Tjis is a character driven story. To me, it has a very slow start. It did pick up later on. There was a lot of details and clues in the story. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

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

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my gifted ALC!

Camilla Sten is my girl. Her writing is so unique. So fresh and different. Her voice is one of my favorites.

But.

What was this? This was not Camilla Sten! I was truly lost for most of this book, and not for lack of trying to grasp it firmly. It just kept slipping through my fingers. I couldn’t tell the difference between characters, I couldn’t figure out why what was happening, was happening. If I ignore the brilliant author, the premise alone would have made this book a slam dunk for me. Scream meets The Guest List? Hell yes. But this missed Scream and The Guest List by a mile.

That said - I’m sorry I was mean - but I will forever read Camilla Sten. If you haven’t given her previous books a chance, I highly recommend them. They have some of the best atmosphere I’ve experienced. One scene from The Lost Village will stick with me forever. But sadly, nothing about The Bachelorette Party will.

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!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my audiobook.

This story is told in duel timelines, 2012 and 2022. On a remote island off the coast of Sweden, friends: Tilly, Anna, Linnea and Evelina meet every year to drink beer, dance by the water, and shake off the weight of life's expectations. The location of the island is a secret to everyone but them. One night of reckless fun and secret-sharing, and then they return to their normal lives.

Ten years later. Ever since she was a teenager, Tessa Nilsson has been consumed by the story of four friends who disappeared on their annual trip to a remote island together. As her true crime fervor turned into a wildly popular podcast, Tessa urgently covered Sweden’s most gruesome cases, but could never find the answers behind what happened to these women who disappeared, leaving a few maddening clues but no concrete answers. Now Tessa’s podcast has crashed and burned, any chance she had at uncovering the truth vanishing with it.

Anneliese is Tessa’s best friend, and before she walks down the aisle, she wants to have a bachelorette party. The Baltic Vinyasa, a sleek, sophisticated yoga retreat on a small island off the coast—one with such similar characteristics to the tragedy years ago that it raises the hair on Tessa’s neck. The idea is to drink gallons of cava, do sunrise yoga, and get in their last chance to bond with the bride. Tessa will not pass this up. It’s her last chance to find out what happened to the four women, once and for all.

Well, the narrator was wrong for this book. These were Swedish women yet the narrator read every character with an American accent. That was odd. Further, it was difficult to keep track of all the women's name and which timeline they belonged. In part because some of the names sounded similar (Tilly/Tessa, Evalina/Linnea). I must admit I got lost. This had all the ingredients to make a great book but those ingredients didnt come together at all. I forced myself to finish.

I really liked this book. The story was great and the plot twist was excellent. The ending was well done. The only thing I didn’t like was that it was recorded in an American accent when the story takes place in Sweden. I do recommend getting it because the story was great!
⬇️see description⬇️

I’m a sucker for a thriller in an isolated setting and this was definitely that! I read this book very quickly and was so tense the whole time! It opened with a bang and then it slowed down for a buildup, then things really devolved quickly from there. There were some unexpected twists and reveals along the way, especially in the second half of the book. Overall I thought this was a really tension inducing ride which is what I look for in a thriller! I alternated between the digital arc and audiobook and I loved the narration! She really set the scene and helped me to feel immersed in the story.

I got about 30% into this audiobook and continued to find myself easily distracted and having to rewind the audiobook. the plot is what intrigued me, however the narrator was monotone in my opinion and made it difficult to get into.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten is the story of a group of women who head off to a secluded yoga retreat on an isolated island as part of a bachelorette party. The main character is disgraced podcaster Tessa Nilsson, who is coming to the island to celebrate her friend's pending marriage, but also to uncover the truth of a case of missing girls from ten years earlier in an attempt to rejuvenate her failing career.

I previously read The Lost Village by Camilla Sten and enjoyed the book enough to request this one, and I wasn't let down. This was a fun and easy ready that took me just one afternoon to get through. I'm a big fan of locked room mysteries, which is essentially what this book was given that they were all trapped on an island together. The story is told mostly from Tessa's point of view but the narrative does jump back and forth, giving the reader the perspective of the missing girls.

