Wow, considering this is a translated book…it still brought to live that dark atmospheric, creepy, crawly, haunted feeling that isn’t always found.
The MC has face blindness and when she was knocking on Vivianne’s door(her grandmother) to visit, the door opened and she saw blood and scissors as the killer ran away leaving her intact.
She now must go to an estate she’s never heard of in the Swedish Woods with the lawyer, her husband and her aunt.
Why did Vivianne keep this estate from her and who is the killer and why didn’t they kill her also?
As with most old houses, they have a story to tell and this estate is hiding plenty of secrets.

Twisted and Spooky!

Eleanor has prosopagnosia — aka face blindness — and that's the only reason she doesn't know who killed her grandmother, Vivianne, who could be a bit of a pill to the Eleanor. Vivianne raised Eleanor as her own because her own parents died. Months later, Eleanor along with her boyfriend Sebastian head out to a secret countryside mansion with her aunt Victoria and the estate lawyer to divvy up Vivianne's hidden away belongings. But very quickly the foursome realizes something's up with the house — and they might not be alone.

I had read some mixed reviews of this one. Not going to lie, haunted houses aren't usually my jam and I eyeroll at the prosopagnosia thing in thrillers usually, BUT I did end up enjoying the ride and the dual timeline. Nothing super duper shocked me but there were a few lil gasp moments and I love that for me.

PS. I do feel the need to note this tiny spoiler for those of you like me who aren't big fans of the supernatural elements. This isn't a haunted story, just fyi btw, so don't let that prevent you from giving it a read!

I really liked Camilla Stens last book and I liked this one. It was good and I had no problem getting through it. The translation was solid nothing weird or inconsistent but maybe it lost some of the nuance? I don't know. It was a fast read but it just didn't feel as atmospheric and edgy as her last book and I also figured out what was going on (for the most part) pretty easily. If I wasn't comparing it to the village I probably would have liked it a lot more. I'm still looking forward to another book from Sten.

Stick this one out because although it starts slow - it definitely picks up! I enjoyed the short chapters as well as alternating between the dual timeline / multiple POV. I had several different theories while reading and although I guessed one twist, I was surprised by the ending! I recommend this over Rock Paper Scissors which has a similar plot.

Another excellent and creepy novel by Camilla Sten!
Eleanor’s condition, prosopagnosia, makes her unable recognize faces, which creates the terrifying opener to The Resting Place when she actually “sees” her grandmother’s murderer, but can’t identify them. From the police station to Solhöga, an old manor surrounded by hunting grounds, Eleanor is haunted by all the does not know about the murderer and this place that belonged to her grandmother but that she’s never heard of. There’s a mysterious lawyer, an aggressive aunt, an overprotective fiancé, a missing groundskeeper, and the nagging feeling that someone else is with them at Solhöga, someone with bad intentions.
Sten describes this manor beautifully: I can feel the cold and see all the shadows of the winding hallways and vast, wintery grounds. There are multiple twists to keep the reader on their toes as well. I’d definitely recommend this one to mystery fans, family dramas, and duel narration as well as those with specific interest in unique disorders.

When Eleanor walked into her grandmother Vivianne’s apartment and found her dead on the floor, she came face-to-face with her killer. However due to Eleanor’s condition prosopagnosia (face blindless) she could not identify who the killer was or provide any details to help the police. As time passes, Eleanor’s lawyer calls saying it is time to go over her grandmothers’ belongings at her estate deep into the Swedish woods. Eleanor, her boyfriend Sebastian, the Lawyer, and her aunt Veronika all go to the hidden home where they uncover all the dark family secrets that they never saw coming. As the truth slowly comes to light, all of them must think fast as they are trapped at the estate by a blizzard, and they start to realize they are not alone.

•

This was an eerie, creepy thriller/mystery with plenty of twists and turns. I had read Camilla Sten’s previous novel “The Lost Village” which I feel had more of a horror touch to it than this one. I really enjoyed this one more, I loved how the story developed and how we are going back and forth between the past and the present: the present from Eleanor’s POV and then the past through the journal entries of a young girl names Annushka who was a maid at the estate back in 1965. I was completely stumped when it came down to the culprit and was shocked to find out the truth at the end. This story kept me on my toes with its eerie winter woods setting in a home with a dark past filled with shadows. There is a lot I can’t go into much detail without spoiling, but I really enjoyed this one and loved how it kept me guessing till the end. I would like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This title will be released on March 29th 2022.

#TheRestingPlace:

Y’all know I’m all about a good ending. I loved Camilla Stem’s last @Minotaur book, The Lost Village.. until the end. While reading The Resting Place, I got the same eeriness, the same atmospheric feel, the same “do I need to check under my bed before I jump in it” vibe. Because of it, I was worried I’d have the same flat ending. So I tried not to get my hopes up for The Resting Place because I didn’t want to be let down again. Sten delivered and then some for me this time around, and I’m as happy as a clam.

