This book has a great setting with a mysterious island, old secrets, and a true crime podcast angle woven in (very subtly). It had a steady tension that made it hard to put down without ever going too over the top. The story kept a good pace, and the atmosphere had just the right amount of eerieness

I really liked how the cast of characters was handled—there were quite a few, but it never felt overwhelming or hard to follow. Each one had a distinct voice and purpose, and it all tied together in a way that made sense. The retreat setting was such a nice contrast to the darker undertones of the story.

I did feel a bit less connected toward the end, like the momentum dipped just slightly or I started to drift from the characters. But overall, it was an interesting, twisty mystery with strong writing and a great vibe throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the eARC!

The year is 2012 and four friends go on their annual trip to Isle Blind, a small island in the Baltic Sea and none of them make it home. Someone has murdered them. The police think they drowned in the water because of a drunk boating accident so they became known as the Nacka Four. In 2022 a new yoga retreat has been built on the island. It has been rented for Anneliese, who is getting married, and her bridal party. Tessa who is a true crime podcaster, has recently had some bad luck. While there Tessa decides she’s going to try and investigate what happened ten years ago. It turns into a nightmare when one of the women goes missing and then found dead. The readers learn the shocking details of what is going on now. Not everyone will make it out alive. Why?

Sten’s latest psychological thriller, The Bachelorette Party, arrives as a sophisticated meditation on guilt, obsession, and the devastating consequences of pursuing truth at any cost. Set against the stark beauty of the Swedish archipelago, this novel transforms what should be a celebratory weekend into a masterclass in atmospheric horror that rivals the best of Nordic noir. It is a solid thriller, with twists and turns that keep the story moving and fast paced. It’s a great mystery.

This is one of the darkest thrillers I've read in a long time. I immediately rolled my eyes at the premise (a true crime podcaster gets roped in to her topic...again) but there's no denying this novel is totally original. A close group of girlfriends go to a bachelorette party at a secluded yoga retreat, located on an island where 4 women had mysteriously disappeared 10 years ago. Twisty and unpredictable and a perfect summer thriller!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Bachelorette Party falls in line with other books by Sten- twisty, next level psychological, and broody. Tessa, an ex-true crime podcast host, is invited to her friend's bachelorette party on a remote isle. Given Tessa's obsession with true crime and unsolved mysteries; her extensive research has led her to believe that the disappearance of 4 women took place on this same isle. Tessa goes to the bachelorette party with two things in mind: 1. celebrate Anneliese, and 2. do covert research to link the island to the missing four. Sten does a great job delving into the psyche of someone who is scared with fight or flight activated. She reminds the reader that thinking straight in times of crises is not a typical skill for people to have. It gave me a new perspective on the whole judging victims in scary books/movies. I appreciate that the main character in this book identifies as bi-sexual and there are conversations that happen that address the biases and stereotypes surrounding sexuality. Overall, this is a quick read that pulls the reader in with action packed twists and turns! Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC

Thank you to the publishers, to Net Galley and the author for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.
This is a fun read with a lot of mystery throughout. I enjoyed the story and found it compelling to keep turning pages. The setting of Sweden is atmospheric and enjoyable. The sleuth well crafted to conclusion. Great characters in this fun escape.

The cover really stands out to me! This tense, atmospheric thriller delivers exactly what you'd hope for a bachelorette weekend gone bad. The isolated setting adds a chilling vibe and I found myself constantly second-guessing who to trust. The tension stayed high and kept me turning the pages so it was a fast read. I enjoyed the twist at the end.

I really enjoyed the closed circle mystery trope! I read this book in just two nights. The story moves quickly and kept me very entertained all the way until the end. Reminiscent of 90's and early 2000's thriller movies. Looking forward to more from this author!

This book reminded me of all the teen horror flicks i went to see when i was in high school (Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer). Give me al the summer thriller, locked room mysteries. I love a great dual timeline and i really did enjoy the way it all came together. I absolutely did not see that ending coming. Would definitely read more by this author.

This was a good book! Sometimes I’m a little hesitant about books that are offered to me. They have a bad track record with me, but I really liked this one! It was a quick and easy read. Entertaining. Kept me guessing. Hated the characters equally lol.

Solid read

This was a fun, suspenseful and quick read. The characters were over the top, the situation was scary (lake, woods, only way out is by boat) and so many different twists and turns.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the complimentary copy.

