Confession: I had to tell myself to put this book down well before bedtime so I could watch something fluffy on TV to cleanse my brain palate before trying to fall asleep!

The Bachelorette Party is a tense--and intense--read that kept me on edge, my brain spinning to try to figure everything out (Some things I got right, other things I got wrong!).

The setup is fairly common: a group of young women going to an isolated place where another group of young women had disappeared a decade earlier. The story is told mostly from the POV of one of the women in the later group, with a few sections/chapters from others, mainly the POV of one of the women in the earlier group. This lets us experience the uncertainty and tension-building and icky dynamics in present day while dropping clues from the past for us along the way. There are PLENTY of red herrings to steer us off course, mixed in with clues to what actually happened--and who did what--in the past.

If you enjoy:
* a mystery that will keep you guessing to the end
* characters who are relatable, if not always likeable
* sleeping with your eyes open
* complicated relationship dynamics
* a character trying to rebuild her life and atone for a major past mistake
* a unique, picturesque setting that shifts back and forth from starkly beautiful to bleak and scary as hell
* smooth, readable prose
then The Bachelorette Party will make a great summer read for you!
But remember: don't read too close to bedtime.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book by this author—and definitely not my last! I’m a huge fan of mystery thrillers, and this one had everything I love: suspense, twists, and emotional depth.

At its core, it’s a gripping story about friendship, grief, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of truth. The main character, Tessa, becomes obsessed with a massacre that happened a decade ago—and she’ll stop at nothing to uncover what really happened, even if it means returning to the very island where the murders occurred.

From the very first page to the last, I was completely hooked. The tension never let up, and I couldn’t put it down!

This was a fun, summer thriller. Fast paced and easy to read. Dual timelines can get MESSY at times, but this one was really well done. My one critique is that it was very predictable. I like to be kept guessing and I feel like this story didn't do that for me. That said, I still really enjoyed it and I can see people eating this one up this summer.

This thriller flies by and the audio narrator nails the vibe without.
However, nothing here screamed fresh. I clocked the villain early and kept waiting for a curveball that never came. Predictable doesn’t equal boring, but a little surprise would’ve pushed it higher for me. The subplot about how Tessa torpedoed her own podcast adds some depth, though.
Bottom line: quick, popcorn-worthy, and worth the credit if you like your mysteries light, fast, and competently read.

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this book

Pretty quick read, fun little story but i do have to mention it's kind of predictable, I figured who it was long before story was over, not why so it was still worth reading to find that out. I didn't quite connect with any of the characters like you wish to do when reading a story, not sure if any of them weren't meant to be likeable or if I just didn't read them right but either way the character portion felt flat to me.

A good solid thriller. The story was completely unrealistic, and I would never attend a bachelor party just so that I could work on solving a murder, but once I got over that part of the story, I did enjoy the rest.

A binge-worthy read that kept me on the edge of my seat, The Bachelorette Party was everything I could want in a thriller. From the complex group dynamics to the spine-tingling fear, I raced through these pages in just a matter of hours. I mean, who wouldn’t love a locked room murder mystery on a small, deserted island? With a disturbing glimpse into the past thanks to dual timelines and dual POVs, this claustrophobic storyline started off with quite the bang and only escalated from there. You see, the enigmatic past was interwoven tautly with the present, creating a reality that was as eerie and dark as it was well-written. Bravo, Ms. Sten, on a plot that kept me glued to my chair.

While the plot was a ratcheting explosion of impending doom, the characters felt decidedly dramatic in no uncertain terms. Despite that, however, I quickly latched onto the two main narrators, who I rooted for from the sidelines throughout the adrenaline-fueled climax and near-perfect conclusion. And while the rest of the pack was far from likable or endearing, they still felt distinctly compelling. The best piece of the puzzle, though, was the horror-movie vibe. Who was going to be the last girl standing? And who was going to be the first to be taken out by the villain? Just like in the theater, I could just about hear the scary music playing as I raced to learn all of the whos, whats, and whys.

