My thoughts: There's a lot to like about this novel. The mystery surrounding the inhabitants of Silvertjarn is both eerie and interesting, as is the remote setting itself. And Sten ably intersperses Alice's narrative in the present with short scenes from her great-grandmother's POV in the past. I liked the way the two narratives added layers and suspense to the mystery. But I felt like it took forever for Alice and the others to explore the more interesting parts of the abandoned village, and Alice's drama with Emmy, her former college friend, got old fast. But when things start to go wrong for the crew, the pacing does pick up. Overall, this one reads well, and I appreciated how the mystery gets wrapped up at the end. Is it all believable? No. but I thought it was entertaining.
Happy Reading!
There are some settings that just add to the mystery. Myserious houses bequeated in a will, asylums or graveyards, and next -- abandoned villages. And here's a Swedish one to boot. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love books where the main character inherits an old, mysterious house! That's one of my favorite settings. This setting was pretty good, too. :)
Delete"Entertaining" is always a plus when it comes to books, in my opinion. Who cares about believable?
ReplyDeleteYou make a very good point! :D
Delete900 people just disappearing is a great mystery indeed.
ReplyDeleteAnd without leaving any sign of where they went or what happened to them! That's what intrigued me.
DeleteWow...what an intriguing plot line. Mass disappearances that go unsolved like this one make for compelling reading. I'll take a longer look at this one, for sure.
ReplyDeleteYeah...check it out on Goodreads and see if you think it might be one you'd like. I was interested in the mystery the whole way through, I liked the way she told the story through the two POVs, I didn't love all her character interactions, but I did like how she gave you an answer at the end.
Delete900 people to disappear mysteriously all at once is a lot of people! Entertaining *is* more important than believability ;-) but...
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought this one was pretty entertaining. It read pretty fast, too.
DeleteI thought when I first started to read your review that it was non-fiction and then felt disappointed when I realised it wasn't. I think I've been reading too many Cold Vanish type books this year. LOL!
ReplyDelete:D It would make for a very interesting nonfiction read though, wouldn't it?
DeleteThe premise of this one reminds me of Blake Crouch's book ABANDON. I need to read this one and see how they compare. Glad you liked this one overall, even if it was slow at times.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound a lot like Crouch's Abandon! I'll have to read that one now and see which one is better. :)
DeleteSounds like an interesting mystery and happy to hear it panned out even with a bit of a lull in the story. Great review, Lark!
ReplyDeleteI did like all the past scenes, I just wish they'd explored the most interesting sites in the village first. And I felt like they could've done more each day than they did, so that's what slowed things down.
DeleteI kinda wish it was a litle more plausible, but the eeriness factor seems to be high!
ReplyDeleteIt was just one thing at the end where I went, "Really?" Overall, it's a pretty good read.
DeleteI'm intrigued! I'm so curious about how 900 people could just vanish. And most of the time I can overlook the believability factor if it's really entertaining.
ReplyDeleteThat part of the mystery really intrigued me, too! And I liked that you do find out what really happened to them at the end. That part of the story worked for me.
DeleteOooh! Sounds compelling, and I have an up and down relationship with believable. Sometimes I accept a premise and enjoy the lack of realism just for the fun of it!
ReplyDeleteFor the most part, I thought this story worked. There's just one thing at the end I questioned. But it didn't ruin the rest of the book for me.
DeleteI love mysteries, this one sounds good. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting and unique, that's for sure. :)
DeleteEerie and definitely mysterious! Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI like when mysteries are a bit eerie. :)
DeleteI have heard of Camilla Sten but not read any of her books. I used to keep up with Swedish mystery authors more. I agree, entertaining is important. I can put up with some implausibility when I am entertained and involved.
ReplyDeleteThis one held my interest, and it read pretty fast, too. I'd read Camilla Sten again. :)
DeleteI've got one of Sten's mysteries waiting for me on my Kindle, so I was really interested in your review. I used to read a lot more Scandinavian mysteries in the past-- probably due to Stieg Larsson and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
ReplyDeleteIt was Larsson's books that got me interested in Scandinavian mysteries, too! This one isn't nearly as good as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but it's still a readable and fun book.
DeleteI have this one on my Kindle but I'm sort of saving it for the fall. Could be a good read for the R.I.P. challenge! Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThis would definitely be a good one for R.I.P. :D
DeleteIt sounds a bit spooky. 900 people gone?! Did they drink the Kool-aid? Glad it picks up and it sounds like the mystery gets resolved ... my kind of ending
ReplyDeleteI think the best parts of the book are reading those scenes from the great grandmother's POV and watching what unfolds in that village before they all disappear. :)
DeleteI would want to jump right in with exploring that abandoned village!
ReplyDeleteRight? And they do start filming different parts of the village, but it takes Alice days before she heads to her grandmother's house...and I would have visited that first thing!
DeleteI don't mind if a story is unbelievable if it is entertaining and allows me to just enjoy the ride!
ReplyDeleteEnjoying the ride is the most important thing when it comes to fiction reads! :)
DeleteI like the sound of this especially the setting. I have this on a wish list from when I first heard about it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever read this one, I hope you post about it. I'd love to know what you think of it. :)
DeleteHi Lark, this is a very interesting idea for a mystery, a town in which 900 people disappeared in the 1950's. And though unbelievable it put me in mind of the lost settlers of Roanoke back in the late 1500's. It remains a mystery to this day
ReplyDeleteI've always been fascinated by the mystery of what happened to the colony at Roanoke. I've read several books that make guesses, but I really wish we knew the truth about it.
DeleteI haven't read anything by Sten yet but her books seem to be well received. I am glad you liked this one, even if not loved it.
ReplyDeleteShe's an author I'd read again. I liked the uniqueness of this one. :)
DeleteThe plot sounds intriguing. I'm glad it turned out to be entertaining despite some slow parts. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, overall it's not a bad read. :)
DeleteNice review, Lark. Too bad there were some slower parts, but glad that the ending brought it all together for you. I have not read a book by Camilla Sten, but have been wanting to try one, maybe not this one for my first though.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to check out some of her other books. If you read one of hers that's really good, let me know! :)
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