Murder Road

I listened to this on audiobook. Not too bad. I had an idea of what was coming but not all of it.

A combination of murder mystery and ghost story, this clever tale combines the spookiness of urban legend with unsolved murders and a small-town police investigation. April and Eddie are newly married, on their way to honeymoon at a B-motel/resort when they take a wrong turn and end up on a lonely stretch of road after midnight. They pick up a distraught hitchhiker, only to realize afterward that the young girl has been stabbed and her killer is barreling down the road behind them in a black pick-up.They manage to reach the nearest hospital but fall under suspicion when the girl later dies. Detained in the town as murder suspects, they soon learn multiple victims have met the same fate as the girl they picked up on the same lonely stretch of road.I enjoyed the blend of supernatural elements combined with the nuts and bolts of the investigation (though more than one of the cops left me seeing red). Both April and Eddie have issues in their past which add layers to the case, as does a beach designation at the end of the road visited by teens over the years. Restricted to the town while the case is ongoing, April and Eddie find themselves the guest of a widow whose former husband was an under appreciated cop. Rose is a highly unique character, as is her home with its odd decorations and homage to Princess Diana.I found the relationship between April and Eddie the stars of the novel, two characters who I truly cared about. Definitely an engaging read that kept me flipping pages.

I don't typically read ghost stories, but after discovering this author, I look forward to her latest. My favorite is Sundown Motel. I've read it, Silence for the Dead and Broken Girls a couple of times when I needed a good distraction. I don't normally reread novels.I like the main characters in Murder Road, the '95 nostalgia, and the setting near a beach hang out. There could have been more about that. I would have liked to hear more about Rose and her Robbie, and perhaps the friendly policeman. The publisher should have reviewed the facts regarding Eddie's deployment (am unsure but something is 'off' there), as well as the segment in the dark room developing film in a hurry. Really, she stuffed the (wet) prints up her shirt? They did not have much time for the whole process.Spoilers: don't read further unless you've read it.So I accept the solution to Shannon's murder. But seriously, brain cancer among the others? And the original victim became an evil ghost, but still had a tender spot for some? Yes, ghosts can be evil in stories, sure--isn't it the Navajo who believe only bad spirit is left after death? But this ghost also protected them in the dark room, etc. Too contradictory. Then the wrap-up with the detective who harassed them--now he is the all-knowing one who will interview the ghost when her last victim dies? Just too many threads. For me, a messy tangle. And nothing more about Hunter's Beach. I ended the novel feeling unfulfilled. It was a compelling read and couldn't put it down, but in the end I felt....eh.

A recently married couple takes a wrong turn on their honeymoon road trip, ending up in a small town with hidden secrets.Quick, cozy, paranormal thriller/ghost story with likable characters and nostalgic 90s vibe. St. James carefully crafts her world, adding twists and turns just when you were getting too comfortable.

Another great read by one of my favorite authors! I do so look forward to her well written books! Murder Road is creepy with interesting characters. Flawed is an understatement. My only complaint is I always end up finishing too quickly!

This was a great book and I’m honored each time I get to read a Simone St James book. She pours so much into her stories. The character development and the plot line and the backstory for each character.This story was part ghost story and part thriller. The main characters were sketchy and had a lot in their background that would make them look 👀 guilty. I loved Rose and the Snell sisters, was annoyed at the detective Quentin but like all of James stories she wrapped up the plot with explicit explanation for how everything went down.Thanks for the read Ms.James- I’m looking forward to your next book 📖

I am a big fan of author St. James. I enjoyed The Broken Girls and also The Sun Down Motel so I preordered this book and read it the first day it was available. Wowser, what a supernatural winner!The story takes place in 1995 and April and Eddie are a young couple just married and headed to a cheap resort for a few days for a quick honeymoon before they head back to their humdrum jobs. But they take a wrong turn off the interstate onto a dark, spooky road and end up picking up a hitchhiker that changes their lives.Fast paced with great characters, this thriller zoomed by for me. There were plenty of twists and turns and a good dash of the supernatural thrown in, which I enjoyed.I highly recommend this book.

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 keeps you 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….

A spine-pulsing paranormal thriller that will make your blood run cold.St. James takes us on a chilling descent down Atticus Line; the dark, desolate road off Interstate 75. A road avoided by locals in the nearby town of Coldlake Falls thanks to its history of gruesome murders. Hitchhikers have been found along the roadside, and throughout the woodland running parallel to it since the 70s- each case has since gone cold.Legend has it, that the only victim left unidentified still roams the area and is known as The Lost Girl... "𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙"It's now 1995 and April and Eddie find themselves enmeshed in the roads haunted history when they take a wrong turn down it. They spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker and stop to help. But not long after she gets into their car, do they see the blood seeping from her jacket. After succumbing to her injuries, the couple find themselves in the crosshairs of the State Police- they're now prime suspects in a murder case.When it comes to writing phantasmal encounters, St. James is a veteran. This book was so dang eerie, EMF meters were skyrocketing off the charts 😱 Pure Nightmare Fuel if you're a scaredy-cat like me when it comes to hauntings!Regardless, it's guaranteed to Thrill AND Chill you simultaneously!🖤 I gave it 5 Unlucky Hitchhikers/ 5 🥾Is MURDER ROAD for you? 👇🏻Nostalgic 90s Vibes ⏰Small Town, Big Spooks 🏡Urban Legends 👻Gothic Suspense 🦇Serial Killer Mystery 🕵🏼‍♀️Send Shivers Down The Neck of Your Shirt Collar 😰IG @onthe_nightstand

Different to her usual stuff but as always very good

Loved this book, could not put it down!

This was adequate