ARC Review: A Paranormal Thriller

Murder Road by Simone St. James

Publication Date: March 5, 2024

Summary from NetGalley:

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

ARC provided by Berkeley Publishing Group via NetGalley for an honest review.

Confession:

This hauntingly addictive read draws you in from the start and just doesn’t let you go. The immersive writing really makes you feel for the young couple caught up in a tragic event in a small town. There is a supernatural element that is there from the start and just adds to the creepiness and darkness of this tale. But it is not just about a supernatural killer, it is also about family drama and tragic pasts and small town ghosts.

The story revolves around the story of Eddie and April, who make a wrong turn while driving to their honeymoon destination. The story is only told from April’s point of view, but you get to know both characters quite well. We learn pretty quickly that both of these young people have lived very tragic lives and feel lucky that they have found each other. Even though I never felt like I could totally trust either of these characters, their stories helped to make the mystery that unfolds more realistic. I loved how resilient both of them were and how they supported each other throughout the book, even as lies about their pasts catch up to them.

There is a wonderful cast of secondary characters ranging from the detectives who harassed and accused April and Eddie of murder, to the B&b owner who ends up being an ally. I loved the two Snell sisters, two young ladies who are into conspiracy theories and really help April and Eddie with their investigation. These two girls gave a little light in such a dark story.

The story itself is well plotted and paced with lots of good twists that will keep you guessing. There were some plot elements that were very predictable, but I enjoyed the journey so much that I didn’t really care. What was really happening with the murders was pretty obvious from the start, and my only complaint is that the motive wasn’t as explained as well I would have liked. But the writing is wonderful and you really feel what it is like to be in this small town in Michigan in 1995.

This is only the second book that I have read by this author, but it is really making me want to read more. I love the supernatural elements that she adds to her stories. If you like your mysteries dark, twisty and creepy with believable characters that you can root for then this is a book you must read.