Suspenseful mystery read with a unique twist on crime podcasters and their subjects. Because the story jumped from the past of the Nacka Four and the present with Tessa, I had trouble trying to figure out quickly which POV I was transitioning to in the audiobook. I think dates with a year might have helped. I still would enjoy this as a book club reading.

The concept of this book was so interesting. A group of girls take off to a bachelorette party set on a remote island that is being touted as the new wellness retreat. Sadly enough, however, it is the same island where another group of girls went missing from several years earlier. It had so much promise being a “locked door” type of thriller in the remote setting, but I just felt like it fell quite flat for me. There were way too many characters to try and keep straight, and none of them were that likeable to begin with. I found the skipping from the past to the future made the story a bit more muddled as well. I did enjoy the pay off as we got the story wrapped up, but it was a bit contrived and felt like it was too little too late. I went in hoping for a good thriller, and left disappointed. It is important to say that my irks with the book have nothing to do with the narrator, who I think did a great job bringing this book to life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

The Bachelorette Party will take you a ride you wont want to leave.When a group of 6 girls make their way to an island for what should be a memory of a lifetime little did they know danger is lurking right under their noses.
This story is filed with a lot of twists and turns. When you think you figured it out, you might want to think again. Don't underestimate someone you think you may know because someone might have secrets they don't want discovered.

Told in two alternating timelines, The Bachelorette Party follows the mysterious disappearance of four women during a weekend getaway. Years later, it’s an unsolved case that still haunts Tessa, especially after her own true crime podcast career falls apart. The book explores her lingering obsession with the case while she embarks on a getaway of her own, a bachelorette party for an old friend that just happens to be near where the four women disappeared years earlier.

I alternated between the audiobook and the physical copy, and parts of the story were definitely engaging. I appreciated the ethical commentary on true crime culture and thought the backstory of the main character added some emotional weight. That said, there weren’t many surprises, and much of the plot felt a bit too familiar - like a thriller I’ve read before.

It was…fine. I’d recommend this one for readers who enjoy a typical, easy-to-digest thriller and don’t mind a few predictable beats.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

This psychological thriller is about group of friends take their yearly trip to a small, deserted island owned by one of their fathers until one year when it all goes terribly wrong.

This book has dual timelines and dual PO. The locked room mystery vibes with multiple layers kept me reading. I enjoyed this book.

I was definitely NOT expecting what happened to happen, I was not expecting that the one person did what they did. Or how everything connects in such a crazy and chaotic way. This is such a good story, leaving you in the edge of your seat trying to guess at what is going to happen but really having NO idea.

The beginning of this book had me hooked! However, it soon began to lose steam. I had trouble keeping up with what was actually going on in the present. And the ending was somewhat predictable for me that said it was not a bad read just not my personal favorite..

I was sucked in by the premise and so ready for the thriller of the year, but this one wasn't my absolute favorite. It was a little too farfetched and relied on too many unbelievable situations and twists. I had a good time, but it was more because of the atmosphere and being at a lot of bachelorette parties myself; I don't know that my grandma (who reads a lot of suspense thrillers) would share the same affinity for it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this gifted audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review. I appreciate it!

Thanks @stmartinspress for an ARC and @macmillan.audio for an ALC.
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Dark secrets, a remote island, and a vanished group of lifelong friends? YES PLEASE. I’ll follow Camilla Sten anywhere, and this twisty thriller did not disappoint. If you’re like me and love your crime fiction with a dash of true-crime obsession and a lot of eerie atmosphere, this one should be on your TBR, like yesterday.
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Tessa is a fallen podcast queen chasing one final lead: the decades-old mystery of four best friends who vanished without a trace from a secret island hideaway. When her bestie’s bachelorette party ends up taking place on an island suspiciously similar to the one from the cold case? You know things are about to go very wrong.
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Sten builds tension like no one else. You feel the isolation, the anxiety, the not-so-quiet unraveling of everyone involved. There were moments I had to pause the audiobook just to breathe. Laura Jennings’ narration is absolutely chilling in the best way. Her voice brought every layered emotion to life, especially Tessa’s inner unraveling as she digs deeper into the past.
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If you’re a fan of:
✔️ Cold case mysteries
✔️ True crime podcasters
✔️ Girl-gang dynamics turned dangerous
✔️ Atmosphere so thick you can hear the fog rolling in
✔️ Audiobooks that keep you up at night…
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then The Bachelorette Party needs to be your next read/listen.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my advance audiobook copy of The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten in exchange for my honest review. This book is available now and well...you should snag it!
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We have a fallen from grace podcaster who has decided to join a friend's bachelorette party which just so happens to take place where 4 women went missing 10 years ago. If she can solve that case, maybe, just maybe she can get herself out of a mess she created with her podcast. Will she be able to sneak around and be a sleuth while trying to party?
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This was twisty and turny!! The ending 🤯. If you're looking for a solid thriller, here you are...you're welcome! A good 4 star read for me, hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did too!

