This might appeal to those who enjoyed The Lost Village. It was a little slow to start and I struggled to continue. Hopefully others will enjoy it more than I did.

Camilla Sten is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors. I love the dark, atmospheric, creepy world that she seems to build in each book I have read. Like The Lost Village, The Resting Place takes place in an isolated location with a mix-match of characters who help keep the narrative flowing easily. I enjoyed the back and forth between the story of the past to that of main character Eleanor in the present. Sten has an amazing ability to drop red herrings without frustrating the reader. Once you learn what has been hiding all along you wonder how you didn't see it but still feel pleasantly surprised. I would strongly recommend this book to any reader, it was really that good!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC, can't wait to read the next work by this amazing author!

Eleanor has face blindness---the inability to recognize faces, no matter how many times she’s seen them. When her grandmother is murdered and Eleanor finds out she’s inherited a mansion/farm/land that she’s never known about, she starts on a journey to learn more about her family’s secrets than she could’ve ever dreamed. Since I really enjoyed The Lost Village by the same author, it was a no-brainer to read this one as well, and it did not disappoint! Very different from a lot of the suspense books I’ve been reading of late. I recommend!

Special Note: Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Resting Place.

When Eleanor inherits a house from her deceased grandmother, Vivianne, an unkind woman who raised her after the death of her mother, she is bewildered and confused.

The shocking death of Vivanne remains unsolved and as Eleanor grapples with the loss, she discovers the house is not what it appears to be. And she's not alone.

There are typical tropes found in these kinds of thrillers; Eleanor frequently feels someone is watching her, things are missing from their rooms and her face blindness, a fascinating condition is barely utilized in the narrative.

Eleanor is barely developed as a character; she's one dimensional, a doormat, and fragile, which I get, since her condition is frustrating and disorienting.

Her boyfriend, Sebastian, is nothing to write home about. I'm not even sure how and they're they're together. There was no rapport or chemistry between the both of them, and he's quick to cut his losses and leave everyone behind, even after Eleanor reveals someone may be in danger and she advises they look for this person.

The narrative veers between the past and present and it's not hard to see what's coming, but I did like how Vivianne came to be.

The narrative is slow, for the most part, with little to no suspense or drama. The characters are unlikable and I questioned some of Eleanor's decisions.

I think some readers would enjoy this.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Resting Place
The medical term is prosopagnosia. The average person calls it face blindness—the inability to recognize a familiar person’s face.

When Eleanor walked in on the scene of her capriciously cruel grandmother, Vivianne’s, murder, she came face to face with the killer—a maddening expression that means nothing to someone like her. With each passing day, the anxiety of having come so close to a killer--and not knowing if they’d be back—overtakes both her dreams and her waking moments, thwarting her perception of reality.

Then a lawyer calls. Vivianne has left her a house—a looming estate tucked away in the Swedish woods. The place her grandfather died, suddenly. A place that has housed a chilling past for over fifty years.

Eleanor. Her steadfast boyfriend, Sebastian. Her reckless aunt, Veronika. The lawyer. All will go to this house of secrets, looking for answers. But as they get closer to uncovering the truth, they’ll wish they had never come to disturb what rests there.

After reading The Lost Village, I was immediately interested in checking out The Resting Place.

The MC, Eleanor, suffers from prosopagnosia (AKA face-blindness) which prevents her from recognizing faces, even of people she knows. After her grandmother, Vivianne’s murder (which she witnesses, but due to her condition cannot ID the perp), Eleanor learns that she’s inherited a country mansion. Along with her aunt, boyfriend and her grandmother’s estate lawyer, Eleanor sets out to sort through what Vivianne has left behind.

I LOVE any kind of story where the characters go somewhere isolated and creepy things happen. The author’s writing style is perfect for these types of spooky reads. She so vividly captures the claustrophobia and confusion that the characters feel throughout the story. If you like atmospheric reads, you’ll like this one.

There are dual timelines, hopping from the present back to when Vivianne frequented the home with her late husband. As expected, plenty of family tea is spilled and there are some funs twists along the way.