Slowly over the course of the story the two narratives come together to reveal the ultimate villain in the story and the truth of what happened on the island all those years ago comes to light. I had a really fun time reading this and I think anyone who likes a good mystery/thriller will enjoy giving this one a read.

I listened to this on audio and I thought the narrator, Laura Jennings, was great as well. I would recommend it on audio or just as a read if that's your preferred method of consuming books.

Thank you to Camilla Sten for writing this, Macmillan Audio for sending it my way, and NetGalley for facilitating them sharing it with me.

I read the audiobook version of this book and I think that might have played a role in my rating. Right off the bat you are given a lot of characters from two different timelines. The character development was lacking so as a reader, I had no visual or any aspects to differentiate between who was who. I was still struggling more than halfway through and having no easy way to go back and figure it out was a hindrance. The narration was fine.

10 years ago four women disappeared from a remote island where they meet once a year for a girl’s night. But this, time none of them returned. It’s still a cold case.

Now, Tessa is headed to a bachelorette party for her BFF Anneliese on a remote island. Oooh I love a locked in/ remote location thriller. And they also had to turn in all their phones when they arrived on the island. One boat to travel from the island to mainland. Let’s amp up the anxiety.

Told in dual timeline POVs, it was a little confusing at times. I didn’t really get into Tessa, and never found myself fully vested in the story.

BORROW. Good enough read, but I’d borrow it from the library or read on Kindle Unlimited.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #TheBacheloretteParty in exchange for an honest review. Thank you #MacmillanAudio for approving my request.

This was such a fun, fast-paced thriller! I loved the mix of old secrets, messy friendships, and the true crime angle. Cold cases are my jam! The remote island setting added a cool, locked-room vibe, and I couldn’t wait to see how the two timelines would come together. Perfect for fans of twisty thrillers with drama, tension, and a little revenge.

Thank you Camilla Sten, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This book was absolutely incredible! From the very first page, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and the way the author writes made me feel like I was watching a movie unfold right in front of me. The plot was smart and gripping, and the twist at the end completely blew me away. I’ve read other books by this author and they never disappoint…this one is no exception. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a ARC of this thriller in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I devoured this book in one day! This bachelorette party gone wrong/locked room thriller is unhinged in all the most fun ways. Though it was pretty predictable, it’s an enjoyable suspense/thriller all the same.

Ten years after four best friends seemingly vanish from an island off the coast of Sweden, a bachelorette party is set to occur at a soon-to-open resort on the same island. True crime enthusiast and ex-podcaster, Tessa, is among the bachelorette party attendees, but she has ulterior motives while there—to get to the bottom of what really happened ten years ago.

Thank you to Camilla Sten, Macmillan Audio, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

The Bachelorette Party takes place in dual timelines: 2012, when four friends mysteriously disappeared on an island, and 10 years later, when a new group of friends, including main character Tessa, arrive on the island for a bachelorette party. Tessa's been struggling lately, but she's interested to go to the island to uncover the truth behind the 2012 disappearance, which she believes wasn't an accident.

The secluded island setting creates a locked-door mystery atmosphere, especially when the group is asked to hand in their phones. As the story progresses, it picks up pace, heading towards a graphic and action-packed ending. The descriptive writing is vivid and left quite the visuals in my mind.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel, and while the narration was well-done, I initially struggled to keep track of the characters, which led to some confusion. Having a physical book would have allowed me to easily flip back and forth to clarify things. Despite the slow start, the book builds momentum, and the payoff is well worth it.

Premise - Tessa is a true crime obsessive and her pet project is the disappearance of 4 bffs on a remote island off the coast of Sweden. After her podcast implodes along with her love life, she gets a second chance at cracking the mystery when her own best friend, Anneliese, throws a destination bachelorette party at Baltic Vinyasa, a yoga retreat set on an island much like the one the original four besties disappeared on.

