other books I already own – yep, they’re getting bumped to the top of the TBR. I love this combination of dark horror and supernatural elements all swirled together in such an intoxicating fashion.
So, Murder Road. Starts with a couple of newlyweds on the way for their honeymoon. I immediately cottoned onto these two. They have a relaxed vibe with each other that belies the fact that they only met six months ago. In a nutshell they feel right together. Anyway, they’re lost. They’re driving down a very dark road, hemmed in with trees and not another soul in sight. At this point, they’re not particularly concerned, maybe they’ll turn round and backtrack. Just as they’re making plans to go back the way they came they spot a lone woman on the road. They can’t just drive past without checking she’s okay, which upon closer investigation she clearly isn’t. Taking the young girl on board they drive to the nearest hospital – all the while being chased down by a mysterious black truck. By the skin of their teeth they make the turnoff and deliver the injured woman, only to discover within short order that she has died and they seem to be the prime suspects for her death.
The couple find themselves almost under arrest and taken to Coldlake Falls by the police, their car impounded and not so politely requested to stay at a local B&B until required for questioning. They are staying put and the honeymoon is just a distant dream.
Right. What did I like about this.
As I mentioned I really liked the central couple. The story is told by April and she has such a great voice that I was almost hypnotised. Eddie is also a great character, he has a certain strength that just radiates from him, he’s polite and people seem to immediately warm to him. Both of them have an inner strength that has been earned through bitter experience but in finding each other it’s as though they’ve found their own ‘home’. I just really liked them if you can’t already tell. The way they’re being treated seems so unfair but it soon becomes clear that this isn’t the first death on this particular road. Atticus Line has witnessed a number of murders over the years and it feels like our hapless couple are about to be scapegoated.
I also really liked Rose. She runs a local B&B although she never seems to have any customers and the locals make her life miserable, accusing her of murdering her husband, a wild accusation that the police simply smile at and make no attempt to counter. She’s a quirky character, a bit abrupt at first but she soon softens and helps the couple to start their own investigation. If they’re going to be under a strange form of ‘house arrest’ they might as well make the most of their time and try to clear their names.
I felt like this was perfectly paced and really well plotted. It’s a chilling ghost story that really did make me look over my shoulder on more than one occasion. When I’m reading I sit with a window at my back and sometimes, if it’s a particularly scary book, I get the horrible feeling that I’m being watched, it gives me the goosebumps.
The setting was also really good. You have this small town vibe, I think the residents themselves lived in a form of suspended horror – which felt almost inevitable with this creepy road where death so frequently occurs. There’s a local urban myth that the road is haunted by a particular ghost, and if you spot her, she’ll be the last person you ever see. And yet still, young people travel the road alone, hoping to hitchhike their way to the nearest beach.
On top of this our two central characters are being slightly cagey about their own pasts and inevitably these secrets are going to reveal themselves.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and really couldn’t put it down. The writing is really engaging. The dialogue flows well. The plot is intriguing and there are some wonderfully spooky elements that gave me a serious case of the shivers.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Newlyweds Eddie and April pick up a young woman in the middle of the night while driving along a deserted road. Things take a turn when they find she is covered in blood..
I love a book where you only have a small idea of what it will be about. What you know about Murder Road happens at the very start of the book and from there you have no idea what to expect from the plot. I really enjoyed this because it made for such an unpredictable experience.
Simone St. James has done an incredible job creating a tense atmosphere throughout the story. There were moments so completely chilling that I found myself holding my breath.
Having already read and loved some of Simone St. James' other books, I had high hopes for Murder Road and I was thrilled to find that this was also a brilliant read.
If you enjoy thrillers with more than just a hint of terror, you will love this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
3.5 stars ⭐️
Newlyweds Eddie & April are heading towards their honeymoon when they spot a girl in trouble on the side of the road. Rhonda Jean is bleeding and needs help, so they do the right thing by taking her to the local hospital. Unfortunately when Rhonda Jean doesn't make it through, Eddie & April become suspects in a murder investigation.
There has always been rumours in the town of a Jane Doe haunting the road, known as 'The Lost Girl'... and the couple are determined to get answers- and thats all I'm going to say in case I give anything away!
Firstly, I must say there were times that my heart was thumping. The way that Simone St James creates such a creepy unsettling atmosphere is amazing! The first part of the book was super fast paced and I got sucked in however I found it slowed down in the middle until the last 20%.
The characters, Eddie and April were likeable and I enjoyed learning about their relationship and loved the fact they were portrayed as a team. I would have liked to learn more about the relationships they have with their families but that's just my opinion as I found the mentions of their family dynamics really interesting.
In general, I can never work out if enjoy paranormal aspects in the books I read but I think this was done well and wasn't too far-fetched.
Overall, a fun and atmospheric read and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
(Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy)
Come for the ghostly page-turner but stay for the surprising love story.
Murder Road by Simone St. James may be one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. The creepy premise caught my attention from the get go and I couldn’t wait to get started. The 90’s setting is really well depicted and the narrative is gripping and darkly atmospheric. The plot is well paced and immersive, it had me hooked from start to finish, it’s such a cliche but I was literally on the edge of my seat. This story does not fall into the trap of becoming more and more far-fetched as we head towards the finale but manages to maintain the intrigue and the stakes feel really high. I really admire the way St. James combined the horror and thriller aspects so well.
The most surprising aspect of this story for me was how much I loved these characters. While April and Eddie are flawed and may not always make the right decisions, I found them so relatably human. Their quiet and natural interactions throughout this book had me gripped just as much as the big plot points. Both are dealing with difficult pasts but their relationship feels built on genuine love and mutual support. They rely on each other and each have different strengths. While many horror stories fall into the same old tropes, this felt fresh and unique. Eddie is the antithesis of toxic masculinity, April is a strong and capable woman and I was rooting for them both from start to finish.
Thanks to Michewal Joseph, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book in exchange for an honest review.