Thank you @stmartinspress @minotaur_books @netgalley for my review copy!

After her grandmother is murdered, Eleanor learns that she left her a remote estate in the woods. Eleanor travels there to settle the estate and learns that her grandmother was keeping some very dark secrets.

I had a hard time putting this one down. I loved the remote setting and Eleanor as an unreliable narrator. However, I wasn’t too crazy with how the author wrapped everything up in the end. I have feelings about it. I enjoyed the journey, but not so much the destination. I’m interested to hear what other readers think.

📚Read this if you enjoy Ruth Ware or if you like books with remote settings and unreliable narrators.

✍️How I rated other books from this author:
The Lost Village 3⭐️

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Resting Place is the second novel I've read from Camilla Sten. The first was The Lost Village, which I read in early-2021 and gave 3.5-stars, not rounding up. While there were aspects of that story I enjoyed, overall I would say I had been hoping for a lot more. I'm happy to report, The Resting Place gave me more.

This story is about Eleanor, who suffers from prosopagnosia, or face blindness. As in, she is unable to recognize facial features. So, when Eleanor walks in on her Grandmother's murder and comes face-to-face with the killer, she is unable to describe the individual after the fact.

The grandmother, Vivianne, was a real piece of work. She was not a nice lady and even though she raised Eleanor, she never showered Eleanor with the love that a mother-figure should. She's Lady Tremaine basically. That's the vibe she was giving me.

Time passes and then Eleanor gets a call: 'Hey, hi, hello. So, your Grandmother owns this creepy manor home that she never told you about. It's where you're Grandfather died actually and guess what, now it's yours. We need you to come to the house and work through some estate dealings. Okay? Great, byeeeeeee.'

Eleanor agrees and travels to the property, tucked away in the Swedish wilderness, along with her boyfriend, Sebastian, her Aunt Veronika, and the probate attorney. Once there, the interactions are tense. Eleanor's Aunt definitely inherited the family gene of general bitchiness, so there are some uncomfortable moments.

Additionally, the property itself gives off an abandoned and haunted vibe. They're told there's a groundskeeper there, Benson, but they're unable to locate him. That fact alone puts a dark cloud over the travelers. It's a confusing first day and what's worse, there's inclement weather coming in. Of course!

The Resting Place is told through past and present timelines. In addition to Eleanor's perspective, you also get that of Anushka, who lived at the property decades before working as a housemaid. Sten uses diary entries as a medium for telling some of the past perspective and I really enjoyed that aspect. There's something about getting to read someone else's diary that is just so darn intriguing.

There's also some psychological tension created because of Eleanor's prosopagnosia. The woman literally came face-to-face with a killer and survived. This killer was never caught. He or she could be anywhere, be anyone, and Eleanor has to live with that. How can she trust anyone?

In addition to the tension, this story is full, absolutely over-flowing full, of dark family secrets. The kind of secrets that are hidden from future generations. They're that bad. I love family drama and I love family secrets. I always enjoy watching people's dirty laundry being aired. Call it schadenfreude, call it wicked, call it whatever you like, it's just me.

My biggest complaint with this one is that I found it to be slightly confusing. After I finished reading, I was thinking about it quite a bit, discussing it with my dog, as you do, and I realized, I have a lot of questions. Like here we were at the end, and I had numerous questions about the familial relationships, connections and the conclusion. I'm not sure if I just missed something along the way, or if the questions I have are questions that will arise for other Readers as well.

With this being said though, this is definitely a step up for me from The Lost Village. Frankly, I like that for my relationship with Camilla Sten. We're on an upward trajectory. I love that.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I'm excited to see what Sten serves up next!

Camilla Sten’s latest novel, The Resting Place, is a deliciously dark psychological thriller. Set in the Swedish countryside, the tale is told in two timelines, and the first person POVs of servant Anushka, in 1965, and Eleanor, in the present. When Eleanor, who is afflicted by prosopagnosia—face blindness—finds her grandmother bleeding to death in her apartment, the young woman’s life changes in an instant, going from dutiful granddaughter to becoming the reluctant owner of a mysterious country house called Solhoga, bequeathed to her by her murdered grandmother.
Once Eleanor travels to the house to inventory its contents, the story becomes more of a locked room mystery, as all the action now takes place at Solhoga and its hunting lodge. There is a gothic vibe as mysterious events occur and the secrets “resting” in this house are revealed in an exciting, disturbing plot line, while a blizzard rages outside!
I liked the two main characters, as their inner thoughts were evident in the first person narrative. The protagonist, Eleanor, was insecure and damaged by her childhood experiences and trauma, but also displayed an inner resolve and growth throughout the story. Anushka, whose story is told by her diary entries, is fascinating, and ultimately reveals the sinister secrets held by this twisted family. I enjoyed the contrasts and similarities of these two young women, separated by 50 years and uneven social status.
Sten’s style is beautifully engaging and descriptive, and I think the short chapters enhance the well-paced atmospheric writing as she weaves the two storylines together toward their chilling conclusion.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy well-written character and plot-driven Nordic noir, and psychological suspense!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the ARC. This is my honest review.

