I enjoyed this, and it had some good twists and turns, but it didn’t quite match up to the author's previous release, The Lost Village.

The Resting Place by Camilla Sten is a thriller with a very atmospheric setting. When Eleanor's grandmother dies, she leaves behind an old house; and Eleanor goes to check out the house with her husband and the estate lawyer. But, weird things start happening at this secluded estate, and then they get stuck there due to a snowstorm. Who is causing these strange things to happen? This story also has excerpts from an old journal, left behind at the house. The way that all these things line up was fascinating to me. There were a few things that didn't work well in this story, but I still really enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

The Resting Place is a good psychological thriller with some decent twists and turns, but where it really delivers is on the atmosphere. This was my second read from Camilla Sten and I really enjoy her work. Her writing is very atmospheric and the creepy, isolated house in winter trope was totally nailed for me. The intrigue was well done and the overall feel was very haunting, mildly claustrophobic, and edgy.

I loved the dual timeline and was close on figuring out the twists, but not quite. Still...I found the read gripping and I loved the way things fell into place. This was my second thriller read using the prosopasgnosia trope (face blindness), so the ingenuity of that was a little lost on me, but it will be great for some readers as it isn't a frequently used plot device.

For those looking for a wintery, gothic feel with a creepy estate/house vibe, this will be an excellent, quick-paced read. Camilla Sten can write a chilly scene and set quite the edgy tone.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

I read her lasted work 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it! I was in a bit of a reading slump and also traveling so only read a few pages a day but the story was intriguing enough for me to want to finish it as soon as I was able to. Sten is so great when it comes to atmospheric, isolated/locked room thrillers! ⁣
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⁣Our main protagonist, Eleanor, has face blindness aka prosopagnosia, and therefore cannot remember/identify her grandmother Vivienne’s murderer. This haunts her throughout the story as she, her partner, aunt, and an estate lawyer spend the weekend at her grandmother’s grand house in the Swedish woods - a house Eleanor had no idea existed despite the fact that she was raised by Vivienne. The group soon finds themselves stuck inside the estate due to a bad winter storm with a missing groundskeeper, a historical mystery, and a possible killer. ⁣
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⁣I really enjoyed how spooky the house seemed and the idea of not knowing if there were ghosts or possibly a secret person hiding in the walls. Like Eleanor, the reader doesn’t know how to trust, and at one point I was convinced it was a CERTAIN person because of the stereotype of those who are closest to you can’t be trusted lol. ⁣
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⁣I did enjoy 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘝𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦 a bit more because it was spookier and the backstory was more emotional. And I was left with questions with one of the twists in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦. But overall it was entertaining and the perfect read for the cold weather. ⁣
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⁣If you like wintery thrillers and locked-door mysteries then definitely give this a read!

Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me read this. This was good. All of the twists made it even better. The dual timeline was easy to follow and keep up with as you read. This was another good one by Camilla Sten.

THE RESTING PLACE by Camilla Sten
Translated into English by Alexandr Fleming
Narrated on audio by: Angela Dawe ( 8 hrs 52 min)
Publication: 3/29/22 by St Matin’s Press / Minotaur Books


