I have been enjoying thrillers for the past two years. However, this one really scared me. I would usually read right before bed, but I had to stop doing it with this one. I do love the premise and remote places always make for good thrillers. The characters were not as likeable as I had hoped and it was a bit too much for me. I would still give it almost 4 stars because it did what it was supposed to do - be suspenseful!

Thank you to NetGalley, Camilla Sten, & Minotaur Books for this ARC Copy of The Bachelorette Party.
I have not read any of Camilla books before but heard great things and the book subscription really pulled me in so I was really surprised to have a really hard time wanting to keep reading the book. I almost gave up on it a couple times. For me, the book did not pick up until about 80% in the ending was OK. I just really wish the book had more consistency from the beginning to end.

The cover drew me in and the title yelled, "READ ME". A bachelorette party on a remote island had me packing my bags, but without my cellphone? I'll read this instead of tagging along.

This had all the elements of a fantastic thriller, but unfortunately, it felt flat and lost my attention. I liked the dual timelines and a podcast intertwined was so creative. I know many others enjoyed this one. I encourage readers of thrillers to give this a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an early copy.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten was a decent thriller. Nothing out of this world, totally twisted plot, but it did its job, and all loose ends were tied up by the end. All of the names of characters got confusing at times, since, how ironic, there was the same exact number of women to return to a secluded island. It was hard to keep track of names from the original 4 women to the current 4 women visiting the island/archipelago. Names were too similar to keep track of.
I knew right way something was not going to go well since it was the same number from before. Something seemed off about the perfectness of it all and there were red herrings in the group of women throughout. I can't say I was blown away when the killers were revealed from before or current times. It seemed as though Sten followed the outline of how a thriller is to go and it worked. Not terrible and not completely memorable, either.

I did not like this book. I could not get over the fact that this group of friends felt like they didn't know each other at all. The narrators voice was irritating. All of her thoughts made me angry. And there was no connection between the friends / sisters felt throughout. There needs to be better relationship and connection building.

✨ The Vibes ✨
Nordic thriller + the locked room trope

📖 Read if…
✨ You like a Nordic thriller
✨ You’re a fan of locked room mysteries
✨ The Guest List is your favorite Lucy Foley book

I haven’t fully explored the Nordic Noir genre, but whenever I get the urge to dip my toes in it, I always turn to Camilla Sten’s mysteries. Sten’s writing is dark and cinematic and is often best paired with a cozy blanket and steaming hot beverage.

The Bachelorette Party slightly strays from this formula and feels like the perfect book to enjoy on the beach. It follows Tessa, a true crime podcaster dealing with the consequences of a recent episode. As she struggles to figure out her next step, she’s invited to attend a bachelorette party on a remote island where four women disappeared. As the party unfolds, Tessa decides to solve the crime once and for all and is forced to consider the possibility that she’s next.

In my mind, a good mystery is equal parts vibes and clues. You need to set the scene to create tension, but also drop clues along the way to give the reader a way to follow along and solve the mystery. The Bachelorette Party did a great job on the vibes part – the island setting was perfect and Sten’s descriptions make you feel like you’re right there. But I really struggled with the clue portion.

You’re told upfront that four women disappeared from the island, and it’s clear why Tessa wants to solve the mystery. But the way it comes together feels very forced. There aren’t any clues along the way and whenever Tessa picks a suspect, it feels like she’s basing her accusations on very little information, information that is often coincidental. Because of this, when the culprit is finally revealed, it feels unearned since readers weren’t given hints along the way. I think I would have much preferred a deeper exploration of the case that got Tessa into legal trouble, as the stakes of that felt much higher and more interesting.

Even though this wasn’t my favorite, I still love Camilla Sten’s writing and look forward to whatever she comes up with next.

The Bachelorette Party is out now. Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Getaway/trip horror stories have historically been so hit or miss, but still I try every time.

Four close friends take a yearly trip to s secret island only they seem to know.

CUT TO- 10 years later, Tessa is obsessed with true crime. As her best friend plans her bachelorette party to an island that seems eerily familiar to the location these four close friends disappeared- Tessa wont miss a chance to dig up answers.

Honestly, this felt like it had been done before. Still enjoyable at the time, but not memorable as soon as I finished.

A solid thriller that kept me entertained!

