A twisted and dark fast paced thriller set on a beautiful but secluded island. Tessa and her friends set out for a bachelorette party that they will never forget. But Tessa has her own agenda. She’s trying to fix her life and find answers to a mystery that’s over 10 years old, thinking that would finally get her career back on track. She finds more than she bargained for and now she has to make it out alive to finally reveal what really happened all those years ago.

I really wanted to love this one… I thought the cover was beautiful and the premise of the storyline had SO much potential! But unfortunately… this one just didn’t hit for me 😕

The story moved really slow and had a LOT of characters to keep up with—especially with the dual timelines. 😵‍💫 As an audiobook, it was even harder to follow, and I felt like I missed some of the deeper plotlines because I was just trying to keep the characters straight. 🤷‍♀️

The twists were there, but honestly… kind of predictable. I kept waiting for that mind-blowing moment, but it never quite landed the way I hoped. I loved the idea of Tessa chasing a mystery from the past while trying to make sense of the present—but the execution just didn’t deliver for me. 😔

Oooo this was clever and juicy as fun. Warning, though, this had a lot of characters to catch up with, and it being a locked room mystery and two (yes, two) sets of girls to remember and distinguish. The author did a great job of distinguishing them, but still, it was a lot of keep up with, not to mention trying to figure out the mystery in itself.

On the coast of Sweden at the private Isle Blind island resort, a tragedy happened with a set of BFF girls. Years later, another set of girls embark on a bachelorette party as a few have their own agendas, linking to the first set of girls and that tragedy. I don't want to spoil anything beyond this because the author did so well weaving the links between the two as well as the relationships between girls. I could imagine the author using a cork board with a bunch of characters and pulling and weaving red yarn all over the place and produced this fun locked room mystery.

There were plenty of times where I simply just mush two characters together just to get through (mainly Natalie and Mikaela (? sorry, already forgot the name) and Linnea and Evelina), not to undermine what the author was trying to build. Because there were so so many characters, I didn't get the chemistry in the relationships of most of the girls. But the plot had to move so I was left reading along cautiously trying to remember who was who. It became almost a chore even though I was enjoying the thrilling parts. But don't get me wrong - this was a fun and wild ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I'm taking points away from this one for the creation of a complete dope for a main character. I cannot stand when authors - especially female authors - write female characters that are just so dumb. The entire plot was obvious to me from the beginning of the book. Making the main character so dumb really took this whole book down for me. So sad that it went this way, but please stop making female characters so clueless and dumb!

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

ARC REVIEW
Publication Date June 10 2025
The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten is a psychological thriller set on a remote Swedish island. The story follows Tessa, a former true crime podcaster haunted by the mysterious disappearance of four childhood friends during their annual retreat years ago. When her best friend’s bachelorette party is planned at a yoga retreat eerily similar to the site of the tragedy, Tessa sees a chance to uncover the truth.

As the celebration begins, Tessa digs into the island’s unsettling past—only to realize someone is out for revenge.

Thanks to @NetGalley @St. Martin's Press @Minotaur Books for the advanced copy!

First off—how stunning is this cover? It radiates summer vibes and immediately drew me in. The story alternates between past and present timelines, which I found a bit confusing at times, especially with the large cast of characters. Some of the twists were predictable, but if you’re a fan of isolated settings with a creepy, slasher-movie feel, this one might be the perfect pick.

This book was phenomenal. The story itself was engrossing, but it also kept me thinking the entire time. It's been a really long time since I've found myself thinking about who the villain is or what's really happening. I was legit driving and found myself about this story and the cast of characters, and who I felt was trustworthy and who was up to no good.

This story is set in Sweden, and alternates between the past, in May of 2012, and the present, of May 2022. My only criticism of this was when I wished it had just been called "Before" or something, because this, only being ten years apart, I kept misreading it. The story primarily follows Tessa's POV, and she's a podcaster who is down on her luck. Attending a friend's bachelorette party on a small island is barely on her list of things she wants to do, but she is slightly more motivated when she realizes she could have a possible chance at redemption if she can uncover what happened to the four women who went missing ten years prior.

