Based on the summary, I expected this one to be an enjoyable read that would hold my attention, but, sadly, I didn't find that to be the case. While the writing was solid, the thriller angle and overall pace was far more minimal than I expected with this genre.

I have always been a sucker for a good locked room mystery, and this novel definitely fits the bill. A young woman suffering from an inability to recognize faces is thrust into a murder investigation where no one is safe and everyone is a suspect.

I had hope for this one. It started well with a murder mystery and went down hill from there.
I found it incredibly boring and truly had to push myself to finish it.
I wanted to like it but I just couldn't get into the character backgrounds and really couldn't care about any of them. It was way too long, not enough thriller and suspense for my taste.
2 ⭐

3.5 stars rounded up

Camilla Sten excels at writing creepy atmosphere and growing paranoia. The Resting Place is a page-turner of a gothic thriller, mostly set at an isolated estate with a dark past. It's a book about family secrets and class divides, partly by having high class Swedish characters and lower class Polish characters. (This book was originally published in Swedish and I'm guessing the way this is done is more salient for people familiar with that part of Europe) The book also features a main character with a history of mental illness, so she isn't always sure if what she thinks she sees or hears is real. AND she has prosopagnosia, or face blindness, so even though she saw her grandmother's killer, she couldn't recognize them even if they are around her again.

I had a fantastic time reading this book, but I also think the twist at the end is kind of cheap. I've heard the same criticism about her first novel The Lost Village, though in that case I was less bothered by it. Without getting into spoilers, I think there are more interesting directions she could have gone from a character perspective, OR she should have woven this twist in so that it feels less out of left field. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and would absolutely pick up more from this author in the future. I received an advance copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.

An Inheritance That Is Nothing But Trouble

The novel opens with Eleanor in a cold and small room. She looks at her hands. Even though she washed them raw, all she can see is blood. A police officer arrives and asks her what happen when she arrived at her grandmother’s apartment. She could not identify the person standing in front of her when she arrived, but the officer doesn’t believe her. She has prosopagnosia, face blindness. When she arrived, she did see Vivianne, her grandmother, try to call out to her. A person pushed past her, and then Eleanor hurried to her and pressed her hand against the gash in her neck. Five months later, she arrives at Solhöga, her grandmother’s estate about which she never knew even though she had lived with Vivianne since she was a little girl. With her is her boyfriend, her aunt, and a probate lawyer to inventory the estate. While Eleanor has a key to the house, the groundskeeper, who should have all the keys and be able to show them around the estate, is nowhere to be found. The story proceeds from here with this first harbinger that something is wrong. It is not the last.

The main storyline consists of two threads. The main thread is the story of Eleanor and the events of what happens during their visit. This thread is more a cerebral mystery thriller than action thread. The other thread is the story that unfolds at Solhöga and Vivianne’s Stockholm residence in the mid ‘60s. This thread portrays the lives of Vivianne, her husband, a very young, polish servant girl, Anushka, and other servants. Much insight to the early life and marriage of Vivianne is provided here. Both threads unfold fairly linearly and at a steady. The main thread captured my interest as events keep happening that indicate more and more that something is very wrong. The author incited curiosity by keeping tension high, and my thinking was focused on who is behind the strange events and why. I really wanted to know. Several, what I call, literary grenades cemented my interest. I could not stop reading.

Each of the main storyline threads had an accompanying B-storyline threads. The background on Eleanor primarily was achieved by flashbacks while growing up with the domineering and abusive Vivianne. Since she struck out by herself, the background is provided by her interactions with her boyfriend, aunt and her therapist. Most of the ‘60s main thread also is the B-storyline of how this time in life formed Vivianne’s personality.

There are a few intimate scenes, but they are presented more from how this affects the woman’s behavior and presents her with a moral dilemma. Vulgar, rude, and impious language is present. Neither of these two aspects are at a level that raised a red flag for me. Violence usually is described after the fact, but as the novel is approaching its ending crescendo, the violence transitions into the more edgy as it occurs. This book was translated into English, and I found no issues with the translation. As the novel is set in Sweden, I did make use of the easy access to the Internet from inside the novel on my e-reader.

For me, the main storyline is believable, and I am generally happy with the ending. The antagonist is not revealed until the end when the justification for this person’s actions is revealed. There is a second antagonist whose identity and reasons are revealed near the end, but this is a loose end at the end of the novel because whether or not that person’s goal is achieved is not revealed.

I have read a previous novel by this author. This novel confirmed her in my second highest rating as a Will-Read author. I enjoyed reading this novel and am looking forward to reading further books by this author. If the publisher’s teaser interests you, I do recommend reading it. I rate this novel with four stars.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books. My review is based only by my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

I loved The Lost Village, so when I heard about this
book, I was so freaking excited. I thoroughly enjoyed it while hiding under my blanket. Can’t wait for her next book. Thank to the author, publisher and NetGalley

The Resting Place is the ultimate Winter thriller. Chilly. Eerie. Creepy. And snow. Lots of snow. 🤣

You know that prickling sensation you feel when you think someone is watching you, breathing on your neck? That’s the feeling I got from some scenes in this story. The setting was so meticulously described, I couldn’t help but want to actually VISIT the Solhöga mansion. The twisted family secrets and animosity amongst the family members made me want to keep turning the pages. Did I mention: super short chapters!

