The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

ARC from BookBrowse First Impressions

Even though I have 2 challenges to complete, book club books to read, a tome of the history of the Panama Canal to conquer before the end of November AND an ever growing TBR, I couldn't pass up the chance to win an ARC (I also requested Lady Clementine, but fortunately I didn't receive it too!) of this much anticipated novel.

This was my first novel by Simone St. James  and it most certainly won't be my last!!! (somehow we had the Haunting of Maddy Clare in our personal library but it is gone??  See bookworm's review from Feb 2016.
 https://topplingbookpile.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-haunting-of-maddy-clare-simone-st.html )

A media review of "mixes creepy supernatural tale with a gripping mystery." sums it up perfectly.  It reminded me of some of Dean Koontz's work, mystery/thriller with just a touch of the supernatural.

The book volleys back and forth between 1982 and 2017.  Viv who disappeared narrates 1982 and Carly, her niece narrates 2017.  There were times when I got a little mixed up as when Carly would be surprised by a new fact she discovered and I'm yelling at her "You already knew that!" forgetting that it was Viv who already knew it, not Carly!  But for the most part the book flows well between the 2 different time periods with the story developing versus being duplicated.  It is fast paced and as the mystery comes to an end it is a book you don't want to put down!  Though I probably wouldn't read this while on a road trip staying at motels/hotels even WITH the lights on, because you never know when they may go out!!

Quotes:  "Libraries were my places."

"...a terrifying mystery in town...A man wrote, 'I will not let my wife stay home alone'...his wife...thinking Please leave me home alone. Just for ten minutes."

"'...1979....If I got married and had babies, I was weak.  If I stayed single, I was a dyke.'"

"Because if you were a woman, the world was a dangerous place."