It's so rare for authors to write horror novels anymore whose name is not Stephen King. There are always countless mysteries on the shelf, but the amount of true horror books is quite small. Camilla Sten's The Lost Village is done really well and keeps the reader guessing until the last few pages.

In 1959, the residents of an entire Swedish village simply vanished. All that was left was a single body stoned in the town square and a newborn baby crying in a school. In present day, Alice Lindstedt travels to this village for two reasons: to make a documentary and to try to discover what happened to the villagers, some of whom were her grandmother's family. Almost immediately, Alice and her crew become the victims of sinister happenings as they look for the truth.

The Lost Village is extremely creepy, with some truly frightening moments. Sten's choice of parallel narrations between "then" and "now" is also very effective. I really liked this one! But take my advice -- read it with the lights on.

This is a mystery about a mining village that was abandoned a long time ago. The residents left suddenly and disappeared. A filmmaker and her crew plan on making a film of this place. They try to find out what information they can gather. Or if there was anything sinister going on. The story is interesting with a touch of eeriness.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and to @minotaur_books, @wednesdaysten, and #TheLostVillageBook.

The Lost Village is the perfect spooky read. The story is interesting and very atmospheric. I loved the chilling Blair witch/ haunted ghost town vibes. I also really enjoyed the flashbacks and letters, it was the perfect way to let the reader know what was happening in the town as the crew in present day stumbled around looking for clues. I also was glad we got an answer as to what happened to the people in the town and was actually something that made sense and actually there was a lot of foreshadowing leading up to it in the flashbacks. There was also plenty of action. This book was such a creepy read and I loved it!

This was one of my anticipated horror reads this year and I was hooked from the start.

The setting is about a group of ppl wanting to film a abandon town that noone knows what happened to the villagers. You get a lot of flashbacks (which I loved) to help you understand what truly happened and you get to read letters from one of the villagers Aina who writes to her sister Margerita who lives in another town (and whos granddaughter Alice is the one wanting to film this mysterious story)

Lots of weird things start happening - very eerie and it just didn't disappoint - the ending wasnt what I was expecting - I really wanted more - something darker but the ending still tied everything together.

4 stars

(Note: there are multiple trigger warnings for this novel, but mentioning them here would spoil the story. Please exercise caution.)

Alice and a small film crew go to “the lost village” of Silvertjärn to investigate, for a documentary, the disappearance of the entire village. However, they might not be all alone after all.

This book kind of spoils the story by itself in the first third or so, but it’s still very good. I tried my best not to read it late at night because I’m a wimp; it would make a great horror movie. It starts in the past with cops discovering a body; I was committed to this book right then and there.

The atmosphere for this novel is perfect in its creepiness factor. I know that’s a trope, but it’s used very well. Sten also uses the past/present trope very effectively. Some of the past is told through letters and other written papers; some of it is told from the perspective of Elsa, Alice’s great-great-grandmother.

Some of the dialogue felt slightly stilted, but honestly, that could have been a translation problem (this book was initially published in Sweden a couple of years ago). The characters lack development but are never really boring.

If your looking for a creepy, atmospheric novel to read during the day with all the lights on, I recommend this one. I’m giving it four stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for the honest review. Sorry (again) that the review is late.

This story was very compelling. It was the fastest I’ve read a novel this year. I was so caught up in trying to work through the theories and get to the end to see which one was right. There were some funny translated phrases that weren’t quite how they’re actually said in English. This would definitely make a great, spooky read!

Like the protagonist, Alice, I went into “The Lost Village” innocently, expecting a Swedish spin on “The Blair Witch Project.” Instead, this is a tense, increasingly scary “locked room” thriller, with the room being a deserted village deep in the forest where years ago everyone (or almost everyone) simply vanished. Ostensibly, Alice wants to make a movie about the incident. In fact, she and her team members have some personal ties to the village. Author Sten doesn’t give readers a break as the creep factor accelerates. This makes “The Lost Village” a fast and entertaining read, albeit one with a not-completely-satisfying ending.

Atmospheric and gripping, this one will stay with you long after you finish it. One of the best reads of 2021. Full of complex characters and an intriguing mystery. The story goes back and forth between the present and past. Just when I thought I had it figured out I realized how very wrong I was. I was completely drawn in and invested in the story. Wow!

