Murder Road by Simone St James
I give this book 4.25 stars.

April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn.
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 speaks, her voice faint. "I'm sorry, he's coming."

“If you see her you’ll be next” ……..The honeymoon from hell is about to begin!
I was drawn in from the start by the atmospheric narrative, the intriguing murder mystery of Atticus Line hitch hikers and the local legend of the haunting lost girl.l loved the 1995 creepy small town setting and the paranormal twist mixed between reality.Told from Aprils pov they find themselves caught up in trying to prove their innocence and strangely unable to leave Cold Lake Falls. Add into the mix quirky Rose who owns the b&b they stay in, the Snell sisters crime busting duo and Detective Quentin from the local police department. Are the past unsolved murders related, are April and Eddie keeping secrets,what does the lost girl want? You need to read it if you want to find out!
With thanks to Netgalley,Simone St James and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for my chance to read and review this book.

3.25 stars
I've had Simone St James' books on my bookshelf for a few years now and have been intrigued by all of them. But as soon as I saw that Murder Road was available to review, I quickly dropped everything to start reading it.
It started well, with a good bit of tension as a truck appears to be chasing them after they pick up an injured hitchhiker. But it does slow down considerably thereafter.
Then, I found April to be rather insufferable throughout. There's only so many times that I could listen to her describe herself as pretty but not too pretty and to keep repeating that they were on their honeymoon.
The cops, as expected, weren't much better. But my favourite two characters had to be the Snell sisters, who added some gutsiness and interest to the story for me.
There were some interesting spooky elements, however, they could have gone further. I can only imagine how good this would have been had it been a bit scarier.
I also felt like the eventual reveal of who the original killer was a bit of a let down too.
And why did no one contact Trish to ask her to be tested for brain cancer, given that every other person possessed by The Lost Girl had brain cancer?!
I'm also not sure if it was just my copy, although I've seen other reviewers mention it now too, but having any 'ff' missing the whole way through did take me away from the story as I tried to work out what letters were missing from certain words.
I am still excited to read more stories from Simone St James, especially as I have her three last books sitting on my bookshelf as we speak. Maybe I will prefer those more.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's always a delight to delve back into St James' world, and I was especially excited to sink my teeth into a supernatural thriller, one that asks the question of whether these crimes are human in nature, or if there's really something more than meets the eye in Coldlake Falls?

If you like an element of mystery in your books, then Murder Road should tick that box for you. Not only is there the question of who - or maybe what - dunnit, but there's also many questions surrounding the protagonists, as well as inhabitants of the town. St James dripfeeds just enough information to keep you hooked, the 'one more chapter' feeling kicking in every time another piece of the puzzle clicks into place.

For me, the final motive didn't quite pay off as I hoped - it felt a little basic, but it did work in the wider context of the story. It just seemed thin as an underlying reason. I've also seen people say they found our main couple somewhat unlikeable. That wasn't my experience, I enjoyed spending time with them just fine, but it may be something to keep in mind if you need a story to have protagonists you immediately fall in love with. Personally, I enjoyed the fact that they weren't perfect, and that they may have their own skeletons buried deep in the closer - especially when they start threatening to come to light.

Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to any fans of the author, or the sub-genre generally. While it doesn't quite hit the heights of The Sun Down Motel for me, it grabbed me from the start, and I found myself unable to stop reading. St James is quickly becoming someone who's books I can't pass up, and one that hasn't let me down yet.

Murder Road is a supernatural thriller that takes place in the 1980s and follows a newly wed couple, April and Eddie, en route to their honeymoon. But things take a sour turn before they reach their destination and they find themselves at the heart of a string of unsolved cases that took place on Atticus Lane, a place where hitchhikers have been murdered under mysterious circumstances for decades.

This one sounded really intriguing but I’m sad to say that it didn’t do it for me. I usually really enjoy St James’ work, favourites being The Broken Girls and The Book of Cold Cases, but I found myself feeling extremely apathetic about this one. I didn’t feel invested in the main characters, and I found the plot both predictable and painfully slow.
If you like Simone St James and supernatural thrillers this could be one you enjoy, but it just didn’t tick many boxes for me personally.

Thank you to both @netgalley and @michaeljbooks, Penguin Random House, for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I received an advanced copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't previously read anything by Simone St James but after reading this I can't wait to read some of her other work. The writing was addictive and fast paced. I liked the cast of characters and the plot. This novel held my attention from start till end and I loved the direction the story went. It didn't feel like a standard thriller and had me guessing the whole time. It feels like the perfect mix of murder mystery, thriller and horror.
The only reason I don't feel like I can give it 5 stars is some aspects of the conclusion felt a bit convenient and not entirely satisfying but with this type of story I think that was maybe the point.
Overall a really enjoyable read and an author I'll continue to read. I would definitely recommend this book.

4⭐️

A murder mystery with a supernatural element.

April and Eddie were on route to their honeymoon destination when they took a wrong turn. This turned out to be the catalyst of disaster.
They met a woman on a dark isolated road, they offered her a lift to soon find that she was badly injured so rushed her to the nearest hospital.
As she didn’t survive her injuries the couple soon find themselves in the crosshairs of the police.
April and Eddie start investigating only to find that this is only one in a string of murders.

