Note to self: if someone invites you to a yoga retreat on a remote island with a sketchy history… just say no.

This book was a blast! Tessa, our true crime queen, is basically me if I had a podcast, a lifelong obsession with an unsolved mystery, and absolutely zero sense of self-preservation. I loved the mix of dark humor, suspense, and messy friendship dynamics.

Was it a little over-the-top at times? Yup. Did I predict a couple twists? Sure. Did I care? Absolutely not. I was too busy binge-reading and yelling “GIRL, DON’T GO INTO THE WOODS.”

Perfect for anyone who loves a good thriller with a side of chaos and a reminder that sometimes the bachelorette party should’ve just been brunch.

I do not give out 5 stars easily in thrillers but baby, this book had me on a rollercoaster ride. I loved every high and low. It hooked me right from the start. Well done Camilla.

This novel follows main character, Tessa, as she travels to Isle Blind with her sister and group of friends to celebrate a bride-to-be. On the island, Tessa is haunted by memories of a terrible event that occurred recently in her life, as she tries to uncover the secrets of a tragedy that occurred on the very island 10 years ago when 4 women went missing.

I really enjoyed this novel! While the beginning was a lot of world building (which I tend to and did enjoy), it was worth it for the suspense ramp up 50% through the book, for those of you for a preference without a strong build up. The storyline was cohesive, I liked the writing style, and I loved the suspenseful scenes towards the end, as the villain came to light.

My biggest dislike while reading this was the multiple allusions to the traumatic past event in Tessa’s life, as that is one of my least favorite tropes, especially if it’s not related to the current situation(s). I felt that story could have been revealed much sooner and not taken away from the suspense.

Ever since I read The Lost Village, I’ve been hooked on this author. Perhaps not as shocking of an ending but still an engaging read.

While this was a quick read, I just wasn't as invested as I thought I would be. I can see it being a good beach read, but it's a familiar set up and I could see the twists coming.

Read along while listening to the audiobook. Well written characters. Thsnks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

3.5⭐- I enjoyed this, but I do feel like I've read quite a few thrillers lately that have the same or very similar storyline. I was able to guess most of the twists, so I wasn't too surprised or shocked by them. But I enjoyed the execution and the story got very fast paced after 50% in. I felt like the ending was a little rushed but I liked the way to story came together in the end.

I enjoyed reading THE BACHELORETTE PARTY. It had a slow burn but the short chapters and suspense made for a faster paced read. I did guess a few of the twists and found the last 20% to be the most exciting of it all, but it was a fun thriller.

The secret trip where friends gather. The troupe of secrets revealed and revenge being had. This was a really fast read with not many surprises. Ending was guessed really early on but it was still entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the digital advance reader copy.

I read this in a weekend, so it's definitely a page-turner.

In 2012, four girls went missing near Isle Blind. In 2022, disgraced podcaster Tess is going with friends to a newly built resort on Isle Blind for a bachelorette weekend. It'll be fine, right? Right?

There are ties between the 2022 friends and the 2012 friends, and, of course, things are not fine.

I enjoy a good thriller, and this is a solid entry.

The backstories of each of the women is revealed slowly, allowing you to figure out the connections between the two groups, and who may have caused the tragedy in 2012.

This is not a "big twist" reveal novel, which I appreciated.

It's more a dread-building story, with an action-packed climax.

It's not going to change your life, but if you're looking for a entertaining, distracting beach thriller, this is a great choice. For fans of Lucy Foley or B. A. Paris.

I'd definitely read more by Sten (and feel like I've read books by her before, but I didn't go back and check).

Two thumbs up.

*graphic violence, language

This was a good one I love the setting of the book but with friends like these you don’t need enemies because who did what is crazy lol can’t trust no one

While the summary of this book was super interesting I got bored and it did sounds like a knock off of a couple other books I have read. 4 friends go on a trip and one is murder.. pulling huge vibes off Darby Kanes book no thanks

This was pitched as "Scream (which I love) meets The Guest List (which I did not)" and so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

I liked Tessa well enough and I could definitely relate to her love of true crime. When we meet her, she's a bit down as her life has sort of imploded. There are a good amount of characters here and it's everyone's story.

Plot wise, it's okay. I did like the past and present chapters. It was a good way to find out the backstory without seeing it through Tessa's eyes. My main hang up is that it just didn't have the tension and urgency I was expecting for this story of story...even the reveals seemed obvious.

Overall, it was a quick read that did keep me interested, I just wanted a little more.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

The synopsis for this book says it's 'Scream' meets 'The Guest List'
I did not get either of those in this story, except that it's a locked room style mystery, and people die (sometimes with a little gruesomeness). 'Scream' is known for it's shocking reveals, but I found the twists to be rather predictable. The pacing is slightly off and I was also left feeling unfulfilled by the ending.

Despite this, there is no doubt that Camilla Sten knows how to write an atmospheric thriller. There were a few tense moments, that thanks to the writing, made you feel like your right there in the suspense. The character writing is strong as well. I got to know all of them well, and rooted for a few to make it out alive.