I haven’t read a thriller in a while, and I thoroughly enjoyed this!! I was able to predict who I thought was the murdered, but I didn’t expect the twists for why at the end. This book was giving white lotus vibes, so I was here for it. I’m a new bride too, so I was into the bachelorette party theme. I thought the author wrote the interactions between the girls very well. The ending could’ve played out better though, but I was on the edge of my seat at certain moments in the book.

Thank you Minotaur Books for this arc!

The Bachelorette Party has all my favorite elements in a thriller. An isolated location, secrets, desire for revenge and lots of twists. It is a fast paced novel that quickly becomes more sinister and suspenseful as it progresses. There are some gruesome discoveries and details that will please horror readers and plenty of drama worthy of a soap opera. It’s a good, “beachy” thriller that is perfect for the summer.

I received this book via the SMP early readers program. I have posted this review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Storygraph

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/36aa6bc6-07fc-4cbd-a099-f81adab803ba

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7616813004

And Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKw8gVuxXIG/?igsh=Nm5xNGdoNjc5d3po

Tessa is headed to her childhood friend’s bachelorette party at a brand new resort on an island with a dark history.

I love a locked room mystery so the premise and setting of this book were very promising. The beginning of the story hooked me immediately but ultimately the plot fell a little flat. The six female characters were so similar it was hard to distinguish who was who. The backstory didn’t make a lot of sense to me and ultimately I was disappointed with the reveal/twists.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing a free ARC for review via NetGalley.

The Bachelorette Party from Camilla Sten drew me in with its atmospheric setting and eerie, locked-room premise, the slow pacing and early reveal of the main suspect made it difficult for me to stay fully engaged. The middle picked up nicely, with some intriguing twists, and the ending delivered a flurry of surprises that kept me guessing. However, the lack of chemistry among the characters and the overly drawn-out build left me wanting more tension throughout. I’ve enjoyed Camilla Sten’s The Lost Village and The Resting Place more, but fans of slow-burn thrillers with a moody, remote island setting may still find plenty to appreciate here. Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan audio and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC. If you are trying this one out, I recommend the physical copy over the audiobook, for me this slow paced read was not made stronger with the narrator's style.

Having previously read two other books by Camila Sten, I am disappointed to say this was my least favorite. The premise captured my interest, but the story moved along so slowly that I began to lose interest.

I was fascinated by the remote island scene and the haunted aspect it held due to the Nacka Four and their disappearance 10 years earlier. To add to the eeriness of the place, the current owner of the island was the sister to one of the Nacka Four who went missing.

In the present day group, I didn’t get a good sense of camaraderie or closeness that long time friends share. The women seemed to be competitive and jealous-natured and didn’t seem to be that caring towards each other.

The most thrilling part was the ending of course, where surprises abound and everything seems to happen at once.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer my honest review for this book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. I love the plot of this book and the different timelines and POVs. I love a good whodunit and this filled that in for me. Great thriller.

This book definitely took a while to build, but once things started unraveling i couldn’t stop reading. Some of the characters felt a little undercooked but the tension and atmosphere made up for it. also loved the true crime podcaster angle even if it was a bit on the nose.

This was a DNF at 27% for me. I was having a hard time keeping the characters straight or feeling invested in any of them and felt like I'd read this same story many, many times before, so I set it aside for a bit thinking I'd want to come back to it, but know I will not. Beautiful cover and I'd definitely try another book by this author even though this one was not my fave.

Four women go on their annual girls trip to an island and never make it home. No one knows what happened to them. We the readers, have some insight since this story is told from multiple view points.
Ten years later, another group of 4 women visit the same island to celebrate one of them about to be married. One of the members of this party is a podcaster who is there for the dual purpose of celebrating her friend and trying to uncover what happened 10 years ago.
Cell phones are confiscated by the host on the island and the party begins. All is going well, until one of them disappears.

I enjoyed this tale. I looked forward to reading it and found it to be very well done. Characters were well developed. The storyline was easy to follow. Very enjoyable book with a beautiful cover.

The Bachelorette Party is an enjoyable quick read. Camilla Sten tells the story in two timelines 2012 and 2022. I loved the way she describes the island.

I got some of the characters confused but was able to keep the main storylines separate. I wouldn’t say this was the most unique plot. I do think it makes an easy summer thriller read.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books for letting me read this ARC.