gina_readsbooks 's review for:

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

4.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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“The person who could be truly alone, in the company of no one but oneself and one’s own thoughts—that person was stronger than anyone else.”

I have been putting this one off for so long, and when a friend hyped up the audiobook, I knew to listen to a her since she’s fellow true crime girl. The dedication is: “For the odd girls, the nerdy girls, and the murderinos. This one’s yours.” I knew immediately that I would love this. 

This books feels so atmospheric. It’s feels immersive and eerie, and is perfect for the story that it tells. Alternating timelines chronicle Carly’s search for her missing aunt in 2017 and her Aunt Viv’s time working at the creepy motel. They play into each other so well, and I loved how this leaned into the paranormal aspect. It’s adds such a chilling layer to the story. 

I’m fascinated by missing people, so Carly’s search for her aunt was particularly compelling for me. I also felt like this is a great commentary on how society treats women and the danger of being out alone at night. We see this so often in true crime cases so it was satisfying to see these women so determined to solve each case. It’s a perfect “let the women do the work” book. 

The audiobook is, in fact, excellent. It’s narrated by Brittany Pressley and Kirsten Potter, who do such a great job bringing their timelines to life. There were just a few parts that felt a bit slow, but overall this was so good and spoke to me as a true crime girl. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who follows true crime, and I can’t wait to dig into more books by Simone St. James.