The Bachelorette Party • Camilla Sten
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
Overall I didn’t mind The Bachelorette Party some twists I saw coming but others took me by surprise. Not

Things I liked:
▫️the intertwining of past and present
▫️good pacing

Things I didn’t like:
▫️Couldn’t connect with Tessa or any other characters

This one had all the feels! Right from the opening glimpse of a brutal massacre, the story hooks you and never lets go. When a tight-knit group of friends heads out on their annual girls' trip, what starts as celebration quickly spirals into horror. The sudden disappearance of all the women is ruled a drowning accident—but their families aren't so convinced. Something darker is lurking beneath the surface.
Years later, the island is being redeveloped into a luxury resort by one of the missing girls’ sisters. Enter Tessa: a true crime podcaster on a downward spiral after a failed show. She’s invited to the island for a bachelorette party, but her real motive is to uncover the truth behind the mysterious case. Consumed by the past, she dives headfirst into secrets that were never meant to be found.
This is a gritty, twisty thriller—tense, insane, and deeply satisfying. Camilla Stein crafts an atmosphere so eerie and immersive that you're left guessing until the very end.
Huge thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this chilling gem. It was a treat!

Two bachelorette parties, ten years apart go to the same deserted island in Sweden. I have read this author's previous books and they were spooky and well crafted. This book didn't quite grab me although i was interested in solving the mystery. The first group of women met every year at Isle Blind and Matilda, who is expecting her first child wants one last chance to dance and hang out with her friends. Only the women never come home and their boat is found at sea, suggesting the four friends drowned. Ten years later, another group comes to the island which now has a fancy, spa-like hotel. It is the bachelorette party for Annalise and here the main narrator is Tessa, who comes to the island with her sister and friends in order to find out what happened to the first group, called "The Naka Four" in the news. Tessa is a former podcaster who lost her audience over some choices made in a true news podcast and she is hoping to ask questions and solve the mystery while celebrating with her friends. There has long been suspicion that the women who disappeared were murdered.

There are too many characters in this one and as the book goes back and forth between the groups I found myself confused as to who was who besides Tessa. In addition to the groups of women there is the hotel owner Irene and a cook named Adam and you have way too many people to pay attention to. I wanted the author to do more with the atmosphere as it seemed spooky and the perfect setting for a locked room mystery but instead we went back and forth on some of the relationships between the women in the groups. When one woman disappears from the current group, the action does pick up and the author did a good job of plotting out the reasons for the murders. I couldn't connect as much as I wanted to with Tessa or the other women which is essential in a mystery like this. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

A dark summer psychological mystery thriller. Yes, some of the twists were predictable. However, the story has both a present day and a past mystery from 10 years prior that as the reader found myself trying to solve alongside the main characters. The story is told through dual timelines, though mostly more "present" than "past" with the date stated at the beginning of each chapter. Both timelines feature a group of female friends, which at times became a little confusion trying to keep track who everyone was. The beginning seemed to drag a little, though the numerous characters to keep track of may have added to that, but the end really picks up speed. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

I read this book while also listening to the audio book, narrated by Laura Jennings. She did a great job, and I highly recommend the audiobook.

Thankyou NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan audio for the arcs. All opinions are my own.

The concept of this book being described as similar to the Scream movies intrigued me immediately. I LOVE those films so much. However, I was a little bored with the book. The concept itself is unique and interesting, but the execution wasn't great for me. The suspense and setting was good, but there was a lot of gaps that it made it confusing as to what was going on. Author's writing style was good.

** spoiler alert ** I guessed that their host was the one terrorizing them, but the original murder was a surprise, and I’m still not sure I understand it completely. The biggest shock was the bachelorette of the title actually dying. I wish we could have seen how the whole thing was explained to her fiancé and family.

I just finished The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten and I’d rate it a 3.5 out of 5. It had a really intriguing premise and a great atmosphere — the remote setting and slow unraveling of secrets created a tense vibe that I enjoyed. Some of the twists genuinely surprised me, and I appreciated how the story explored the complicated dynamics between friends. That said, a few of the characters felt underdeveloped, and there were moments where the pacing dragged or felt a little repetitive. I liked it overall and found it entertaining, but it didn’t quite stick with me the way I hoped. Still, it’s a good pick if you're in the mood for a moody, suspenseful read with a bit of drama and mystery.

Begin by experiencing the legend of the "Nacha Four", a group of young women who have been friends as young girls and know each other inside and out. When these four women don't return to their families after their weekend getaway - chaos ensues, but after a time they're labeled as lost at sea.
When recently disgraced, true crime podcaster FMC is invited to an island getaway for her oldest friend's bachelorette party, she is initially uninspired to go. However, after realizing the destination is that from which the "Nacha Four" disappeared, she feels that this might be the redemption she and her career need.
FMC gets increasingly concerning vibes from the trip until the first of the party disappears, then shows up dead. As FMC continues to dig into the old cold case and tries to figure out what happened to her friend, things get messy.
Such a twisted thriller, with a fantastically serene setting that contradicts the history of horror (and then current horrors) of those who visit. A cast of delightful female characters and a few sketchy men and women draw the reader into a spooky island that hides bad vibes.

