This story involves 2 alternate timelines as well as multiple povs so it definitely took some time to figure out. I find stories in this format are more challenging to follow on audio but if you're willing to stick with it it gets easier.
Narration: I found the narrator Laura Jennings voice to be pleasant and easy to follow. She captured the different emotions and characters well and in a way that made each one distinctive.

I love a locked door mystery and a Then There Were None type setting. I felt invested in finding out what happened to the missing 4 friends. Liked the increasing suspense and drama surrounding the women and the island.

It's a fast fun read perfect for a beach/pool day or to take with you on a trip.

My only critique would be the pacing in the middle part felt a little slow and I didn't feel any real connection to the MC or any of the characters, they felt kind of flat and one dimensional.
Overall I'd rate 3.5/5

As my first foray into Camilla Sten's writing, I was thoroughly engaged by her skillful plot twists and the masterful way she wove together the cold case with the current storyline. Laura Jennings's narration for the audiobook was a standout, truly bringing the characters and tension to life.

If you're looking for your next gripping and atmospheric thriller, The Bachelorette Party is an absolute must read.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: June 10, 2025

This book was a wild ride, part slow burn, part chaotic unraveling. I went into it expecting a typical whodunit, but Camilla Sten layered it with so much tension, trauma, and revenge that it kept me going straight through, even hopped up on sinus meds.

At first, it seems like a simple bachelorette weekend: yoga, wine, bonding, but everything quickly starts to feel off. The setting is eerie, the characters are on edge, and when the past starts creeping in, the vibe turns straight-up sinister. It’s not what you totally expect, but in a good way. The twists are unpredictable, and even when I thought I had it figured out, there was always another layer to pull back.

The main character, Tessa, is compelling, her obsession with the 2012 disappearances drives the story forward without feeling forced. And when the truth about the past and present begins to emerge? Let’s just say it’s definitely a little unhinged, but in that satisfying thriller way. I was especially intrigued by the mix of emotional trauma, guilt, and revenge that motivated the villain, their story felt grounded enough to be scary-real.

The ending is tense and brutal in a way that fits the rest of the book. It doesn’t wrap everything up neatly, which I actually appreciated. Real-life messes don’t always end in tidy bows.

If you’re a fan of The Guest List, true crime podcasts, or stories where secrets blow friendships apart, this is one worth picking up. Just maybe don’t read it right before a girls' trip.

The Bachelorette Party was a suspenseful, twisty read that kept me hooked from start to finish. I really enjoyed the mystery and thought the characters were well-developed and added depth to the story. I had a hunch about part of the twist, but the full reveal still managed to surprise me—and that ending? Absolutely wild in the best way. I also have to say, the narrator did an incredible job bringing the tension and emotions to life. It made the whole experience even more immersive. A solid thriller with plenty of tension and a satisfying payoff.

The Bachelorette Party was a bonkers book about a group of women who disappear while spending the weekend on a remote and secret island. Then 10 years later, a woman consumed by the story of these women, even going so far as to having a podcast about them, ends up at a bachelorette party at a yoga retreat in a small island eerily similar to the one the women disappeared at. It was creepy, suspenseful and so compelling. At the edge of your seat kind of thriller. Definitely binge worthy.

Wanted to love this, but it just wasn’t the thriller for me. I appreciated the alternating timelines, but the numerous different characters and plot holes were distracting from the overall story. This would make for a good summer thriller as it is set on a remote island off the Swedish coast.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an Audio ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for granting me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to be involved in this more than I was. It was long and drawn out with a disappointing twist at the end. I also had a difficult time with the amount of introduced characters and timeline.

It was ok. Solid middle of the road thriller.

The Bachelorette Party from Camilla Sten drew me in with its atmospheric setting and eerie, locked-room premise, the slow pacing and early reveal of the main suspect made it difficult for me to stay fully engaged. The middle picked up nicely, with some intriguing twists, and the ending delivered a flurry of surprises that kept me guessing. However, the lack of chemistry among the characters and the overly drawn-out build left me wanting more tension throughout. I’ve enjoyed Camilla Sten’s The Lost Village and The Resting Place more, but fans of slow-burn thrillers with a moody, remote island setting may still find plenty to appreciate here. Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan audio and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC. If you are trying this one out, I recommend the physical copy over the audiobook, for me this slow paced read was not made stronger with the narrator's style.

