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Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.
Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.
Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.
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The night it all ended, Vivian was alone.
New favourite mystery alert!! I need to read more thrillers set in motels- they make for the perfect backdrop to a spooky story.
There is something about this kind of mystery that works for me. It is not psychological or domestic- it is a bit quieter and slower moving. The atmosphere is what makes this book so compelling and eerie. You never quite know what is going on and whether or not the paranormal elements are real. I was constantly second guessing myself.
What also makes this book so special is that, at its heart, it is a human story. It is told in two timelines- one in 1982 and the other in 2017. The familial connection between the characters in the separate timelines adds a level of intrigue and helps the reader to become even more invested in their stories. Viv and Carly are lead down similar paths and part of what made the book so interesting was noticing these parallels. There are many times when I read a mystery that I don’t have a lot of clarity on a character’s motivations, but that was not the case with The Sun Down Motel. Both Viv and Carly had different driving forces that were equally compelling. In a lot of ways, this a coming of age story about these two characters venturing out on their own for the first time.
The side characters also shone in this story. Some of them get really invested in the mystery and you find yourself wondering why.
It is so rare that I love a mystery this much. It is right up there with The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell, which is a book I talk about here often. If you are looking for a book to read around Halloween, The Sun Down Motel would be a perfect choice!
- Characters: 9
- Atmosphere/Setting: 10
- Writing Style: 9
- Plot: 9
- Intrigue: 10
- Logic/Relationships: 9
- Enjoyment: 9
Overall CAWPILE score: 65/7=9.2
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I also just finished reading this a couple days ago and loved it. Have you read her book The Broken Girls?
I haven’t but it’s now high on my list, even though I know nothing about it. Have you read it?
I have and I personally loved it!
Gah! This has been on my maybe list for a while, but your review has officially pushed this on my TBR! I also thought The Family Upstairs was a solid mystery novel. Of course my TBR is like a mile long, but still…great review!
It had been on my list for awhile too! I’m so glad I finally got to it.
So maybe I should get this book
It has been on my list for quite some time now
It surprised me just how much I enjoyed it!
I can’t wait to read this one! it’s one of my top thrillers on my TBR.
It was so good!
Great review! I absolutely loved this book!
Me too! A new favourite!
I’ve been considering this book for a while, and now your review has made me add it to my TBR. Thank you!
Yay!! Can’t wait to see what you think.
Ooo this has been on my tbr for a while! I better pick it up soon!!
You must!! It’s so good!
I really need to push this higher up on my TBR! 🙂
You do!! It’s amazing!