It’s a late summer night in 1995 when newlyweds April and Eddie take a wrong turn. Their honeymoon isn’t off to the smoothest start. They’ve been driving for hours, struggling to find the small resort town where they’re supposed to be escaping from the world. Still, they’re basking in the glow of newlywed bliss, content to be lost as long as they’re together. A little detour will just be another story to laugh about someday.
Then, in the glow of their headlights, they see her—a lone hitchhiker standing by the side of the deserted road. Against their better judgment, they stop. What’s a little more of a detour, after all? But as the young woman climbs into their car, April and Eddie notice something chilling: blood is seeping through her jacket. Before they can ask what happened, a pair of headlights appears in the rearview mirror. A truck is coming—fast. And whoever’s behind the wheel isn’t stopping.
By the time the night is over, the hitchhiker is dead, April and Eddie are shaken but alive, and the local police have more questions than answers. A string of unexplained murders has plagued this stretch of road, and now, with no one else to blame, the honeymooners find themselves at the center of it all. Determined to clear their names, April and Eddie begin digging into the town’s shadowy past, only to uncover something far worse than a killer. There’s something unnatural at work here, something that has haunted this road for years. And if they’re not careful, it won’t just take the town’s secrets to the grave. It’ll take them, too.
I was first introduced to Simone St. James through The Broken Girls, and I was immediately drawn in by her ability to blend a gripping mystery with a supernatural touch. Executed with such skill, that combination made me an instant fan and eager to read more of her work. Over the years, she’s released two more novels—each intriguing, though with diminishing returns. The supernatural elements that once captivated me started to feel formulaic, more of a gimmick than an organic part of the story.
Would Murder Road fall into the same trap? I’m happy to say it didn’t. From the start, St. James pulls readers into a deceptively simple setup: a couple wrongly accused of murder. Setting the novel in the 1990s adds a nostalgic, retro feel that heightens the atmosphere, making it easy to sink into the eerie, slow-burning tension. And while the supernatural is still present, it feels more naturally woven into the narrative this time. Ultimately, Murder Road plays like a classic B-movie. It may not be the most groundbreaking thing I’ve ever read, but it is undeniably entertaining. With its ghostly murder mystery and cinematic feel, it delivers precisely what it promises: a chilling, fast-paced thrill ride.
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(2025, 19)
