Where Is Your Bookmark: My Bookish Mewsings on Murder Road by Simone St. James (& Other Friday Fun)

Along with this mini review, I am linking to both Book Beginnings, a meme in which readers share the first sentence of a book they are reading, hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader and Friday 56 hosted by Anne of My Head is Full of Books, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. 

That July night seemed full of possibility, with the empty highway stretching out before us. [opening of Murder Road]

               ★                    

I stared blindly at the printout of account activity. A week ago, there had been several thousand dollars in the account. Then, a withdrawal of all of it. And now there was nothing. [excerpt from 56% of Murder Road] 

Murder Road by Simone St. James

A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel.

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 hitchiker 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. [Goodreads Summary]

 My thoughts: If it hadn't been for work, I likely would have finished Murder Road in one sitting. Instead it took two. From the very first page, I was glued to the pages. April and Eddie, both with their troubled pasts and very much deserving of some happiness in their lives (but nothing can ever be easy, can it?), won me over instantly. They each suffered childhood trauma along with other hardships, including Eddie's time in Iraq. April is the perfect narrator for this supernatural thriller. She is clever, resourceful and edgy. Trust has never come easy to her, and given her history, it's no wonder why. She never expected to fall in love, much less marry anyone. And yet, she and Eddie share a bond that cannot be easily swayed. I loved how they supported each other throughout the novel, even when faced with the worst.

Simone St. James has a way of portraying a real sense of place in her novels, and it was no different in Murder Road. I felt like I was right there in that small town in Michigan. I experienced the heat and occasional stormy weather right alongside the characters.

Murder Road was creepy and disturbing, and nearly always intense. I was just as suspicious of everyone in town as Eddie and April were, and I enjoyed seeing the pieces of  the puzzle fall into place the more the newlyweds learned. I found the mystery and backstories of the murders and different characters well developed and interesting. The couple get help from a few unlikely sources--and those characters became favorites too. 

Murder Road is my third Simone St. James novel and I have enjoyed every one. I am so glad I have more of her work to look forward to. 

Does this sound like something you would enjoy? If you have read it, what did you think?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. It is hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

Have your reading interests changed over time?

Yes! My reading interests have expanded over the years. I have always had eclectic reading tastes, but  entering the book blogging community all those years ago opened my life to many more books and authors I might not have heard of or tried otherwise. On a smaller scale, my reading interests do tend to ebb and flow, depending on my mood and what is going on in my life. I go through reading phases, sometimes ones that have a quick turnover and others that last longer. Mystery and Fantasy have long competed for the top place in my reading heart (although I very much enjoy reading other genres as well) and that hasn't changed. But I do tend to rotate through the subgenres, on which one or several appeals to me most at varying times. Although I read it again now, I went years without reading romance after burning out on the genre. A more recent example would be my gravitating more towards lighter books with humor and happy endings the last few years--thanks to the pandemic and other life events. I have only recently been finding myself enjoying darker and more serious books again.

What about you? Have your reading interests changed over the years?

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

What's your go-to book to start the summer, and why does it set the tone for the season? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I wish I could tell you I enjoy starting the summer with books featuring beach settings or snowy climates (anything to avoid the reality of summer heatwaves), but that isn't the case. And it isn't to say these types of books don't make great summer reads because they most certainly do! I have heard summer is a good time to dive into that big book or a classic, which I sometimes do, but not really because it is summer time. I am not much of a re-reader and so do not have a go-to book to kickstart the summer season (although my husband did point out that I have read the latest Electra McDonnell mystery by Ashley Weaver at this time of year for the past four years--I would argue that I have read it in the spring, not summer, so it doesn't count). My reading choices are more random than planned when it comes to the start of summer generally. I haven't decided yet which book will be my first for this summer (I can't believe it officially starts next week!). I could be one of the books I am currently reading or another book entirely. Whatever it is, I hope it will be a good one!

Do you have a go to book to kick off the summer season? 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading!

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