The Bachelorette Party has all the classic hallmarks I love in a thriller novel - a secluded location, a troubled main character, a past mystery waiting to be solved, and a large cast of characters. However, the story ultimately fell flat for me.

I enjoyed the dual timelines and the mystery of Matilda and her friends’ disappearances, but the plot lacked depth. I didn’t get a true sense of any of the characters besides the two POV characters, and even then they seemed superficial. Matilda especially could have been fleshed out more, and Tessa spends much of the novel agonizing over some secret strife that ultimately didn’t add anything to the mystery or the plot.

While the ending motivations were unique to this novel and made sense to the plot, it was very anticlimactic. I do think many readers will enjoy the mystery,suspense, and atmosphere of the novel, but I wouldn’t go into it with an groundbreaking expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Bachelorette Party was just the right amount of scary! I had to know how it ended but was able to sleep after finishing it!

I didn't really know what to expect with this book or from this author. I was happily surprised by this book, and how good it was.
I like different POV's in books and I really liked that the POV was more from the Date of Occurrence that people. For the characters, overall, they reminded me of teenagers trapped inside 30 something year old lives with how they acted and spoke to each other. I understand that they may have lost touch, but some of the things Mikalya said, whew..wasn't it. I really liked Tessa and thought about how real she was and I kinda wanted to be her friend.
The plot was great! I was waiting to see whodunit. I needed to know and stayed up way to late to find out. Which, is a sign of a great book, IMO. I didn't really see the suspects for who they were because I was so focused on the man. The wrap up was brutal and gory but not over the top. I would definitely recommend this book.


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I knew nothing of this book when I picked it up. I’ll say I was not disappointed. The duel timelines added extra depth and intensity. I loved reading this.

Suspenseful, efficient, and fresh, I highly recommend this to any reader of modern day female-focused and friendship thrillers. I had never read any of Sten's work before, and now I'm a Sten stan. The Bachelorette Party hooked me completely. Loved the characters, their backstories, and (no spoilers!) how their lives all intersect. Delicious writing here.

I was so excited for this one, the premise sounded good and I had heard good things. For me it just did not work, I didn't find myself engaged in the read or wanting to pick it back up so I had to DNF.

I had high hopes for The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten - this was my first book by Sten and I had seen a lot of praise for her earlier work and I was drawn in by the cover instantly. Unfortunately, this did fall a bit flat for me and the plot was convoluted - there were a lot of characters and shifting timelines which made this hard to follow at times.

I really enjoyed this. I’ve read a lot of locked room thrillers that take place on an island with a group of people, but this one felt fresh and different for me. I liked the dual timelines, and I really liked how it started. It pulled me in immediately. The mystery kept me invested, and the narrator was unreliable, which helped with the suspense. The ending was a bit rushed, but overall it was a very good thriller.

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley for this copy. It was a perfect combination of a past who done it meets a current escape mystery. Seeing the two stories blend together was my favorite part! I also really liked that each chapter was clearly marked with the time frame so I knew which “story” I was in. This is definitely not a bachelorette party any of these girls thought they were getting into when they embarked on the trip!

The Bachelorette Party had all the markings of a suspenseful read:

Secluded location
Tension filled friendship
Opening murder scene

I was excited going into this book, but it wasn't as great as anticipated. The main character, Tessa, had her own personal drama that was teased for half the book. By the time of the reveal, it wasn't as shocking.

The story is told from both the past and present. I didn't see the ending coming, but it made sense. Overall, this murder mystery seemed to drag on for far too long. I wasn't invested in the story. Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my advance copy.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were great and relatable and I liked the plot overall! I would definitely recommend!

I’ll be honest—I was expecting a pretty run-of-the-mill thriller when I got my hands on this book because of the cover and I don’t necessarily think that was a bad thing because I enjoyed the surprise. I’m very familiar with the genre (I’d even go so far as to say it’s my favorite), but after reading the prologue, I knew things were going to get sticky. This is not your typical thriller.

Since the book isn’t available until the summer of 2025, I’ll stay completely spoiler-free. However, I will say that if descriptions of gore bother you, be aware that this story has some pretty grim moments. That said, I think even readers who aren’t fans of gore could handle it—the moments are sparse, but when they appear, they’re incredibly vivid and impactful.