I really liked April and Eddie, even knowing they were holding on to secrets. Despite both of them having darkness in their lives the tone of the book is quite light and easy going.

They team up with Beatrice a tenacious 16 year old, I loved her plucky inquisitive/obsessive attitude.

I found the switch to some of the past memories felt a little awkward.

I enjoyed this, and would like to read another by this Author

I’ve not read anything by this author before. I was excited to read this book.

I found this book an interesting read. I loved the idea of the story and the plot. I would describe it as a murder mystery with a spooky background vibe running through it. I wish it had been pre read a little bit more as I noticed some inconsistency in the book and some grammar issues but apart from that it was an enjoyable read.

I felt it was a slow start book but when it got to the good bits I didn’t want to put it down. The characters grew throughout the story and developed.


Overall I would recommend the book but would love it if it was a super spooky book!

Oooh this is a good one - the author and the genre, modern spooky paranormal thriller, are new to me and I am thrilled to have discovered them both. This is the perfect book for a wet weekend; light the fire and hunker down for a rip roaring read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending a copy in exchange for a review.

Sadly this one just wasn't St.James' best work. I've read all of the authors backlog, and this one was just not good in my opinion.

It wasn't as spooky as I think it wanted to be, the main character was annoying and kept repeating about her honeymoon, and I just felt like the plot was too predictable and boring.

After reading The Sundown Hotel, I was so excited to pick up another book from this author, and I'm pleased to say it didn't disappoint.

The story follows newlyweds Eddie and April, who are on the way to enjoy their honeymoon. However, on the way, they end up lost after taking a wrong turn, and on the route, they find a young girl who has been stabbed. Eddie and April drive her to the local hospital, but sadly, she doesn't make it, and both Eddie and April soon find themselves under suspicion of attacking her. To clear their names, they start their own investigation, but things get intense.

Murder Road is well written, but I did find the pace a little slow in places, but the tense atmosphere made up for the slow pace.

I did work out one of the plot twists quite early on, but it definitely didn't put me off from finishing the book.

One thing that I did find missing was the depth of descriptions. There were plenty of good descriptions, but they just lacked the depth, which I enjoyed very much in The Sundial Hotel.

I thought the characters were well done and thought they developed well as the book progressed. I have to admit there were a couple of characters I didn't like at the beginning, but by the end, I ended up loving them.

This was a great read, although not quite the horror I was expecting. I would describe it more as a murder mystery with a hint of paranormal elements.

I can't wait to pick up more books from this author!!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Michael Joesph, Penguin Random House, for my digital review copy (eARC). These are my honest and unbiased thoughts, and I am sharing them voluntarily.

𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐭 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 (𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝟐𝟖𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡)
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟑.𝟓 ⭐️

Simone St James can pack a punch in a paranormal thriller!

I enjoyed this, especially because it was set in one of my favourite book eras, 1990s. I love it when the MCs have no mobile phone to help themselves.

It has eerie moments and fast paced moments too.

Recommend if you like-
-set in the 90’s
-murder mystery
-paranormal elements
-short chapters
-likeable MCs

I didn’t rate it higher as it was pretty predictable and there weren’t amazing jaw dropping twists BUT I enjoyed it and would recommend it someone wants to bump up their reading goal and wants a nice quick easy read!

Thanks to Netgalley & Penguin Random House for this eArc!

Out March 28th!

What’s your favourite book era?

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A young couple headed on their honeymoon stumble upon an injured girl on a deserted road. A dangerous pursuit ensues and when they get to the hospital they find themselves suspects in her murder. But is this murder linked to others? And is a more sinister force at work?
April and Eddie are great characters, both with complicated backstories. The book started at great pace and then slowed significantly. I found myself craving more action. Unexplained murders have been happening on Atticus Line for years, and dark secrets in the town underpin them. The tale of The Lost Girl is embedded in the minds of the locals. An unidentified young woman found murdered in the 1970s.
The book is unsettling and will definitely appeal to fans of Dean Koontz. Creepy and atmospheric.

Murder Road was enjoyable for the most part.. I will try to review with as minimal spoilers as possible. I feel like the description provided on netgalley doesn’t accurately depict the book you’re getting - it's mostly solving some murders with a dash of supernatural (but really not that much), not run for your life because youre next thrilling horror. I expected more of an eerie atmosphere or frankly more death at least? The actual summaries on goodreads/storygraph paint a better picture, but I hadn't looked at them prior to requesting/reading.

As for the writing: it could do with another proofread, and there were some annoying inconsistencies (like which car was where for example). The book shifted tense annoyingly - ie it varied between the past tense from April's POV, like she was telling this story/writing it (with fourth wall breaks included), right alongside the present mystery/her present moment thoughts and questions. Information about April was hidden from us as though April didn't have all of it herself, but she did and was hiding it from other characters (not that it was surprising, although I'm sure it was meant to be). This got really annoying, especially the shift between 'what's going on, who killed her??' to 'haha I know what happens' and back again, with some flashbacks added in for good measure. If I had to read her rehashing the mystery again or that Eddie had 'gone too deep and she couldn't follow' one more time?! And did you know it was their honeymoon?? It's hard to miss bc they never say it /s.

