A BOX FULL OF DARKNESS

4 stars out of 5

Small-town Fell, New York, isn’t exactly a great place to call home. Over the years, it’s had way more than its share of deaths – way too many of them total mysteries. The Esmie family is just one example; all their lives, siblings Violet, Vail and Dodie lived with scary things that went bump in the night, a friend whose body was found by railroad tracks and the disappearance of their much-loved young brother, Ben, who went missing as they played hide-and-seek like other kids do (just not those who live in Fell). Never feeling loved by their parents, the siblings took off for various parts doing various things.

But in many ways, they never left. They all have visions of past horrors; Violet is perhaps the most haunted, since she “sees” dead people – including an especially nasty one she knows only as “Sister.” But one other thing they have in common: they’ll never part with their family home, even hiring people to maintain the grounds – mostly because they all hope that someday their precious brother will be found.

Then one day comes a sign; some of the groundskeepers claim to have seen people at the old homestead, including a small boy who spoke the eerie words, “Come home.” Violet, the eldest child, gets the message; certain it came from Ben, she knows there’s only one thing to do: all three must drop everything to come home. For Violet, who cleans estate homes for a living, it’s a snap. For Dodie, a hand model in New York City, it means canceling her latest gig. Vail, who lives on family money and is a volunteer with the UFO society and worked on solving more than 20 “encounters,” it means eagerly picking up his investigation tools and hopping in his car. Not one of the three has a clue as to what they’ll find, but all three are certain they’ll at least get closer to solving the mystery of their missing brother.

Much of the book follows each of the siblings, both now and back when they were kids. Usually, I get frustrated with all that flipping back and forth, but with only the three it’s not very difficult. Besides, the Stephen Kind-ish aspect to the story, while not freaked-out scary, held my attention throughout. It’s also interesting in that they never really “got along” well and still don’t communicate much, but when it comes to finding out what happened to their much-loved baby brother, they’re of a single mind (well, almost; there are a few dissentions within the ranks on occasion).

Yes, there’s a big “revelation” near the end that pulls things together and brings closure, at least of sorts; that said, I felt a bit of a letdown, expecting a more shocking finale. Overall, though, it was a welcome treat to jazz up a somewhat ho-hum holiday season for me and keep my mind off worry about what next year will hold. Well done, and quite enjoyable. I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to give myself a much-needed break by way of a pre-release copy.

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James (Berkley, January 2026); 352 pp.

MURDER ROAD

4 stars out of 5

I'm a big fan of this author, and once again, she didn't disappoint. This story is a little bit ghostly, a little bit thriller and a whole lot entertaining.

Mind you, I've got to be honest; the ghostly part was a tough sell. It's not that I don't believe in "connections" with those who've gone before us; it's that this story relied a little too much on seeing things that couldn't possibly (in my mind) have been there. Still, it was impossible not to get caught up in the goings-on - especially when there are more than a few twists to keep things interesting.

Newlyweds Eddie and April Carter are off on their honeymoon (well, she hasn't had time to officially change her name to his, but she's planning to do that when they get back home to Ann Arbor, Michigan). Eddie once served in Iraq, and he still suffers from PTSD of sorts. While driving to their rental cabin upstate, he apparently misses a turn and ends up on remote Atticus Line Road. As they drive along, they spot an odd light; soon afterward, they see a body at the side of the road. It turns out to be girl who says her name is Rhonda Jean and that "He's coming!" Oh, and one other little thing: she's covered in blood. They manage to get her to a hospital, though not before a truck nearly runs them down.

But their good Samaritan efforts go for naught when the victim dies and the local police consider them the top suspects - not only for the murder of the young woman who died, but of several other hitchhiking victims who have met with foul play along this desolate road. But as they're finally in the clear - sort of - they're accosted by another victim; this one convinces them to hang around and try to find the real killer (or killers). As the story progresses, readers learn that both Eddie and April are victims of their own pasts - pasts that hold secrets they haven't shared with anyone including each other and that might hold answers to some of the mysteries they're encountering.

As I said at the beginning, it's an entertaining adventure from start to finish, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Murder Road by Simone St. James (Berkley, March 2024); 350 pp.

THE BOOK OF COLD CASES

4 stars out of 5

Stories that go bump in the paranormal night (or even touch upon it) aren't my usual fare, but this one sounded intriguing so I went for it. Now that I'm done, I don't hesitate to recommend it to fans of the genre as well as those like me who normally prefer their thrillers a little less spirited.

In Claire Lake, Oregon, by-day medical receptionist Shea Collins is an after-hours operator of the Book of Cold Cases, a true crime website. Her interest in the topic was prompted by a horrific childhood experience - escaping an attempted abduction that could have proved deadly. When a patient named Elizabeth (Beth) Greer comes into the medical office one day, Shea recognizes her from a much-publicized and never forgotten incident in 1977, when Beth, the beautiful and eccentric daughter of wealthy parents, was charged and subsequently tried for the savage murder of two men. No motive was found - the murders were thought to be random - and ultimately, jurors found her not guilty. Since then, she's led a secluded life in the garish mansion in which she grew up with unloving, always fighting parents - a father who was murdered in cold blood and mother who later died in an accident.