I was immediately intrigued from the blurb calling this "Scream meets The Guest List." Scream is one of my favorite movies ever, so I knew to expect a thriller with revenge, chills, and maybe a little bit of cheesiness.

I was entertained the entire time but felt like the ending was just okay. It wasn't super twisty or shocking, but it didn't really effect my enjoyment. I just felt indifferent to the ending. I still recommend this for a fun summer thriller read by the pool or at the beach!

I can see after reading this why Camilla Sten is so well regarded. The Bachelorette Party was carefully planned and so well executed. The suspense that grew as Tessa slowly began to realize something was wrong on Isle Blind was incredibly potent, and I felt it ascended to a crescendo of the plot. I didn’t see the truth coming, and I was delighted in the surprise of what was truly going on.

The setting of the book in particular felt very unique, and I found the characters very realistic. Everyone has been exposed to a girlfriend group like this. It really made things feel more realistic, and I devoured this book in two days.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A moody, atmospheric thriller set on a remote Swedish island, The Bachelorette Party blends secrets, suspense, and the dark side of true crime. The dual timelines and complex female dynamics kept me engaged, and the eerie setting added to the tension. While the pacing lagged a bit in the middle and a few twists were predictable, the emotional depth and strong narration made it a compelling listen. Great for fans of psychological thrillers.

I listened to the audiobook, and Laura Jennings did a fantastic job narrating—her performance captured the unease and emotion of the story perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an eARC and Macmillan Audio for an ALC.

The setting of an island off the coast of Sweden was great. It added to the story and I enjoyed that The slow release information of the character Tera was compelling, but the overall story just didn’t grab me.

If you like thrillers with the secret getaways, podcasts, and a mystery this book is for you.
Really good read with a compelling storyline.
I'll be looking for more books by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading one of Camilla Sten's books, and I've heard great things about her previous novels. I was excited to read this one, mostly because I've always enjoy a good bachelorette party gone wrong thriller.

Overall, this book was fine. I liked the dual timelines and the short chapters. I did feel like the pacing was pretty slow, and not much happened until the last 100 pages. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen, but at the same time I wasn't constantly thinking of this book when I wasn't reading it, wanting to jump back in. I thought the murderer was pretty obvious as well, but I did really enjoy some of the turns that the ending took, and how everything tied together. The murders were definitely graphic and gut-wrenching, which was actually pretty jarring considering the slower-burning plot and the feeling of the upcoming dread. Even with the (in my opinion) overdone podcast plot device, I appreciated that it wasn't one of the main topics for this story, and that it didn't necessarily give our FMC all the tools to solve a murder and save everyone. It was merely the FMC's job, and I thought the perspective of a failed podcast felt a bit more refreshing.

Overall, I liked this one, but I did wish there was a little something more earlier on. The payoff was well-worth reading it, however.

This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. It was so good! This is an auto-read, auto-buy author for me! Highly recommend for the twists and turns.

It was a tense, atmospheric locked-room thriller set on a remote Swedish island. The dual timelines kept me guessing, and the mystery really ramped up in the second half. Some characters felt flat, but the setting and suspense made it a fun, bingeable read.
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐

Many thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc!

Overall I just found the build up kind of disappointing. It wasn't like 'predictable' but it wasn't as interesting as theories I had in my head. I seriously hate that I do this, it ruins books for me :-( There's so many characters to follow in dual timelines and I always get confused (User issue). Overall I did like the writing and would read another book from Sten.

Thank you for a copy of this ARC!

I was so excited for this one based on the description but it didn't live up to my expectations which was a bummer. It still had the thriller and mystery elements that I love but it just fell flat which might be because of my own hype. I'm curious to read other books by this author to see what else they have to offer!

A bachelorette party on a secluded island at an upscale resort sounds amazing.. until it isn’t! Connections to the mysterious murders/disappearance of girls years earlier and a podcaster trying to find out the truth… it is a fun, easy read. With enough twists to keep you guessing.

Positives:

Bingeworthy
Locked room murder mystery
Fast paced
Beautiful cover-that alonw made me want to read it.



Negatives:
Dramatic ending

The remote and isolated setting immediately established a creepy atmosphere, generating an intense sense of unease from the very beginning. The chilling premise is highly recommended. Simply fabulous!