Read with Sharon - October 2024
Murder Road - Simone St. James
Simone St. James is one of my favorite modern day writers of haunted tales. I first encountered her books when my husband and I were traveling across the country, and I stumbled across The Sun Down Motel. Its cover reminded me of a 1960s rendition of Alfred Hitchcock’s Bates Motel. After a few chapters, I was thinking twice about where we overnighted for the rest of the trip!
St. James’s Murder Road is no different. When a young couple takes a wrong turn on a deserted road, there is no going back, and no escape from the dark history of the nearby town and that horrible stretch of road. while set in the 1990s, it’s not exactly historical fiction, but since Halloween is just around the corner, I thought I’d mix it up!
Inside this reader companion guide you’ll find recipes for Ghostly Puppy Chow and a Haunted High Spirits Cocktail, as well as discussion questions for our book club meeting on Thursday, October 24 at 7 PM Eastern via Zoom. We’ll discuss Murder Road and talk a bit about St. James’s The Book of Cold Cases for those who read it. (I mistakenly listed it as October’s read in one of my newsletters a few months ago.)
Until then, I hope you enjoy The Medicine Woman of Galveston. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
P.S. And please post a photo of yourself reading Murder Road on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #ReadWithSharon
I encourage you to click here to read reviews and buy your own copy.
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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 be 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.
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.
Murder Road - Simone St. James
Book Club Questions
THE CHARACTER’S JOURNEY
- What did you think of April?
- What did you think of Eddie?
THE STORY PLOT
- Newlyweds April and Eddie find themselves under suspicion after trying to help a woman who was gravely injured. Have you ever attempted to help someone and it hasn’t turned out how you planned? Did the experience change how you react in those situations?
- After a difficult childhood, April attempted to live an anony-mous life, trying hard not to stand out or be noticed. What do you think of the choices she made prior to meeting Eddie? Would you have done anything differently in her
situation? - The urban legend of the Lost Girl plays a significant role in the story. Do you know of any local urban legends?
THE ENDING
- Did it work for you? What would you have changed?
- What do you think is the author’s message to readers of Murder Road
- What did you take away from the book?
- Are you left with any questions?
SYMBOLISM AND FORESHADOWING
- Did you notice any symbolism?
- What foreshadowing did you notice?
THE WRITING
- Use one adjective to describe the writing itself.
- What would you change if you could rewrite Murder Road?
DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC
- What did you love most about the book?
- Did the book change any views/opinions that you have?