Camilla Sten, best known for the international bestseller “ The Lost Village “ returns to the English bookshelfs with this propulsive psychological suspense yarn that defies unspooling until the last page. She serves up a stew of murder, laced with family secrets, a brooding isolated estate, and trapped by a blinding blizzard, while a murderer lurks and hunts.
The tale is woven in the tapestry of three perspective. Eleanor in the present, as well as her cranky and contentious grandmother, Vivianne, and the found diary of Anushka (providing insights into the many secrets of her grandmother) ….Vivianne’s cousin from Poland turned into the maid. Eleanor has long suffered from social anxiety due to her rare condition of prosopagnosia. Her “face blindness” has left her dependent on secondary cues to recognize people …. their hair color and style, clothing, voice and gait. She has been raised by her cantankerous , controlling , and sometimes cruel, grandmother since early childhood, due to her mother’s death from cancer. She reluctantly visits her every Sunday for dinner. She is little prepared, when a faceless person, rushes past her , as she enters her grandmother’s home, to discover her dying from a slashed throat. Being unable to assist the police, her anxiety, grief and depression escalate forcing her into further therapy. A lawyer contacts her with the knowledge that she has inherited the country estate of Solhoga - buried deep in the woods of the Swedish countryside. Apparently this is the site where her grandfather Evert killed himself. The site was willed to Vivianne, but has not been visited in decades, and is being overseen by the caretaker, Mats Bengtsson. Eleanor had no knowledge of its existence. The lawyer insists an inventory of the assets must be obtained. Eleanor, with her boyfriend, Sebastian, her quarrelsome aunt Veronika , and the lawyer, Rickard, journey to the isolated Solhoga, as a winter storm is brewing.
Camilla Sten proves to be a masterful storyteller as she weaves the twisted narrative, with multiple characters and their secrets, in the face of the brooding atmospheric estate, as cell service is lost with the building intensity of the blizzard overwhelming them.
The caretaker is nowhere to be found. Eleanor feels she is being watched and sees glimpses of a person in the gloom of night. Veronika is attacked and bludgeoned on the head. The blizzard has blocked all roads out of the estate. Rickard went to fetch another bottle of wine, from the underground cellar, and has never returned. While playing dress-up with her boyfriend, she finds in the fold of a dress, a photograph. She earlier found Anushka’s diary. It shows the images of what she surmises to be Anushka, the cook, and her daughter …. one of many bread crumbs of clues possibly leading to the true reason why Vivianne was murdered. Past and present are intricately woven together, as secrets are revealed. The chilling feeling of building tension and intrigue inexorably escalates to a denouement that no reader will anticipate. Nothing is as it seems.
Personally I switched back and forth between my kindle and the audio, narrated by Angela Dawe. Her excellent voice and inflections, provided insight into the many nuanced characters that came alive in the “theatre of my mind”. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books who provided an Uncorrected Proof and Audio Recording in exchange for an honest review.

A psychological thriller that had me guessing. Eleanor walks in on the murder of her grandmother Vivianne and comes face to face with her murderer, however it doesn’t matter. Eleanor has face blindness. She cannot recognize the murderer, or anyone else in her life.
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She is left the old house, that is a house of secrets. One thing is for sure something are better left laid to rest.
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Thank you @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐/ 5 stars

Eleanor walks into a gruesome scene, face to face, with her grandmother’s killer, but due to her prosopagnosia (facial blindness), she is unable to identify who the culprit is. After her grandmother’s death, she finds out that she is left with a secret estate in the Swedish woods - which her grandmother never spoke about, presumably because her grandfather died there suddenly. Eleanor, her boyfriend Sebastian, Rickard (the estate lawyer), and her aunt Veronika all head to the estate to inventory the property, but also to hopefully dig into the secrets of the house/family. Once they are there, they soon realise they might not be alone and there might be more to the story of why her grandfather died there (and why her grandmother was murdered so violently).

The first few chapters grip you almost immediately and sustains you all the way through. I love short chapters in thrillers! I really enjoyed the Lost Village, so I knew there was probably going to be a twist at the end, and I was right. I did not expect that ending at all. There were parts that lagged in the middle, other than that, a solid thriller through and through.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyment: 4
Total rating: 4.21


Eleanor came face to face with her evil grandmother's killer. But she suffers from prosopagnosia, face blindness. The anxiety of not knowing who the killer was and fear that she may encounter them any day, anywhere, profoundly affects her life.

Her grandmother left Eleanor a house in the middle of the Swedish woods, the same place in which her grandpa died suddenly. A place with many secrets. Unable and unwilling to go to that house alone, the lawyer, her aunt and her boyfriend join Eleanor's visit to this house of secrets and help her find answers. If that is a good choice, now that's a different story.