Thank you Camilla Sten and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for letting me read this ARC via NetGalley.

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Vibes:
Rating: 3.0⭐
Tropes: reunion / dual timeline / slow burn betrayal / locked-in

I enjoyed the beginning part of the book more than the ending. The mood and setting were described so well and it really got me engrossed in the island's mysterious vibes. There was a slow build of dread and occasional dark humor.
That being said, I feel like the characters never fully developed to me. Tessa is compelling on paper but I didn't connect with her emotional journey. I suspected many of the twists early on in the story which ruined the impact. The final "revelation" felt rushed in contrast to the slow burn of the rest of the novel.
Definitely a satisfying dark read, but not a stand out to me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Bachelorette Party.

I dunno what it is with me and islands / remote areas for book settings, but as soon as I see that I am invested. It makes for such a spooky setting (if done properly). The pacing of this book was done really well, especially flipping from past to present. Overall, the mystery was decent although I didn't LOVE the ending.

For a quick read where you'll be hooked, this lives up to the hype.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down! The storyline was unique and I enjoyed how the past and the present mixed. I did wish that the flashbacks weren't as frequent, but I did see how they were needed to explain the story. I was shocked with the ending but overall I recommend this book!

First book by this author...
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.

Ten years ago, four friends made their annual trip to a remote, uninhabited island off the Swedish coast. None of them returned and were presumed drowned. From the prologue, we know better. Now Tessa Nillson, emotionally devastated by the tragic end to her podcast career, is going to a bachelorette party to celebrate her best friend’s upcoming wedding. The guests will stay at a glamorous new yoga retreat on an isolated island. Sound familiar? Things do not go well at the retreat - a guest makes an unexpected departure, the owner of the resort is the sister of one of the missing women and the chef walks around with a boning knife. Camilla Sten skillfully weaves together two plot lines. The lives of the missing women before and during their island visit and the activities of the bachelorettes slowly combine. There are unfortunate similarities.

This is my third mystery by Camilla Sten and I’ve loved them all. They are very different but share strong plot lines, well described characters and unexpected conclusions. I’m looking forward to what comes next. 5 stars.

I sadly did not enjoy this book as much as the author’s previous books. I found The Bachelorette Party to be a little bit too much towards literary fiction and not mystery. I don’t really like the drama and soap opera feel that it gave me. The pacing was good and so was the mystery aspect, it just wasn’t my favorite. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this entire book. Actually, I liked all of the character as well. Which is pretty rare in a thriller book for me. The dual POV was awesome. The author’s writing style is a pleasure to read. It looks me and doesn't let me go until the final page. I didn’t expect that ending though. But, thinking back to the original crime I wonder why the one character fight back. Instead, she let someone murder her. I am nosey so I want to know why but not knowing it's much better for the story.

This book was a good time! I enjoy a book where the protagonist has good instincts , and everyone else looks so silly for not listening to them- especially when there’s murder involved. I also enjoyed the tragic backstory, it made the fraught dynamics more realistic, bc of course her sister would want her to tone it down a bit.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Minotaur for the eArc!

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
I truly loved this book. The characters developed throughout the story and the protagonist was likeable and I enjoyed her getting into the background and trying to figure out what truly happened in the past and what is going on now. The twists and turns in this story were great and totally unexpected. I for sure never ever expected the ending even though I thought I had things long figured out. In addition, I truly enjoyed the setting on a Scandinavian island; it sure made for a more dark mysterious setting. Great job to the author; I look forward to reading more of her books!

This was a good read. I've been in a slump lately, and The Bachelorette Party was able to pull me out and hook me pretty quickly. I was able to figure out most of the twists before they were revealed, but that's something I always try to do. My ADHD brain, combined with my writer's brain, usually does. I would read more books by Camilla Sten after this one.

An old tragedy that was never solved and a current day Bachelorette Party on a creepy uninhabited island off the coast of Sweden make for an interesting story that you want to keep reading to find our the answers to the mystery.

What was supposed to be a fun trip with friends before one of their marriages turns into a scary event on a remote island in The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten.
I’m a big fan of locked room mysteries and I really liked the setting of this book- a remote “uninhabited” island off the coast of Sweden and how the two storylines mirrored each other. The chapters were short and the story moved quickly.

The main character Tessa has had a difficult time lately and her coming on this trip is not what she initially wanted to do but when she found out where she knew this was her ticket back to her old life. The location, Isle Blind, is the supposed site of the tragedy of four childhood friends on their yearly trip and with Tessa being a true crime podcaster this is her chance to break a case she’s been fascinated with for forever. From the moment Tessa stepped on Isle Blind, she knew something was amiss she just didn’t know what or how it all connected.


Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback