The Lost Village
A Novel
-
- $17.99
Publisher Description
*BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER FOR THE YEAR* for NPR
"Come for the mounting horror and scares, but stay for a devastating examination of the nature of family secrets." - New York Times book review
"[A] scary, highly entertaining debut...that pays homage to Shirley Jackson." - South Florida Sun Sentinel
A Most Anticipated Book Goodreads * Publishers Weekly * Crime Reads * Popsugar * Bookish * #1 Loanstar Pick in Canada
An Indie Next pick!
A Library Reads Pick!
The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar in this brilliantly disturbing thriller from Camilla Sten, an electrifying new voice in suspense.
Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left—a woman stoned to death in the town center and an abandoned newborn—have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened.
But there will be no turning back.
Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startlingly clear to Alice:
They are not alone.
They’re looking for the truth…
But what if it finds them first?
Come find out.
"RELENTLESSLY CREEPY." —Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger (An NPR Best Horror Novel)
"IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP READING." —Ragnar Jonasson, author of The Island
"Readers will revel in the chills." - Booklist
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this eerie Scandinavian mystery, a documentary film crew seeks answers to what happened in an abandoned mining town. In 1959, Silvertjärn was vibrant village of almost a thousand people—until its entire population seemingly vanished overnight, save for an abandoned infant and a lone woman found stoned to death. Sixty years later, filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has assembled a small crew to investigate the ghost town. Swedish author Camilla Sten builds a quiet, unnerving atmosphere that gets under your skin (cue damaged equipment, creepy laughter, and cultlike happenings). We absolutely tore through the book, desperate to know more about the town’s strange history and terrified to actually find out. If you love a chilling Scandi mystery full of gothic atmosphere and ominous dread, don’t miss The Lost Village.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Fledgling documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt, the narrator of Sten's strong debut, grew up listening to her grandmother's reminiscences about Silvertjärn, a former mining village in a remote region of Sweden. In 1959, Alice's grandmother had already left Silvertjärn when mysterious circumstances led to the disappearance of nearly everyone in the community, the grandmother's parents and younger sister included; the only people left were a woman stoned to death in the town square and an abandoned newborn. Determined to make a name for herself, Alice assembles a group of friends to shoot a documentary on location around the same time of year the disappearance took place. Using old family correspondence to guide them, Alice and her crew begin to unravel the mystery. Their suspicions that they aren't alone grow as they become victims of strange occurrences, equipment is destroyed, and loyalties are tested when their group members fall injured or go missing. Flashbacks heighten the tension. This gripping psychological thriller is sure to please fans of Shirley Jackson and cinema verité–styled horror. 100,000 copy announced first printing.