I can't say much about the reveal of the killer without spoiling it but the main mystery was SO OBVIOUS and then there's just a nice random person who's never been mentioned before the end to tie everything up in a bow. Except there's still questions. I also desperately need Trish to have an MRI - why did no one get her an MRI?? Tell her to go to the doctors?? Anything? (Leaving her alone bc she seems fine is not the happy ending you think it is). Otherwise, a lot of the mystery was easy - everyone they spoke to told them something, clues were found easily, and there's a lot of people willing to help these two strangers accused of murder - sleuth sisters, a woman with a not great bnb business, ghosts, you name it. It all just went a little too smoothly (although I doubt their bowel movements did, their diet did not seem great - I think there was 1 salad and 1 banana (covered in ice cream)). And WHO just leaves a house open for anyone to use and never checks on it?

I think if this was sold to me as a murder mystery, maybe I'd enjoy it more, but it's not what I was expecting. The inconsistencies in writing were annoying but not a complete deal breaker. Overall, I just wanted more. Other than the character who popped up at the end, it was all really obvious and I guessed the crux from the off. If you like murder mysteries with a supernatural element, that's 90% focused on past murders, then you will probably like this. I wanted blood and terror. I wanted desperate survival. A trend of merciless killings, with maybe a gorey opener. Not 'oh hitchhikers have been killed on this dark tree-lined road for decades and sometimes there's a light in the trees that is a ghost'. I just wanted more.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

Definitely my favourite from this author so far! Enjoyed the supernatural elements and was just the right amount of creepy-that dark room scene especially. Also really enjoyed some of the side characters as well - Rose and the Snell sisters.

Thank you to net galley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown”
― H.P. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in Literature

It’s July 1995, and newly weds April and Eddie Carter are travelling to their honeymoon destination, but they take a wrong turn and end up lost on a dark and lonely road late at night. Ahead of them, a woman is picked out by the beam of the headlights, and it’s clear that she’s in some kind of trouble.

Eddie stops the car, and when the woman gets in, she’s absolutely covered in blood - and this folks is only the beginning of a long and terrifying story that will have April and Eddie question everything they have ever believed in!

I have to say that this was a really creepy story - the kind of unsettling story that’s told around a campfire on a dark night, far away from civilisation, the wind eerily moaning through the treetops. If you enjoy a touch of the supernatural with your murder mysteries, then you’ll love this one. Join April and Eddie on their ride from hell - if you dare!

This book was fantastic! I absolutely loved the fast paced thrill ride some of the scenes took me on and I found myself wanting to pick it up and carry on so often! Just to find out what The Lost Girl's story was.. and I wasn't actually convinced she would be who she was in the end! But as soon as the story started to unravel a bit more, I loved how it came together.
There were a couple of dangling threads that I would preferred to be tied up, hence the 4 stars.

Definitely will be looking out for more Simone St. James going forwards! 📖

I've heard such incredible reviews of this authors books. So when I saw this on NetGalley I just had to request it.

I thought this book was so good. It follows Eddie and Eddie who are traveling to a cabin for their honeymoon. They unfortunately take a wrong turn and end up on Atticus Line. They come across a woman walking alone at night. They decide to give her a lift, only to then realise she has been stabbed. They rush her to the nearest hospital and unfortunately she dies and they are the number one suspects.

They end up trying to solving numerous crimes that have happened on Atticus Lane whilst also trying to prove their innocence.

This book was so fast paved, the supernatural.element was chilling. I was gripped from the first page, it was extremely twisty towards the end and the story line was really gripping. It did feel like a muder mystery to me.

I highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for sending me an e book version of this book.

This was an interesting read that started out as a murder thriller and turned into a ghost story. The main characters, who both have difficult back stories, end up lost on a road where they find a critically ill woman who’s been stabbed. When she dies the police see Eddie and April as suspects. She’s not the first woman to die on the murder road.
The following investigation reveals secrets they have kept from another and secrets within the community that have been kept for decades.
It was an enjoyable read and I liked the supernatural aspect which is unique. I will definitely look at this author again.
Thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random house and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#MurderRoad #NetGalley

This was an interesting read that started out as a murder thriller and turned into a ghost story. The main characters, who both have difficult back stories, end up lost on a road where they find a critically ill woman who’s been stabbed. When she dies the police see Eddie and April as suspects. She’s not the first woman to die on the murder road.
The following investigation reveals secrets they have kept from another and secrets within the community that have been kept for decades.
It was an enjoyable read and I liked the supernatural aspect which is unique. I will definitely look at this author again.
Thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random house and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#MurderRoad #NetGalley

I like this writer but I always tell myself I won't read anymore. She freaks me out haha . Great story and chilling. Not for the faint hearted. There's something awful about empty roads at night. When you get lost. Plays on fears familiar to everyone. Yup - a good one. I will remain behind sofa with music on for some time however