The novel starts with a hook, a literary component many authours use to pull readers in, to make them want to read their book and guess what? The Sun Down Motel's hook does just that starting the novel on a high and only goes upwards from there. I finished this novel in 4 hours (sorry, not a speed reader here, that is fast for me!) and I bet you will too.

The novel bounces between Vivian in 1982 and Carly in 2017 and blends so seamlessly that you won't be lost in the two converging, eventually merging stories. The Sun Down Motel incorporates the paranormal, ie. ghosts, in an unobtrusive way that even if you are not a big fan of supernatural elements in writing, you still might enjoy The Sun Down Motel. Now, if you do enjoy the paranormal, then you will be thrilled with this novel.

The paranormal aspect does not take away from the main story of this novel which is the journey of Carly discovering what happened to her Aunt and the role the Sun Down Motel had in her disappearance. This is a novel written to keep you on the edge of your seat and is one I definitely think is worth your time.

To put it succinctly - captivating. The two stories, Vivian's and Carly's, are initially linked by only one thing, the Sun Down Motel but as the novel continues, the past and present begin to intertwine and secrets become exposed.

The Sun Down Motel has a suspenseful plot you most likely have not read before and is why it's a recommended read. I enjoyed the uniqueness, the ease of the story, and the satisfying conclusion. What else can you ask for in a novel?

Carly and Vivian, both 20 in their their respective times drive the story. Both women are written differently but I think the whole premise of the novel is how similar the characters are (parallel's anyone?) and as a reader you may notice overlapping personality traits but I think that is the purpose of the novel and does not deter from character creation.

The only gripe you may have with the characters is how instantaneous their love interests are. I am always frustrated by instant friendships/lovers in stories as for me, that is not real life but that is the only frustration for me and potentially you that The Sun Down Motel could provide in regards to characters. Otherwise, they are great.

Especially when each new character was introduced, similar to the The Girl From Widow Hills where when each new character was introduced I assumed they were a murderer, I automatically assumed each new character was a ghost in The Sun Down Motel. All of the characters including the ghosts blended seamlessly into this novel and you will not be disappointed by them.

The ending does not disappoint. The last section of The Sun Down Motel absolutely does not disappoint. It had me grinning and groaning and gasping with surprise and overall, I highly enjoyed this novel and I think you will too.

To reiterate, I highly enjoyed this novel. I was perched on the edge of my couch towards the end especially when Carly and Vivian's journey's combined. The ending?!? When it turns out not only is Vivian alive but also killed Simon? To be fair, it was in self-defense and he was a creepy murderer... I was shaken!

Maybe I am terrible at guessing but I genuinely had no clue Vivian killed him until it was a male body discovered in the car, not a female's. Nothing alluded to that and for a twist, one so understandable and good, that late in the novel? Loved it! Also, anybody else curious about the unknown map of Simon's? I speculate it is a map to previous murder victim's or at least something sinister. What do you think?

The premise of the novel led me to believe The Sun Down Motel was a ghost mystery novel but instead, it was a crime novel with ghosts?? Again, loved the deception! My one gripe is why did certain ghosts stay that weren't linked to Simon? And why were they released when Betty killed them? To me, only ghosts that are avenged are released but maybe her anger let them all become free. What was great was after they were released, the Motel collapsed into despair, as if the ghosts were the only thing keeping it alive. Awesome, spooky - loved it!

The Sun Down Motel is a novel I would gift someone as a present and one I will read again myself in a couple of years, once the plot becomes fuzzy of course. The Sun Down Motel has set me on the path to read other works by Simone St. James and for all that have made it this far in My Thoughts, thanks for reading and let me know what you loved or hated about this novel!