This will be shared on Instagram on June 28, 2025 at 6:00am Pacific Time.

This book was good! It wasn’t like most thrillers, which I really appreciated. I really enjoyed this listen.

TW/CW: Language, drinking, unwanted pregnancy, toxic friendships, blood, violence, blood, gory scenes, violence, death by suicide, cheating, death of baby

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
On a remote, craggy island nestled off the coast of Sweden, four friends—Tilly, Anna, Linnea and Evelina—meet every year. Best friends since childhood, the idea is 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.And it’s someone else’s last chance to get revenge.
Release Date: June 10th, 2025
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 304
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. The idea of this creepy island
2. Adam seemed like a chill guy

What I Didn't Like:
1. Book became so confusing so fast
2. The writing style felt silly and plain
3. Characters are so ridiculous

Final Thoughts:
You know what's confusing? Having two sets of 4 friends in two different timelines going to the same island. Then add more random characters into the mix. I tried to keep track but I felt like I was having to build a whole world/map to know who was who and when this time was. Why??? Remember books that didn't do this? It becomes confusing and frustrating as a reader.

I think at this point I am calling my relationship with this author dead. I read two other books from her and they've all been 1 and 2 stars. I did finish this book but what did I really get in doing that? Just annoyed with the ending. All these people getting away with murder and not just one person but 4 or more people.

The storyline in this book is so paper-thin it's see through.

IG | Blog

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book and the audiobook production. The narration was good and the plot was interesting. I did guess who was behind it all, but I didn’t know why, and the reason definitely surprised me. I liked the end and felt it was all wrapped up nicely.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

A moody, atmospheric thriller with an intriguing setup, The Bachelorette Party blends missing-persons mystery with true crime podcast obsession. The remote island setting creates a strong sense of isolation, and the dual timelines add tension. However, the pacing lags in places, and the resolution doesn’t quite deliver the impact the buildup promises. Entertaining and eerie, but not as twisty or memorable as it could have been.

The premise of this book is right up my alley--a group of women on a remote island off of Sweden, a mysterious disappearance from years ago, and the ominous feeling that something bad is about to happen.

But, it just didn't quite meet my expectations. The story was a little hard to follow (probably because of jumping between time periods while listening to the audiobook version) and I wasn't invested enough in the characters to care about what happened.

So, I'd give the story 2.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC and ARC!

*No spoilers*

I’m a sucker for friend group nonsense and mean girl antics, and this book delivered on that front. The main character was seriously unlikeable, which I didn’t necessarily mind, but towards the end my dislike for the character took me out of the story.

The story had decent pacing and it kept me so interested in the dynamics between all of the characters, but I guessed what was going on before the end of the story.

If you’re into a low-stakes thriller, with mild surprises, then this book is for you. It would make a fun vacation read.

Thank you MacMillan audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

I was intrigued by the plot of this one and was very pleased to get the approval notice for this title. I did feel it was a bit predictable, but it did hold my attention for the duration of the audio book. The narration was fantastic though, that was definitely a high point for me!

Thank you again for the ARC!

I was excited to receive this as an ALC! Thrillers are my jam, and the premise sounded amazing. Sadly, this fell a little flat for me.

The narrator was good. If I had to choose between recommending reading or listening, I would recommend the book vs audiobook. Going back and forth between the POVs got confusing, even with the date mentions. Maybe having two narrators would have been best. The reader is left confused as to why we are even getting Tilly's POV, until the very end (and even then, still maybe?).

The twist didn't feel foreshadowed enough to have a drastic impact. Things got intense VERY fast at the conclusion. I don't know if I have read a thriller recently with so much gore, verging on horror.

The premise of The Bachelorette Party really intrigued me, but it just never really achieved lift off for me. The characters were not very likable and I felt parts were quite easy to predict. I did think the mood was well illustrated, as was the setting.

I’m giving this one a solid three stars. It’s an enjoyable read but predictable and over dramatic at times. Worth a read but should it be compared to Scream? Nope.


Tessa is a disgraced podcaster faced with the enormous task of getting her life back in order. When she’s invited to a bachelorette party on Isle Blind, she’s sees her chance. Ten years ago four women went missing. It was declared a boating accident. Tessa has always thought there was more to the story, and maybe solving this mystery will get her career back on track. Maybe not only her career is in danger this time.


I enjoyed the pacing of the novel. Dual timelines come together to weave an interesting story. It is a slow burn until you come to the crushing ending. The characters are well thought out, and I enjoyed getting to know them and their secrets.


I was not surprised at all by the twists in this book. You’ll see them coming a mile away, but you’ll enjoy the ride. The ending was a bit too over done for my tastes. I love the drama, but this time around it felt forced.


I think we need to step away from the book comparisons, because calling this book Scream meets The Guest List is a stretch. If you’re going to compare something to an iconic horror film…there should be some horror and shocking twists.


I like Camilla Sten’s writing and will continue reading her work. I recommend this one if you like a locked room mystery/island setting and enjoy some drama!