This book is a good example of quiet horror. There is nothing too graphic but unease does mount and there are scares. Silvertjarn is a rural village in Sweden where over 800 inhabitants mysteriously vanished in 1959. Alice heads up a film crew making a documentary about the disappearance and the book alternates between "then" and "now." Both stories are equally engaging. Relationships are key not only among the documentarians but also between the movie makers and the villagers from the past. This is an excellent novel for those upcoming long, dark nights.

An incredibly dark, highly captivating and very thrilling read. Really enjoyed, recommended. Thank you!

Alice, a documentary filmmaker returns to the Swedish village where the residents mysteriously vanished in 1959, This included her grandmother and her entire family. Only two residents were left and their survival has haunted the emotionally fragile Alice for years. She brings with her a crew of her friends to make a film exposing the truth of these mysterious events.

Of course, as soon as they arrive things begin to go wrong. People begin to disappear. Is some mysterious force trying to stop them from uncovering the truth?

I really enjoyed this book but be forewarned it is incredibly dark and gory. It is also is unputdownable. I am very big on atmosphere and this book has it in spades- you can almost feel the cold, isolation and terror. This book is creepy without being supernatural. It is more thriller than horror. It is hard to say a lot without spoilers so I will leave it at this, if you like your books dark with lots of atmosphere, a creepy town, a compelling mystery and twists you didn’t see coming, then this is the book for you. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy for an honest and fair review.

This was actually a very interesting book for me. While it didn't feel like a total supernatural book, it totally was, but in a very understated way that worked.
Alice is a documentary filmmaker and she is really into the Lost Village. The lost village is a mining town where residents have disappeared. She and a small crew of people decide to travel to the Lost village to find out what really happened.
There is a lot of Blair Witch Project tone to the book. In fact in my head, I saw it play out in the fashion of Blair Witch (which I loved by the way)

The crew has only planned for five days. Five days in things they could never imagine happening, happen. The tension builds as you read each chapter and I really liked that aspect of the book. It didn't just start big from the beginning and then fall flat as some tend to do,. You can literally feel the tension coming from each character and in turn, you the reader, can't help but feel the tension as well.

While I wouldn't call this a scary book, I would totally call it a creepy book and it will leave you unsettled!

Thank you #NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book has everything: a creepy deserted village, a decades-old mystery, and a documentary crew led by someone with familial ties to the missing villagers. Will their investigation help unearth what really happened in the village in the 1950s, leaving the place deserted except for a newborn baby in the school?

The book's setup was like catnip for me, and for the most part, it delivered. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end and I'm always a sucker for a dual POV/timeline. The relationships between the four people on the documentary crew are complex, and secrets emerge as their investigation continues.

That said, the characters weren't quite as developed as I hoped, which made some of the more climactic scenes a little less effective as they could have been. It also wasn't quite as creepy and scary as I was hoping. But, overall, an enjoyable ride with a central mystery that comes to a satisfying conclusion!

This book reeled me right in until the very end. I will say I saw a lot of it coming a mile away, but it didn’t take away from the story. The actual story is sad, I mean I was angry and sad and sickened by some things. Although, things like this happen every day. Well, not the creepy lost village but the evilness of asshole people.

I enjoyed the atmosphere, the characters, the edge of your seat and even the stupidity of some things the characters did because I felt like I was watching a scary movie where I yell at everyone!!

The book is not a traditional horror book, more like horrific things happened to innocent people.

* Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a digital copy of this book.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

I absolutely loved this book. Every chapter moved the story forward and each one interesting. The relationships grow (or not) by chapter, too. Great mystery that will creep you out and keep you up at night. Highly, highly recommend.

THE LOST VILLAGE
BY CAMILLA STEN

A woman goes back to the village where everyone in it mysteriously disappeared in 1959 and is a part of her lineage on her grandmother's side of the family. Strange things start happening. This had so much potential until the crazy devil worshiping pastor entered the story. I don't like witchcraft or black magic or demons. This aspect seemed to ruin a creepy paranormal story that had some eerie vibes to it like their two vans mysteriously getting destroyed and spotty cell service to all of their cell phones being dead. When members of their team started going dead I started having serious reservations.

Mental illness was abruptly introduced as being the cause of the first member going missing I really felt that plot device was not handled in good taste. Honestly, the sadistic pastor from then on lost any credibility that this story had started out with. The ending didn't make any sense to me. I am usually a pretty careful reader that pays attention to the written word that appears on the page. In this case there wasn't any coherence and the jump from past to present left me feeling whiplash mentally. At the end there was all hell breaking loose in a jump into the past and it just stops. Who was narrating? I have an idea but it went from bad to worse and the epilogue left me with more of a untimely end. I don't mean to sound harsh but it was hugely disappointing. If I am going to invest my time reading over 350 pages I hope to not be so disenchanted by feeling the ending which was bad just stop. This started out so good and I really was loving it up until the demonic aspects and the rushed ending that I still don't understand. I am sorry I can't honestly recommend such a promising premise in good conscious for some of the reasons I enumerated, but that is my humble opinion. There are other's who may not mind some of the reasons that I have enumerated. I do wish the author and Minotaur Books every best wish and am grateful for them making this available.

