I rarely write negative reviews and hate doing so. I know authors work really hard on their novels and it’s such a difficult thing to do. Unfortunately this book just missed the mark for me. When I first started I was really intrigued over the potential of where the story might go however as it went on I just couldn’t get into it. I kept reading hoping things would improve but it didn’t happen for me.

I did think the ending was good as it did wrap up the story for me and didn’t leave me with any questions.

Overall the writing was good but I wish the author went deeper into character development. I think if you enjoy stories that jump back and forth from past to present then you will enjoy it.

This one started out interestingly enough. A scrappy documentary film making group descends upon the village of Silvertjarn, to try and figure out the mystery that made every single resident of the town vanish 60 years ago. Just poof, gone without a trace. The main character, Alice, has ties to the town. Her grandmother grew up there and had moved away a couple years before whatever happened took place. She lost her whole family.

Alice is a film student who has failed to launch. She’s seen some of her peers go on to make films or find work, but she’s kind of stuck and this film is basically her one chance to get a foothold in the film business and do the work she wants to do. She somehow manages to call in favors and has friends join her. It’s a crew of 5 with two vans and limited supplies. They have 5 days to uncover something that will make their film intriguing.

When they arrive, the town is overgrown and the buildings are crumbling. And as they start to look through the town to figure out what has happened, weird things start occurring. Are there ghosts? Is someone there? Did something supernatural happen? Or is there an explanation?

The Lost Village has a an amazing premise, but it fell slightly flat for me. It did pick-up in the last third or so of the book, but I’m left with a lot of questions. This one would be a great book club pick. I know there would be people who loved it and people who hated it (which makes for the best kind of club read!)

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out March 23.

I have been anticipating this book since I first heard about it. This is a thriller that revolves around the disappearance of 900 residents living in a small village. A descendant of one of the villagers decides to make a documentary. This book covers what the team who is sent to investigate the disappearance finds out and experiences. Spooky and thrilling, and an overall fun read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

(Review already appears on Goodreads / Awaiting Amazon to allow reviews)
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Overview: In 1959, an entire village of people disappeared. Sixty years later, documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt takes a small crew to old mining town in search of answers. It takes but a day for things to go wrong. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. It would appear that the town isn’t as empty as it appears.

The Good: The portrayal of the town is subtle, but haunting. I couldn’t help but imagine Silent Hill during much of this story. I was very quickly tangled up in the imagery of this place and drawn to its mystery. Personally, I am the kind of reader and writer that obsesses over a setting – it’s almost as important to me as any leading character. My image of Silverjartin didn’t transform itself it much during the course of this story, but it was cold and threatening all the same. I also found the suspense light, but sharp throughout; I was intrigued and focused, but never really pushed into an adrenaline-fueled read. This made for a smooth, yet delightfully eerie couple of days.

The Bad: Unless I missed it, there was never any definitive display of brainwashing by the pastor. His sermons sounded like anything else you’d hear in church. So, how is it a whole village became violent at his command? Why were they worshiping his every step and sleeping in his altar?

The Takeaway: Despite its shortcomings, The Lost Village succeeds in painting a dismal picture. I felt the wet cold in my bones of Silverjartin, as well as the unsettling sense of eyes upon my back. The Lost Village may not be visceral or exciting horror, but it is disturbing and ideal for a wintry read.
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 Snow- Capped Press (www.snowcappedpress.com / Issue 01 Expected Spring 2021)
 Review by Aiden Merchant (Closed to review requests at time of posting / Refer to social media accounts or website for changes to availability)
 Reviewer’s Information: (e) contact@aidenmerchant.com / (w) www.aidenmerchant.com

Finishing this with the wind whistling in the woods outside my home, I confess to feeling more than a little jittery at the thought of this story.
The Lost Village focuses on a mystery that has puzzled people for years...a village where all 900 inhabitants mysteriously disappeared, leaving no trace of their presence. The only person found when someone later entered the village was a young baby. A grisly scene met the people who rescued the baby - the body of a woman who had been stoned to death in the village square. Of course, people want to know what happened.
In the present day we have filmmaker Alice whose grandmother used to live in the village. She received letters from her family when she first moved, but had no idea what happened to them. She shared stories about village life with Alice, so this is very much a personal journey.
This personal involvement leads to what can best be described as a blinkered passion. Alice has spent years dreaming of making a film about the village and documenting what happened. She manages to track down the daughter of the baby found in the village (this isn’t a spoiler, though this fact isn’t shared with all the cast who journey to the village to shoot material to secure backing for their film).
From the moment they arrive in the village, Alice and her crew sense something eerie about the place. Of course, their unease starts to grow and we’re never quite sure whether the mysterious noises and sightings are products of unsettled minds or something more threatening.
As the story progresses the growing unease is well-captured. When it becomes clear they are trapped in the village it doesn’t bode well. This claustrophobic sensation is increased as Sten cuts into our present story with the narrative of incidents in the village leading up to the disappearance. The threat is real...and once this is clearly established it became (for me) scarier but also enabled me to develop some empathy for the characters who I wasn’t unduly concerned about initially.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me access to this prior to publication.