The story is told in 2 timelines with 2 POVs. I really enjoyed the past timeline with the old journal entries from Anushka that were found within the house.
The Resting Place is an unpredictable, convoluted tale with so many twisted revelations that I could’ve easily read another 100 pages more!!

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Set in a remote snowy estate, "The Resting Place" is an intensely claustrophobic and closed-in mystery suspense novel. The main character Eleanor acts as the unreliable narrator, uncovering the secrets that her recently deceased grandmother has been hiding for decades. The plot unfolds in dual timelines, slowly revealing who might have murdered Eleanor's grandmother and why they've held this grudge for so long. You can't trust any of the characters, and the twist was completely unexpected and compelling.

Camilla Sten has the wonderful ability to write books that make you lose yourself while reading them. They easily fit into the conversation with bestselling authors like Riley Sager and Jennifer McMahon. In 'The Resting Place', Eleanor is a young woman who suffers from face blindness. She remembers people based on markers like their voice or prominent feature (ex. bob haircut, jewelry, hands etc). Adding to the confusion of seeing the storyline through Eleanor's eyes, Sten uses a Nonlinear Timeline skillfully to make the reader feel as unsettled and anxious as Eleanor does. It is slightly confusing to start with but quickly you begin unraveling who everyone is. After Eleanor's grandmother's death she is invited to an old family mansion that she knew nothing about, rife with family secrets and a foreboding atmosphere the plotline slowly unfolds. I'm not a fan of unreliable narrators usually but Camilla Sten won me over here. I liked the short chapters and even though I wouldn't call this book horror it's definitely a decent mystery, if a bit predictable.

Thank you so much Minotaur Books for my free Advance Readers' Edition and Netgalley for the egalley review copy.

Read this book if you like dark family history, unspoken secrets, and gothic architecture.

Eleanor cannot recognize faces, she goes through her life identifying markers instead of people's faces to know who is who. She's made it through life okay with this, until she walks in on her grandmother's murderer and cannot help the detectives. Struggling immensely with this burden, she tries to put her life back together, but that all changes when she is told about the estate home her grandmother owned. Eleanor has to go to the estate to inventory and sell the property where she is joined by her boyfriend, aunt, and the lawyer.

I read Camilla Sten's first book and love her environmental writing. The plot of this story had me much more engaged than "The Lost Village." The character development was well done, the plot was fast paced, and I loved the short chapters. Thank you to Camilla Sten, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley. This book is out on March 29th!

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Goodreads review link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4538555126?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Main character Eleanor watches her grandmother brutally die but cannot tell who the murderer is because she has Prosopagnosia, meaning she does not recognize faces. (It's weird that no one questions her, but that's besides the point).
You learn about Eleanor and her family's past throughout the book and you as the reader, or at least I did, kept going over the "who done it?" the butler in the pantry? The book is set in Sweden where Eleanor has to go with a lawyer to go over inventory of the house her grandmother leaves her. She brings her level headed boyfriend and her not-so kind aunt. Everyone there is looking for answers- about themselves, about the house, about the murder.

I thought it was going to be supernatural scary, but it is more suspense over anything. I was a little disappointed that it was set up that way. It was fast-paced and is a great stormy weather book to read. The only thing I disliked was the characters names. For some reason my brain could not differentiate between the gazillion female names that start with the letter V. The only other thing I disliked was I wish it went more into Eleanor's Prosopagnoisa and what it was like. Just a sentence here and there perhaps when she met someone new. I also did not really like how her boyfriend kind of made her seem like she was mentally ill to the point where she wasn't an adult and he was her savior. Although, that could have just been lost in translation.

I would definitely read something from Sten again, and might just have to check out her The Lost Village- as long as there are no V names in it.

Camille Sten deserves to be a bestseller household name on level with Paula Hawkins or Gillian Flynn.  She writes amazing twisty thriller suspense with the added addition of the amazing Sweden as an incomparable setting.  Fans of John Lindqvust and Stieg Larson would also like this tight winter gothic with a slight nod to Du Maurier's Rebecca.

Truly my only problem with this book is the title.  It really didn't make any sense.  I wonder if that's a result of the translation or changes during editing mentioned in the afterword.

My first read by Camilla Sten but definitely not my last! The Resting Place was a twisted novel with an unexpected array of emotions. The themes of love and deceit are carefully woven throughout the plot. The characters are both likable and unlikeable which creates tension for the reader. I never guessed where this book was going and thoroughly enjoyed the cold, winter scene I was transported to.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review !

The Resting Place
by Camilla Sten


Told in different time lines, this is a captivating read with misunderstood and flawed characters. An intriguing mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end.

I enjoyed this book, although it was a bit dry in parts, overall it was well written and kept me reading because I could not figure out the mystery.

Eleanor has just seen her grandmother murdered. However due to her Prosopagnosia, the inability to remember faces, she is terrified that the murderer may be right around the corner and she would never know. This novel is about a truly dysfunctional family and a murder mystery with several twists and turns.