What sets this book apart is how it brilliantly toes the line between thriller and horror. The sense of dread builds steadily throughout, culminating in a finale that feels both satisfying and inevitable—and I mean that as a big compliment. While the ending isn’t particularly hard to guess, I didn’t mind at all because the journey to get there was so compelling. I really enjoyed this book and was pleasantly surprised by how much it drew me in.

I initially was intrigued by the beautiful cover of the book and the book title! Thanks to NetGallery for this e-arc.

What a captivating story with some twists and interesting turns along the way.

•For years four friends have met annually for a girls trip. They discuss each other’s lives, hardships, and celebrations. On one fateful trip, the women mysteriously disappeared.

•Ten years later, another group of women travel to the same remote island for a bachelorette trip. One of the women, Tessa, is a true crime podcaster who has been intrigued by the case of the missing women for as long as she can remember. Strange things begin happening quickly after the group arrives and Tessa is determined to figure out what is happening.

•I enjoyed this book, but the dual timelines with multiple characters was a bit confusing and hard to keep track of at times.

•Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Camilla Sten for this ARC. It will become available on June 10, 2025.

3 Stars

In 2012, four friends vanished mysteriously during their annual gathering on a secluded island. They were the only ones who knew the island’s secret location. The case remains unsolved to this day.

Tessa, a former true crime podcaster who’s fallen from grace, gets an invite to her friend’s bachelorette party. The destination? Baltic Vinyasa, a tiny island off the coast of Sweden that spooks her because it’s eerily similar to the tragic event that happened a decade ago. Tessa can’t resist this opportunity. She might just solve one of Sweden’s biggest unsolved murder cases and maybe even start to rebuild her reputation.

The story wasn’t bad, but the plot could’ve been better.

I usually love stories with multiple timelines, but this one threw me a bit. The multiple timelines are crucial to the plot, but I think it would’ve added even more suspense if certain facts, like the texts and emails, were revealed a bit later in the book.

One of the biggest issues I had while reading was the names of some of the characters were so similar that it was hard to keep them straight and remember what timeline I was in.

Thank you St- Martin’s Press, Netgalley, and Camilla Sten for an advance reading copy of this book.

Ten years ago, four friends mysteriously disappeared after what was supposed to be a night of bonding and fun on a remote island. Some people think they took a boat out and drowned, while others believe that they were murdered. Fast forward to the present, where several women are gathering together to celebrate their friend's upcoming nuptials. The bachelorette party is being held at The Baltic Vinyasa, which is a yoga retreat located in a secluded location on an island - in the general area where the friends disappeared from a decade ago. Will history repeat itself?

I enjoyed The Resting Place by Camilla Sten, so I was excited to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Bachelorette Party. I liked that the story alternated between the past and present. There were a lot of characters, so it took me a bit to keep track of the different women in the story. Overall, this locked room thriller kept my attention and I found it to be a quick read. The reveals didn't blow my mind, but I still enjoyed the story.

I was hoping to finally have a 5-star read from this author but, unfortunately, I'm giving it a 3.5. This is my favorite trope, so I had high hopes. Sadly, it didn't quite work for me. This was compared to Scream, so I was expecting a fun slasher, but it takes way too long for any deaths to happen in the current timeline. Things pick up when the killing starts towards the end, though I still wouldn't compare it to Scream. Aside from the slower pace, I also didn't like the main character, Tessa. She was kind of annoying with her woe is me attitude and the way she kept jumping to conclusions. I just never warmed up to her. While most of the twists were predictable a few surprised me. I did like the setting, and the prologue was great and got things off to a good start. I thought the ending was fun as well, although it was a bit over the top and unbelievable. Though The Bachelorette Party wasn't the book I hoped for, it was okay, and the deranged ending was enjoyable enough that I'm rounding up to 4 stars. I still hope to give one of Camilla Sten's books five stars one day! So far, the Resting Place is my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

four friends meet every year on a secret remote island to visit with each other. but something happens and they are not heard from again. Tessa is fascinated by the story and decides to to investigate.

This was far too overdramatic for my tastes. It read less like a tense thriller mystery and more like an episode of a reality show or a soap opera with a mystery plotline. I didn't connect with the characters and the plot was a bit messy.

This is a very compelling, twisty whodunit that is also a quick read because you won't want to put it down! The character development wasn't strong and the ending was a bit predictable for me but the overall writing and story were great!