I can’t decide between 3 and 4 stars, so I’m splitting the difference and going with 3.5 for now.

Many reviews, and the synopsis itself, liken this book to The Blair Witch Project. I did not know/remember this fact before reading it, so as I began to move through the story I kept thinking that it had similar vibes to TBWP. Same creepiness, same suspense, same weird happenings, same gone on a trip for a documentary. But that’s where the similarities end.

The Lost Village follows the years-old story of 900 residents suddenly disappearing without a trace, leaving behind baffling and unexplainable clues. Now, a documentary film crew have returned to the village to see if they can find anything new and shed light on what happened all those years ago.

Creepy, suspenseful, suck-you-in drama, this book is a quick read, though not quite the horror story I was expecting.

Thank you to Camilla Sten, St Martin’s Press, Minotaur Book, and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an e-Galley ARC of The Lost Village, authored by Camilla Sten, translated by Alexandra Fleming, from Minotaur Books and NetGalley. Below is my honest review, freely given, I am thankful for the opportunity.

I rated this novel 3 stars. The premise is one I find well suited for horror, there are historical examples to look to and draw from, and even now I enjoy learning about real world mysteries such as missing communities or peoples.

Silvertjärn was a town of growing secrets, the most pressing we are introduced to in the opening chapter, setting the tone for the book with a delicious chill of horror. The next gives us the present day characters traveling to the town. This almost alternating pattern will continue throughout the book, which I liked. Often the crew would pass a theory around or mention something from a letter, and the following chapter would reveal how close to the truth they were or expand on the moment written about; giving voice to the original townspeople directly added a nice separation of time and culture.

The characters were of complex personalities, refreshingly muddled as humans truly are; no brightly shining knights or achingly pure heroines, though Mattias does have a harsher judgement from me (I am not a fan of him). What occurred is slowly built for the reader in the glimpses of the past; in the present nerves are frayed ever thin as an imagined or unknown presence is felt circling the crew.

The latter half fell apart for me. Not in that it was unbelievable, but to me there were indications the story could lean into a supernatural aspect or a subtle blend of supernatural and realism; in backing away or refusing to commit, I felt it left some threads dangling.

Creepy and atmospheric, The Lost Village is a cross between Midsommar and The Blair Witch Project. Alice is trying to make a documentary on Silvertjarn, an old mining town where her grandmother used to live. All 900 residents of the village seemingly disappeared in 1959. Only a murdered (stoned to death) woman and a newborn infant were left behind. So she gathers a crew and sets out to explore what really happened. Except strange occurances are afoot. And maybe the village isn't as empty as Alice thought.
I really enjoyed this novel, however I feel like the ending was a bit abrupt. I needed a little more to tie up the loose ends. The epilogue should have included more about Alice and her friends...and I'll just leave that there since I don't want to include spoilers.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.*

Ever since I heard about The Lost Village I was overly excited to get my hands on it and finally read it.

It started out strong. It had an ominous feeling right from the start as Alice and her crew drive into the abandoned mining town her grandma grew up in. It felt cinematic and that’s a characteristic that thankfully carried on throughout the novel. I think this would make an amazing movie.

Plot wise, I was hoping for a bit more build up in regards to the creepy happenings that were sprinkled in. I wanted more. I had high hopes that this would be unsettling or that it would be a book I’d question reading at night and still pick up despite that. Unfortunately it missed the mark there. On the plus side, there were certain revelations and further explorations of them that I really enjoyed. I can’t say too much without spoiling it but let’s just say it was a slight glimpse into something we don’t get to see the inner workings of often in books.

If you’re a fan of thrillers that have a subtle creepy edge to them, I still think this would be a perfect choice!