The Resting Place has tons of atmosphere but little substance.

Eleanor spends her life being confused. She cannot recognize faces. One day, she passes someone coming out of her grandmother’s apartment and then finds her grandmother murdered. Knowing she probably saw the murderer but cannot describe them to the police sends Eleanor tumbling into mental illness. She doesn’t even know the suspect’s gender.

After returning home from the psychiatric hospital, Eleanor is surprised to inherit a country manor from her grandmother’s estate. She, her boyfriend, her aunt, and the estate’s lawyer go there to inventory the property. Eleanor feels off as if someone is watching her. Is it true or is it all in her unstable mind?

How can you construct a modern gothic novel in a world where it is politically incorrect to have a female character make incredibly stupid moves? Make her mentally ill and incapable of recognizing faces.

I was frustrated by the plot’s extremely unlikely setup and frequently too convenient twists. Of course, there is a snowstorm trapping everyone in the house with no cell service. I anticipated the ending early and just had to slog through the rest of the book to prove myself correct. The Resting Place didn’t impress me at all. 2 stars.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Resting Place is completely creepy, haunting and sinister from beginning to end. And I loved it!

Eleanor’s past comes with a very high price. Her mother died of breast cancer when she was young, and her Aunt Vivianne took over her care. Vivianne was a very aloof and judgmental person to begin with, but add a young child to the mix and needless to say she had very little patience. But to Eleanor, she was the only person she could rely on and trust since she did not have very many relatives. Until Vivianne was murdered, and Eleanor unknowingly walked in on the crime.

So, you would think Eleanor would be able to tell the police who committed the crime, or at least give a description of the killer. But Eleanor has something called prosopagnosia which makes a person unable to distinguish or recognize features on a person. Someone who has prosopagnosia must rely on voice recognition and other qualities to know who they are with. Because of this illness she is paranoid and has intense anxiety which she has been treated for consistently over the years. So even though Eleanor saw the killer, she did not hear their voice therefore cannot recognize them.

When a lawyer calls her to let her know that he is settling Vivianne’s property and that includes an estate up in the mountains which Eleanor never knew existed she is stunned. The lawyer, Eleanor, her boyfriend Sebastian and her Aunt Veronika travel to this massive landholding which also includes a home for a caretaker who has lived on the property for over fifty years. How could she never have known this? But he seems to be missing.

Eleanor then finds out her grandfather possibly killed himself on this property. Perhaps that is why Vivianne refused to acknowledge the home, although her Aunt Veronika seems to be well aware of the house, even having spent time there as a child. Why has this never been mentioned?

The house seems frightening and nightmarish with nooks and crannies which one could get lost in, or even hurt. Eleanor believes this house holds past secrets, but what could they be? Out for a stroll she thinks she sees someone watching her. Could this be the elusive caretaker? Then she finds a diary hidden under the floorboards which was written by a maid at the time which details the daily life and struggles of her aunt and grandfather. She begins to question everything she has been told of the life of her family.

Then in the middle of a blizzard, the lawyer goes missing and she realizes something is very wrong and they must leave immediately. But they cannot escape the weather or the house. She may regret ever coming here because the house holds a disturbing past which Eleanor will never be able to understand or get over.

The Resting Place is a book you will not be able to put down. It reads like a ghost story, only some of those ghosts still feel like they are alive. And perhaps will always be.

Thank you #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #CamillaSten #TheRestingPlace for the advanced copy.

A slow paced, darkly gothic tale of secrets and revelations. If you are looking for a face-paced read, this isn't it - but if you like a slow build and slow burn, this is for you! #TheRestingPlace #NetGalley #JennReviews

Let me just say this book may be for some people. This was just not the book for me. It dragged incredibly to much. The characters had not depth, and I was super bored. I really thought the author could have taken this further. She did have a creepiness in there that was nice, but overall just fell flat.

