After the Lost Village, I was super interested in where Camilla Sten could head for me because I loved the eerily atmosphere in it. I will say that the atmosphere continues to be the best part, but it really is not my thing when it comes down to preference as the story unfolded in comparison. Some will like this better, others like myself, will wish for another book similar to The Lost Village.

Wow, twists and turns and secrets galore!

I really enjoyed this story, though I did find it a bit confusing until I finally sorted out the characters.

There’s Vivianne, Veronika, Vendela and Victoria (who wants to be called Eleanor.) Yeah, that’s a lot of V’s to keep track of, let me help you get sorted out. Vivianne is the grandmother, Vendala and Veronika are her daughters and Victoria (Eleanor) is the daughter of Vendala. Vendala died before the current story takes place and Eleanor was mainly raised by her grandmother, Vivianne.

This twisty tale is told from two different time periods. In 1965, we are following Anushka (who is called Annika,) the maid of Vivianne.

With Annika’s story, tensions are building as secrets and lies are set in place.

In the current time, Eleanor is returning to a family home that she never knew existed following the murder of her grandmother. We get a few hints that things aren’t quite as they seem right from the beginning and the ramifications from the past start unfolding.

Lots of twists and turns, none of which I saw coming. This family is loaded with secrets! A nice slow build with a tense satisfying climax. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

This story is told via dual narrative - present by Eleanor, past by Annushka - a young maid at the country home.
Eleanor enters her grandmother's home for their weekly meal. She finds Vivianne’s dying from multiple stab wounds, bleeding out with no hope for recovery.
Months later, Eleanor leaves the hospital - her shock and grief less all encompassing. To her surprise, she is called to her grandmother's country estate, an asset Eleanor has never heard of. Her aunt, Veronika, along with her boyfriend Sebastian meet the family lawyer at the estate to itemize the contents.
Eleanor hears someone else in the house - gets pushed in the abandoned dumb waiter but no one believes her, only have her shaky recovery emphasized.
Annushka tells the story of Sir and Ma'am, the wealthy owners of the country home employing her. Ma'am is desperate for a child, yet fails to conceive. Annushka provides considerable insight into the owners' lives, also becoming embroiled in their scandal.
Great twist, somewhat predictable. I enjoyed these characters and the family mystery.

The Resting Place by Camilla Sten is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I will be reading more!

While I didn’t get the creep factor that a lot of other readers did (I’ve been watching horror movies since I was around eight, so I might be a bit jaded…) I was blown away by how Sten kept me guessing who the killer was. With such a small list of characters. I knew early on that it had to be someone who knew the main character, Eleanor, (since how else would they know she would not be able to tell who they were if they just kept quiet, since Eleanor has a disease that makes it impossible for her to see faces…)

I thought for sure the killer was one person, but it turned out to be another. I love when that happens. Although once the item came into play a thing that kept niggling at Eleanor’s brain that she couldn’t put it into context, I knew who it would turn out to be.

But even solving the mystery as to who the killer was before the end of the book, Sten really did keep me intrigued as to what would happen next since there were lots of twists. Combine all the side stories and entwined stories along with a gothic house in the middle of a blizzard and this book is one that is not to be missed.

In this, her second novel, Ms. Sten shows that she is not a one trick wonder. Her new novel is an immersive, atmospheric and somewhat creepy read that will keep readers turning the pages and looking over their shoulders.

This book is seriously scary so know that before diving in. The protagonist witnessed a murder but has a condition which leaves her unable to recognize faces. How will she be able to know how much danger she is in? How threatened will the killer feel? Along with this, there is a house that is every bit as evocative as Manderley.

Try this one if you are a brave reader. Just keep the lights on.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.

🪦family secrets
🪦set in Sweden
🪦crumbling ancestral home
🪦an unsolved murder

Camilla Sten became an author to watch with her English language debut THE LOST VILLAGE last year. I was so excited to receive an e-ARC of her latest, THE RESTING PLACE, on NetGalley.

This book is fast paced and has dual timelines, like her previous book. Eleanor’s overbearing grandmother Vivianne is dead. And to make matters worse, Eleanor came face to face with the killer but due to her facial blindness, is unable to describe the perpetrator to the authorities. Along with her boyfriend, her aunt Veronika, and a shady lawyer, Eleanor must take stock of the family assets in the wake of her grandmother’s death. There is an isolated setting in the Swedish countryside where the family’s creepy old summer home is located. From the moment Eleanor and the others arrive, the atmosphere is unsettling and laden with secrets. Why didn’t Eleanor know about the house before? What happened there so many years before? Why does her aunt seem to be terrified of the house?

I loved the creepy tale and both timelines. I think fans of THE LOST VILLAGE will enjoy this as well. Spooky atmospheric and kept me guessing right up to the end!!