While I did enjoy this book, the ending was a little out of left field for my personal taste. And there were a couple of loose ends that seemed like they weren’t tied up. Again, totally worth the read, and I look forward to Sten’s next project.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press/Minotaur for the digital ARC of this novel.

Rarely these days do authors deliver on the whole 'creepy house in the remote woods', but Camilla Sten brings the house and characters to life. There is mystery and intrigue in every page, and just when you think you've solved it, there's another twist!

I was such a fan of Camilla Sten's debut novel so when I was offered a chance to read her newest one I instantly said yes.

The Resting Place has an interesting premise and an interesting narrator - one who cannot distinguish or remember faces. They use 'markers' or items that a person wears or has to remember who exactly they are speaking to.

I was actually bored with the narrative of this story. It didn't sucker me in as fast as her first novel did. I felt that it lacked a ghost feel and was more of a murder mystery but without any real bite.

Maybe some authors have hit and misses. This to me was a miss and for others it may just be a hit.

The passages in the woods during the snow are very tense and atmospheric. Eleanor’s facial blindness was an interesting plot point. The resolution was easy to guess but getting there was an enjoyable experience.

Between this author's books and Midsommar, Sweden sounds like a really creepy place. In this story, we see alternating past and present POVs about a family as we try to figure out why the matriarch was murdered and what secrets are being hidden. A fun and creepy read.

Eleanor suffers from prosopagnosia, she cannot recognize people's faces. She was raised by her grandmother, Vivienne after her mother's death. Vivienne was at turns cruel and caring but mostly just there for Eleanor. Eleanor finds that she has inherited a summer house that she didn't know existed, and this is where her life changes.

The twists in this story will make a twisty straw look lame. As it evolves, things are not as you expected. There were a couple of areas I would have liked more detail on and rounded my rating from a 4.5 to a 5. I loved "The Lost Village" and I thought this to be an equal challenge.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

Camilla Sten’s “The Resting Place” is a mystery: a “whodunnit” and a “why-did-they-do-it?” set on an isolated estate in the middle of a Swedish forest.

Protagonist Eleanor has prosopagnosia, or face blindness, the inability to recognize familiar faces. She sees her grandmother killed but cannot remember the face of the killer. Some weeks after the murder, Eleanor learns that her grandmother has left her a country home she’s never known anything about. She and her boyfriend, Sebastian, travel there to meet a lawyer and another family member to inventory the contents of the house. In the midst of an impassable blizzard, Eleanor et al discover the property includes decades-old secrets and scandals, a sinister aura, a mysterious caretaker, and a killer out for blood.

My reaction to the novel was mixed. On the one hand, the writing and translation are professional. The prose flows well and the dialogue is natural and believable. Ms. Stein is good at creating scenes full of tension and danger. When they finally reach the meat of the novel, many readers will find themselves turning pages eager to learn what happens next and how it all ends.

The problem, for me, was getting to the meat of the novel. I thought it started very slowly with characters that weren’t all that compelling. Eleanor seemed more a victim than anything else, and it’s tough to get interested in a character who’s all-victim—at least, for me. And her boyfriend, Sebastian, is pretty bland. A nice guy, yes, but nice isn’t necessarily fascinating reading. Several times during the first 1/3 of the novel, I seriously considered laying it aside.

But I kept going, only to find the story itself a little hard to follow—a little confusing—especially since it kept jumping between the present day and the 1960s. That there were a number of characters and relationships to keep track of, both in the past and present, didn’t help.

I also thought better use could have been made of the settings. I learned practically nothing about Sweden or what it’s like to live there now or what it was like in the 1960s. The Swedish setting was what drew me to the book in the first place. To find that the story really could have taken place anywhere throughout Northern Europe, the UK, or the United States was a disappointment.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for this independent review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Eleanor has prosopagnosia. The average person calls it face blindness—the inability to recognize a familiar person’s face, even the faces of those closest to you. After Eleanor walks in on her grandmother, Vivianne’s, murder, she realizes she came face to face with the killer—a maddening expression that means nothing to someone like her. With each passing day, her anxiety mounts. The dark feelings of having brushed by a killer, yet not know who could do this—or if they’d be back—overtakes both her dreams and her waking moments, thwarting her perception of reality. Then a lawyer calls. Vivianne has left her a house—a looming estate tucked away in the Swedish woods. The place her grandfather died, suddenly. A place that has housed a dark past for over fifty years. Eleanor. Her steadfast boyfriend, Sebastian. Her reckless aunt, Veronika. The lawyer. All will go to this house of secrets, looking for answers. But as they get closer to bringing the truth to light, they’ll wish they had never come to disturb what rests there.

