Even though they were just trying to help, Eddie and April are out of towners with no reason to be in the area and they are covered with the girl's blood, so they soon fall under suspicion for Rhonda Jean's murder. Although a local cop shows up to interview them, within minutes things are taken over by Detectives Beam and Quentin, state cops who show up very quickly, despite it being in the wee hours of the morning. The couple are once again questioned and their car is taken into evidence, then they are dropped off at a local bed and breakfast run by an angry older woman named Rose, where they can sleep for a few hours before it starts over the next day. They were only trying to help and they are completely innocent of this crime, but they are still scared because both Eddie and April have their share of secrets.
April Delray hasn't always been her name. When she was 12 years old, her mother spirited her away from their home in California in the middle of the night, before her abusive father could wake and stop them. They remained on the run, changing names and cities until April was 18, when her mother suddenly disappeared from her life. April's always kept everyone at arm's length, that is, until Eddie. She finally let someone in, someone who could understand.
Eddie's mom abandoned him when he was 5 or 6 years old, but he was fortunate to be adopted by a wonderful family. He later served in the Gulf War, where he saw the most terrible things and they've haunted him, to the point that he has hallucinations and was discharged from the army. Eddie and April have shared much of their strange past with one another, but neither has shared everything.
So now they are stuck at this B&B decorated in 1990's Princess Diana frou-frou decor, with Rose being angry that the police dropped these potential murderers at her door. It's obvious this couple didn't kill Rhonda Jean, but they soon discover that there have been a string of murders on Atticus Line dating back to the 70's. The first victim was never identified and left by the side of the road to decay, so the locals have dubbed her The Lost Girl and if you see her, the ghost story goes that you're the next to die on Atticus Line. The problem is, when that black truck was barreling down on them, Eddie saw a strange girl in the back of the truck. Or did he?
Eddie and April's altercation with a local in a black truck leads to a potential murder suspect, but what about all of the other murders? The pair team up with local teens, the Snell sisters, to try and solve the murders, because no matter how hard they try to leave Coldlake Falls, Eddie and April end up right back there. But they aren't the only ones digging into the past to solve this crime, and Detective Quentin is finding out more than Eddie or April would like. By the time the whole truth comes out, a few ghosts will have made themselves known and long-buried secrets will come to the surface.
Ghost Road is an incredible read. It's a really terrifying story with its fair share of murder and ghosts, but also psychological horror and messed up family dynamics as well. It twists and turns and I really enjoyed how it played out. If you are looking for a scary read that's not your typical ghost story, check out Murder Road. I loved it and couldn't put it down. Highly, highly recommended.
