The Lost Village

This was a great read! Creepy and deliciously atmospheric, and that cover is just perfect. I love books set in Scandinavia and this one did not disappoint.

Alice Lindstedt is connected to Sweden's "Lost Village" through her grandmother and is obsessed with finding out why almost 900 people disappeared in 1959 with the exception of a baby found in the school's nurse's office and a woman stoned in the village square.

Alice gathers a small film crew and is intent on discovering the truth about what happened here. She hasn't been too successful in her career and is hoping this can be her big break. But when they arrive in Silvertjarn, things quickly go downhill: their equipment is destroyed, someone goes missing, and Alice swears they're not alone: ghostly voices and visions plague the group.

It soon becomes clear that there is more at stake than finding out the truth for a film: their very lives could rest on it.

I started the first third or so thinking that maybe this would be a better movie than a book. It moved a little slowly, though I did like the premise and thought Sten painted a wonderfully realistic setting. The book moves between Alice's present and the past--featuring her great grandmother, Elsa. I thought the "past chapters" were far more enticing. The present read a bit clunky to me--I think it was their dialogue and the stilted way the group seemed to react to everything--and Alice felt a little lackluster to me. She was frustrated that things weren't going her way--including fellow crew member Emmy trying to take things over, but she never really seemed to know what she was doing.

But there was always this great sense of dread that there were monsters lurking in the corners (don't read this before bed!) and things really picked up after this mark.

I do have to say, though, that overall, I liked Elsa's narrative best and wished even more of the book took place in 1959. One thing I was missing was an even deeper glimpse of where creepy Mattias came from and how he was so able to put a spell over the town as he did.

Thank you to Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for a review. I will now be on the lookout for more Camilla Sten books.

Check this one out when it releases in March 2021.