Publication Date: March 23, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Camilla Sten and Minotaur Books for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheLostVillage #CamillaSten #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley

The Lost Village is a page turner of a mystery full of suspense, drama and intrigue. A documentary film crew goes to a remote town that has a centuries old mystery. 60 years ago all members of the town disappeared at once, leaving behind a lone infant. Alice, the lead on the project, has made it her life's mission to solve this mystery, as her ancestors were among the missing. She grew up hearing stories about the town and its people from her grandmother.
Shortly after the crew arrives on location, strange things begin to occur, and it becomes clear that they are not alone in this isolated town in the middle of the woods. As the story progresses you learn the motives of each character, and what has brought them each to this project. Amid the mystery and suspense, the characters are well drawn and interesting in their own right.
The book is fast paced. The reader is led to hypothesize many conclusions as Sten takes you along for the ride of this story. The climax is not predictable at all, but satisfying.
There are definitely some dark moments, with adult content (rape, gore, abuse) but in the end this is a quick and enjoyable read perfect for someone looking for a good mystery that may just keep you up at night.

I loved how creepy this book was, but some of the elements were a bit intense for me. Admittedly, I have a weak stomach, so some of the descriptions hit hard and it was difficult for me to let them go. There are definitely other reads out there are a better fit for this book than me. However, I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This book was so scrumptious. Reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project, a film crew sets out to investigate a small village of 900 people who completely vanished In 1959. This mystery has never been solved.

Alice, a fledgling documentary filmmaker, has struggled for many years to make this documentary. Along with Tone, Emmy, Robert and Max. When they arrive at the lost village, they realize all is not what it seems.

I love books like this. I was so excited to get this ARC. The parallels with the Blair Witch Project; the creepiness of the first night, the realization that they are not alone; the singing that they keep hearing; the disappearances all keep the reader going, unable to put down the book. I especially loved the creepiness of exploring the abandoned houses and structures and learning what things would look like after 60 years! This book was was very near perfect. The ending has the reader suspending belief a bit. It was definitely not something I would have guessed. I gave this book five stars because I could not think of a way it could be improved upon. I loved it that much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In 1959 a village disappears in rural Sweden and none of the villagers are seen again. How could that happen? 60 years later a group of documentarians come to scout out a potential movie and maybe find out what happened.

Alice, the leader of the team, is the granddaughter of a former resident of the village and lost all of her family with this event. Alice's grandmother, Margareta, had done some research over the years and saved all of the letters her sister, Aina, wrote to her during that time. With all of this information available Alice and four others start to search the village. From the first night strange things start to happen. Is there someone else there or is there really a curse on the village?

I feel like this is a story that only a Scandinavian writer would write even though I could see this being set in rural America as well. So if you are a mystery or semi-horror fan pick this one up.

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten is a superb page turner. Well worth the time and the read! Looking forward to the next novel.

Alice grew up hearing her grandmother's stories of her abandoned home town in Sweden, Silvertjarn.
One night in 1958, 900 people, her parents and sister included, disappeared never to be heard from again. The police did a quick investigation but not much was found. Alice has wanted to solve the case of what happened to everyone her whole life and wants to film a movie about the town.
In the beginning Alice has just arrived at the abandoned town with the intention of filming enough through the empty town to convince people to invest in the project. She has her grandmother's stories but also old letters from her grandmother's younger sister just before they disappeared to help her decide what to film and where to look.

This is told from Alice's perspective, but we get to learn more about the town and it's inhabitants from before they disappeared from the old letters, and snippets of Elsa, Alice's great grandmother's, perspective.

I don't read many thrillers, but it is written well and the mysteries unfolded in a great way. I really enjoyed this.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A mysterious creepy village, set off the path of every day. The disappearance of 900 people a mystery, the only witnesses are a stoned woman dead in the village square and a squalling baby found in an abandoned school. Decades later, Alice and her ragtag group of 5 set off into the village to solve the mystery of her grandmothers family’s disappearance.

At once creepy, the setting leaves nothing to be desired. An abandoned town with no signs of animal life, rotting buildings, and walkie talkies moaning on their own in the background it’s clear the group is in over their head. When equipment goes missing, vans blown up and people disappear one thing is clear; they are not alone.

I have to say the second half of the novel moved a lot faster than the first. A lot of waiting for something to happen. This may translate a lot better as a movie than a book- it’s got that vibe. I absolutely enjoyed the “then” chapters much more than the “now”...but that’s the pull. You go back and forth to find the truth and when you finally get it the result is unexpected and not predictable at all- I was assuming the dead bodies would be in the lake the whole time. I was also not expecting the deaths as they occurred. All in all this was a great read!

The Lost Village is such a deliciously eerie mystery! I first started reading this book alone in the dark and made it approximately 5 pages before I had to put it down because I was so creeped out....but then I immediately picked it up again because the story and writing are so compelling.

The premise is great, and in my opinion lives up to its potential: In 1959 900 villagers disappear from a remote mining village, leaving behind only an infant and a woman who was stoned to death in the village square. In present day, the ancestor of one of the villagers returns with a small group of friends to make a documentary about the town. The small group is already tense as they arrive in the town and begin scouting for the documentary - there are secrets amongst them, as well as some some history with unresolved issues. The tension only gets worse as they begin to see and hear unexplained things, and things go from bad to worse with the trip.

The story is told in alternating time periods. In the present day, Alice and her friends are experiencing mysterious issues as they investigate the town and the events of 1959; in 1959 Elsa, Alice's grandmother, lives the events leading up to that fateful day when the villagers disappeared without explanation. I don't always like alternating timelines, but it works really here, with the tension ratcheting up in tandem in both time periods. At first I found myself wanting more detail from the 1959 storyline, but ultimately I think the detail that was provided was perfect to maintain tension.

There are hints of supernatural elements throughout the story, but ultimately this is an Intense and atmospheric mystery.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up to four

After hearing tales of the "Lost Village" from her grandmother, Alice develops an obsession for the area that drives her to create a documentary film about the village. There's a mystery surrounding what happened to all the villagers which Alice hopes to solve. Of course, things go wrong--very, very wrong. The crew starts to hear funny noises over their wally-talkies, there are strange figures in the rain, then there's murder.

The mystery is indeed solved at the end. I won't say what happened, but the conclusion was satisfying even if it was predictable.

In most ways, this was a very paint-by-the-numbers thriller/stalker book. It was an enjoyable enough read that I didn't find myself bored.

My big complaint with the book was the flashbacks. Most of them served no purpose. Even in the "now" chapters, which were supposed to be a continuation of the book's actual story, the author inserted LONG letters from the past. These letters sometimes took up like 95% of the chapter and added nothing new from the "then" chapters. If you're going to have a parallel story that occurs in the past and explains everything the letters explain, then you don't need the letters.

I skipped most of these flashbacks/letters and still knew exactly what happened in the end. So... I'm going to say they weren't super necessary.

I'd recommend this book to people looking for an easy breezy read. The writing style was engaging and easy to follow. The author did a good job of creating tension in the scenes. My only complaint is that the book seemed bloated with redundant information.

Thanks to netgalley for this book. I found this book to be solo slow, and I forced myself to read it. Wish I hadn't. It just felt flat, uninteresting. To me anyway. It was full of descriptions and no interesting story line.

In 1959 an entire village of 900 people disappeared without a trace. To this day, the mystery remains unsolved. Alice, a filmmaker, decides to make a documentary about it and try to uncover the truth of what really happened. Almost immediately upon arriving at the isolated village, strange things begin happening to the crew. Figuring out what is actually happening makes quite ride for the reader, so buckle in!

The author, Camilla Sten, does a fabulous job of fleshing out the setting in such a way that makes the reader feel as if they are also stranded right alongside Alice and her crew. The atmosphere of the village is desolate and oppressive, adding to the suspense and unease.

I found this book to be a very quick read because I had quite a tough time putting it down. Except, of course, the one night that I HAD to put it down because I was so creeped out and uneasy. (Which, by the way, never happens to me!)

The solution to the mystery, while slightly predictable, is very satisfying and well worth the trip. I very much enjoyed every minute of this story, and highly recommend it to anyone who likes a creepy read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy of this great book for my honest review.

After reading the description that said "The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar," I was interested. Thank you St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC of Camilla Sten's The Lost Village. This thriller didn't disappoint. 

We meet Alice, a young documentary filmmaker on a mission to tell the story of Silvertjarn, an old mining town in Sweden that had its entire population disappear in 1959 — everyone except a newborn baby. Alice's grandmother was from Silvertjarn, and although she was living in a different city at the time, her entire family was part of the group that vanished. She's seeking to unravel the mystery and travels to the remote village with a small film crew with the goal of creating a pitch so her documentary will be funded. 

It doesn't take long for things to get weird. I don't want to include spoilers, but this book is definitely worth your time if you're into thrillers — it will be released in April 2021, but if you're able to snag an ARC, do it!

4/5 stars