Author: Simone St. James
Genre: thriller, murder mystery (serial killer edition)
Rating: 5/5
Verdict
*slight spoilers ahead*
The Sun Down Motel is a novel centred around women. Women die, women go missing. But women also investigate, research and hunt. They are preyed upon but fight, silenced but still vocal. In this book we transcend time as we join Carly to solve decades old mysteries once and for all.
In 1982 Vivian Delaney went missing. Her body was never found and she was soon presumed dead. In 2017, following the death of her mother Carly decides to investigate and find out what happened to her Aunt Viv. She visits Fell and finds herself falling down the same rabbit hole as her aunt and discovers Vivian wasn’t the only tragedy of that era; quite a few young women were murdered in and around Fell.
Throughout the book we jump between 1982 and 2017 Fell, alternating between the perspectives of Vivian and Carly as they solve the mystery that surrounds The Sun Down Motel and it’s inhabitants. I liked the use of alternating timelines for the narrative; checking out synopses of St James’ other books this appears to be a preference for her. The jumps between times were seamless for me, I found myself not recognising whether I was in 1982 or 2017 at points. The transitions were smooth and helped cultivate a fast paced atmosphere as we move with both Vivian and Carly to track down the killer.
The motel itself acts as the anchor; across both time periods it remains unchanged. Similar to Wuthering Heights, it’s a place stuck in time and haunted by its residents (living and otherwise). The motel is haunted by those that died there, all of whom are unhappy and stuck. In fact everything and everyone seems stuck in this town, which is made incredibly clear by the absence of real technological advancement. I couldn’t imagine a place not having wifi but if anywhere did it would be The Sun Down Motel, making the experience of staying there even more miserable.
I think the main reason I love this book so much is because of the parallels between female victims then and today. When the murders of those young women are all first reported on by the media in this novel, the articles are biased. Similar to today the responsibility is placed on women – rather than being victims the articles all hint at how these women must have been asking for it, even that they deserved it. Articles on Vivian talk about how vivacious and popular she is, when her narrative shows her to be quiet and reserved. The female image is warped to help explain why the violence happens, it’s the laziness of the system. The expected reaction for other women in Fell is for them to stay at home and lock their doors. By going out and about they’re asking to be next. No accountability is placed on the murderer, none on the police. To survive, women have to look out for themselves. And by 2017, nothing changed. Even in real life today, nothing has changed.
The characters are diverse in this novel, with a range of strange and articulate individuals introduced throughout the story. Fell might be a quiet little town stuck in time, but its population is vivid and strong. Even in death, they demand to be heard. Are the characters detailed? Not deeply, but we know enough. Their motives are clear and they have a purpose. Every character contributes to the overarching narrative.
The Sun Down Motel has been a great start to my 2022 reading challenge. Simone St James wrote a novel that captured my attention and held it – which in general has been a difficult thing to do recently. In Simone St James I think I’ve found a new author who has a plethora of books for me to discover and enjoy.
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Escape Through The Pages 