There are so many things I enjoyed about this book. First, it made me think. I somewhat guessed parts of how this would end up, but I still wasn't always right, and I always appreciate when an author can thoughtfully trick the reader, or take it somewhere deeper than I'd ever imagined. Another aspect I loved was seeing Tessa's character share more of herself. She's a bisexual woman who is reeling from a professional misstep, as well as a relationship ending. She's navigating both sets of disappointments while also taking some heat from old friends for her sexuality. This isn't the key point of the story, but I appreciated it being another facet of Tessa's life. You can really understand her sadness and desperation.

The ending of this story was insane. Even portions that I guessed correctly it was even darker and more twisted than I expected. This story would probably be considered Nordic Noir and definitely does get graphic. That said, it's only in portions of the story, so it's definitely not the darkest I've encountered.

Overall, absolutely recommend this book. If you love locked-room mysteries on remote islands, with friends, and all their secrets, this is the story for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I wanted to love it but, this book is a hot mess.

Sure the vibe of a nordic mystery is cool there's not a whole lot I know of set in Scandinavia in a modern sense.
However, the first 75% of the book the writing is thoroughly disengaging. The pacing is all over the place. The many characters and dual time line are hard to keep track of. I spent the majority of the book confused.
Many of the lines of dialogue between characters were random and uncalled for. It felt like elementary school creative writing.
Furthermore, I don't feel that the final plot twist was built up enough and easter egged throughout the novel. It comes out feeling like a complete 180 and I would have preferred a better resolution at the end of the novel.

Overall, not for me and would not reccomend.

An isolated island, dual timeline murders and intertwined characters in a tense mystery to determine who killed four women a decade ago.
Not by the police, but by a disgraced podcaster.
The ending was more fast paced than the first half of the book and also more tense.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press Minotaur Book for an eARC of this engaging book.
My review is voluntary and my opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten in exchange for an honest review. I love books by Sten and this one was really good too. I also enjoyed the narrator. There were many levels of intrigue in this book, I totally thought it was going one way and then it took a turn. Sten excels at this, lots of misdirection and well written characters.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the book #TheBacheloretteParty by #CamillaSten. This book is full of secrets, suspicion and murder. Ten years ago, four women disappeared on a secluded island that nobody knew the location during a bachelorette party. Now, Tessa is obsessed with this unsolved true crime, that she sets up a bachelorette weekend for her friend and to try and find out what happened all those years ago. Can she find out the truth before anyone else gets hurt?

Oh my goodness, where do I even begin with *The Bachelorette Party* by Camilla Sten? This book completely blew me away! From the very first page, I was utterly gripped by the atmospheric setting and the palpable sense of unease that Sten masterfully builds. The isolated island location felt both beautiful and menacing, perfectly setting the stage for the chilling events that unfold.

What I truly loved was how Sten developed the characters. Each woman in the bachelorette party felt like a real, complex individual with her own secrets and vulnerabilities. The dynamics between them were fascinating, and the way their pasts slowly intertwined with the present mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I genuinely cared about what happened to them, even as the tension ratcheted up.

The suspense in this book is absolutely top-notch. Sten expertly doles out clues and red herrings, leading you down one path only to yank you in another direction. There were moments where I literally gasped out loud! The pacing is perfect – never too slow to lose interest, but never so fast that the impact of the reveals is lost.

And that ending? Absolutely brilliant! It was both shocking and satisfying, leaving me with that delicious shiver that only a truly great thriller can deliver. If you're looking for a suspenseful, atmospheric, and utterly captivating read, look no further than *The Bachelorette Party*. Seriously, add this one to your TBR pile immediately. You won't regret it!

I was lucky enough to receive both the audiobook and ebook arc.

The synopsis of this book sounded great and I expected it to be a lot like Lucy Foley's The Guest List.
However due to the fact that it is about 4 women in the past and 4 different women in the current time period, that made it hard to follow as they go back and forth. Plus the current women are talking about what happened to the women from the past. While I was actually surprised by the ending, the great narrator was what got me to the end otherwise I would have only made it 1/2 way..

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Ten years ago, four friends took their annual girl's night get away to reconnect and take a break from life. And disappeared.

