The Bachelorette Party starts with some of the classic psychological thriller areas that we typically enjoy. Remote island, limited to no cell phone availability, isolated group of friends, and secrets lurking in the shadows amongst these friends.

Tessa is a podcaster and is completely obsessed with true crime! When the opportunity presents itself to visit the exact location of a suspected previous crime, she can’t miss this chance. But slowly, the group of friends find themselves fighting for survival.

Overall, a good read that picked up about 65% in. Although the foundation was set during the first half, I felt it was a bit uneven paced & took a while to get to the nitty gritty. I enjoy slow-burns but this one dragged just a bit but when it picked up, I really enjoyed the rest of the story and it had some suspenseful moments.. The narrator did a good job with the narration in the audiobook version. Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

Publication 🗓️: 6.10.25

2.5 stars!
Tessa is a disgraced true crime podcaster who sees her chance for redemption when she is invited to a bachelorette party on an island that is famous for four women who went missing there many years ago. Things quickly go awry when the isolated island appears to have secrets it wanted to keep buried.

I have read three of this author’s books. Every time I am sucked in by the premise. But I think this will be my last by her. The setup is good, and then I just am disappointed with the writing. This one had a great start, with the creation of an eerie ambience and promising setting. However, Tessa was completely unlikeable and there were a lot of plot holes. Thanks to @macmillan.audio, @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my review copies.

I was drawn to this beautiful cover and the idea of a fun weekend on an island for a Bachelorette Party. There was much more to this locked room mystery. Where I expected light and airy to start it was darker and tainted by the past. The cast of characters was vast and this led to some confusion for me. There was also two stories happening at the same time, a past mystery and the current mystery. All of this lost me at times.

The narration was well done and easy to listen to. Although, being that it was audio it was sometimes hard keeping track of timelines when phone numbers were used to track storylines. Having the print would have helped at those times.

Thank you Net Galley, Camilla Sten and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to preview this title. The opinions shared are my own.
The Bachelorette Party is expected to be released June 10, 2025.

THE BACHELORETTE PARTY by Camilla Sten (out June 10) was quite the ride — definitely less of a psychological thriller and more of a slasher story, especially at the end with more twists than I could handle. (In a good way?)

You know the drill with bachelorette parties — the bride brings together her far-flung besties. So, that’s exactly how Tessa, a struggling true crime podcaster, ends up on a remote island off Sweden. She’s familiar with the island — it’s where four girls went missing a decade ago. And if Tessa can discover anything new from that disappearance, she might be able to get her career back on track.

Thank you for the ARC. The book started off interesting but lost me quickly with all the characters and time line jumping. It felt very slow and boring until the last 20%. I felt like certain things weren’t clear such as the motives to some of the murders. It just lost me. The narrator did a good job though.

this one was just okay for me. i really enjoyed the main character, i thought she was very interesting and i loved the podcast element of her character. she was one of the highlights of the book for me personally. i also loved the island setting and the focus on the main four missing women as well as the present timeline being told through the lens of the bachelorette party which i thought was really fun.

one thing this book suffers from is too many characters. around the 20 percent mark of the audiobook, i was getting very confused about which character was which because there were so many names. i thought that problem would resolve itself as the book went on but it persisted unfortunately. near the end of the book i was also getting very confused about the motivations for certain characters which was only intensified by the fact that i barely knew their names.

this was a mostly fun thriller that i got through pretty quick but nothing too special or that you haven't read before.

I listened to the audio version of this book. Narrator Laura Jennings does a stellar job bringing to life a diverse cast of characters. Her changes in tone, nuance, inflection make the story very easy to listen to. Her voice is a bit softer than some other narrators I have heard, and I liked its uniqueness. The story itself is told in multiple timelines, which at times did get confusing. We mainly focus on Tess Nilsson as she travels to Isle Blind with her closest friends for a bachelorette weekend to remember. Interspersed between chapters of the present day, are chapters telling both the story of four girls who went missing from this area 10 years previously, AND chapters giving us backstory on Tessa.

This story was easy for me to get absorbed in the story, but the villains were predictable. Some of the plot twists also were not very surprising. Despite this, the story was enjoyable to listen to. I do think that it may be a little easier to keep track of both the timelines and the all the different characters by reading this book in print form, rather than listening to it. The Bachelorette Party is a locked room (or island, rather) mystery that would be great summer beach reading or listening.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillon Audio, and Camilla Sten for letting me allowing me to listen to an early copy of The Bachelorette Party.

This one had me hooked in the beginning. It opened like a true thriller should. It gave “I Know What You Did Last Summer” vibes so I was definitely locked in. Unfortunately… once the timelines and storylines started jumping, it lost a little steam. Each timeline moved slow, and too much of the story lingered on the day-to-day of a bachelorette party instead of building that tension I was hoping for.
Now credit where it’s due: the narrator. Laura Jennings’ narration was chef’s kiss. She really brought the main character to life. And that twist at the end? YES. That’s what kept me hanging in there.
If the timelines were more distinct and the pacing had just a bit more punch, this could’ve been a knockout. Still, it landed at a solid 3 out of 5 stars for me.

Unfortunately though I really enjoyed Camilla Sten's prior books I just could not get into this one. I dont know whether it was the large cast who I felt nothing for, the pacing, the plot.. I would've probably DNF'd this book had I been reading it on my own because it did not keep my attention, though the audiobook kept my attention slightly more. I would definitely still read her books in the future but this one just was not for me unfortunately.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC for review!

The Bachelorette party was intriguing and included multiple storylines and twists. I would use excerpts of this novel to teach pacing, building suspense, and using effective situational irony; furthermore, the imagery and subplots are also noteworthy.