4 Stars !

After reading The Lost Village by this author, I've come to expect a completely page-turning, entertaining read and, The Resting Place did not disappoint. Main character, Eleanor has prosopagnosia, a condition where she can't recognize people's faces. After Eleanor finds her grandmother murdered in her apartment, she inherits a family estate and returns there with her boyfriend, her aunt Veronika, and the lawyer. Some seriously creepy vibes and deep family secrets make for a great read.

I receive a digital advance copy of The Resting Place by Camilla Sten (translated by Alexandra Fleming) via NetGalley. The Resting Place is scheduled for release on March 29, 2022.

The Resting Place follows two timelines. In the present day, we are with Eleanor, a woman with prosopagnosia (face blindness) who walked in on her grandmother’s murder. Unable to identify the killer, even though she saw them up close, Eleanor is uncertain who is responsible and worried that they may come back for her. Eleanor is contacted by a lawyer to address an estate in the Swedish woods her grandmother left behind. Eleanor travels to the estate with her boyfriend, the lawyer, and her aunt. In the past, we are with Anushka. Anushka works for Eleanor’s grandmother as a maid, and travels with the family to the Swedish estate every summer.

The two timelines play off of each other, with secrets revealed as we bounce back and forth. I found myself much more interested in Anushka’s story from the past. Her story is much more fully revealed, and the characters in the past are more developed. Eleanor and the other characters in the current day story felt flat by comparison, and had a less cohesive story line. I was also disappointed by the reveal of the “bad guy” in Eleanor’s story line. While Sten explained the why and how of the murder after the reveal, there was no way for me as a reader to have figured out the mystery on my own. There were other twists and reveals, but these I figured out so early in the novel that the end lacked a satisfying “Ah, I get it now!” moment.

As with other Camilla Sten novels I have read, the strength of this novel is the lonely, creepy setting filled with mysteries. This time, Sten drops her characters into the middle of nowhere in Sweden at an estate with a missing caretaker just in time for a blizzard to trap them there (and hide what might be lurking on the property). Like the characters, I felt both confused and trapped by the estate.

Overall, The Resting Place was a very vibey novel that delivered on a feeling of suspense. While I didn’t love the current day story line, the intertwined story from the past provided the depth I needed to pull me in.

Wow. Five stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved “The Lost Village” for the creep factor and the ending. “The Resting Place” was even better and I couldn’t put it down all day! Eleanor has face blindness. She was raised by her grandmother, a formidable woman, who was recently murdered. Eleanor arrives to the scene but cannot I describe the murderer due to her condition. She inherits a mansion that her grandmother never mentioned, and she and her boyfriend, Sebastian, go to the mansion with her lawyer to inventory the estate. Eleanor hopes to find out more about her family at Solhöga.

A very creepy, fast paced story set in a snowy landscape in a creepy mansion with multiple POVs and timelines. I feel sometimes things may have been lost in translation but overall it’s was a great read with some insane twists and turns.

I cannot wait for more from this author.

It’ll be released March 29, 2022

Thank you #NetGalley, #CamillaSten, and #MinotaurBooks for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Atmospheric with a very gothic vibe. The dual timelines draw you in. Eleanor is a great character. I didn't care for the rest of them though. There are several twists along the way. A couple you will see coming but there is still the high tension factor. I liked the writing and the pacing. The ending fell a little flat. Overall it's a good read.

This book was a strange one for me. It pulled me in but it didn't wow me. I read it fast but I felt slow. I figured out early what was going on but still wanted to read it. Ultimately, I liked it but I didn't love it.
Sten does a great job of alternating between the past and present, and giving an Agatha Christie tone throughout the whole book. I really enjoyed her writing style and the vibes that the story had. It was this pull that made me want to keep reading.
I think what made it so that this one was in the 'like' category was two specific things. The first was that my suspicions about the past and the present were exactly what I thought they were. So no surprises there. The second was that there were only a handful of characters in this story (which happens when you're at a remote mansion, so I get it). But once we confirmed who it wasn't, it was pretty easy to figure out who it was by process of elimination, as well as why, simply based on age.
If you're looking to get through a quick thriller read and love Agatha Christie then you'll enjoy picking this one up when it pubs in March!

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Camilla Sten for letting me read The Resting Place early. This one hits the shelves on 3/29

Wowee I love Camilla Sten. She swept me away with her last book, The Lost Village and now she’s done it again with her newest masterpiece. The Resting Place is full of flawed and complete characters, such a creepy atmosphere and a pacing so fast I read this one in just a few sittings. I definitely recommend this one!! Get your preorders and library holds ready, my friends!

Eleanor lives with prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize someone she know’s face. She’s anxious and stressed out. She’s always questioning everything. When she walked in on the murder of her own grandmother, she came face to face with the killer- only to not be helpful to the police. Then a lawyer calls, her grandmother, Vivianne has left her a mansion tucked away in the Swedish woods. A place with a huge history full of mysteries. Eleanor, her boyfriend, Sebastian, her aunt, Veronica and the lawyer head to this house of secrets looking for answers. They find things they never wished for.