I honestly didn’t think I would laugh at this book, but Eleanor had some classic comic relief lines to really break up the eerie tension. The scene where she’s clutching the wrench and she waits they’re armed like they’re expecting a run-in with a zombie horde had me cackling. That was some Ryan Reynolds inappropriate laughter in a serious situation scene.

While I did get some giggles in, make no mistake I was creeped TF out. I figured out the twists early on, but that was the creepiest ride just to get there. I listened thanks to @macmillanaudio, and Angela Dawe (Finlay Donovan, Hello Transcriber, Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens) had me literally hanging on their every word. The dual timeline and short chapters had me compulsively listening at every waking moment to finish this book and see what was about to unfold.

Overall, a solid book that will get you out of any slump you may be in! I knew I wanted to try Sten again after how much I loved 90% of The Lost Village, and I’m so so so glad I did. The Resting Place is the book to give you the creeps. Thank you Minotaur and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy. The Resting Place is out March 29th!

I really like Scandinavian women mystery writers, and I have read all that Viveca Sten (Camilla Sten's mother) has written. This was my first Camilla Sten novel, and although it was an entertaining read, it didn't sit quite right with me. The main characters were annoying, the circumstances around them a bit too convenient and dramatic for my taste.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I found the mystery very compelling and that at its core there is who killed Vivianne and "What is Solhöga?" or, better, why was Solhöga kept a secret from Eleanor? But as the story progressed, there ended up being so many questions and layers to this mystery that felt very engaging. I read most of Part 2 in one sitting and only finally put it down because I had to get to sleep at a reasonable hour to do my dang job!

I really enjoyed the duel timelines and felt incredibly invested in Anushka's chapters knowing that would bring Eleanor's chapters more context within Solhöga. Overall, the characters, pacing, and twists were enjoyable and I would recommend this as a great locked door mystery.

I did hope that Solhöga and its creepy house vibes would have created a more unsettling atmosphere. You get the sense the characters feel it. They are unnerved by it and feel like they hear "voices in the walls" and "that the house isn't finished with them." But that feeling never quite translated to me, as the reader, and that is one of my favorite parts of a locked room, creepy mysterious country estate. My only other qualm was that I still don't fully accept the conclusion to Vivianne's storyline.

Read this if...you enjoy graphic thrillers set in isolated locations.

The Resting Place starts off with a bang when Eleanor (aka Victoria) walks in on her cruel grandmother's murder. The scene itself is traumatic for its gruesomeness alone, but Eleanor's face blindness makes it even more so. Despite seeing the killer, she can't identify any of his or her identifying features. Eleanor is still recovering from the murder when she receives news that her grandmother left her an estate in the Swedish woods, which Eleanor didn't even know existed. Along with her boyfriend, Aunt Veronika, and the estate lawyer, Eleanor travels to the isolated estate looking for answers to her grandmother's death.

I really enjoyed "The Lost Village" by this author, so I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately, it was just okay. I loved the snowy wilderness atmosphere, but ultimately, I just wasn't that invested in the story. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I kept getting the characters mixed up. I mean, is it really necessary that so many female character have a name that starts with V? There were at least 4 that I counted and that made it hard for me to keep them all straight, especially when multiple characters in the book go by two different names. I did like the way Sten wove the two storylines together, but the twists at the end didn't pack the punch they were intended to.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

A big thank you to the author, Netgally, and Minotaur Books for an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I was attracted to The Resting Place because, as its heroine, I also am challenged by prosopagnosia - face blindness. I know what it's like to ignore your best friend because you don't recognize her for her new hair color and style, or to call someone by the wrong name, or to look in the mirror and not recognize yourself. The markers to which Eleanor refers are essential. And yet the condition doesn't play as prominent a role in this rather routine Scandinavian mystery as I expected and I don't think they truly convey the feelings that the condition induces. There are murders and attacks galore in this novel and the author cleverly treats the setting - and especially the weather - as a major character. Ultimately, though, the writing doesn't seem quite able to convey the senses of horror and evil that characterize the story. The Resting Place is a good quick read that doesn't live up to its ultimate potential.

