A review by maddycumerlato
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

What. A. Ride. The Sun Down Motel is the perfect mix of Nancy-Drew murder mystery and old Hollywood “El Royale” influence.

The novel is split into two perspectives; the first, a young Vivian Delaney looking for a new start in NYC but ending up as a night clerk for a seedy motel, and the second, Vivian’s niece Carly who follows her footsteps 35 years later. The two stories interweave with each other as
both women search for the answer to a series of murders in the small New York town
. This structure, while it was a bit confusing to keep up with, was incredibly satisfying when one woman would learn something and the other slowly crept upon the same answer in a later chapter. So many loose ends coming together… nothing more satisfying than that!

The characters of this novel were strong and multi-faceted, realistic in their words and their actions, but not too overly developed (is that a thing? Personally I think it is, so we’re going with it).
I especially loved Officer Alma Trent and her kind sternness from the 1982 timeline, as well as rugged hotel guest Nick and friendly yet timid roommate Heather from the 2017 timeline.
Carly, on the other hand, reads a bit traditional “I’m not like other girls and love to read, how crazy!!1!1!1!1!1” which is… slightly off putting. But can be overseen!!

I absolutely love this book and i think it’s perfect for a bit of a spook!!
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