The premise of the book totally hooked me. Alice, seeking to solve the mysteries behind the sudden disappearance of everyone in the village her grandmother grew up in, uncovers more than she bargained for. The actual reading experience did not live up to my expectations. The book had some genuinely creepy moments, but the flow of the book was very stop and start with rapidly moving scenes interspersed with slow moving sections. The end of the book was fun to read, just not very surprising. I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t provide that “wow!” moment that I was expecting.

Well apparently I'm going to be in the minority and say I LOVED this book! It was exactly the kind of slow burn, creeping horror novel I like. One with lots of layers, messy characters and relationships, gothic vibes, and some dark thematic content. A creepy abandoned village, the possibility of something supernatural, and slowly escalating danger? Check. Some light mixed media elements and a historical timeline that intersects? Check. I was here for all of it, including the ending. Which perhaps requires some suspension of disbelief, but that really doesn't bother me in this sort of book.

I will say, there are some major trigger warnings for abuse and violence toward a severely disabled character that might make some people really uncomfortable to read. It's horrific, and painted as such. (more spoilery specifics on content warnings at the bottom of the review) We also get a lot on mental health issues ranging from depression and suicidal ideation to psychosis, but I found those to be handled in a relatively nuanced way for the genre. Seriously, this creeped me the hell out. To be fair, I am not into really intense versions of horror. So if you go in expecting something over the top terrifying you will likely be disappointed. But if you want a slow burn that creeps up on you and deals with disturbing but all too real issues from the past, give this one a try. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings include: [ depression, suicidal ideation, rape (off page) of a mentally disabled woman leading to pregnancy and childbirth, murder of a mentally disabled woman by stoning, death, psychosis, physical injury, murder, religious abuse and brainwashing. (hide spoiler)]

When @minotaur_books reached out to me with the opportunity to read and review The Lost Village, I was super excited. A book following a documentary film crew exploring a town where all 900 of it’s inhabitants mysteriously disappeared? Sign me up! Coupled with a tag line of The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar .. saying I had high expectations going in would be an understatement.

With all that being said, I was not disappointed by this 2021 debut. The Lost Village is a creepy and spooky story that left my skin crawling and provided definite nightmare fuel. While it could’ve been a lot creepier and gone in a different direction, I’m still happy with how this story panned out. I thought the pacing was excellent and the story easy to follow along with. Characters could have been developed a little more and more explanations are needed, in my opinion, to make this a perfect horror. The time jumps between past and present definitely created a lot of suspense and made it hard for me to put down.

The Lost Village will be highly recommended by me to all my horror and spooky story loving friends! If you’re looking for a sinister and dark story with a touch of cults, please pick this one up! I’m definitely excited to see what else Camilla Sten has up her sleeve

4 stars
Out March 23

The Lost Village is a fun, exciting thriller told in the then and now. I loved reading the the then parts and about the residents of Silvertjarn who mysteriously disappeared without a trace. The now focused on Alice and the "film" crew she put together in hopes of solving the questions regarding Silvertjarn. Alice was selfish and needlessly put her fellow peers at risk. I wish I could say it was eerie and creepy and had me on the edge of my seat, but it was flat and silly. If you love bad B-horror movies give this a try.. The one thing that excelled were the descriptions of the area of Sweden. Thanks to NetGalley and and Minotaur Books for a copy for my opinion.

3.5
The Lost Village is a thrilling story about a mining town where everyone disappears except for a newborn, and a corpse, and the documentarian determined to find out what happened. Told from two different timelines (the village before the disappearances and the documentary crew decades later) this book will pull you in. It's easy to get lost in the stories happening in the village. Both present day and 1959 will keep you wanting to know what is going on. The characters develop through the story, but there are a few actions that they take which felt out of place. A couple of times I was really left questioning if theses were the characters I thought I had gotten to know. I also expected to get more of a creepy feeling while reading, but the story while filled with unexplained occurrences, and mounting questions it never really gave me the freaked out heart pounding feeling I was expecting. It was easy to see that those involved were freaking themselves out, but it didn't translate to me as the reader. Instead I was driven by the desire to figure out the mystery of what happened while reading.

A abandoned village sits on the other side of dense patch of forest. For more than 60 years, it has been left to rot into the earth under a heavy cloud of where did the 900+ residents disappear.

Four young documentarians travel to the village in hopes to uncover the shroud of mystery of The Lost Village. The story advances between the days leading-up to the towns demise in the 1950's through the 5-days the groups attempts to film. The doomed film crew unravels a haunting tale mixed with ravenous religious undertones, death and a creepiness that gets under your skin. The reader will want to unearth the "what happened" to them.