I've read a couple others by Camilla Sten, and although I felt that this one was just alright, I will continue to pick up her books.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a digital ARC from Netgally to read and review. The book is written mainly across 2 timelines about different characters that will tie together. The first third of the book was hard for me to get into and follow because it switched timelines too quickly and too often for me to really understand who everyone was at first. Once I had a grasp on the characters and timelines I was able to get more into the storyline. The story moves pretty quickly and the book does feel a little short, but all questions get answered by the end which I liked. I would recommend this book with the note to give it a chance if you struggle with the beginning like I did.

I often struggle to find words, or phrases, to accurately describe the mood and tone of a book.

Because of that, I usually provide a book’s summary followed by my thoughts and feelings about the characters, setting, and plot. Those story elements seem much more concrete and therefore easier for me to capture.

But the words to capture the mood and tone of ‘The Bachelorette Party’ by Camilla Sten stood out so clearly as I read and listened to the book.

Sinister, claustrophobic, macabre, ominous, and darkly atmospheric capture the mood and tone I felt were screaming off the page from beginning to end! This was exactly the book I wanted, and needed, to read right now!

The book version had me flipping page after page while the audiobook caused me to slow down my normal 3x the speed to 2.5 because I didn’t want to miss a single deliciously suspenseful word!

The voice actress did a brilliant job breathing life into this haunting tale of a trip made up of two separate groups of female friends, ten years apart.

In 2012, one group of friends travel to this location as their yearly trip; in 2022, the second group travels to celebrate upcoming nuptials. Despite the ten-year gap, both groups’ trip ends the same - it ends on a wave of sadness, grief, despair, and death because they encounter someone with evil intentions causing some of the women to not make their way home. Are the two groups connected in some way or is this a gruesome, tragic coincidence?

This is the first novel I’ve read/listened to by the author, Camilla Sten who is an author from Sweden. It appears she has a number of books in her catalogue of works that are obviously in Swedish. I hope they can soon be translated so new fans, such as myself, can enjoy them!

Thank you NetGalley, Camilla Sten, St.Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to be on the edge of my seat while consuming this 5 star read! Writing an honest review in return is a true pleasure!

Swedish thriller author Camilla Sten invites us to two bachelorette parties, set ten years apart, that take place on one of the 30,000 islands of the Stockholm Archipelago, a mile wide place known as Isle Blind. The name is fairly generic. It’s a seafaring reference to islands that appear suddenly and cause shipwrecks. For this thriller, it’s appropriate — as both parties get blindly attacked.

Prepare to keep track of at least ten characters between two timelines, 2012 and 2022. There’s a sparse connection (that we know of) between the two groups. The 2012 bride used to babysit the 2022 sisters. And one of those sisters, main character Tessa, is a podcaster obsessed with the disappearance of the Nacka Four, as the 2012 party has become known. Public opinion thinks the women were drunk-dinghying, and lost to the Baltic. Tessa had realized that Isle Blind was owned by the father of one of the women, and she’s convinced they were partying and disappeared there.

The ten major characters:
2012: Matilda Sperling (the bride and 2012 protagonist), Linnea Andersson, Evelina Banér, Anna Wittenberg (dad owns the island). The prologue shows us the death of three of them.

2022: Tessa Nilsson (present day narrator), Lena Nilsson (Tessa’s sister), Caroline, Natalie, Mikaela, Anneliese (the bride)

Irene Sperling is now the owner of Isle Blind and Matilda 2012’s sister plus a yoga instructor and hostess at the new hotel she’s built on Isle Blind.

The two storylines weave in and out, but Tessa’s paranoia and insistence that she investigate (mostly by trying to interrogate Irene) rachet up the tension considerably. It is a chore to keep track of the characters. 2012 Anna and 2022 Natalie seem to be bit players. I was fortunate enough to be able to switch between the ebook and the audiobook, narrated by Laura Jennings. Normally, with this many characters, audiobooks can be confusing, but Jennings did a terrific job varying the voices. Mikaela, a fairly unlikable person, was very distinctive. The audiobook definitely enhance Stern’s thriller. 4 stars for both book and audio.

One note, and this might be due to non-finalized advance copies, but the audio chapters and the book chapters do not line up — 69 audio chapters vs 50 book chapters. The spoken chapter headings are accurate.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Only blue eyes mentioned once.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO There are only a few crooked, sparse trees on Isle Blind.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/ Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for advanced copies!

This book is super eerie and kept me on my toes. Everything about this book had me super invested and it was just what I needed to get out of a book slump.

The tiny remote island setting was a little unrelentingly claustrophobic and the plot too dark for me, but overall it did capture my interest and I was compelled to finish it. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars. I enjoyed this book, but it won’t leave a lasting impression.

True crime podcaster Tessa Nilsson has never let go of the mystery surrounding the disappearance of four childhood friends who vanished from a secluded Swedish island. With her podcast struggling, she seizes an opportunity to attend a luxurious yoga retreat—coincidentally located on an island eerily similar to the one where they disappeared. Hoping for one final chance to uncover the truth, Tessa soon realizes she’s not the only one chasing answers. Someone else is hunting for revenge.

The premise intrigued me, and I was eager to see where the story would go. While the book kept me engaged, it ultimately felt too predictable—which is surprising, considering I rarely see twists coming. It had its moments, but the plot didn't bring anything fresh or particularly memorable to the genre. I'm glad I read it, but it’s not a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for this complimentary e-book in exchange for an honest review.