I sat down to read this book with the intent of getting about a third of the way through. Hours later, I had consumed this entire book and released the big breath I didn't even realize I had been holding.

This book is a disturbing mix of grief, mystery, eeriness, religious cult, depression, and horrible tragedy. The plot was pretty predictable but I felt all the elements were placed appropriately and I appreciated each twist as it came. Our main character Alice has pulled together a crew to shoot a documentary about the mysterious residents who vanished in the lost village. I really enjoyed the documentary aspect but it did vanish early on in the book and I wish we would've gotten a little more. Alice's stubborn nature was frustrating at times but she made good development towards the end of the book. What kept this from a 5 star is the ending. I was hoping for something will a little more of a supernatural twist with devilsh proportions.

Really enjoyed this story. Creepy and atmospheric, a great translation very easy to read. I felt like I was watching a movie while I read it.

The Lost Village, by Camilla Sten

Short Take: Thought I was getting [spoiler] but instead it was [spoiler] and I am not complaining.

Note: (*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

Good morning, duckies, and welcome to spring! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and although I don’t really do the “outside” thing, I can appreciate a fresh breeze from an open window just as much as the next guy. Although, I must confess, the confinement of the last year has put me into a more exploratory frame of mind, and I am considering the possibilities of real-life adventures as opposed to just literary ones.

Which is not to say, of course, that I plan to ease up on the literary side any time soon. I mean, have you MET me?? And it’s that spirit of adventure and exploration that leads Alice Linstedt and a few of her fellow filmmakers to the abandoned mining town now known as The Lost Village.

It’s not just about the creepy mystery for Alice though - in 1959, her grandmother’s whole family were among the 900 or so people who just vanished one day, leaving behind uneaten meals, laundry on lines, and precious few clues as to what may have befallen them. As Alice and her crew explore the town, things begin to Go Terribly Wrong, and of course Secrets Are Revealed.

I genuinely enjoyed a lot of The Lost Village. The characters were flawed in the truest way (especially Alice) and the changing timelines and perspectives gave the book a hint of the surreal, of ground shifting underfoot that kept me on edge the entire time. But there were a few major plot points that felt a little TOO cliche, such as the “guess we can’t leave” thing that happens in EVERY story that takes place in a creepy setting, the reconciliation of estranged characters just before tragedy strikes, and even a convenient (for the plot) twisted ankle. For all the freshness of the setting, there were too many things I’ve seen before.

That said, there were still a few things I didn’t expect, and the ending was as satisfying as an extra-large Snickers.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and a handful of granola bars, because you never know when you might need them.)

Obsessed over the long-ago disappearance of an entire mining town, Alice and her production team set out to the abandoned village create a documentary. Camping in the village square, cooking over a portable grill, and bathing in the nearby river are far from glamorous, but everyone on the team is dedicated to helping Alice make her dream documentary a reality. Everyone knows that part of Alice’s fascination with the village is her grandmother’s ties to the village. Her grandmother moved away shortly before her family and the entire village disappeared. But not the entire village, a lone baby was found nearby. What the team doesn’t know, is that Alice isn’t the only person with a connection to the village.

As the team searches the village for clues, they encounter strange occurrences that quickly escalate to violence. With no way to contact the outside world for help, Alice and her team must fight to stay alive. But what are they fighting?

This is such a great thriller! I loved how the author includes two time lines, the present day with Alice and her team and Alice’s family from 1959, the year of the disappearance. While you would think that Alice’s grandmother and great-grandmother would provide all the clues to the disappearance, the author doles out the information in small bits, constantly keeping you guessing. But that’s not to mean this a slow book, it actually flies by as the team seems under constant threat from the mysterious force that is trying to force them away from the village. The “Lost Village” is a character itself. While it was once a prosperous mining town full of young families, it held it’s own dark secrets. Gossip spreads quickly in a small town and the village church was a huge influence on the villagers. A young woman named Birgitta, left on her own after her mother’s death, is cared for by Elsa, Alice’s great-grandmother. Birgitta’s difficulties to care for herself, from what appears to be a cognitive deficiency of some kind, causes the village to pity her, but not enough to provide her with proper housing and decent food. As a new pastor gains influence over the villagers, they grow to fear and despise Birgitta, much to Elsa’s disbelief. As the village becomes more hostile towards Birgitta, everyone’s true colors come to light. The same occurs with Alice’s production team. The more danger they find themselves in, the more they become suspicious and fearful of each other. It was really interesting watching the two storylines overlap in that way.