The Resting Place by Camilla Sten
.
Eleanor’s grandmother was murdered. The murdered walked right past her, but Eleanor has prosopagnosia (face blindness) and cannot describe them. Months later she is going to spend a few days at the country house her grandmother owned and never told her about. What other secrets could her grandmother have kept from her? Were they worth killing over?
.
This book was fantastic!
Let me count the ways:
-The atmosphere of the whole book was creepy and slightly unsettling.
-The POV switched back and forth between the present and the past.
-A creepy secret mansion with a mysterious past, c’mon!
-I was trying to figure out how everything tied together and I guessed one part but not the other. And the one I did guess I didn’t figure out till the halfway point.
-Several shifty characters to wonder about.
.
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I thought this was so well done and thoroughly enjoyed it! If you enjoy atmospheric mystery/thrillers then be sure to add this to your TBR!
Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur books for my physical and digital copies of this book.

Eleanor walks in on her cruel grandmother Vivianne’s murder, but her prosopagnosia (inability to recognize faces) leaves her unable to identify who she saw.

The introduction of The Resting Place puts you right in that police interview room after the crime before going back in time to the events that led up to that room. Now five months later, still with no idea who could be the killer or how close they are, Eleanor has inherited one of her grandmother’s homes and everything helps to contribute to the creepy, atmospheric power of this read.

This book alternates between Anushka in 1965 and Eleanor present day. This book was a great read! From the creepy inherited manor to the discovered diaries, never knowing who it was that Eleanor walked in on murdering her grandmother, and the alternating stories. I think sometimes, especially early on before you get truly invested, that back and forth with the time can feel like it’s giving you whiplash, but once you get started, you’re in!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Camilla Sten for this ARC.

This book is going to be great for readers who enjoy a creepy, gothic atmosphere and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout!

I had a hard time getting into this one at first. But once I got going with it, I liked it a lot. This is the second book I have read about prosopagnosia in the past few months, so some of that felt really similar. I love the Nordic Noir locked room mystery vibes, these are two of my favorite tropes. I was not surprised by the ending, so that was a bit lacking for me. Overall, I liked it and can’t wait to read this author again!

Spine-tingling and absolutely engrossing.

You guys know I love my dual timelines, this one delivers one that has you on the edge of your seat! Buried family secrets, face blindness and murder!

Eleanor suffers from a condition where she is unable to recognize faces. This creates the biggest problem when she walks in on her grandmother being murdered. However cruel her grandmother was to her, Eleanor takes the death very hard and suffers from fear the killer will come back.

Several months after the death Eleanor learns about a secret estate her grandmother kept from her. A lawyer wants to meet her there to take inventory and prep to sell. Here she uncovers buried family secrets.

A slow burn thriller but with creeptastic vibes on edge with tension. If you like Alice Feeney or Kate Morton you will love this one!

Thank you to Minotaur Books, NetGalley and Camilla Sten for the gifted earc, and redreadreviews for the giveaway win of the physical copy.

The Resting Place tells the story of Eleanor as she inherits a strange house she never knew was in her family until her grandmother was murdered in front of her. Yes, it is as crazy as it seems!

I loved the atmospheric setting of this book and how it just ropes you in! Eleanor was such a flawed character and I loved watching her grow throughout the story! I really enjoyed the present day story telling with journal entries mixed in. I was so into the story and did not see the resolution coming!! This book literally had me scared. I couldn't read it alone! This is definitely not for the faint of heart but my goodness was the story so good!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Camilla Sten is a must read author for me from here on out!!

I believe it’s true that secrets don’t die. They always rise up to the surface, sometimes literally, like in this case, where a diary hidden under the floorboards exposes lies and betrayal.

I thoroughly enjoyed both the audio and paper versions of Camilla Sten’s @wednesdaysten The Resting Place. There’s a spooky old house, a winter storm that makes escape impossible, and an unknown assailant. All the elements for #thrillerthursday 🏠 ❄️ 🩸

Thanks to my partners at @minotaur_books for my early copy and the super cute journal and to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for my early audio version. The Resting Place will be out on Tuesday, but, if you’re looking for a weekend read, check out last year’s The Lost Village!
Link to 3/24/2022 Instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CbfyVhlr7hm/

Camilla Stern is quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller authors. "The Resting Place" is psychological suspense at its best. The atmosphere created by the author's words is completely chilling. I can't imagine how creepy this book would be if I could read it in its original language! Told through dual timelines, Ms. Stern deftly unveils a plot of intrigue and deception. It is full of twists and turns, and almost every character is a suspect at some point! I find most psychological thrillers to be poorly written and predictable, but not this one!

