Murder Road is one of the creepiest, gripping, hauntingly good thrillers I have read this year. What a book! A fun road trip that has gone wrong which game me Jeeper’s Creeper’s feels throughout. From a terrifying start to a shocking end, this book is fast-paced, a real page turner, spine chillingly good, full of suspense and twists which had me guessing all the way through. I absolutely loved it! This book is perfect for fans of thrillers and books by Helen Fields, Lisa Jewell, B.P Walter and Jack Jordan. I can’t wait to read more books by Simon St. James. Finally, I want to say a huge thank you to publishers, Michael Joseph, for sending me a finished copy of, Murder Road.

Murder Road by Simone St James is an excellent page-turner. I was drawn into the story very quickly, and I was finished the last page in no time at all.

This marks my first venture into the works of this author, and it certainly did not disappoint. From the outset, the narrative brims with tantalizing mysteries that persist until the final chapters, heightening the story's eerie atmosphere. As I delved deeper, the allure of unraveling each twist became irresistible, culminating in a spine-tingling encounter that left me reaching for the light switch. The characters proved equally engaging, particularly the two troubled souls who find solace in each other's company. Even the supporting cast, such as the seemingly harsh Rose with a heart of gold, the inquisitive Snell sisters teetering on the brink of danger, and the initially abrasive Quentin who reveals unexpected depth, were fully fleshed out and added depth to the narrative. Overall, this impeccably crafted tale held me captive from start to finish, showcasing the author's skill in weaving a gripping thriller.

It’s July 1995 and newlyweds Eddie and April are driving to their honeymoon at Five Pines Resort when Eddie takes a wrong turn. April, who has been asleep in the passenger seat, senses they’re lost the moment she wakes up. Trying to correct Eddie’s mistake, they spot a young woman by the side of the road. Unable to leave the woman on her own on such a dark, lonely road the Carters offer her a lift. Reluctantly the woman agrees but it soon becomes clear that they need to get to a hospital ASAP. Because the woman is bleeding from a horrific stomach wound all over the back seat of their car. When the hitchhiker utters the words ‘I’m sorry, he’s coming’ both Eddie and April know they’ve somehow ended up in a nightmare, and this is only the beginning… Murder Road is a highly addictive, thoroughly gripping supernatural thriller which I devoured over the course of a day. Chilling, engrossing and nigh-on impossible to put down, I was drawn into April and Eddie’s story as they became prime suspects for the murder of Rhonda Jean, the hitchhiker they picked up on Atticus Line. With little to no evidence, Detective Quentin and his bumbling, less-effective partner, Detective Beam, do everything in their power to make the evidence stick. Because Rhonda Jean isn’t the first hitchhiker to be killed on that particular stretch of road. Sure there is more to the story, April decides to dig further into the horrific deaths that have been happening since the 1970s on Atticus Line. But the truth is more terrifying than April ever imagined it could be. Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I loved Murder Road with its atmospheric, creepy setting and small-town vibes. I fell completely in love with April and Eddie who both have their own secrets which they are yet to tell their new spouse. The other characters are all so wonderfully written. Detective Quentin is deliciously frustrating and highly antagonising. He’s like a dog with a bone and just won’t quit. He’ll do whatever it takes to make the few facts he has stick to April and Eddie. He makes some highly inappropriate moves to ensure there is tension between April and Eddie. Violence is never the answer but I was ready to thump him one! Detective Beam is the more crumpled, older detective. Waiting it out until the day he can claim his pension but he’s more than happy to offer up his opinion on April. Both Detectives take an instant dislike to April. But have they got the true measure of her? I have to mention Rose who is the owner of the B&B the couple stay at. She’s highly disagreeable with a gruff exterior. But when it comes to Eddie, her frosty shell does melt a little. In a town where Eddie and April are very much alone, Rose is the only person on their side. The characters are all so beautifully written. It was a joy (if a somewhat unnerving joy!) to spend time in their company. The plot moves at a steady, intriguing pace with twists and turns along the way keeping the reader immersed in the story. Personally, I was hooked throughout. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! It’s been a while since I last felt so completely absorbed by a book. All in all, I loved Murder Road. I’ve been wanting to read a Simone St. James book for a while now having heard so many positive things about the author’s writing and I’m so pleased I started with this one (I have a couple on the TBR but I haven’t had a chance to read them yet). It’s a creepy, unsettling tale with an overarching, cleverly crafted sense of impending doom and I loved every moment of it. Absolutely excellent in every respect. Highly recommended.

July 1995. Wow. That’s how you start a novel, foot on the gas, 0-100 mph immediately. Eddie and April Carter are on their way to their honeymoon motel when he takes the wrong exit from the interstate. It’s dark, so dark, but then the headlights pick out a walker at the side of the road, they slow down and soon realise that something is very wrong. This is Rhonda Jean, she’s badly hurt, they persuade her to get into their car and set off for Coldlake Falls, Michigan, perilously pursued by a truck. When Rhonda dies, the couple are cast as a suspects and furthermore, it transpires that the road they pick her up on is Atticus Line, and Rhoda isn’t the first murder on that road, not by a long chalk. This is the Murder Road. What follows is certainly not the honeymoon that April hopes for as she narrates the mysterious and atmospheric tale. Oh my days. To say there is tension in the air from the start is an understatement. From the get go, I have so many questions in my head and I love books like that. First of all, there’s an air of mystery attached to April. Who is she? Where is she from? She becomes increasingly disconnected and uncertain about why they ended up on THAT road. Why did Eddie take that particular turning ? There seems no rational explanation. What does he have to say about it?? What’s his story too? The characterisation of the couple is excellent and then there are the strange characters in Coldlake Falls in particular, Detectives Quentin and Beam. They appear on the spot very rapidly and that seems odd. They then seem to be playing an unpredictable game of cat and mouse with the couple and you feel their confusion. Then we have to consider their strange landlady, Rose, at the B and B the detectives insist they stay at. After an unpromising start, Rose thaws and begins to help them especially about the Murder Road and the ghostly legends of the Lost Girl. “If you see her you’ll be next “. This part of the storytelling is fantastic and riveting. This well written novel is chock full of moments of fear, of mounting dread, its sinister, eerie, spooky and downright creepy at times with some fantastic imagery so you can picture scenes vividly. There are moments when there is tangible menace, your nerves jangle and chills go up and down the spine. Some scenes are so suspenseful with tension that is so taut I realise I’ve held my breath. When the truth comes, well now, that’s a stranger thing though perhaps the ending could have packed more of a punch since what precedes it sure does. Overall, it’s chilling and gripping and at times a horrifying supernatural tale and a definite page turner. The 90’s timescale perfectly fits and the context is excellent. At times it put me in mind of “Don’t look now” … and that still creeps me out all these years later!! This is a novel that will stick in the mind.