Many thanks to @netgalley @stmartinspress @minotaur_books and @wednesdaysten for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I read "The Lost Village" by Camilla Sten last year & it was one of my favorite books of the year.
When I discovered Ms. Sten had a new book coming out, I couldn't wait to request a copy to review.
"The Resting Place" is another winner by Ms. Sten.
It was chilling, tense & addictive.
The dual narrative/timeline was an interesting addition to this story.
I can't wait to read what she decides to write next.

When Eleanor’s grandmother died, she found out the family secret. She had never known her father, and her mother died of cancer when she was young. So her grandmother Vivienne had raised her. And even though Eleanor is an adult now, out on her own, she still has dinner with Vivienne once a week. And in all those years, Vivienne had never mentioned Solhöga, the manor house about an hour and half north of Stockholm that had been a part of her life for decades.

Vivienne didn’t die peacefully in her sleep. Eleanor had been coming over for dinner when she found Vivienne on the floor in a pool of blood, silver scissors in her neck. Eleanor had seen the murderer pass by her, but she hadn’t recognized the person. She suffers from prosopagnosia, a condition where she can’t recognize faces. She makes up for it in her daily life by memorizing facets of a person’s face—the hairline, the jawline, the hairstyle. And she can recognize voices. But the person who had rushed past her that night hadn’t said a word, so Eleanor couldn’t register who it was.

Six months later, a lawyer had called Eleanor and told her about Solhöga, saying they needed to meet out there to do an inventory of the house and its outbuildings. She picks a weekend and heads out there with her boyfriend of 6 years Sebastian, meeting the lawyer Rickard and her aunt Veronika at the manor house. There is a groundskeeper, Bergtsson, but repeated calls to him went to voicemail. Eleanor thought he might meet them when they showed up at the house, but he was nowhere in sight.

They get settled in the house and purchase food for several days, since the weather forecast is for cold, wind, and snow. They choose bedrooms for the weekend and get settled in for the night so they can start on the inventory first thing in the morning. But with a giant painting of Vivienne, her husband Evert, and their children Veronika and Vendela (Eleanor’s mother) in the front hallway, Eleanor finds it difficult to relax. There is something off, something creepy about Solhöga, and she just wants to get back home to Stockholm.

The next day, as the lawyer starts to look through the paperwork in the library, Eleanor and Sebastian set out to look at the outbuildings, and to try to find Bergtsson. They find a woodshed, a barn, and what looks like Bergtsson’s home. But there is no one there. There seems to be a blizzard brewing, so they head back to the main house. There they find Veronika screaming at Rickard about some missing letters. She thinks the lawyer stole her letters from her father, but that makes no sense to Eleanor. She calms Veronika down and helps her look, but the letters are nowhere to be found.

But Eleanor does find a diary hidden under a floorboard. It’s the diary of a young woman who had worked for Vivienne and Evert back in the 1960s. It’s not all in Swedish, so Eleanor can’t read it, but maybe she can translate it on her phone, or at least figure out what language it’s written in.

Eleanor can feel that Solhöga has secrets. It was a secret to her for so long, and now she just knows that something has been buried here. She can hear voices around her. She sees shadows that look like strangers. She can feel that something is wrong with Solhöga, and she’s determined to find out what happened there before she can leave it behind her. But will the house destroy them to keep its own secrets?

Author Camilla Sten, translated by Alexandra Fleming, brings us The Resting Place, a chilling novel of family secrets and lies. Told in alternating timelines, from Eleanor’s present day and household help Anushka back in the ‘60s, this novel unfolds slowly, with surprises and twists throughout. Sten’s writing sparkles like the newly fallen snow, but the storytelling is a winter storm, lulling you into a false sense of comfort until she brings up a bitter wind, blowing in with answers and truths, turning you around and around until you’re not sure what’s real, letting the ground shift beneath you until can find your footing again.

The Resting Place took my breath away. It’s so beautiful and harsh, cold and warming all at once, as I marveled at the depth of the family’s dysfunction and the courage of Eleanor to face each day anyway. As all the pieces of her taut plotting fell into place, I found myself unable to set the book aside until I knew it all. If you love a good, creepy, chilling thriller, then this one is not to be missed!

Egalleys for The Resting Place were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I read to 35% but just can't muster up any interest in the characters or what will develop in the plot..

This was not for me so I called it quits. I hope the author has much success. Just because a book isn't for me doesn't mean it won't be for other readers.

This started off fast then slow then went really fast. It's an atmospheric Nordic drama that draws in the elements and leaves you with a spine tingling plot. It's not what I expected but definitely imaginative. This is a thriller that opens with the murder of Eleanor's grandmother. As she's led to their ancestral home she's never seen, she realizes her grandmother has been keeping many secrets. The four who are led out to the home to discuss the inheritance of the house and it's items and what they get is a heat pounding night that breaks open her family history. The descriptions of the house and the surrounding area are descriptive and lead you right into a claustrophobic kind of telling where you feel the shove into the mysterious secret rooms and hunting lodges that house more than just dead animals.

