Thank you Netgalley & @minotaurbooks for this gifted copy for an unbiased review.

~Premise~

The medical term is 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.

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆" brings us many unusual characters. Our protagonist Eleanor witnesses a horrible 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. The dark feelings of it having brushed by a killer, yet not know who could do this—or if they’d be back—overtakes her both physically and mentally.

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. And so, Eleanor, her steadfast boyfriend, Sebastian. Her reckless aunt, Veronika. The lawyer. Will all 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.

~My Thoughts~

I've come to really enjoy Camellia Stern's work but I have noticed with her books afterwards they don't leave a lasting impression with me. In my honest opinion (which I always give) I have enjoyed both of her books but after reading them I don't feel the need/want or see myself reading them again.

This is one thing I always feel and think when reading books, any books. It's not me thinking about it offhand its more of a feeling I get while reading. If the story is extraordinary, it deserves a spot on my forever bookshelf. If I see myself in the future rereading it or giving it to someone close to me then that is a book well spent and well read.

And then there are the books where yes, I did enjoy this book but I doubt I'll reread it and that is how I feel about "𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆". You might think "Well, you gave it a pretty high score for not wanting to keep it or think about rereading it", but honestly, I just couldn't bring myself to give it a three because I don't think it deserves three. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It just didn't leave a lasting impression. I don't know, maybe my scoring system is too high and I should start rethinking of how to do it. LOL. I highly recommend this book. Happy reading.

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆" releases on March 29th 2022.

This was such a great read. Twists and turns and lots of flash backs which kept the story interesting!

I will say, though, there were a lot of characters. A few of them had different names depending on who was speaking to them so that got a little confusing at times, but once you get into the story it’s less confusing.

There’s isolation in this which is a favorite thriller trope of mine and the sense of urgency was definitely there. I’d highly recommend this creepy read!

Creepy storyline set in the countryside of Sweden, this is a story of Eleanor’s family, whom hold secrets that she could never begin to imagine.

Eleanor suffers from prosopagnosia, or face blindness. She stumbles into her grandmother’s house immediately following her murder, and comes face to face with her murderer but unfortunately cannot identify the killer.

Shortly after the murder, Rickard, the estate lawyer reaches out to the family regarding a countryside estate named Solhaga, a large house that Eleanor has never heard of, they all pack up and head to the estate. Once there, the de rests that she was never aware of start coming out of the woodwork.

I was pleasantly surprised by this story! I appreciated the multiple POV, especially involving the storyline set in 1965. Between the history & thriller vibe, overall I would say this is a fantastic read!

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book I'm exchange for my honest review.

The cover art is simple but pretty. The writing was good, and the story was easy to get into.

Eleanor witnesses the murder of her grandmother Vivianne. There’s one problem: She suffers prosopagnosia (face blindness, or the inability to recognize a familiar person’s face, even the faces of those closest to you), and she can’t remember anything about the murderer. When Eleanor receives an estate in the country as part of her inheritance and visits the property, buried family secrets start to come to light.

The second I saw this new release by Camilla Sten, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Her 2021 book The Lost Village wowed me with its creativity. I appreciate it when authors try unusual things. We need more originality in a sea full of conventional plots, remakes, and reboots. And this book…it delivers!

First of all, the prosopagnosia adds a surprising element to this thriller. It creates a sense of paranoia that propels this story forward. In this case, Eleanor’s weakness saves her. At first, I thought the visit to the inherited estate would be something I’d seen before, but I was wrong! This thriller is relentless, an absolute page-turner. I couldn’t put it down.

The killer plot twists gave me an emotional gut-punch that left my head spinning. I sat staring at the book, speechless. Nothing is as it seems in this story. I LOVED it! Sten might be a new favorite author because I dig what she’s doing with her fiction.

I recommend. Keep me engaged and interested, thank you for the advance chance to read this. I’ve already told family and friends about it

I absolutely devoured this book! I expected it to be a pretty normal “girl inherits house and oh no it’s haunted”— which I love!— but whew! Camilla started amping up the unsettling feelings of dread and then churning out plot twist after plot twist! Perfection!

A good, twisted read that kept me going back for more. The characters and settings were well developed, which made it easier to fall into the story and really feel the different emotions that were happening.
For me, there were a few plot holes and the ending left a bit to be desired. But overall, an interesting idea for a book and one I would recommend.

This is my fifth book by Camilla Sten & just like all of her other books The Resting Place was another spine tingling page turner! This author has become one of my auto buys for me! I still have aways to go before I get through all of her books but every book I read just makes me want to read more! Camilla Sten just has a way of capturing her reads from the first page!
I really enjoyed the diary entries in this book! And let me just say that is one messed up grandma! The twists & turns & the suspense is great! The final twist at the end, really didn't see that coming! Could you imagine having face blindness & witnessing a murder? The murderer could be standing in front of you & you wouldnt even know it! I started this book at 11am on Tuesday & was finished 13 hours later! I couldn't put it down! Great read! Thank you St. Martins Press for sharing another great read with me!