3.5 stars

The cover of the book is what intrigued me the most when picking this book! It’s beautiful, but unfortunately that was probably the best thing about it.

Overall this book wasn’t bad, it just left me wanting for more. I had questions about the timeline. There were too many characters to keep track of. It might have been a little easier in the book version vs the audio, but even then I think it would have been a little overwhelming as well. And it was a bit easy to envision what was going on in this story and a bit predictable.

I will say the writing was good and the story had great potential, but it just fell flat for me. I would love to try another book by this author, I have heard great things about her previous novels.

***Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for an ARC copy***

Thank you to NetGalley, Camilla Sten, and MacMillion Audio for the eARC. Wow—this was a fast-paced psychological thriller packed with twists and turns. The remote island setting added the perfect layer of isolation and tension, and the unfolding whodunit kept me completely hooked. An addictive and great read wonderfully Narrated by Laura Jennings.

I’m not sure if I’m in a thriller slump or if they’re all the same lately.

I don’t feel this story was unique or new in any way. It was the same concept as many locked door or secluded island thrillers out there. I guessed the twist, who was after everyone, even who killed the case from 10 years ago, and that was quite disappointing. I was waiting for a jaw dropping twist but all I got was more cookie cutter story.

I switched from the audio to the ebook for this one at like 20% simply because of the dates. It was way too hard to keep track through audio for me.

The Bachelorette Party was an intriguing locked room mystery. It was a little slow for the first two thirds of the book but then picked up for the last third. There were a lot of characters to keep track of while listening to the audiobook. I think it was a little bit predictable at times but I overall liked the premise of the story and thought there were some interesting and exciting parts!

Although this book wasn't really for me, it's not a bad book. I personally had trouble following the different timelines and large cast of characters, but the actual writing itself was very good and easy to understand. This book is more on the slow-burn side of thrillers, and honestly I was a bit bored at times. It's a fun locked-room mystery type of book that's definitely entertaining, but not a literary masterpiece or incredibly unique.

I was able to read the eBook and listen to the audiobook - the narrator Laura Jennings did a good job, but I was so confused about the different timelines and had to really think about what date she said at the beginning of the chapter. This is easier to follow when reading instead of listening, in my opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and the author Camilla Sten for the ARC & ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A decade ago, four childhood friends vanished during a trip to their favorite vacation spot, a remote island in Sweden. Ten years later, another group of four childhood friends travel to the same island for a bachelorette getaway.
Among them is Tessa, who has long been intrigued by the story of the missing friends. The island is now owned by the sister of one of the missing girls, Irene, who has turned it into a yoga retreat. Tessa is on a quest to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance and why Irene would want to own the island. The tension escalates when a someone goes missing and others begin to act strangely.
Tessa starts to lose hope of ever unraveling the mystery of what happened to the others and begins to question whether they will survive this trip themselves.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to listen to this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

While I enjoyed this book, I felt like it was lacking. The story was unique but not executed well. Overall I found this one just okay.

This book started off strong, and I was really pulled in to the kissing group of friends. This was a slow burn that was unraveling nicely until it started to pick up speed. I just felt like the plot fell apart and there was way too much going on. It was hard to keep track of everyone because there were so many characters and then with the plot having so much going on it felt chaotic. This book had such a strong start so I’ll still read another book by this author.

Review: The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten

This book was wild in the best way! Camilla Sten delivers a chilling, twisty thriller that completely caught me off guard. I had zero suspicion about who was behind the strange events on the island—and when the truth hit, it hit hard. The resolution of the original murders? Absolutely unhinged in the most gripping way possible. I found myself genuinely shocked, which doesn’t happen often with thrillers.

That said, I was a little puzzled by how much time we spent on Tessa’s backstory—especially the lawsuit subplot. It was detailed and interesting in the moment, but in the end, it didn’t seem to serve a clear purpose or get any real closure. It left me wondering if I missed something, or if it was just meant to flesh her out a bit more than necessary.

The audiobook was a definite highlight. The narrator nailed the pacing—balancing tense, suspenseful moments with the more casual, light-hearted scenes between friends. It kept me engaged the whole time and made the atmosphere of the remote island feel even more immersive.

If you’re a fan of The Guest List or Scream-style stories with isolated settings, buried secrets, and messy female friendships, this one’s for you. It’s dark, unpredictable, and perfect for fans of psychological thrillers that aren’t afraid to get a little weird.

