Simone St. James has become an auto-buy for me. Her mystery thrillers, horror stories, and ghostly tales have all been fantastic. Murder Road was an atmospheric tale about a series of missing person/murders along a stretch of highway in Michigan called Atticus Line. You’ll want to turn the phone off and dive in.
by Simone St. James
Narrator: Brittany Pressley
Length: 9 hours and 10 minutes
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 4.5 cups Speed: 1.5x
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.
It’s 1995 and April and Eddie just got hitched. They are driving to a small lakeside resort in Michigan to spend their honeymoon. The two make a wrong turn and end up in Cold Lake Falls when they help a young woman on a dark, deserted highway known as Atticus Line. The two find themselves murder suspects and the tale that unfolds was chilling.
St. James knows how to spin a good story and she hooked me from the first chapter. April and Eddie both have some baggage and as the story develops, we learn about their pasts as they try to hunt down a killer.
The mystery is about murders and missing people off of Atticus Line, with a focus on the first victim known as “The Lost Girl.” James wove in supernatural elements that had me gripping my Kindle more than once.
Local police, Rose, the woman who hosts April and Eddie and the Snell sisters (locals who research the murders) added to the tale and sometimes stole the show. The author gave us well developed, complex, witty, and weird characters. I loved Rose and the sisters.
The author threw in some twists as April & Eddie investigated, some I saw coming and others I did not. This might not be a full horror novel, but the murders and happenings on Atticus Line were truly eerie and gave me chills.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the narration by Brittany Pressley and she added to the atmospheric tale. The story lends itself perfectly to audio. So whether you read or listen, prepare for chills.
About Simone St. James
Simone St. James is the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare, which won two RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school, and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled cat.
About Brittany Pressley
Audiobook Narrator of over 450 titles. Voice Over for brands including Stouffer's, Tic Tac, Ulta Beauty, Whirlpool and more. Series regular on the Netflix animated shows Robocar Poli and Winx Club.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Lorna
I really liked the book as well and love Brittany Pressley narrating. My favorites by her all seem to be the haunted house ones. Haunted Road was certainly different.
Kimberly
Yes, I only have one of her back list left to read.
Sophie
I always listen to her books and I think Brittany is just the perfect narrator for that kind of books! Great review!
Katherine
I have really enjoyed the books I’ve listened to by this author. They translate so well to audio and this one sounds absolutely amazing. I might need to spend my next Audible credit on this one. Glad to see you enjoyed it so much!
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
I’ve been telling my mom and aunts they need to try this author, still sounds like one to share. Great review!
Rachel @Waves of Fiction
Love Simone St. James and Brittany Pressley! I’m looking forward to this one!
Kim
This sounds REALLY good. My husband would love it.
Ethan
I’ve had very mixed reactions to her last couple of books, but this one sounds like it has all the right ingredients. I may need to dip my toes back into her writing again!
Anne - Books of My Heart
I’ve had mixed feelings about this author. Probably because I’m not as big on horror or ghosts as some people. I’m glad it was such a good one for you.
Sophia Rose
Oh my stars, yes, this one had some horror vibes, but I couldn’t put it down. 🙂
Jessica @ a GREAT read
OOh nice! I have her books piling up in my TBR pile and I can’t wait to add this one to it! Pretty much need all of her mysteries at this point! Lol! Great review!