The Resting Place is a psychological thriller, following two timelines, from different POV’s. In present time, Eleanor, our protagonist with prosopagnosia (face blindness) has recently inherited the secret estate of her recently murdered guardian/grandmother. After this discovery, Eleanor, her timid boyfriend, the estate lawyer and her evil aunt travel to the house only to uncover a series of dark and twisted family secrets, deeply embedded in past generations. The second POV follows the deeply layered history of the house, and the occupants which inhabit it. Eventually integrating the two stories of one really fucked up family tree.
Stern nailed the chilling, Swedish cold and snowy atmospheric setting, creating some truly creepy moments throughout. For me, this was the highlight of the novel. Unfortunately, the characters, and there were MANY of them, were underwhelming, confusing and tiresome. Each character was underdeveloped, one weaker than the next, and the relationships between the characters were even more confusing. Because frankly, there were none. These relationships, being a significant role throughout the plot, became a huge
run on sentence. So while I was a little creeped out at times (which is pretty cool for a book) rooting for no one and nothing is kinda disappointing.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this story. I was slightly confused by the characters with similar names and the dual timeline really didn't help. Once I got it straightened out, I became more interested. The characters were good but not exceptionally intriguing. I liked the book, but was hoping for a bit more.

Oh my goodness. This book is a ride. A clever, confuzzling, glorious ride. The most interesting parts that I’d really like to discuss are major spoilers so I’ll zip it but know that the elements here that might initially seem a bit cliche’ and of the “pop-culture thriller” moment are actually, in this book, a skillfully incorporated and interesting commentary on identity and perception. My only complaint is the incorporation of the dumbwaiter. Is there an unspoken law that thriller writers must incorporate a dumbwaiter into a certain percentage of their published works? Seriously, can we stop with the dumbwaiters?

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Nordic mystery, but THE RESTING PLACE caught my attention when I saw it described as “The Sanatorium meets Crimson Peak.”

The plot is a familiar one: After witnessing the death of her grandmother, Eleanor and her boyfriend are tasked with sorting through her grandmother’s estate, but when they arrive things go terribly wrong, as a snowstorm isolates them and it becomes apparent that they are not alone.

The vibes of this book are immaculate. It’s one of those stories where the setting becomes another character and completely immerses you in the story. Sten does a great job of building the setting and tone without sacrificing the plot.

This book reminded me a lot of ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, partly due to the isolated winter setting, but also because of the use of prosopagnosia as a narrative device. I think it worked better in Feeney’s novel, but The Resting Place was still very twisty, even if it was a little slow at times.

The Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a moody, atmospheric, and supernatural mystery, this will be the perfect fit. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! The Resting Place is available on March 29.

I am a mood reader and this one fit my mood exactly. Creepy and chilling and secrets and lies, just what I was looking for.

Eleanor has face blindness. She doesn't recognize people's faces and has to go by things like hairstyle, glasses and the like. When she stumbles upon her grandmother's murder in progress, she feels she might know the murderer. But she doesn't recognize them. And this haunts her throughout the book.

She is called to her grandmother's mansion (that she was unaware of) to take inventory of her grandmother's things. She goes there with her boyfriend, her aunt, and her grandmother's attorney.

One by one, secrets of the past are revealed. Strange things occur and she constantly feels like someone is watching them.

This book hooked me from the start and it was one I hated to put down, and when I did, I was still thinking about it. Enjoyed the diary excerpts along with what was happening in real time. It built the story slowly, unpeeling the layers and sucking you in, but was a quick read and still felt fast paced. I enjoy this author's writing style. Alternated audio and ebook and both were fantastic! Not my first book by her, and won't be my last.

Many thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin's/Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me an advanced ecopy of The Resting Place by Camilla Sten in exchange for an honest review.

I REALLY liked this book. The atmosphere was so gothic and spooky, which is right up my alley. Prosopagnosia is a common theme in thrillers in the past few years. in The Resting Place, I did not feel manipulated by it as I often do. The way it was used in the story seemed less forced than usual.

Eleanor witnesses her grandmother's murderer fleeing the scene of the crime. However, having a condition that does not allow her to distinguish facial features means she can't identify the killer she was face to face with. Shortly after her grandmother's death, Eleanor and her aunt Veronika are called to do inventory at a mysterious Swedish mansion in the woods, a property of her grandmother's that Eleanor never knew anything about.

The spooky mansion is filled with family history Eleanor knew nothing about. Who murdered her grandmother? Why was the grandmother so casually cruel? All the mysteries were resolved satisfactorily. As I said, this is my favorite genre of book: gothic mysteries. Many authors try and few succeed. This one did for me.

Eleanor walks in on her grandmother's murder and comes face to face with the murderer. Unfortunately for Eleanor she can't remember the face, due to prosopagnosia. Another terrific, spine tingling read by Camilla Sten! She is very quickly becoming a favorite of mine! Check your locks, get a drink and get cozy, there's no way you'll put this book down!

I have tried, truly I have, but this is going to be a DNF for me. I loved Sten's THE LOST VILLAGE, but this one is just so boring. Like honestly. Maybe it'll pick up but if a book doesn't grab my attention from the get go it's not going to work for me, sadly. Which is disappointing.

The Resting Place by Camilla Sten

This was a chilly mystery thriller. Kept you in suspense through the whole book. I am not keen on going from past to present constantly, but enjoyed this novel and vI recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced copy of this book fir my review.