The reviews are accurate, it is a mix of the Blair Witch Project and Midsommar. It is not a mystery rather horror. Don't be too terrified its scary.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC for an honest review.

My thanks to St. Martin's/Minataur books, Camilla Seen and Netgalley.
Believe it or not, I really loved this book! I know that a 3 star rating may not reflect that..but.
I loved the setting, and the mystery. Just what I'm the heck happened here?
I'm one of those people who love flashbacks, and multiple character's. So far, so good!
If it weren't for the fact that I mostly read reclining in bed or on the couch, I'd have been on the edge of my seat! Unfortunately, I was expecting more. Much more! I had a few ways that I thought this story should go. I kept expecting more nail biting scenes. Heck, my imagination scared me more than what was actually happening.
Not to say that I was disappointed! Like I said..I loved this.
I liked it so much that I went on Amazon, kindle to see what else I could buy and read! Bummer. It seems this is her only translated "to English" book. Still, I'll be waiting for more! Sweden is oddly one of my favorite book places! I totally blame that on John Ajvide Lindqvist! 3 1/2 stars.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Camilla Sten for the complimentary advance readers’ edition of THE LOST VILLAGE for an honest review.


THE LOST VILLAGE is set in a remote ghost town, once a mining town in Sweden where the local population all disappeared without a trace in the 1950s. Alice is a documentary filmmaker who has been obsessed with what has become known as “The Lost Village” as her grandmother’s family was among those who went missing. All that remained was the body of a woman stoned to death and an abandoned baby.

Alice has gathered a group of friends and crew to spend a few days in the village to try to search for answers others may have missed and to piece together a pitch that will get her funding to make a full fledged documentary. Things very quickly begin to go wrong, but they have no phone reception to reach the outside world. With a pressing need to finish what they started and complete the project, they must continue to try to find out what is going on.

I flew through this book! The isolated setting and the ghost town vibes really gave this book a chilling atmosphere which was exactly what I was hoping for when I saw the synopsis. We are given the present day action and also flashbacks to the past through letters that Alice’s grandmother received from her family after she had moved away. The steady descent of the people into darkness becomes clear as the story unfolds though the author keeps the reader guessing what really happened until the end.

I really enjoyed this read and suggest you keep an eye out for THE LOST VILLAGE when it is released 3/23/2021!

**Slight potential spoilers ahead / trigger warning.**

There were a few issues about mental illness that struck me as being a bit off. There are statements made by characters about mental illness and medication interactions and the impacts of taking/not taking one’s meds that I knew not to be true. These statements furthered the plot and one can read them as the characters’ being poorly informed themselves so it didn’t completely throw me out of the story, but I did want to point that out in case there are potential triggers for people in that. Feel free to DM me if you want more about what my concerns were, I’m trying to be vague to avoid major spoilers.

The Lost Village is a creepy story which reminded me of the Blair Witch story. This genre is not my normal type of read but I thought I would try something new. Unfortunately it just didn't grab me, I felt it was a little slow for my taste and the ending didn't satisfy me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Lost Village was creepy and I don't scare easily. This book almost felt like I was reading a movie script. Very thrilling, but not the scariest book I've ever read, that's for sure. Still a good read, like I said, It was like watching a movie.

3.4 stars!

Alice Lindstedt wants to make a documentary about the Swedish village of Silvertjarn. Her grandmother had grown up in the village, but had moved away before 1959 when almost 900 people disappeared from the village, leaving only an abandoned newborn baby and a dead body in the town center. She and a small crew travel to Silvertjarn for get some preliminary footage to entice potential investors in the project. Alice starts out excited and full of hope for the future, but then tensions between the group members, one of them an estranged college friend of Alice’s. Then, strange things start happening that start out annoying, but escalate so much that the co-workers begin to fear for their lives.

I have had an interest in ghost towns in the American Southwest, so the idea of an abandoned mining town in Sweden intrigued me. To tell the story, the book switches between the event leading up to the villagers disappearing and the present. The chapters from the past have a slower pace than those in the present which are full of tension and foreboding. The events described in the past seem to be taking place in the 18th century instead of 1959 and I had to keep reminding myself of that.

I like the eerie atmosphere of the book which makes for a scary, suspenseful, and sometimes sad story. The ending was surprising and somewhat downbeat. However, I enjoyed this unique, creepy tale. I would definitely read more by this talented author.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Minotaur Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.