Review: I knew from the moment I read the synopsis that I'd be super spooked by this book. Face blindness, to me, is frightening, perhaps more so than serial killers or the supernatural. Walking in on a murder, but being unable to discern the killer's face? That's terrifying! Eleanor is right to be truly terrified by her surroundings, and the setting of the mansion in the woods was the perfect place for the eerie, unsettling story.

Eleanor is a truly vivid character, and I loved her interactions with those around her; particularly her aunt and Sebastian. I found it fascinating to see into the mind of someone with prosopagnosia. It was amazing to see all of the techniques Eleanor uses just to be able to recognize those people she loves, those around her. Her inner voice is clear and vivid, and Sten uses minute details in her writing to weave together clues that don't make sense until the very last second. Masterful writing, truly.

Besides the ensemble cast and sweeping, beautiful descriptions of the Swedish countryside, I loved the back and forth between Eleanor and Anushka. I don't always love being forced back into the past when I read, but like I said earlier, Sten is a master at this. The past and present never felt too jolting, maybe because both Eleanor and Anushka are in the mansion at different times, and you are slowly attuned to what is going on in the house at different times.. I was entranced by Anushka and undoubtedly creeped out by Eleanor. If you're a fan of thrills and chills, this book is for you!

Just wow! A rollercoaster ride of family dysfunction, lies, secrets murder and an unusual heroine who can't remember faces - but has "seen" the murderer! A great cast of characters and woven red herrings set in the snow of frigid north! A must read. for mystery fans

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. A house is left in a will. And a trek to the house that does not have many good memories - to uncover even more secrets and even some lies. There are deaths, mysteries and definitely some creepy happenings. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Nailed it! I liked this one even more than The Lost Village! I found the face blindness and family history amazingly compelling and I completely enjoyed the back and forth history slowly revealing the family secrets. In the vein of Kate Morton with much more suspense this was a great mystery and kept me engaged until the very end.
A great story about tragedy and family secrets can destroy even the most optimistic of souls. Looking forward to Sterns next novel!

Wow, this was a great novel! The setting is so creepy, and the cast of characters is colorful and suspicious. The narrative switches back and forth between the past and the present which ratchets the suspense up unbearably. Our heroine has a condition that renders her vulnerable and unreliable and that just adds to the sense of dread. There is also delicious twist at the end I did not see coming. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed both of Camilla Sten’s novels and am eagerly awaiting her next.

After reading and loving how unique Camilla Sten's The Lost Village was, I was thrilled to start The Resting Place. During the first 100 pages or so, it felt very similar to TLV — someone seeks answers about their mysterious family members and heads back to the family's former home to uncover the truth. I give major kudos to the author for being able to weave such a complicated story that leads the reader down several potential paths with twists along the way. While we're left wondering the true story until the very end (something I normally hate), this was done pretty well by building throughout the story so it wasn't one final, insane twist at the end. I had a few issues with the believability of the characters, specifically why several of the family members seemed invested in their relationships with V, despite how awful she was. I also question how quickly the characters seemed to change after the incident — trying to keep this vague to avoid spoilers, but it seemed somewhat far fetched. Overall, a solid thriller that included a lot of my favorite elements: murder mystery, family history mystery, haunted/stalked remote mansion in the woods, etc.

3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the arc of this book. The writing was as good as I expected after reading The Lost Village. I didn't love any of the characters, and there were so many "V" names it took me some time to figure out who was who! This made it difficult to understand the timeline. However, the story was good so I enjoyed reading this book.

I wanted to like this but could not get into the story. I ended up DNFing at 30%, and I think a majority of it is the overall mystery and characters. I felt it... predictable.