This time of year, many readers find themselves reaching for spooky reads or at least spookier than they’d normally seek. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James is a sophisticated ghost story, as well as a compelling story of two young women, two decades apart, seeking justice for those whose voices have been silenced.
The danger the women encounter as they dig into old crimes and the relationships that form as a result keep the reader riveted until the very end. This page-turning novel is the perfect balance of spooky and thought-provoking and will stick with both those with a taste for suspense and those who consider themselves fainter of heart long past the final page.
Just consider yourself forewarned: Keep the lights on while you read.
Raela Schoenherr is an editor at a Minnesota publishing company. She loves to talk books and writing on Twitter at @raelaschoenherr.