All said and done, this was one book that required every light to be on after I checked the locks on my windows and doors. Bloody, hair-raising, and somewhat graphic, it had everything that you love in those good ‘ole slasher films: a shadowy villain, pretty girls trying to survive, a sinister atmosphere, and plenty of kills. Was it just a tad predictable? Well…maybe. Just the same, I had a blast watching the bad guy in this addictive whodunnit even the score. So if you’re looking for a book that’s a mix of a classic scary movie and a thriller like One by One, this one’s for you. After all, the growing paranoia, uneasy foreboding, and palpable tension were all there in spades. Ration of 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Camila Sten, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for my complimentary physical and digital copies. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgally, St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and MacMillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Maybe I've read too many locked room thrillers lately, but this one didn't feel like it brought anything particularly fresh to the genre.
The story unfolds across two timelines. In the present, a group of women head to a remote island for a bachelorette party. One of them, the main character Tessa, is secretly hoping to uncover the truth behind a decade-old mystery - ten years earlier, another group of friends vanished from the same island during a yearly girls trip. Tessa, whose true crime podcast recently flopped, is desperate for a comeback and sees this trip as a way to redeem herself. But things quickly spiral, and she finds herself in real danger, caught in a twisted game of revenge.
I both read and listened to the audiobook. The audiobook was well-paced and the narrator kept things engaging. I appreciated the dual timelines and how the threads of the past and present slowly wove together. However, the overall story felt predictable and lacked the tension I was hoping for. I would also have loved more depth on Tessa's podcast and what led to its downfall - it seemed like an important element, but it was only lightly touched on.
An okay read overall, especially if you are newer to the genre, but not one that stood out to me.

3.75, rounding up!

This was a fun time. Beautifully written with complex characters and complex motives both. Perhaps because it was marketed as Scream meets The Guest List, I expected slightly more slasher-y vibes due to the Scream comparison and while I can see where that came from, it was definitely more mystery than any sort of horror or slasher, at least to me. Although the aspect was certainly there in some ways, particularly in the prologue.

Despite that, it was far from disappointing. Like I said, I had a really good time with this one. I got incredibly invested in trying to figure out who'd done what, and had so many different theories running at once. Some little aspects felt obvious in the end and even though the reveal was one of my theories, it was still executed well enough to make gasp. The finale entirely was action packed and nonstop and so well done. I finished the last hour of this in one sitting, I had to get to the end.

I also have to shout out the great bi rep in this book. It delighted me very much. Happy pride month to Tessa.

This was my first Camilla Sten novel and it won't be my last! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for the ARC!

I’m a big thriller fan and love to try to figure out the suspect before the book tells us who it is. This book fell a little flat with me and was easy to figure out who the villain was. I also had a hard time keeping track of all the names since they all seemed similar, even across the dual timelines.

I did enjoy the dual timelines and POV. I liked that the ending was tied up and helped it be a good conclusion. I also really enjoyed how the author wrote about the healing of the FMC. Being my first Camilla Sten book, I am intrigued in checking out more!

The story jumps from past to present throughout. Some suspense, violence and horror at points in the book. Nothing jaw dropping in my opinion. A lot of characters to keep track of on the different timelines.

The Bachelorette Party by Camila Sten, in 2012 four friends went missing from a blind aisle off of the Sweden coast. now one of the missing girls sisters whose father own the island has built a resort and is letting her good friend Annalise have her bachelorette party there. The party is attended by old school friends McKayla, Caroline, and sisters Lana, Tessa and newcomer Natalie. They’re going to be the first guest there and the only staff is the owner Irene and the chef Adam. The book mainly focuses on Tessa a.k.a. Teresa who had success as a podcaster but for reasons not known in the beginning got canceled. she feels awkward around her high school friends and sister because she is the least successful among them but once they get to the island the activities have surprising effects even despite the fact her reason for going was to try and figure out what happened to the missing four women. her snooping only gets her so far but when she finds one of their friends who Irene claimed left early for reasons I didn’t get she immediately thinks the chef is the culprit. every now and then there is another POV with Matilda Irene‘s sister before the trip to the island setting up all the great suspects that could’ve potentially wanted her and her friends dead. I did find this book compulsively readable but there were many questions and situations in the book that had me rolling my eyes. I thought Tessa was a tad bit dramatic I get it shit anxiety issues but her reaction to those around her was only one example of her dramatized reactions I didn’t get that whole dragging vision thing her intense belief the chef was the killer and her need to get off the island I mean these women went missing 10 years before but having said that I still found it had really good writing which usually is it the case with translated books but this was really good and I even went and downloaded the author‘s other book the village. It’s an OK read and there’s way more to the story than what I put in this brief review but if you’re looking for a good mystery set in another country this should scratch that itch. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #CamilaSten, #TheBacheloretteParty,

I had to throw in the towel on this one. I just couldn't do it. This book made me want to not read. I dreaded picking this book up. In theory, the plot should have been thrilling and engaging but it was just slow and boring.

I could not connect with the characters. They felt shallow and superficial. The MFC was so whiny.... completely insufferable. We know something has happened to Tessa but you spend and excruciating amount of time talking around it. She talks about the awful things that happened, this thing she did that ruined her podcast/career but she never names it. I made it to 30% and still never knew what happened. She just talked in circles about it.

I loved the setting. I'm always a fan of homes in remote locations, only accessible by boat or perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. That seclusion, in itself lends an aire of mystery and foreboding. Unfortunately, for me that is pretty much where the suspense ended. There was absolutely nothing thrilling about this book. I cared so little about what happened that I finally just gave up.