It's pitched as 'Scream' meets 'The Guest List' and "compulsively page-turning thriller." I didn't really get that from this story, to me it felt more like a twenty-something second coming-of-age LGBT women's fiction with thriller underpinnings. I was definitely invested in Tessa's story, but I had no problem putting this down to participate in real life (coming from someone with a noted history of foregoing adulting for a riveting read).

The pacing was a little slow for me, but without the dishy drama I'd have wanted from a book titled 'The Bachelorette Party.' The characters all felt real, but I would have enjoyed a little heightened drama over complete realism here.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Laura Jennings. She delivered a varied read, though some of her characters were more interesting than others. Overall, a very solid audiobook with an overall cozy, introspective feel.

Thanks, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A yoga-themed bachelorette party on a remote island with no internet, and we’re expected to sacrifice our phones? No thanks.

I’ll be honest, not long into this I started getting frustrated because I could already see where it was going. We had to get rid of the cell phones somehow, there’s only one boat off the island, and… no Wi-Fi? Come on.

And the person responsible? So predictable that I genuinely thought I had to be wrong—it couldn’t actually be that obvious.

What kept me engaged was wanting to know what Tessa did to get essentially “cancelled.” When we finally learn the reason, I was honestly confused about how it destroyed her relationships. I get that it stirred up trouble, but I wish we’d gotten more depth there.

This also wasn’t your typical “locked-room whodunit” where people get picked off one by one. We actually get more than that, including a little backstory on the first four girls who disappeared.

Now, about the narration: I listened to the audiobook, and while the narrator was fine, I don’t think she was the best fit. She had an American accent, which felt off considering the setting and characters, especially when different accents and locations were specifically mentioned. The story jumps between timelines, and although I liked getting more of the girls’ stories trickled in, it got a little confusing—names and timelines blurred. Dual narration or more vocal range might have helped.

The ending? A bit over-the-top for me. I had trouble believing that person could pull it off.
But I did appreciate the bit of aftermath we got. Usually these kinds of thrillers cut off as soon as the danger ends, but here we actually get to hear how things played out for the characters afterward.

Overall, I liked that it strayed from the typical “who’s next?” formula, but I think that’s also what made the ending feel a bit far-fetched.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen early.

Audiobook Review: The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten
Narrated by Laura Jennings

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and truly appreciate the opportunity to discover new authors and share my thoughts.

This was my first book by Camilla Sten, and while it started off a bit slow for my taste, I'm glad I stuck with it. The story centers around Tessa Nilsson, a former true crime podcaster whose career has recently collapsed. When her best friend Anneliese invites her to a bachelorette party at a secluded yoga retreat on a remote Swedish island, Tessa sees an opportunity to investigate the mysterious disappearance of four women—known as the "Nacka Four"—who vanished from the same island a decade earlier. The narrative alternates between the events of 2012 and the present day, gradually revealing the chilling connections between the two timelines.

Initially, I found the pacing to be a bit sluggish, and I considered putting it aside. However, around the 60% mark, the tension escalated, and the plot became increasingly engaging. The dual timelines added depth to the mystery, and the isolated island setting contributed to the eerie atmosphere.

Laura Jennings did a commendable job as the sole narrator. Her clear enunciation and varied inflections helped distinguish the characters and conveyed the suspense effectively. Her performance enhanced the overall listening experience, especially during the more intense moments of the story.

While the book leans more towards psychological suspense than outright horror, it offers a compelling narrative that fans of locked-room mysteries and true crime stories will likely appreciate. The themes of friendship, secrets, and the consequences of past actions are explored thoughtfully.

Thank you again to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. I'm interested in exploring more of Camilla Sten's work in the future.

I’ve never read this author before, and I was drawn in by the beautiful cover! I really enjoy a locked room mystery, so the plot of this book was intriguing. I enjoyed the remote island, bachelorette party setting. The pacing worked really well.
I usually enjoy multiple timelines, but struggled a bit with this one due to the amount of characters.
I thought this was a pretty standard thriller that’s worth the read.
The audiobook was done well. I was happy with the narrator’s execution.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.