This is an excellent thriller filled with horror elements and an intriguing mystery. It’s a compelling and fast paced story that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat. I can’t wait to see more from Camilla Sten!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

(𝙱) This thriller takes place in the old mining village of Silvertjärn, Sweden. Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt and her small crew are working to uncover the mystery behind the vanishing residents of 1959, while piecing together the tragedy that left a women brutally stoned to death and a newborn alone in a schoolhouse.

(𝙻) This eerie story unfolds between the past and present, ultimately tying together at the end. The abandoned town setting is well-crafted to provide a good amount of creepiness, but there isn’t enough tension building to sustain it. I didn’t like the melodramatic interactions, depiction of mental illness, or poor dialogue either.

(𝚄) There are moments of excitement that might be enough for fans of ghost towns with a mysterious past.

(𝙴) The premise sure does appeal to me, but this book is a reminder of why I rarely enjoy thrillers. It has some promising elements, but ultimately fails to deliver the chills, suspense, and fully fleshed out characters required for a thrilling read.

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𝙱: brief synopsis
𝙻: likes/dislikes
𝚄: utility
𝙴: experience
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Thank you Minotaur & NetGalley for the free galley!

A can't stop read! Stayed up late, couldn't tear my eyes away! Going in, I expected an "ordinary" but scary Supernatural/Paranormal backstop. Hah! More fool me. What I found was, in surface respects, a sad and unfortunate tagedy; but beyond and beneath the surface, is a metahuman experience and encounter. I can truthfully state that near the conclusion, came a point when I literally experienced cold chills. I shan't spoil the experience for new readers, other than to call it hair-raising!

In 1959, more than 800 people disappeared. Every resident of the village of Silvertjarn....gone. Well almost every resident....the only ones left were a dead woman and a baby. Years later a documentary filmmaker brings a crew to the village to film. Alice has a direct tie to the mystery. Her grandmother's entire family disappeared in the incident. Alice is obsessed with the story. She wants to know the truth. So, she gathers friends and takes a film crew to the site. As soon as the crew enters the village, they realize something is very wrong.....but it's too late.

I love stories like this! I'm a sucker for horror tales based around weird, creepy legends, film crews that get themselves into situations, mysterious disappearances.... I got sucked into this story immediately. Total binge read. I kept thinking to myself the entire time that this story would make an entertaining horror movie. Creepy abandoned houses....mounting fear...strange noises....then screams. Yeah -- would be a great Friday night movie night flick!

This story is fast paced, creepy and very entertaining. Gory in spots....but not over-done.

This is the first book by Camilla Sten that I've read. I hope more of her books will be translated into English soon!

For me, this story deserves a second read. I have the audio book on hold at my local library. The waiting list is more than 2 months long...which is a sign that other people are really loving this book too! By the time I get to the top of the list, I will be able to enjoy this story again without it being too familiar to creep me out for a second time. :) I love listening to creepy stories on audio! I think this story will be even more tense and creepy when it's read to me!

*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. Like this one: More English translations of this writer's work please!**

Alice is a filmmaker who is finally getting the chance to produce her passion project: a look into the mysterious abandoned town in Sweden, called Silvertjarn, where her great grandmother and all of the other 900 residents disappeared from. She brings a small team into the town to get some footage for a film pitch, when things immediately start to go wrong. Between taking shots for their documentary, Alice also begins trying to unravel the mystery of where and why all of these townspeople vanished without a trace. As she begins to dig deeper, one of her team goes missing and they begin to hear and see some strange things.
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💭Thoughts💭
This book had the spookiest imagery! I loved the bone chilling suspense and fear. I was hoping that it was going to be a bit more scary, it was definitely more on the thrilling side. I also loved that the book goes into some flashbacks from the 1950s when it happened, both through letters from her grandma and firsthand viewpoint from her great grandmother. The ending was a bit far fetched, but overall a great read.
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⌛️Favorite Moment⌛️
My favorite moment was any time that they were in a flashback scene. The town sounded so sweet and picture perfect at first, and it was so cool to slowly see the decline. I also loved that you couldn’t exactly see what was coming next. The author did a great job of keeping you guessing.
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🎉 Theme Ideas 🎉
You can go two ways for a theme here: Really lean into the Swedish aspect and have some Swedish meatballs, crackers with lingonberry jam, and schnapps. Or you could eat like Alice and the crew did. They snacked on beans and toast, canned soup, and honey while they were roughing it camping.

