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A review by daniellecherny
The Resting Place by Camilla Sten
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Eleanor suffers from prosopagnosia, also known as "face blindness," a medical condition that inhibits her from remembering faces, even the faces of those closest to her. With the help of her therapist, Eleanor has learned to memorize "markers," like hairstyles, bone structure, or beauty marks. Without these markers, Eleanor sees everyone as a stranger, including her family and long-time boyfriend.
When Eleanor walks in on her grandmother's murder, she comes face to face with the killer. Choosing to stay with her ailing grandmother instead of pursuing the assailant, the killer gets away, and every day, Eleanor fears she may again come face to face with the murderer--except she won't even recognize them.
Still dealing with the devastating effects of watching her grandmother die and letting the murderer walk free, Eleanor is informed that her grandmother willed her a looming estate in the Swedish countryside. Eleanor, along with her boyfriend Sebastian, alcoholic aunt Veronika, and probate lawyer Rickard, travels to the estate to uncover the secrets behind this secret mansion--the place that has seen far too many tragedies. Unfortunately, the group quickly learns that some secrets should remain buried.
The Resting Place is a milestone book for me. It's my first Nordic Noir novel, and my first book by Camilla Sten. It's also the book that helped me through my longest "reading funk." I read this in a 24-hour span, unable to put it down except for sleep. Even then, I dreamed about it. Sten has the wonderful ability to write truly immersive, atmospheric, and chilling settings. The manor was claustrophobic, dark, and dank in the best ways, making for an excellent "locked in" mystery setting. Her characters are written so raw and real, I can picture them before me. She uses themes like identity, childhood trauma, PTSD, and PPD, and she writes them in a way that makes them relatable to anyone--even if you haven't gone through these experiences yourself. The Resting Place is truly the definition of an unputdownable story.
Told in a faster pace than typical Scandinavian crime fiction, The Resting Place is the perfect book for readers interested in dipping their toes into the Nordic Noir genre. I highly recommend this one!
When Eleanor walks in on her grandmother's murder, she comes face to face with the killer. Choosing to stay with her ailing grandmother instead of pursuing the assailant, the killer gets away, and every day, Eleanor fears she may again come face to face with the murderer--except she won't even recognize them.
Still dealing with the devastating effects of watching her grandmother die and letting the murderer walk free, Eleanor is informed that her grandmother willed her a looming estate in the Swedish countryside. Eleanor, along with her boyfriend Sebastian, alcoholic aunt Veronika, and probate lawyer Rickard, travels to the estate to uncover the secrets behind this secret mansion--the place that has seen far too many tragedies. Unfortunately, the group quickly learns that some secrets should remain buried.
The Resting Place is a milestone book for me. It's my first Nordic Noir novel, and my first book by Camilla Sten. It's also the book that helped me through my longest "reading funk." I read this in a 24-hour span, unable to put it down except for sleep. Even then, I dreamed about it. Sten has the wonderful ability to write truly immersive, atmospheric, and chilling settings. The manor was claustrophobic, dark, and dank in the best ways, making for an excellent "locked in" mystery setting. Her characters are written so raw and real, I can picture them before me. She uses themes like identity, childhood trauma, PTSD, and PPD, and she writes them in a way that makes them relatable to anyone--even if you haven't gone through these experiences yourself. The Resting Place is truly the definition of an unputdownable story.
Told in a faster pace than typical Scandinavian crime fiction, The Resting Place is the perfect book for readers interested in dipping their toes into the Nordic Noir genre. I highly recommend this one!