Eleanore has a rare condition which makes it impossible for her to recognize people's faces. She manages by using other cues such as hairstyles, but it is a challenge. When she comes upon the scene of her grandmother after she has been brutally attacked and mortally wounded, Eleanor brushes past the perpetrator and Eleanor feels a prickle of recognition. Several months later she discovers her grandmother had a secret. Told through multiple perspectives and timelines, this will appeal to fans of international psychological suspense.

Highly recommend this book! This was my first book to read by this author and I can't wait to read more! The characters and the story stay with you long after you finish the book. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

Eleanor suffers from prosopagnosia or, more commonly, face blindness. Thus, she can’t recognize anyone except by memorizing what she calls “markers.” A marker could be bushy eyebrows, a cleft chin, or some other feature that informs her of the person’s identity. Therefore, when her grandmother, Vivianne, is murdered, she cannot identify the assailant who she sees when she enters the apartment.

Following Viviianne’s demise, Eleanor receives a phone call from a man who identifies himself as the lawyer handling her late grandmother’s will. He informs her that Vivianne owned an estate, Solhoga, and that he will need to go there and do an inventory of the property. Eleanor has never heard of this place despite the fact that she has lived with her grandmother most of her life. Curiosity piqued, she decides to go with the lawyer, taking with her Sebastian, her boyfriend, and her aunt.

Thus, begins this Gothic mystery. The tale is told on two levels: present day narrated by Eleanor and the past, told through the diary of one of her grandmother’s housemaids (and cousin), Anushka. In the present, not long after arrival at the estate, Eleanor begins to become suspicious and on edge – a missing groundskeeper, a strange conversation overheard, and a shadowy figure she sees down by the lake, all make her suspect that things at Solhoga are not entirely what they seem.

I’m torn in my review of this novel. The atmosphere created by author Sten was extremely well done - gothic and haunting - and the arrival of a winter blizzard only heightens the tension between the characters. I enjoyed reading the events related by Anushka in her diary, but I found some of Eleanor’s ruminations rather tedious. In addition, some parts of the book seemed improbable to me, most notably the dumbwaiter and the revelations that come at the end. The Resting Place is a good read, especially if you like Gothic, but I felt it could use some tightening up in places.

I want to thank the publisher, St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books), and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy of The Resting Place.

The Resting Place terrified me. I was reading it on my Kindle in the dark, and the atmosphere just got to me. I suppose that is the mark of a well-written book! I am especially impressed that this is a translated book because it read so smoothly!

This follows a woman named Eleanor, who deals with prosopagnosia (face blindness). So when she walks into her grandmother Vivianne’s apartment and comes face-to-face with the person who killed her…she has no idea who it is. When Eleanor goes to see the house she’s meant to inherit, she realizes that perhaps that house holds more secrets to her grandmother’s life than she originally thought.

Oh my gosh. You guys. We don’t just read from Eleanor’s perspective, but also diary entries from Vivianne’s maid Anushka back in the 1960s. Immediately, it becomes clear that something terrible has happened in that house. This is such a brilliantly written thriller that very nearly crosses the line into horror. The atmosphere is just too good. A dark, creepy estate with a blizzard whirling around outside? Eleanor being unsure if Vivianne’s murderer is just around the corner, or if she’s seeing things? Terrifying perfection.

The farther along into this book I read, the more intrigued I became. Both POVs were tense and mysterious. I don’t think that the ending is totally “WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED” but it is incredibly satisfying and makes sense for the plot as a whole. I genuinely enjoyed my entire ride with all of the crazy characters and surprising developments.

I do wish that Eleanor’s prosopagnosia was implemented a little bit better. I feel like the more deeply we were entrenched into the plot, the vaguer that particular aspect of her became. Like, sometimes she could recognize people and other times she couldn’t? It was definitely strange. And I will say that the ending didn’t pack quite the punch that I was expecting. I wouldn’t have minded if it was a little more dramatic!

Overall, I would recommend this one if you enjoy atmospheric thrillers, or are looking for a good translated novel!

If you like your horror unsettling and hauntingly atmospheric, then good news – Camilla Sten’s latest, The Resting Place, is here, and ready to set spines to tingling.

Bursting onto the English-language market last year with The Lost Village, Camilla Sten set herself a hard act to follow; but she’s done it. After the death of her grandmother Vivianne, Eleanor learns she’s inherited Solhöga – a country estate that’s never even been mentioned to her until now. Accompanied by her lawyer, her aunt Veronika, and her boyfriend Sebastian, she travels there to learn what she can; but it’s not long before plenty of other secrets start to emerge.

