‘Fast, chilling, entertaining, unexpectedly touching, and with two broken, memorable characters at its core, this might be St. James’s best novel yet’ New York Times Book Review
Murder Road by Simone St. James. A Horror Book Review by Debra K. Every
Simone St. James’ newest novel, Murder Road, embraces the bestselling author’s signature genre-blending style. The novel, set in 1995, is part crime, part thriller, part supernatural romp. St. James has a straightforward writing style that makes Murder Road the perfect vacation read. What kept me engaged was tracking the investigation of a string of murders as well as St. James’ escalating supernatural flourishes. Added to the mix were overarching themes of secrets kept, urban legends, and getting lost, both figurately and literally, all of which make Murder Road greater than the sum of its parts.
Murder Road tells the story of Alice and Eddie, newlyweds on their way to a honeymoon cabin at Lake Michigan. A wrong turn finds them on Atticus Line, a deserted road in Coldlake Falls. This being the 90s, there is no GPS to bail them out. As Alice wrestles with a map (Imagine that. A paper map) they spot a woman staggering along the side of the road—not an everyday occurrence at two in the morning. When they stop to offer help, she seems confused. Alice and Eddie offer her a ride.
The woman, Rhonda, is barely coherent as she sits in the back seat of the car. When Amy reaches out, she sees that Rhonda is bleeding. Rhonda apologizes and says, “He’s coming,” and then passes out. They rush her to an emergency room, where the hospital staff takes her in. But it turns out they’re too late. Rhonda dies of multiple stab wounds.
When the police arrive, April and Eddie are told not to leave town.
The police even go so far as to confiscate their car. It quickly becomes apparent that they are the prime suspects in the murder. The couple feel they have no choice but to investigate in order to clear their names.
Eddie is a war veteran with PTSD. He sees things that aren’t there, which makes April’s job all the more difficult, as she tries to sort out what’s real and what’s not. April has her own demons. A tough life spent on the run with her mother who was escaping an abusive marriage. They have to rely on each other in what becomes a life-or-death situation. What I find interesting about April is the way in which she plays the game, changing her personality to suit the situation. She easily moves from sweet, to insistent, to quiet, to charming. Pretty typical for a woman of the time.
The couple get settled at a local B&B where they mount their investigation. They learn that Atticus Line has been the site of numerous murders over the years. But the dark secrets of Coldlake Falls aren’t unique. April and Eddie have their own secrets…from each other, and we are along for the ride as they are all revealed.
Along the way, St. James peoples Murder Road with interesting secondary characters.
I enjoyed the owner of the B&B, Rose. She’s an opinionated, crochety, two-fisted woman who has mastered the curation of small-town gossip. Then there’s the Snell sisters. Think Nancy Drew in the 1990s. Their quirky, bulldog attitude was great fun. I’d love to see St. James write a spin-off novel, or even a series, using Rose and the Snells.
I did have a couple of issues with Murder Road. The two police officers investigating the case are your basic cookie-cutter small town cops. A bit two-dimensional for my taste – small minded, insulting, and just plain silly. I’m also confused by their behavior. Here they are, with a murder that is now added to a string of murders over the years, and they decide to treat April and Eddy as suspects. That didn’t work for me.
Also, it would have been great if there was an expansion of the supernatural elements.
I love how St. James handles these flourishes which make me wish there was more of them. I also would have liked a bit more prep before the big reveal.
But at the end of the day, Simone St. James shines when she’s creating an atmospheric, eerie thriller. Her writing isn’t built on gore or jump scares. She’s best when building a gradual unease that makes the ending that more much satisfying. Murder Road does exactly that.
Murder Road by Simone St. James
GET READY FOR THE SCARIEST READ OF 2024 – a gripping new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases
‘Genuinely creepy. Sent shivers down my spine’ Mark Edwards, bestselling author of Here to Stay
‘A nerve-shredding start with a thrilling end’ Riely Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The Only One Left
—–
April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn.
They’re on a long dark road, late at night, and they see a woman up ahead, clearly in trouble.
They stop and pick her up. It’s only once she’s in the car that they see the blood.
And then they see the headlights, and at last, the woman speaks, her voice faint. “I’m sorry, he’s coming.”
While April and Eddie are able to escape – this time – their terrifying adventure is only just beginning.
The hitchhiker’s injuries prove fatal, and the couple are trapped in the small town of Coldlake Falls, prime suspects in the eyes of local police.
It turns out that this isn’t the first victim to die on this stretch of road, and it isn’t the first time that survivors have seen something that can’t be explained.
But to get out of town, April and Eddie are going to have to drive down that haunted stretch of road one more time…
Ingeniously plotted and heartstoppingly terrifying, are you ready to uncover the secret of Murder Road?