The Bachelorette Party was a suspenseful and atmospheric read with a classic locked room mystery feel.
I really liked the creepy island setting and how it added to the tension. The story jumps between two timelines, one from ten years ago when four women vanished, and one in the present with a new group of friends arriving for a bachelorette party.
Tessa, the main character, is secretly investigating the past case, which adds an extra layer of intrigue. I enjoyed the podcast angle and Tessa’s personal connection to the mystery. The writing was vivid and the narration by Laura Jennings helped build the suspense. While I found the ending a little predictable and got confused by the number of characters which sometimes it can be way too many to keep track of everyone in my case, it was still an engaging and fast paced listen and read. If you like thrillers with secrets, lies, and a chilling island backdrop, this is a great pick for your next read.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

I enjoyed this very early on and then it fell flat. I did listen ro it in a day. It was easy to follow and kept me curious. The premise had a lot of potential but I just didn’t grip me like I thought it would. The narrator did an excellent job.

The beginning was eerie and unexpected. I gasped and found myself looking forward to the rest of the story.

I loved the narrator. She was expressive and did well capturing the story as it was told.

However, once the book began in the present, that feeling went away. This book feels more like a lighthearted bachelorette trip for most of the book than a mystery. The focus for the first 60% was more about the characters, their friendship, and what they are doing every moment during the trip. There are pieces sprinkled in about the mystery, but not enough to keep that eerie feel about it. It had too much backstory and not enough suspense and thrill.

It also had some flashbacks that felt unnecessary. How would the character, who is investigating the murder for her podcast, know anything about what happened between the characters before they died? Someone would have to tell her for it to make sense. Also, what did the previous case that made her podcast popular have to do with the current case? There were so many details about everything else but the mystery she was investigating. When the author wrote about the mystery, it was written well. There just wasn't enough of it in the book for me.

I enjoyed this one, listened to it in a day. It was easy to follow and kept me curious. The premise had a lot of potential but I just didn’t grip me like I thought it would. The narrator did an excellent job.

The book builds good suspense early on, especially with the digital detox setting and isolated island vibe. The connection between past and present mysteries keeps the story moving, but some plot points feel a bit forced or unclear—especially around the timeline. The drama toward the end feels exaggerated and takes away from the tension rather than adding to it. While the twist involving Tessa’s backstory is compelling, other characters don’t get enough depth to make their actions believable. Overall, it’s an easy, quick read for thriller fans, but it doesn’t quite stand out in the genre.

This book was a ride. The idea of investigating a cold case in order to rejuvenate your career after scandal is a unique concept. There were times when the MFC got on my nerves, but I think that was an intentional part of her character. I really enjoyed the narration and the experience of this book. I will definitely be on the look out for other books by this author.

Generally, I'm a big fan of Swedish, female crime writers, and I was excited to give this one a go. The setting and overall feel of the mystery was great, but I had a hard time feeling a connection with the characters in both timelines. Even the satisfaction of guessing the main plot long before I was supposed to, couldn't get this book over 3 stars for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Okay, how are there this many thrillers called The Bachelorette Party? This is the second one I’ve read in the past year with that title—and just like the last, it had me questioning what’s really going on at all these wild pre-wedding getaways. This one combines the high-stakes drama of a bachelorette party gone wrong with the intrigue of a long-buried mystery. One of the women isn’t just trying to survive the chaos unfolding in the present—she’s also determined to uncover the truth behind an old tragedy that’s haunted her. Most people believe it was a freak boating accident, but she’s convinced something much darker happened. And as she digs deeper, the lines between past and present start to blur.

What I loved most was how it kept me on edge the entire time. I started this book and finished it all in one day—I literally couldn’t put it down. The tension ramps up so naturally that before you know it, you’re holding your breath right alongside the characters. There’s a great mix of psychological suspense, secrets, and survival, and the author does an awesome job balancing it all while keeping you guessing. This story had just the right amount of twists to keep me invested without feeling overwhelming. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author!

Camilla Sten delivers a gripping and atmospheric thriller in The Bachelorette Party. With sharp pacing and a chilling sense of isolation, the novel expertly blends psychological suspense with interpersonal drama. Sten’s vivid setting—a remote island getaway—sets the stage for secrets to unravel and tensions to erupt. The twists are clever, the characters layered, and the suspense builds to a satisfying climax. A compelling, page-turning read for fans of dark, twisty thrillers. Honestly, though, this seemed a bit different than Sten's other novels. But still quite good.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this digital e-arc.*

The Bachelorette Party is a moody, atmospheric thriller that blends true crime obsession with a classic locked-room mystery, set on a remote Swedish island. The story follows Tessa, a young true crime podcaster, who joins her old friend Annalise’s bachelorette party—conveniently held on the same island where the infamous “Nacka Four” vanished ten years earlier. For Tessa, the trip could lead to the biggest episode of her podcast—until unsettling events begin to unfold.

The novel alternates between two timelines: one from ten years ago, following the four friends who disappeared, and one set in the present day, with four new friends trying to enjoy a pre-wedding celebration. The dual structure is engaging in theory but occasionally confusing in execution. Despite each chapter beginning with a date, I found it difficult at times to keep track of which characters belonged to which timeline, especially with such a large cast.

What truly elevates the audiobook is the performance of the narrator. She is incredibly talented—bringing excellent expression, emotional range, and distinct voices for each character. Her ability to shift tones and personalities helped clarify the characters and made listening more immersive, even when the story itself became hard to follow.

While the plot had some strong suspenseful moments and a chilling setting, it didn’t fully hold my attention throughout. Still, fans of slow-burn mysteries and true crime themes may enjoy the layered storytelling.

Overall, The Bachelorette Party is a decent thriller with a haunting premise, enhanced by a standout narration. It’s worth a listen—just be prepared to occasionally backtrack to stay grounded in the story’s dual timelines.

**** Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are always my own.