Intrigued but not hopeful for success, Shea contacts Beth to ask for an interview. To her surprise, Beth agrees - allowing Shea to visit her in the family mansion. And therein lies a problem; every time Shea visits, strange things happen; faucets turn on, cupboard doors open and objects move around - kinda cool, I suppose, except that no one but Beth and Shea are in the house at the time. For her part, Beth seems to accept what's going on around her; Shea, though, isn't quite so comfortable.

Still, she refuses to stop investigating, connecting with several people involved in the years-ago case and even Beth's longtime family attorney - most of whom agreed to provide insights and information at Beth's surprising request. Chapters shift from what's happening in the here and now to Beth's and Shea's childhood experiences, all shedding light on what really happened that formed the women they've both become. For the record, neither Shea nor Beth was particularly likable despite their youthful circumstances; only two characters, a police officer and Shea's private investigator, came across as "normal" (for wont of a better word). And while the supernatural elements weren't overly obtrusive, I kept waiting for a plausible explanation that (understandably) never came.

So here's the skinny from my perspective: If you like your thrillers sprinkled with Twilight Zone dust, this one should be right up your alley (hey, if a nonbeliever like me can enjoy it...) And also for the record, I think this would make a great movie or TV series. Whether or not that happens, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. That I failed to finish it by the release date is on me - and for that I apologize profusely.

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James (Berkley, March 2022); 350 pp.

THE SUN DOWN MOTEL

5 stars out of 5

Do you believe in zombies, ghosts and things that go bump in the night? Neither do I, unless I'm in the middle of a Stephen King novel - or this one. What could be more perfect for reading over a couple of icy cold winter nights?

The story takes place in the quintessential creepy place: A broken-down motel in small-town upstate New York, where lodgers - at least those who actually exist - typically stay one night, pay in cash and leave at odd hours. In 1982, a young night clerk (yes, there was one, if only to deter vagrants from trashing the already disheveled rooms) named Vivian Delaney mysteriously disappears - never to be found. That bothers Carly Kirk, a college student who happens to be Viv's niece. Long a lover of murder stories, in 2017 she leaves college and sets out for remote Fell, New York, to look into her aunt's disappearance.

Carly finds an apartment with another young woman, and once she sees the Sun Down Motel, she realizes the best way to learn more is by working there. Low and behold, the mostly absent owner needs a night clerk - and you guessed it, Carly gets the job. Chapters flip back and forth to the perspectives of Viv and Carly (switching so often that I nearly got whiplash until halfway through, when I was able to keep each time frame in perspective). Almost from her first night at the desk, Carly hears and sees strange things - some of the same things that, readers learn through those flashbacks, Viv experienced as well. Clearly, this motel has sordid secrets; and if Viv has gone to her grave as Carly suspects, it'll take some digging to unearth them.

But terrified as she may be, Carly is nothing if not determined. Gradually, she identifies people who were there when Viv disappeared - some human, some cooperative and others not so much on both scores - but just as her aunt did all those years ago, she pushes on at her own peril. Then and now start coming together near the end, bringing some not entirely unexpected "surprises." Needless to say, you won't learn anything more about that from me.

Without a doubt, this is a book that reeled me in and I didn't want to put down (and except for sleeping, I didn't). Definitely a winner, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get a pre-release peek.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James (Berkley, February 2020); 336 pp.

THE BROKEN GIRLS

5 stars out of 5

Once I started this book, except for refilling my beer glass, grabbing a quick sandwich and catching a few zzzzs, I didn't put it down. Yes, folks, I loved it - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.

The story opens in 1950 at Idlewild Hall in Vermont, a boarding school for girls who just don't fit in anywhere else. Four of the school's incorrigibles become unlikely roommates, and they band together to try and make their lives less miserable and deal with rumors that the school is haunted by a mysterious woman named Mary Hand. Then, one of the four leaves for an unexpected weekend visit with relatives and is never seen again. 

Now it's 2014, when the long-abandoned school buildings and property are purchased by a buyer who plans to restore the place to its former glory and reopen it as a school. Local freelance writer Fiona Sheridan decides to do a story on the property. Fiona's interest, though, goes beyond the typical historical approach; 20 years ago, her older sister Deb was murdered - her body dumped in a field near the school. Deb's boyfriend was convicted and has been in jail ever since, but Fiona always suspected he might be innocent. Fiona's boyfriend, local cop Jamie, is less than enthusiastic about digging up old bones (so to speak); but her father, a well-known but mostly retired journalist, stands behind her.

As the story progresses, flashback chapters offer details of what was going on in 1950 from the perspective of each of the four roommates, while "here and now" chapters outline Fiona's efforts to gather information for her story. But the more she learns, the more she's sure she still needs to learn - and the more she meets resistance from people who would go to extreme lengths to ensure that what happened in the past stays in the past. Interesting connections turn up, including a tie-in with the Holocaust, and there are more than a few twists (some surprising, others not so much) along the way as well.

Definitely a winner for me - highly recommended!

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James (Berkley, March 2018); 334 pp.