Member Reviews

aI received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to receive an ARC copy of this as I really enjoyed Sten's last book and the premise of this one was right up my street. A murder occurs, an old remote creepy mansion, during a blizzard. Stop right there, sign me up! I'm going to start off by saying that although I thought the premise was great, the execution was lacking. The detail and character development was missing for some of the characters. When you get to the end you have already guessed what has happened but you don't get the end story of all the fates of the characters. To me it was also questionable on the actions of the murderer and just why they took the action they did. Because they did what they did they will never have all the answers.
The setting of a creepy old mansion full of secrets, lies, murder, betrayal, an unreliable narrator due to an illness and the fact that we are in a blizzard is great. In fact the house and the blizzard are what helps to make the book a thriller in my opinion. I felt that the story was good, but needed some editing down as I felt we kept repeating the same points over and over and it was a bit of a struggle to get through. It took me nearly two weeks to read this because it was very slow and repetitive. That being said, I loved the first book by Sten and I will continue to read her books and look forward to the next one.

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Prosopagnosia, face blindness. It means my brain doesn’t process human faces the same way others do. I can’t recognize faces, so I have to memorize distinguishing features instead.

Much of this novel is seen from the point of view of Eleanor whose words these are. She has perceptual, and other, issues that have affected so much of her life and others’ perception of her. Now, after the murder of her grandmother, she and her aunt are involved in settling the estate. This involves a trip out into the country to an estate she never knew existed, to do an inventory. She, Sebastian her boyfriend, her aunt Veronika, and a lawyer. And still she is having flashbacks to finding her grandmother and seeing, but not seeing the murderer. Should she go. Should she travel to an unknown place.

The pace of the story is both leisurely and intense. Dread is present in the city and increases as everyone gathers at the estate. When the snow begins, the intensity builds. There is an historical narrative too, set in the 1960s when her grandparents were living part of the year on this estate. So much hidden in this family.

I liked this story of mystery, fear, distrust-of self and others. Who ultimately is to be trusted? Who is real? How is Eleanor to know truth when she can’t be sure of the people around her and the people around her doubt her. And she doubts herself.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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My first book by this author. I will read more of her books in the future.

This is a very creepy and edge of your seat thriller. I would not call it horror though by any means. It is a very good and very well written book. Set in Sweden and in two different POVs.

Eleanor walks into her grandmother's home to find her murdered. The murderer walked right past her and she can't identify them at all. She suffers from prosopagnosia, or face blindness. She can't see faces. Only certain things that help her remember friends.

Vivianne, the grandmother, was not a very nice woman most of the time. She was very cruel to Eleanor. Eleanor was seeing a therapist, Carina. Carina helped her deal with the craziness that went on with her grandmother and set boundaries with her.

The story is told from Eleanor's POV in the present and tells about her going to Solhöga. That was a place that Vivianne had lived with her husband. It belonged to her husband but after his death went to Vivianne and then to her child and grandchild. You'll meet these people when reading this. Also a lawyer, Rickard. Also from Anushka's POV in 1966.

In the past, 1966, the story is from Anushka's experience in the house. There is a lot going on and all of it is not good. You read Anushka's story from her diary and find out what happened to her and a couple of other people.

There are a lot of secrets in this book. A lot of actions you won't see coming. A murderer that will totally surprise you. The house appears to be possessed in a way. Like the walls have eyes or sounds. Maybe both. Or maybe none. Maybe someone is up to no good and you try to figure out what is going on. There are a couple of deaths in this story. A few not so nice people. I can't decide which era I liked best and maybe both equally. I actually did not like any of the characters though. Eleanor appears to be a very week person most of the time yet gets pretty strong when she has too. Her boyfriend, Sebastian is a total sissy in my opinion. He starts out a bit strong but then she has to do everything because he turned whiney and just stupid. At least to me he did.

This book was a bit slow until about halfway through. Then it took off and I found it hard to put down. I wanted to know who the two eras would come together and who the killer was. I loved how the author brought the two together even though I have to wonder if it would have really worked. It was very good and I never saw that. I had a big guess but I was very wrong. I had no idea who the murderer was and was completely shocked. All I thought I had figured out was way wrong. That made the book even better for me.

Thank you #NetGalley, #CamillaSten, #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

4/5 stars. Lost one because it was a bit slow for a while. I do recommend it though. It's very good. I think this author is good. I enjoyed her "Thank You' at the end.

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The book was very atmospheric with a modern gothic vibe. There were two alternating timelines and I enjoyed both of them. The idea behind the book is very unique with the main character having face blindness which means she could come face to face with her grandmother’s killer and never even know it. I liked the mystery behind the house from the get-go. I will say the story did progress a little slow in the middle but once you get to a certain part the story picks back up with plenty of action and secrets revealed. Overall, it's a really great read. Camilla is a master at setting the atmosphere and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

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I feel like of meh about this one until the end. It took a long time to get where it was going. I felt like there were a lot of people to keep track of, but that could just be a me problem. I think Sten’s writing is very atmospheric and there were parts of it that genuinely creeped me out. I think I just wish it was a little faster paced.

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Camilla Sten has written another awesome book. The book gives you all the turns and mystery that you could want. Her writing is enthralling and the characters are amazing,. Two mysteries wrapped up in one book keeps you on your toes and saying just one more chapter. The interweaving of the 2 main characters stories makes you want to jump to the end to see what happened. This second book by the author is different from her first but still is in the phycological thriller genre. She has truly master the skills to make the reader feel those heart pounding moments and the tension of the unknown.

