Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanaudio for the advanced copy!

I love the plot—a weekend bachelorette party on a remote island, what could go wrong? The story transitions smoothly between two timelines and features multiple main characters. However, it didn't have the suspense I was hoping for, and it felt a bit slow at times. I'm not sure if it was the narration or the story itself that created this feeling, but I felt like something was missing.

My rating: 3,5

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook and print format.

Camilla Sten’s "The Bachelorette Party" is a masterclass in psychological suspense, blending the eerie isolation of a remote island with the unraveling of long-buried secrets. Narrated by Laura Jennings, the audiobook elevates the tension with a performance that is immersive and unsettling, making every whispered suspicion and frantic realization feel palpably real.

The novel follows Tessa Nilsson, a disgraced true-crime podcaster desperate for redemption. When her best friend’s bachelorette party is set on the same island where four women mysteriously vanished a decade ago, Tessa sees an opportunity to uncover the truth. But as the weekend unfolds, strange occurrences hint that the past is far from buried—and that someone is determined to ensure that history repeats itself.

Sten crafts an atmosphere thick with dread, using the island’s isolation to heighten the sense of claustrophobia.

The dual timeline structure—alternating between the original disappearance and Tessa’s investigation—keeps the suspense taut, forcing the listener to constantly reassess what they think they know.

Laura Jennings delivers a gripping narrative performance, capturing the emotional nuances of Tessa’s desperation, fear, and determination. Her ability to shift between characters with distinct voices ensures clarity, while her pacing—slow and deliberate in moments of creeping dread, frantic in bursts of terror—amplifies the novel’s tension. The audiobook format enhances the experience, making the listener feel as if they, too, are trapped on the island, piecing together the mystery in real time.

Beyond its thriller elements, "The Bachelorette Party" explores themes of guilt, obsession, and the consequences of digging too deep. Tessa’s journey is as much about confronting her own past as it is about solving the mystery, adding layers of psychological depth that make the novel more than just a standard suspense story.

For fans of locked-room mysteries and atmospheric thrillers, "The Bachelorette Party" is a chilling, compulsive listen. Sten’s storytelling, combined with Jennings’ evocative narration, creates an experience that lingers long after the final revelation.

If you enjoy novels that keep you second-guessing every detail, this one is a must-listen.

I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Camilla Sten and The Bachelorette Party didn’t disappoint. There are some plot holes and convenient twists and maybe a bit of predictability, but I loved the isolated-closed-circle mystery and the two groups of women enjoying their time on the island. This book felt suspenseful and creepy- probably my favorite thing about sten’s books is her ability to build an atmosphere.
I felt like the mindfullness and wellness aspects of the current day bachelorette party retreat were a very with the times touch and all the podcast details were really spot on for the popularity of truecrime and the moral implications of covering it.
There was some real depth in the examination of sexual identity that I, as a bisexual lady myself, truly appreciated.
This book it’s necessarily shopping but it’s certainly gripping and it’ll make an excellent beach read that I’ll be recommending all summer.
The audio narration is really well done.

I LOVE this trope. Bachelorette party gone wrong. Specifically a group of friends being punished for some reason or other regarding their past. Scream meets I Know What You Did Last Summer. Seeing some of the other reviews, they mentioned the pacing was slow. I personally thought the pacing was fine and worked with the story.

The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 for me was because of the ending as well as the 2012 time jump. While the ending provided answers, it seems like the who & the why was a bit of a stretch to make sense for me. The 2012 time jump didn’t provide any information. It was essentially Matilda’s diary. It didn’t provide any clues as to what was going on and seemed to just cut off abruptly.

I did think the narrator maybe could have been a bit more excitable for this storyline. She was even keel throughout and it just didn’t fit with the story. I did however enjoy her voice. I listened at 1.5x.

All in all a 4 out of 5 star audiobook for me. I did enjoy it!

I did actually enjoy this book once it got going. The many characters did flummox me at the start which seems to usually be the case when there are multiple characters to keep track of. The storyline wasn't overly original as I feel like I've read similar books where friends get together after and secrets are revealed. The dual timelines were well done and I did enjoy the audiobook narration which was also excellent.

This book was basically: “let’s go to an isolated island with a cursed history for some yoga and champagne, what could possibly go wrong?” Spoiler: everything.

I had such a good time with this one! It’s twisty, dark, a little bit unhinged, and I was living for the chaos. Tessa gave me total true crime podcaster energy, and I appreciated her relentless determination (even if sometimes I wanted to shake her and yell, “ma’am, maybe don’t investigate a potential murderer alone??”).