The Resting Place did so many things that I absolutely loved. Eleanor not only discovered her grandmother’s body, but came face to face with the killer; something we’re told in the very first pages. The game, though, remains firmly afoot – Eleanor has prosopagnosia, or face blindness. While she can remember and compare features, fixing people in her memory with flags like their hairstyle or wrinkle patterns, the collection of features that makes up a face carries no meaning for her. Camilla Sten used this to add so much dimension to the story, without overdoing it – when it’s used, it’s at the perfect moment to give the reader such a satisfying a-ha moment.

Most of the story takes place at Solhöga, though chapters do mostly alternate between our present with Eleanor, and the past, told via entries from a diary found at the estate. Isolated in an estate placed deep in the Swedish countryside, the group dynamics are prickly from the start – though I enjoyed the way some of my expectations in that area were subverted as the story went on. When you take a gloomy, remote estate, add a group with some truly capital D Dynamics going on, and then add a winter storm? You have all the ingredients needed to gradually ratchet up the tension and produce one wonderfully satisfying, impossible to put down thriller.

I would love to write a full review for this book, but I read it months ago and in the time since, I've gotten a new job and moved to a new state - so it's been a while. But I'm definitely going to recommend this book to patrons and friends!

This was such a quick, twisty read. I had trouble putting it down and can’t say there was a single moment I found myself bored. The character’s prosopagnosia was interesting and different, and really gave the story that little something extra. I’m very good at guessing the ending to thrillers, but this one kept me guessing for a long time. Really enjoyed it!

I enjoyed this novel. The characters were well defined, and there were enough unanswered questions that kept me trying to figure them out. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: March 29, 2022
Camilla Sten’s second English novel “The Resting Place”, brings together family secrets, an old mansion, and a murder (or two) that will leave readers feeling that Agatha Christie vibe. After the success of her novel, “The Lost Village”, I was eager to devour Sten’s newest release.
Eleanor found her grandmother, Vivianne, brutally murdered on the kitchen floor. She even saw the person who did it, as they tried to escape the scene. The problem? Eleanor has prosopagnosia, which means she can’t remember people’s faces, no matter how familiar they are to her. When she finds out her grandmother has willed her an abandoned estate in the Swedish woods, Eleanor hopes to find the secrets her grandmother kept hidden, in hopes of solving the mystery of who killed her. Along with her boyfriend, Sebastien, Eleanor’s aunt, Veronika and the estate lawyer, Rickard, Eleanor finds far more than she was looking for, and ends up running for her life.
There are a lot of characters in “The Resting Place”, many of them are related, and the majority of them are female names that start with the letter “V”. Throughout most of this novel, it was very difficult for me to track who was who, who was related to whom, and how it all came about. However, once I was able to get a handle on all the branches of the family tree (which, admittedly, took longer than I expected), this novel flowed easily and I was captivated.
The story is told in two time periods, present day and the 1960s, and is narrated by two different protagonists (Eleanor and Agnuska, who was the estate’s maid). Sten keeps the real identity of Anushka a secret until the final pages, for obvious reasons, but I enjoyed hearing the story from her viewpoint. When Anushka’s real identity was revealed, I was not entirely surprised (as there had been subtle hints dropped throughout) but Sten delivered the twist with ease.
“Place” flowed well, and its short chapters made it addictively easy to read. I wasn’t a huge fan of the character of Eleanor at the beginning, as she appeared to constantly be doing the opposite of what I expected her to do (or what I myself would’ve done), but she did eventually grow on me. Labeled as “neurotic” and “crazy” her entire life, Eleanor had to earn the trust of those around her, which endeared me to her towards the end.
I loved the haunting estate, the Stephen King-esque snowstorm and the Agatha Christie “whodunit” that “Resting Place” delivered. Although the plot pulled from a lot of other sources, Sten should be given proper credit for writing a gripping horror novel that will leave you guessing to the very end.

Dark, cold setting for the unraveling of long held family secrets. Atmospheric to a degree I expected to hear the wind howling and snow blowing by the window. It was a slow burn and wasn’t sure whether the narrator, Eleanor was reliable or losing her mind. It kept my attention and was able to connect to the main character if not the rest of the characters. Not sure that her face blindness was super essential to the narrative. It’s got creepy vibes and slight of hand. I enjoyed it.

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an e-arc of this novel (release date Mar 29, 2022}

This was my first read by this author. Its a thriller where the main character has face blindness.

I was ready to give up during the first 3rd of the book, but I kept going. After the first 3rd the book picks up and is very entertaining. I was a bit let down as there were things that were never quite explained to my satisfaction.

All in all, though, it was a pretty good read that did keep me interested.