The Resting Place was highly atmospheric - and it hit the right spot with its ever-increasing sense of foreboding, dubious characters and their complicated interpersonal relationships, secrets that consume those who keep it and destroy those who find them out. I was gripped from the first page to the last period. Sten's character work was fascinating. I particularly enjoyed how she wrote Eleanor's face blindness into the plot and how she managed to make Eleanor's angst and anxiety relatable.


Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of The Resting Place.

I read The Lost Village last year and loved it. It was one of the scariest books I’ve ever read. The Resting Place is quieter. It’s still a mystery/thriller but isn’t quite as creepy. It was still very compelling and I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on.

3.5

I was really looking forward to this book! While it wasn’t love, I still enjoyed it. The dual time lines combined with the
prosopagnosia aspect really captured my attention in the beginning. As time went on, it lost some steam for me and by the time it got to the half way point I could somewhat see where the story was going. With that being said, I was still engaged and invested in the story and in the main character, Eleanor.

Taking place in Sweden we slowly discover family secrets. I do feel like some stuff wasn’t fully explained by the end of the book, they were small details but still important in my opinion. Overall, it was still very atmospheric and a quick read.

Thank you to publisher for sending my a review copy and netgalley.

Just when I was reeling from the chiller feels The Lost Village had given me, Camilla’s new books came out! I remember saying that reading through The Lost Village was like sinusoidal wave, I suppose the author saw that and said “hold my drink” and wrote this story. The Resting Place is relentless and a show topper in the horror-thriller genre mix! It has got everything I expect from a heart-thumping thriller - house of secrets, intriguing characters and a steadfast plot. You wouldn’t be disappointed if you pick this to read.

Thank you Minotaur for the reader’s copy!

This book is twisted. Is the house alive or is something far sinister at play? It didn't take long to read this because I couldn't put it down. I do caution that reading it at night may mean hearing noises that aren't really there, but for most of us thriller lovers, this is a key piece!

I loved the characters, I loved the pace, and I loved the plot! Kudos to Camilla Sten!

Trapped in an old family home during a blizzard after the murder of her grandmother, Eleanor must discover the secret her family has kept for decades before she or someone she loves gets hurt.

I really enjoy Camilla Sten's writing - she is one of those authors where I will pick up her latest book without even reading the description and know that I will enjoy it. The Resting Place, though a bit of a slow build for the first half of the book, was suspenseful, twisted, and a little bit scary. The writing of two different timelines was seamless, and this was overall a 5-star read for me.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Camilla Sten for the opportunity to read this book! It was released on March 29th, 2022.

“We perceive women suffering from mental illness with a sort of paradoxical double-sidedness; both victims and monsters. simultaneously infantilized and feared.”

THE RESTING PLACE
I absolutely enjoyed Camilla Sten’s previous novel, The Invited, and could not wait to pick up The Resting Place. Eleanor has prosopagnosia which is also called facial blindness. So it would be difficult for her to identify her grandmother’s murderer. She and her grandmother, Vivianne had a strained relationship. Viviane wasn’t the most maternal. But after a phone call from the lawyer: Eleanor, her boyfriend Sebastian, her aunt Veronika, and the lawyer all head to the family estate called Solhoga. Once they get there, family secrets become exposed and then the attacks begin…

I absolutely love Camilla Sten’s writing. She really nails the eerie atmospheric tension. Her story building is very slow-burn and I can understand how some people may not appreciate it. But just stay the course, because each reveal throughout the book really packs a punch. There is a lot happening in this book though. Trigger warnings: murder, child abuse, gaslighting, miscarriage, mental illness, suicide.

The book does jump back and forth between the present and 1965. There are 4 names that start with “V” and it did take a while to get used to and put all the pieces together. At every plot twist, the lies come to light and readers will be working to piece everything together. By the end of the novel, I knew who the perpetrator was. I was a little disappointed with the ending but I actually loved everything leading up to it. It was very creepy and I often wondered if we were dealing with something more paranormal rather than a long-lost family secret. –And that is how a good author keeps readers on their toes.