Special shoutout to the audiobook it pulled me in even more and nailed the creepy atmosphere. I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” and next thing I knew, I was halfway through with laundry still sitting in the basket.

Would highly recommend if you like thrillers with messy friendships, dark secrets, and characters who clearly missed every horror movie warning sign ever made.

🎧 (3.5/5 rating) The plot, the setting, characters - very enjoyable read with strong story. There’s something mesmerizing about thriller set on a beautiful island during life’s happiest moments of every woman’s life. So to have this be the twisting, cruel turn of events is everything.

The story was more predictable than I would have liked but I enjoyed it either way, specially of how close you feel to characters. Their story was so well written, I felt like I truly knew them.

Solid read, definitely recommend for any thriller lovers.

This book was okay. It seemed like it would be one of the locked room thrillers that I enjoy time to time but I was a little let down overall.
Four friends take a bachelorette trip to an island with a wellness resort. One of the friends is going to investigate the disappearance of four friends in the area 10 years prior in an effort to save her podcast.
The writer did well writing the dual timeline - I really enjoy it when a writer can do this well - many writers cannot.
The characters were fairly developed.
The plot pace was good but as this was a thriller, I wanted to speed up at certain areas of the book.
I do think with some minor added details and increase pace - this is easily a 4 star book. I also think this could make a creepy movie!
All the elements are here.. history of a missing friend group 10 years prior.. current day bachelorette party.. deserted remote island... a locked room.. super creepy vibes. I think I was let down because I had all this build up but then it was almost like the writer backed away and wrote the book in way that felt almost censored.
Again - not a bad book - just wanted more and expected this to give major thriller vibes.. not baby thriller vibes.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Update: I was also provided the audiobook ARC to read and I stand with my above statements regarding the book! I still felt this book was 3 stars as it needs a bit of work.

*The Bachelorette Party* by Camilla Stern starts with an irresistible premise — a group of close friends reuniting for a luxurious weekend getaway at a remote island resort. It’s the kind of setup that feels both aspirational and ripe for suspense, and I was excited to dive in. The idea of long-standing friendships, hidden tensions, and a mysterious act of violence unfolding in such an isolated setting had the potential for a gripping thriller.

Unfortunately, the pacing of the story didn’t live up to that promise. The mystery behind the violent events was solved far too early, which drained the tension and left the rest of the book feeling stretched out. Much of the action, especially the women’s attempts to escape, felt repetitive and drawn-out. Instead of a clever, psychological unraveling, the story began to resemble a predictable slasher, with a final girl bumbling her way to safety. Additionally, the subplot involving the previous group of women who had gone missing on the island felt forced and didn’t contribute much to the core plot — more of a distraction than a meaningful parallel.

The narration was adequate. The performer delivered the story clearly and competently, but the material didn’t give them much room to shine or elevate the experience beyond the surface level.

Overall, I would rate *The Bachelorette Party* 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advanced Listener Copy. While the premise had promise, the execution leaned too heavily on overdone tropes and lost the suspense that the synopsis seemed to promise.

I don't like this as much as I liked the first book I read by this author, which was similar in some ways -- there's the plot where people are being murdered while cut off from the rest of civilization. Islands are fun because they're supposed to be fun, and the girls got together for a party for one of them. This was interesting because the plot is about secrets from the past, and there aren't many people involved, so it just felt more realistic that there would be anger boiling under the surface when there are secrets. I don't think Sten writes action very well and it was a little bit of a slow burn, but I was listening to the audiobook and the narrator made it an enjoyable read. I look forward to her next book.

I always feel a bit guilty when I’m not enjoying a book. This plot reminded me of another novel by the same title published last Fall (true crime junkie/bachelorette party/dark turn). The beginning started with a bang and then jumped a decade with all new characters introduced. The past timeline focused on the first group of friends and the present timeline follows the bachelorette party of a different group of friends. I was almost completely uninterested in the main story through Tessa’s POV (present) and was more interested in Matilda’s POV (past), which wasn’t good because the present was really the main story.

Audio specific: The narrator seemed monotone for the main characters (Tessa and Matilda) and their “voices” were basically the same. I had to really pay attention the chapter titles/dates. The other characters had good unique voices. My other gripe was that this is set in Sweden and everyone had American accents. I think it would have helped to use a narrator that could nail the accents to help bring the book come to life for audio listeners.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio
for this ALC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date Jun 10 2025

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.