The Sun Down Motel - Simone St. James

The Sun Down Motel, by Simone St. James, came to me unsolicited from Danielle Keir at Penguin Random House.  And it's even in a ready-to-go hardcover!  When that happens, which is not very often, I feel obligated to read the book.  As the French say, it's a comme si, comme sa situation.  But, fortunately, I liked it.  Voila (get it?...more French?) the synopsis:

Upstate New York, 1982.  Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York.  But something isn't right at the motel, something haunting and scary.

Upstate New York, 2017.  Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her Aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born.  Carly decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982.  And she finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

I believe I just went through this with you all in my last review.  Once again we are going back and forth between 2 different timeframes.  In this case, it's only 35 years vs. almost 80 in BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN. And I have to say that I didn't connect with the 2 protagonists quite the same way in Sun Down as I did in BLIAST.  But it's still a good read.  This is Simone's 7th book and my 1st.  Considering I've been a blogger for 9+ years, and a lifelong (which, reversed, is an accurate description of my age!) reader, I'm amazed at how many writers I don't know.  Well that's not the case with Simone St. James any more.  And I will be waiting for her next one.