I absolutely devoured this book and now will impatiently wait for the Ms. Stern's next work.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this fabulous book, in exchange for my honest review.

A blizzard set book was the perfect way to say goodbye to winter. This was pretty creepy and I caught myself looking around to make sure I was alone because I was feeling very unsettled reading it. I enjoyed the two storyline - one set in the present and another in the past with a different POV. I saw the twist coming but enjoyed it nonetheless. I feel like a lot of characters now “stick it out” when they clearly are being hunted so it was refreshing to see characters who knew they were in a bad spot and tried their hardest to get out. Overall, a solid atmospheric thriller!

Eleanor can’t recognize faces. She needs context and patterns in movement to recognize people in her life. Which makes her the worst witness to a murder. She walks right by the person who kills her grandmother. Later, she and her aunt are called by a lawyer to inventory the house she didn’t even know existed. Her inheritance. Once there, she realizes that something is not right.

Decades earlier the family inhabits the same home. The madness that grows there will change the life of Eleanor. As more and more people are harmed, the past and the present meet. Camilla Steen’s The Lost Village had the same slow burn and creepiness. The same inevitable crawl toward a horrible truth. A truly sickening story.

This was an excellent page turner from the author of last years The Lost Village. If you enjoyed that book I think you will also like this one. This is the second book I’ve read this year where the main character has prosopagnosia, it is a medical condition that does make for an interesting mystery.

This book is about Eleanor visiting the secret rural mansion her recently deceased grandmother, Vivianne, never told her about and events that happen there past and present. This book has an interesting setting with fleshed out characters. I really enjoyed it and it was a very fast read.

If you like the books of Simone St James and CJ Tudor then I think you will like this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review. #SecretsDontDie #NetGalley

OHMIGOSH, Camilla Sten has become a favorite of mine! I don't get creeped out easily and she can do it! This is the second novel I have read that uses prosopagnosia (inability to recognize faces) as a plot point. I found that very far-fetched with the other book description, but I loved the author, so she sold me on it and after reading this authors' previous book, I had enough trust to give this one a shot too. WOW, WOW, WOW is all I can say! I could not put this down!! The story centers around a lonely, creepy mansion and two women with two different stories. Eleanor, whose murdered Grandmother owns it and Anushka who lived there in the past. What should be an overdone cliche (lonely, creepy mansion plotline) is so well written that I can actually see all the detail in my head and feel the surrounding dread. I also was in love with both characters and storylines and could not wait to see it all come together. I was not disappointed! I cannot recommend Camilla Sten enough! I just hope she writes faster!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Camilla Sten and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC!

wow !! This book literally had me hooked from the first page !! I love thrillers that have unique plots and this one definitely had an amazingly twisty one !!

triggers: murder, miscarriage, depression, anxiety, infidelity, suicide.

After seeing her grandmother Vivianne be brutally murdered, she comes face to face with the killer. the problem is Eleanor has a medical condition called prosopagnosia, which causes her brain not to remember faces the same was as others do--she has NO IDEA what the killer looked like. After months of therapy and the cops closing the case, Eleanor gets a call from a lawyer saying Vivianne left her a house. Looking for answers to her families history, Eleanor, Her bf Sebastian, her aunt Veronika and the lawyer set out the creepy abandoned house in the middle of the Swedish woods--not ready for what is waiting for them there.

This book is told in alternating timelines and POV- present day Eleanor and past, Anushka, the housemaid for her grandmother over 50 years ago. This book had some amazing characters!! Some that you loved, and some that you loved to hate. The setting of the book was spot on- old, creepy house, middle of the Swedish woods, during a blizzard really set the tone for all things creepy. The way Sten writes from Eleanor's POV as anxious and jumpy, makes you feel that way... on the edge of your seat waiting for something to pop out at you.

This is definitely a book a could not put down- the chapters were short, full of secretes, murder, deception, revenge and the further you get, the more tangled the web gets- until its all unraveled and your jaw drops !! Another really great thing I will mention is that this book was originally written and translated beautifully into English. The translator, Alexandra Fleming, did an amazing job. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from her!!!