WOW! I was blown away by this book. The Lost Village is a hauntingly beautiful book that gave me chills. As one of my most anticipated books of the year this novel did not let me down. My favorite book I’ve read all year!

The spooky vibes that this book gives off are amazing. I loved watching the mystery of The Lost Village slowly unfolding for our main character. The history throughout the story is chilling. I honestly don’t have anything negative to say about this book. I binged the entire thing in one day. Everything I could want from a ghost story and so much more.
5/5 Stars!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a copy of The Lost Village in exchange for my honest review.

THE LOST VILLAGE
Camilla Sten; translation by Alexandra Fleming
Minotaur Books
ISBN-13: 978-1250249258
Hardcover
Thriller/Suspense

While THE LOST VILLAGE is author Camilla Sten’s sophomore effort, it is the first of her novels to be published in the United States (thanks in part to a stellar translation by Alexandra Fleming) and is quite different from her debut novel in tone, plot, and genre. If I were looking for a one-word description for THE LOST VILLAGE by Camilla Sten I would reflexively and quite accurately pick up and use the term “creepy” for all of the right reasons and in all of the best ways.

THE LOST VILLAGE initially reminded me of THE RUINS by Scott Smith though Sten’s novel eventually treads sure-footedly in another direction. Silvertjarn is a tiny village --- little more than a hamlet --- in rural Sweden whose population almost entirely vanished without warning in August 1959. The “almost” qualifier arises because of the haunting and bizarre tableau which greeted two police officers who were sent to investigate the situation. They discovered a wailing infant and the body of a woman who had been tied to a pole in the town square and stoned to death. In the book’s present --- the here and now --- a fledgling documentary film director named Alice Lindstedt is determined to make the village and its secrets the subject of a project which she hopes will establish her in her chosen profession as well as perhaps answer the question which has haunted her from her childhood. Alice has a tie to the village and its mystery, given that her grandmother’s family, consisting of her parents and younger sister, were among those of the village who mysteriously disappeared. She hires a crew consisting of four companions to join her and assist her in the endeavor. It seems to be doomed almost from the start. The deserted village is almost entirely cut off from the rest of the country, with only one way in or out. There is no cell phone service. The project is limping along on limited funds. Most significantly, there is some history and resultant tension between at least two of the members, and a third has a secret concerning the two that they are keeping almost entirely to themselves. The quintet is barely there for a night when it appears that they are not alone. Someone seems to be observing them on their periphery within the village. As they attempt to film the deteriorating buildings Alice finds some documents that appear to be fairly innocuous but instead hold clues as to what occurred. Whatever or whoever is observing the team, however, seems determined to keep them in Silvertjarn, and the tiny village seems to be cooperating as circumstances conspire to trap them there and keep them, so that they too might meet a fate, whatever that might have been, as the original inhabitants.

I would strongly suggest that you don’t do what I did, which was to start reading THE LOST VILLAGE as a bedtime literary nightcap. It will haunt your dreams as it sweeps up the cobwebs around the edges of your subconscious and drops them into the middle of your brain. That is something you want to experience in the middle of the day, when the sun is up and the room is bright. THE LOST VILLAGE does a good job of being scary without being terrifying, but it gets the two jittery states just close enough that it really doesn’t make much difference. Recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2021, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story!!! First off, thank you for granting my wish.

This was exactly what this thriller lover needed! I was hooked from the very beginning. I love creepy and spine-chilling stories and that’s jist what this was’ And boy, did this one not disappoint. The only reason why this is a 4-star and not a 5-star is I just wished it had more character development with the 1959 storyline. Otherwise this was fantastic!

I have an condemned neighbourhood in my city (lead contamination in the soil). I was able to drive its empty streets and see all the little empty bungalows, some with curtains and drapes still in place. The place haunted me and this excellent novel brought back all those memories. The plot was well thought out. The characters came to The Lost Village with their own connections and baggage. Well done.