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Eleanor was raised by her grandmother, but when her grandmother is brutally murdered, she must venture to the family estate in the country to settle the affairs. Once at the estate, a creepy mansion with a missing caretaker, events unfold that will change her life in more ways than she could ever imagine.
I found this book hard to get into at first. But once the story picks up, I could not put it down. The imagery and characterization give this book the feels of a horror novel. I did anticipate the plot twist in the end, but the lead up to it was nothing short of jaw dropping. I enjoyed this book a lot and look forward to reading more by Camilla Sten.
I want to thank Netgalley, and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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This book was an ok read but i wasnt intrigue. This wasnt my type of read but was able to finish. I couldn't quite connect with the characters in this book as to i was finding it hard for myself to completely understand from begining to end. The cover of this book was what drew me into wanting to read this book

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An absolutely fantastic page-turner! I thought I knew the answer but turns out that was only the tip of the iceberg. Talk about a complicated family. I finished this book in two days and my heart was in my throat the entire time. This book is part haunted house, psychological thriller, and family history and those are the best kinds of books. I am looking forward to Camilla Sten’s next masterpiece.

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Nope. I had too high of expectations I guess. Thanks for letting me give this book a try. And for the ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a very atmospheric read. The kind of book that pairs perfectly with a thunder or snow storm. If you enjoy old abandoned houses, family drama and secrets, and multiple timelines this is a great book for you. The ending was a bit confusing as there is a lot going on with multiple characters, but overall it’s a great, well developed story to get lost in. I’m definitely interested in checking out more books by the author!

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I enjoyed The Lost Village By Camilla Sten so I was eager to read her next book. Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me. It didn't have quite the same level of suspense/intrigue as the previous book. Also, it was difficult to keep all of the character's names straight, especially since most of the names started with a V, and some of the characters had several different names they used throughout the book. However, the chapters were short and it ended up being a fairly quick read. I would definitely read another book by this author--she's a good writer--I just didn't enjoy this one as much as I'd hoped.

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Hmm, off to a slow start…but it did eventually pick up. Although the were some predictable things, I did not see the ending coming. I still have some unanswered questions but I guess I’ll never know. Overall a decent read. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy to review.

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Camilla Sten has crafted another brilliant gothic thriller. The Resting Place is atmospheric, chilling, and incredibly compelling. A well crafted story that is smartly written, The Resting Place is a must read for thriller fans.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

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An interesting take on getting snowed in with no where to go and mysterious things happening around every turn. The set up of this story with the inheritance of an old manor and a missing groundkeeper upon arrival allowed for a great set up. I loved the flashbacks in time to when the manor was lived in and the family who lived there with their housekeeper, cook and groundskeeper. I do feel like there was a good amount of thrills throughout and I did not see the ending coming, but I feel like there was a lack of character connection to make me really feel anything and care what happened to anyone. Check out my review on youtube for more details. https://youtu.be/a0CWY2K9hiM

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All I can say is WOW! I finished this book within 24 hours. So much suspense! 5 stars, will definitely be buying more copies as gifts!

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As a devourer of psychological thrillers, this book did not disappoint! It does take a lot for me to rate a thriller 5 stars but this one did it! The creepy, eerie and mysterious plot twisted and turned with an amazing/descriptive writing style that had me hooked from the start! Highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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After absolutely loving The Lost Village when I read it on Netgalley last year, The Resting Place turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. Eleanor, a young woman with face blindness, is set to inherent her grandmother’s country house after intruding on the scene of her grandmother’s murder. What ensues is 200+ pages of mysterious groundskeepers, haunted mansion, questionable lawyers, nobody is who they seem, subpar suspense. I found it to be dragging and was relieved when it was over.

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Thank you so much @minotaur_books for my ARC & cool journal! Awesome book swag! I am a fan of the highly creative, imaginative Swedish writer, Camilla Sten after reading, The Lost Village earlier this year. Rights for "The Lost Village" have been sold to seventeen territories around the world including film and TV, which is so exciting!

The Resting Place was released on 3/29/22. This novel is set in Solhöga; an eerie, atmospheric old manor house in Sweden surrounded by woodland, around an hour drive from north of Stockholm. This setting is so up my alley, but I was so disappointed that I could not get into this storyline. Initially, I enjoyed the first few chapters, but never found the strong character development and experience of the narrator that I was searching for throughout the novel. The narrative includes elements of suspense, claustrophobic locked room vibes, and the supernatural. Short chapters, alternating between the past and present were a nice structure to the story. I was hoping for the narrative to engage more of my senses to create an immersive, captivating experience of The Resting Place; however, the narrative was not brought to life. As a reader, the one component missing from this book is that I was not able to foster a rare and special intimacy with the characters, which is what I adore about books. This author is no doubt a talented, incredible writer. Perhaps I should try this book again at a another time to gain a different perspective….

Don’t let my humble opinion deter you from reading this book. It is getting glowing reviews. See below:

Most Anticipated by Bustle * Goodreads * Mystery Tribune * Crime Reads Best International Books of March

"Engrossing, character-rich, powerful. Sten is on a roll."—Publishers Weekly(starred review)

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The Resting Place is not what you think. There is no pause, no respite, and is not a long nor meandering sort of read. It’s a hit the ground running thriller with a great twist of an end that’s taking full advantage of its locked room trope. While the protagonist’s facial recognition disability could have been better utilized as a plot device and to give more sympathy to her unreliability, the story’s backstory plot was well done. Camilla Sten once again creates Nordic dread in a desolate landscape very well here.

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