Tessa Nilsson is struggling. She had been a successful podcaster. Her true crime podcast The Witching Hour, about Sweden’s most notorious cases, was wildly popular. She just bought an apartment. She had a girlfriend. And it all fell apart because of one bad choice. Now she’s unemployed, possibly getting sued, and about to be kicked out of her apartment. So of course, she has to go on a four-day bachelorette party to a private island with a luxury yoga resort. In fact, she wouldn’t go at all, except for one reason. The private island in the archipelago near Stockholm sounds a lot like Isle Blind.

Isle Blind is a place Tessa had been wanting to visit. There is a cold case about four women who had gone missing ten years ago. The police had said that they had clearly had too much to drink and then tried to boat back home. None of the women arrived though. It was thought they had fallen overboard and died in the water. But Tessa didn’t believe that story. She thought that the women had been to Isle Blind, and something had happened on the island. It was a private island, owned by the parents of one of the women who had gone missing. And now Tessa has a chance to go to this private island and investigate what might have happened ten years ago, and with her job situation so dire, she could use a breakout podcast, and this could get her there.

But first, she has to endure four days of bachelorette fun, sunrise yoga, mindfulness, and vegan food. And she has to forfeit her phone, tablet, and laptop, as there is no wi-fi on the island. It’s bride-to-be Anneliese, maid of honor Mikaela, Caroline, photographer Natalie, and Tessa’s sister Lena at Baltic Vinyasa, celebrating their years of friendship and the great things that are to come for them.

The resort isn’t officially open yet, so owner Irene and chef Adam are the only staff there for the weekend. The women found out about the place because Lena and Irene were friends. Irene agreed to let them come for the weekend in exchange for good social media chatter, and since the women come with their own photographer, they are certain that they will get plenty of beautiful photos to share. Tessa is happy to be there with her friends, but she is also itching to explore the island, see if she can find anything that could indicate if she really was on Isle Blind, if she really was at the location of four murders. But mostly. she wants to get close to Irene, because it was her younger sister Matilda who was one of the four women Tessa thinks was murdered on this very island.

As the festivities begin and the wine gest poured, Tessa tries to join in and not make it obvious she’s investigating. But as the days go by, there are strange things happening. The small boat that’s kept on the island is see loose out on the water. Caroline has to leave suddenly, leaving just a note. And Tessa finds a bone on the beach that she thinks looks like part of a spine. Irene assures her that’s it from a deer, but Tessa is unsettled. She came to the island thinking that it was the place where four women lost their lives. But what it’s more than just four? How can she be certain that they’ll be safe on an island with such a reputation?

The Bachelorette Party is a chilling story of intrigue and danger that escalates slowly. Author Camilla Sten describes the island and the women with beautiful prose that underlines the ugly crimes that run through this story. It’s told in alternating timelines, mostly in the present but sometimes dipping back ten years, so readers get the whole picture of both get-togethers on Isle Blind and find out what happened to each woman involved.

I listened to The Bachelorette Party on audio, narrated by Laura Jennings. I thought she did a lovely job telling this story, but there were times I struggled to figure out which timeline we were in. I thought that this was a story that would benefit from two narrators, one telling the story of the present day bachelorette party and the other telling the story of ten years ago, to help listeners keep the stories separate. But Sten’s writing is so thorough, so detailed, that having just one voice narrate the entire story is still enjoyable. It just took me a little more work to keep the stories straight.

For a fairly horrific crime story, The Bachelorette Party is beautifully told. I would almost call it horror, but with sophistication. It’s not dark like Nordic noir, but there is a darkness to the perpetrators of these crimes that can’t be denied. This has an honesty about human nature, an inevitability that comes from the jealousy, the rage, the insecurity that we all have. Some characters use that as a fire to survive while others use it to burn down everything they care about. I found this story both disturbing and hopeful, and I look forward to more of Sten’s writing, as she strips away human pretense and shows us with all our flaws and potentials.

Egalleys for The Bachelorette Party were provided by Minotaur Books, and a copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

I absolutely LOVE Camilla Sten and her latest, "The Bachelorette Party" was phenomenal!!! Scream vibes all the way!!!!!! The reader was GREAT!!!

Not my favorite book. I found it to be pretty obvious how the ending would go. Took a while to finish because nothing really pulled me in or made me feel connected to any of the characters.