What a ride! Throughout the book I thought I had things mostly figured out and it turns out I was wrong about all of them. I loved the dual timelines and how they came together. I also felt like everything was explained and wrapped up in the end. The author did a great job keeping a little creepiness and creating the setting. Will definitely read more from this author. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. I like how prosopagnosia was used. It made it a little more creepier thinking that the killer could be right there, but Eleanor may not know it. This book really kept me guessing and every time something gets revealed, there's still more to uncover. I liked how Camilla Sten used the Annika's diary to unveil her side and then went back into the current time. It was very easy to follow along with. I would have liked a few more details at the end, to make it cleaner, but it was enjoyable just the same.

I enjoyed The Lost Village and I was excited to read another book by Sten. I'm happy to write that she didn't disappoint again! The scene-building & character development was smooth, just the right speed, and the conclusion of the book was a surprise that I admit I didn't see coming right away.

I love a good suspense/thriller and it was just the right amount of back story to support the conflicts the MC is struggling with. I loved how it explored therapy & how those who raise us can influence. The inner voice in Eleanor's head & her inability to recognize faces, even her own, creates such an interesting struggle for her all the while trying to discover who her grandmother really was.

The dual POV & timeline did a great job of showing both sides of the story & how each woman became who they are and the path that led them to make the choices they did. I look forward to reading more from Sten in the future!

Imagine this, you walk in on a horrific murder scene and the killer walks right past you but you can’t identify them because you have face blindness-prosopagnosia. Is there anything more terrifying? No!

I love a book that’ll make me just a tiny bit scared to read after dark. This one was perfect for that! It had such a spooky setting and I felt right there in the house with these characters.
However, I honestly had no idea what was going on for more than half of this book. I felt it was kinda all over the place and even though the ending everything came together, it still just felt off too me. Not bad, not my favorite.

The Resting Place was a psychological roller coaster set in a creepy atmosphere. The main character has prosopagnosia which means when she comes face to face with a murderer, she can't help the police with a description of the person. Events of the past come to play a big part in the story when an old family mansion is inherited. This book will keep you in suspense and give you chills to the very end.

The Resting Place is a wonderfully atmospheric gothic read! Eleanor struggles with prosopagnosia, or commonly known as face blindness. After witnessing the death of her grandmother, Vivianne, proceeded by a brief encounter with the killer, she finds herself in possession of her aunt's property. A trip to the isolated manor has Eleanor questioning the identity of the killer, her own judgement, and family secrets. In contrast, the reader is also introduced to Annushka through her diary, a servant girl that lived with the family in 1965. With a killer in the woods and a dark family secrets lurking in the past, there is not a lack of dark, creepy atmospheric vibes to propel readers through the story. I loved the claustrophobic feel of this book. Sten does a wonderful job of keeping readers on the edge of their seat. Overall, a great read and perfect for a dark and stormy night.

I just finished reading it and, wow. I loved it. I didn't want to put the book down. It kept me wanting more. I love the creepy house in the middle of nowhere vibes. I really liked Eleanor, I thought she was a strong character.

I guessed one of the twists, but the other I didn't see coming. I loved guessing what was going to happen. I think the authors writing was brilliant. I look forward to reading more of her work!

Thank you to @minotaur_books for the physical copy of the book, and @netgalley for my ebook! The opinions are my own.

Camilla Sten has a way with telling creepy, tension filled stories. Eleanor's Grandmother was murdered and she happened to show up just as the murderer was exiting the house. Eleanor has prosopagnosia, which doesn't allow her to recognize faces; even her own. After receiving a call from the lawyer, she finds out she has been willed a huge estate in the country, that she never knew existed. Why would her Grandma keep this secret from her? Eleanor, her boyfriend Sebastian, her Aunt Veronika and the lawyer all venture out to the estate to take inventory of the house. Now stuck out there in a snow storm, weird things start happening and Eleanor tries to piece together the life of her Grandmother, who she now realizes she never really knew. In alternating timelines, we learn of a maid named Anushka and her time at the estate when Eleanor's family lived there and present day where a new secret is revealed with every moment. This book was creepy, suspenseful, thrilling and so fast paced it was hard to put down. On top of all of that, just wait for the twist! I loved this story even more than Camilla's previous book, The Lost Village. I cannot wait to read any of her upcoming work!

3.5

Pretty good creep factor with an isolated, snowy location but something didn't quite connect me to the story like the many readers who seem to find this one unputdownable. This is my first book by the author and I would give her books another try as it seems she can create great eerie, creepy settings to come life.

While this was pretty predictable, the writing was so good that it kept me reading. There were a couple of unexpected twists so the plot does keep you on your toes. Victoria, or Eleanor, is a young lady that has been raised by her grandmother, Vivienne. Eleanor’s boyfriend, Sebastian, find Vivienne murdered in her floor and Eleanor can’t agree with the Police that it was a botched burglary attempt so she decides to find out what happened. Sebastian doesn’t agree but goes along anyway. This is the story.
Thank you NetGalley and Minatour books for an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed the story and characters.
#Netgalley #MinatourBooks