Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced e-reader copy of The Lost Village by Camilla Sten.

Alice, an up and coming documentary film maker, embarks on the journey of making a film about Silvertjarn, a once thriving mining village, which was abruptly deserted by its villagers in 1959. Alice has a strong connection to this “Lost Village,” as it was once home to her grandmother and her family before it was abandoned. Alice, along with a small crew including Emmy, her ex-best friend, are determined to unveil the truth of what happened all those years ago.

What a thrilling ride this story was! My interest was piqued right from the start by the concept of an entire village vanishing and from the moment I picked it up, I couldn’t stop reading. It had a strong beginning that made me want to continue reading to find out what happened that would make an entire village leave behind their homes, their jobs, their lives. The story is told in time jumps, jumping from Now to Then (back in 1959 right before the village was abandoned). The author also uses old letters to help tell the story and fill in details to tell the story or Silvertjarn. I enjoyed the time jumps and felt that the story was easy to follow. The chapters were short and very quickly paced, making me want to keep reading to find out what happened next!

This book felt like watching a scary movie. It was creepy, slightly gory, dark, and filled with religious fanaticism, and definitely something I would not read at night! There were times when I found my heart rate quicken as the characters explored the decrepit abandoned town. The author did an incredible job with her descriptions of both the characters and the village and while I did predict the main plot line, I didn’t predict the ending, which is always refreshing in a thriller.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in a spooky, atmopsheric read that will keep you turning the pages! But be warned, there are some parts that are difficult to read because of how one of the characters is treated by people in the village.

Overall, I would give this book 4 stars for the Sten’s ability to keep me engaged and guessing the whole way through.

This book will be available for purchase on March 23, 2021.