The characters are complex and have their faults. There are a few characters…like Vivianne who are completely toxic and I did not quite understand the hold she had on those around her. BUT, it made sense in the end. Overall, I will always read Camilla Sten’s works, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

After reading The Lost Village I was really excited for The Resting Place, but unfortunately, it really didn't work for me. The pacing felt a little slow and I couldn't connect with the book. Perhaps it was just a wrong book/wrong time issue for me and no fault of the author since I have been a fan of Sten's in the past. So I will give this book a 3/5.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Almost exactly a year ago, I read and really enjoyed Sten's debut novel, THE LOST VILLAGE. I've been looking forward to seeing what she would write next since then. Needless to say, I was thrilled when the publisher sent me a copy. It's an engaging and smoothly translated second novel - though perhaps not quite as eerie as her first book.

Told in two timelines and two narrators, the book is sent mainly in the Swedish summer home called Solhoga. Eleanor learns of the property only after the sudden death of the grandmother who raised her. The second narrator, Annushka, works in the estate in the 1960s. But soon it becomes clear that the secrets of the past are causing turmoil in the present.

Eleanor's condition of face-blindness adds to the tension here - though I do feel like this condition crops up more than you would expect in fiction. Eleanor's coping mechanisms here make her seem more capable than some of her other counterparts in fiction. The plot definitely takes some unexpected turns here and my early guess to the plot, while close, were ultimately not correct in the end. Some of the characters seemed a little unneeded, other than to act as red herrings. And of course, I appreciated all of the "v" names here... The ending feels a little abrupt but I did enjoy it! And I am curious to see what her third book will be about!

It was ok but predictable even though the rest of the story was good. Disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley, Camilla Sten and St Martin"s Press Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already Available.

After “witnessing” her grandmother’s murder, Eleanor finds out that she owned a secluded mansion. She goes there with her boyfriend, aunt, and lawyer to get an idea of it’s value, but Eleanor really wants to find out more about who her grandmother was and why she kept this house a secret.

I was skeptical going into this book. I had mixed feelings on Sten’s last novel, The Lost Village, so wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed this story.

This book is told from two perspectives, Eleanor in the present day and Anushka, a housemaid at the mansion 50 years earlier. I loved the dual timelines and trying to figure out how they tied together.

The setting of a creepy, secluded mansion set in Sweden was perfect. This book was so atmospheric, and I could feel Eleanor’s fears while trying to figure out if someone else was in the house. Throwing in a dumbwaiter made it that much spookier!

Eleanor has prosopagnosia or face blindness which adds another element of suspense to the story. Not knowing who murdered her grandmother, and who to trust made the story much more tense.

Although this was a slow burn, I really enjoyed the lead up and trying to figure out what was going on. All along I suspected one person, but was totally wrong. There are some big twists, and although I figured out one, I didn’t see the ending coming.

I’m glad I gave Sten another chance as I ended up really loving this spooky and atmospheric story. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Eleanor lives with prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize a familiar person's face. It causes stress. Acute anxiety.
When Eleanor walked in on the 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. With each passing day, the horror of having come so close to a murderer—and not knowing if they’d be back—overtakes both her dreams and her waking moments, thwarting her perception of reality.

This is the second book by Camilla Sten I have read, and like the first, it starts as a slow burn. A slow but steady build, where the characters are introduced and we are shown their faults and their gifts before we even know why we are here. But the story continues to build as does the tension.
You think early on that you know what the great family secret is, and maybe even sigh at how pedestrian a trope, but you will find as I did that I was wrong and my assumptions were not even close to the truth that is finally

Thanks to @netgalley, MacMillian Publishing, and Camilla Sten for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.revealed.