I won't discourage anyone from reading a book but this one was just not for me.

I would have liked this more if the storyline wasn't so obvious. From the first chapter I had my suspicions of who did it and what was going on. The story is well written though and maybe if I didn't read so many thrillers and mysteries I wouldn't have figured it out and would have given it a higher rating.

There were too many characters . The chapters were confusing what was narrating.
Thank you St.Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

** “There’s a lot to be said for desperation. For the will to fight. I may not be the predator, but even prey can fight, when driven into a corner. With tooth, and claw, and rage.” **

Camilla Sten once again delivers a heart-thumping thriller with “The Bachelorette Party.”

The story follows two incidents — the 2012 disappearance of four friends on a small island in the Baltic Sea as well as the 2022 bachelorette party on the same island.

When former podcaster Tessa Nilsson learns the party is taking place on the same island, and the new hotel is owned by one of the victim’s sister, she can’t say no to the trip with five other women, including her sister.

But as strange occurrences start, Tessa must decide whom she can trust, all while preventing what happened in 2012 from happening again.

Sten does an incredible job of developing a heart-pumping thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. She develops an intriguing cast of characters, many of whom are dealing with secrets and trauma of their own. She also reminds us that “Caring too much is better than not caring enough” and to never give up and follow our instincts.

One disclaimer: this novel, which is due out June 10, does contain coarse language throughout as well as violence and discussions of adult situations.

Fans of suspense thrillers, authors like Ruth Ware, books like “The Lighthouse” by Fran Dorricott, “The Sanatorium” by Sarah Pearse or “The Hitchcock Hotel” by Stephanie Wrobel, or even closed-door mysteries will love “The Bachelorette Party.”

Five stars out of five.

Minotaur Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers, provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC of this book for review.

This is my first time reading something by Camilla Sten. If you are a fan of The White Lotus, you will love this. I enjoyed the dual timelines, navigating back 10 years to the original disappearance of 4 friends and the present group of friends visiting the island for a bachelorette party. Seeing the parallels between the two groups of girls added an interesting dimension. It was a face paced, eerie, and engaging thriller.

Camilla Sten’s The Bachelorette Party is an exhilarating rollercoaster of suspense, masterfully blending multiple timelines and perspectives to craft a murder mystery that grips you from the first page to the last. The intricate narrative structure adds depth and intrigue, allowing readers to piece together clues through the contrasting lenses of friendship, family, and hidden secrets.

The characters are richly developed, each with their own motivations and flaws, making them both relatable and suspect as the tension builds. Sten’s ability to weave emotional complexity with thrilling suspense is nothing short of brilliant. The exploration of relationships—be it the fragile bonds of friendship or the complexities of family ties—adds an emotional core that resonates deeply.

The pacing is impeccable, with twists and turns that kept me eagerly turning pages, desperate to uncover the truth behind the chilling events. The dual timelines converge seamlessly, creating a satisfying and unexpected climax that left me in awe.

The Bachelorette Party is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries. Camilla Stan has crafted a masterpiece that not only entertains but also provokes thought about the nature of trust, loyalty, and betrayal.

Tessa has lost her job as a true crime podcaster and is being sued by a family. This is not the time she wants to go to a Bachelorette party. The only reason she goes is maybe she can salvage her career by finding out what happened to four other women who vanished from the island 10 years ago. This bachelorette party does not go as expected when one of the participants turns up dead. Will any of them leave the island alive?

This is an exciting read that will command your attention. You will wondering if the same killer from 10 years ago is on the island with the party now. If so what does he want with them? This is scary and raises the tension in the story. I was definitely reading to see what happens next. I would recommend reading this book if you are a thriller fan.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #CamillaSten and #MinotaurBooks for a copy of this book.
#TheBacheloretteParty

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten is a bit of a locked-room mystery.

"Four friends visit a remote island off the coast of Sweden every year. A chance to unwind and have fun. No one knows where they go but them. Until one year they don't come back and they are never found.
Ten Years Later - Tessa has always been obsessed with the gilrs that were never found. She was the host of a wildly popular podcast until a bad decision caused it to crash and burn. Her friend has invited her to a Bachelorette weekend at a remote yoga retreat run by the sister of one of the missing girls. If Tessa can find out what happened she can get her life back on track.
It's also someone else's last chance to get revenge..."

Sten puts you in the middle of this group of friends, some that haven't connected in a long time. It's a multi-timeline story so we get what happened to the missing group of girls to cause them to go missing. And we get Tessa's backstory to see why she is so desperate. There's a lot of misdirection and you're unsure of what's really happening until the end.
Tessa was a little hard to root for. She got a taste of attention and was willing to do anything to keep it - one time with disastrous consequences.

Better to read this one on a warm, sunny beach.