“Hearing this book described as a cross between The Blair Witch Project and Midsommar meant I could not grab it fast enough. This chilling novel, set in a remote village in Sweden, tells the story of a scrappy documentary film crew trying to find out why the entire town disappeared many years ago. The camp they set up in the town square is immediately beset with mysterious happenings that become less and less harmless. Tension mounts as they explore the mystery of where the residents of Silvertjarn went and wonder if they will meet the same fate.”
— Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA
*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.
"Come for the mounting horror and scares, but stay for a devastating examination of the nature of family secrets." - New York Times book review
“THE LOST VILLAGE draws you in with its spooky premise--the disappearance of an entire town--but great atmospherics and unexpected twists keep you turning the pages. For fans of haunted reality TV shows, Scandinavian thrillers, and all things relentlessly creepy.” -- Alma Katsu, author of The Deep and The Hunger
"Very atmospheric and engaging mystery from a new and exciting voice in Scandinavian crime. The reader is drawn into a unique setting from page one and it is impossible to stop reading." - Ragnar Jonasson, author of The Island
"An enthralling and claustrophobic read. Camilla Sten has written a lurid thriller that will send shivers down your spine.” – M.T. Edvardsson, author of A Nearly Normal Family
"This gripping psychological thriller is sure to please fans of Shirley Jackson and cinema verité–styled horror." - Publishers Weekly
"Very hard to put down...delivers maximum dread with remarkable restraint, and as the situation goes from bad to worse to terrifying, readers will revel in the chills." - Booklist
"Deliciously creepy and profoundly addictive." - The Free Lance Star
"Legitimately scary." - Air Mail
"The suspense in this book is off the charts." - Manhattan Book Review
"[A] scary, highly entertaining debut...that pays homage to Shirley Jackson." - South Florida Sun Sentinel
"Welcome to the world of Camilla Sten...impossible to forget." - Criminal Element