Now, Tessa, a once successful true crime podcaster has been invited to a bachelorette party to celebrate her childhood friend's upcoming marriage. The destination? A new, gorgeous spa retreat located on a remote island, in the same area as the missing women from ten years ago. Tessa can't resist the invite and maybe a shot at reviving her podcast and her reputation.

Once on the island, Tessa can't shake the feeling that something is off. Is it her overactive imagination? Is she over-reacting? Or is something terribly wrong and has someone led them here for an act of revenge?

The Bachelorette Party was a good read. There are dual time lines where in the present you absolutely get the feeling that everything is a clue and no one is to be trusted. And in the past timeline, you get little breadcrumbs that keep you guessing and feeling like you're putting the pieces together.

This was such a compelling read. I looked forward to picking it back up every time I had to set it down, which is always a good sign. It’s not reinventing the thriller genre, but it doesn’t need to. It delivers exactly what it promises: a twisty, easy-to-follow whodunnit that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

There are some fun turns along the way, and while it plays in familiar territory, the pacing and structure kept it feeling fresh. Definitely recommend this if you’re in the mood for something suspenseful, well-paced, and not overly heavy.

I found this to be more slasher thriller than mystery. I enjoyed the writing style and thought it was well paced. I did find parts of it to be predictable but, the why behind it was a unique spin. 3.5 stars.

What a crazy story I really enjoyed this one. Love a good isolated thriller and this one did deliver. I definitely got the reference to “The Guest List” but I really was hoping for more of the “Scream” reference as well. As eerie as the book became I feel a lot of it happened towards the second part of the story and I think it felt a bit too rushed. I think it had a good amount of surprises although I wasn’t crazy about all of the twists I was very pleased that I couldn’t see them all coming. The characters could’ve been flushed out a bit more but ultimately I had a lot of fun reading this and definitely recommend it.

Four close friends get together for their annual meetup on a little, uninhabited island in the Baltic Sea. They keep the location a secret from everyone they know, which has never been a problem before..until now.
Unbeknownst to their loved ones, tragedy strikes and it's as if they've vanished into thin air. But larer when a boat is recovered- damaged and without any passengers- most of the world decides it must be a case of partying gone wrong. Clearly they've drowned and were swept out to sea.
But were they? And is that what Everyone believes?
Now, ten years has gone by and a close group of friends from the same town books a bachelorette weekend at an up and coming resort on a tiny island in the Baltic. Is it just a coincidence or is there any way that this formerly uninhabited island could be linked to the past? After all, the police only looked for the girls in the water..

It's so eerie!! If you enjoy mystery and intrigue paired up with a dash of horror, this is the story for you!
Thank you so much to #StMartin'sPress for inviting me to read and review this title! I really enjoyed it.

I liked how the book opened with suspense, I liked all the different characters and I did like the twist. However I HATED the main character. She just seemed way too selfish and uncredentialed for her role. Not to mention she contradicted herself, 'I would do anything for my sister' but what did she do? She ran and was never the hero at all. In fact her friends had some dirty laundry they were oh so happy to air about her the entire time. This had good bones and I am excited to read future work by this author because she did create a lot of loose threads that tied up so nicely! But please make the main character someone I want to relate to and read about.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC.

I really enjoyed this book! Set on a tiny island in the Baltic Sea (had to look up where that was, exactly), I was completely caught up in the mystery of the initial massacre and the present-day bachelorette party events.

I didn’t see the twist coming, but I imagine other thriller readers might. It was a great one, and I wish we knew more about that character.

I also thought the book did a great job of telling the story of how the 2012 women were so committed to their annual trip that they figured out how to make the trip work—despite the constant pressure put on women. Work, home, family, partners, social commitments, finances…it all sits on our shoulders and often it can be hard to prioritize ourselves.

In the book The Bachelorette Party, a disgraced true crime podcaster finds herself in a mystery of her own. In order to restore her good name, she investigates a decade-old cold case while on a mysterious island for a bachelorette party. However, things quickly begin to go wrong. I thought this book was enjoyable, if somewhat predictable. It is a good book for a vacation.