Murder Road

By: Simone St. James

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases.

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 hitchhiker 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.

©2024 Simone St. James (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"From its nerve-shredding start to its thrilling end, MURDER ROAD steers the reader down creepy backroads, past urban legends so vivid you'd swear they were true, and into the marriage of two damaged souls you can't help but root for. Part love story, part campfire tale, it's a trip well worth taking."—Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The Only One Left

“As creepy and unsettling as a rain-faded wreath and teddy bear found by the side of the road to mark a missing person, Murder Road lingers like a ghost long after it’s finished.”—Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House

"From its terrifying opening to its jaw-dropping conclusion, this thriller has it all—small town secrets, ominous dark deeds after midnight, and a young couple desperate to learn the truth before it costs them their very lives. You will follow this shocking road to its climatic end!”—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Still See You Everywhere

Loved the 90’s setting

Another hit with one of my favorite narrators! Love the Snell Sisters, they should have their own book:)

Atmospheric and haunting story that was narrated perfectly.

Both eerily scary and a lovely delve into familial relationships. Rich, poignant characters with well developed lives and individual personal strife. The narrator offered an opportunity to feel, firsthand, the myriad of emotions of the main character. And the other characters were easily imagined and personified. Kudos to Simone St. James for another great story and to Brittany Presley for a lovely narration.

Well written and held my attention.

The reader pleasant to listen to. I didn't guess the ending ahead of time. I will recommed to friends.

Story was fun to follow.

The characters were likeable. The mystery was engaging and kept me guessing. I enjoyed this book.

Unexpected twists

Excellent book and I don’t need to say anymore however this says I have to have a 15 word minimum to submit, which is absolutely stupid

Fantastic!

Great narration, spectacular writing, and an enjoyable reading experience! I recommend this to anyone who loves the thriller genre :)

Okay, not outstanding

Murder Road is a disappointment after enjoying some of St. James’s other books. This one simply did not grab me. I was not invested in the characters, and I did not think that the story was that interesting. The only character I liked was Rose. The sisters were annoying, the main characters anodyne, their investigation pretty dull. The background of the story was neither touching nor frightening. I wanted something scary but got lukewarm storytelling and twists/reveals that were just blah. I found the narrator all right but simpering at times. Overall, I’d rate this somewhere in between “must read” and “must avoid.” Maybe worth a credit if you are a devoted St. James fan and can’t bear to miss a book of hers, but you are not missing much if you skip it, either.

It was a great story..

It was an overall great book. A little bit different than her last several. I still recommend it highly from fans of hers. You won't be disappointed.

Another win for Simone St James

Simone St James never disappoints. Creepy, keeps-you-guessing, and a little bit of romance: it’s the perfect combo for a great read.

I love Simone St. James but this one was a little lite.

I always have appreciated Simone St. James' ability to reel you in with details and character development, and always love the suspense meets supernatural arc her books take. For me, this was boring. I think the premise was really thrilling but the execution was a little middling and confusing, bordering on boring. Will always listen, this was just my least favorite in many years.