I’ve read a few books with a similar plot and I was hoping that this would be one of the top written. However, I think it felt short in the delivery.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.
Alternating timelines help to set the scene for this book about a bachelorette party on an island where four friends had disappeared years earlier. Tessa is a true crime podcaster, and she sees her invitation to her best friend’s bachelorette party as an opportunity to investigate the disappearance.
This well plotted mystery does start out slow but picks up towards the end. The twists keep coming as the book progresses. It wasn’t my favorite Camilla Sten book but it is worth reading.

The Bachelorette Party just didn’t do it for me. Tessa’s freak outs were =|= the story. With some restructuring, this book could be great!

True crime loving Tessa travels with a group of friends to a remote island for a bachelorette party. She has an ulterior motive though-10 years ago another group of women went to the same island and never returned. Tessa’s hoping that she’ll uncover some secrets while she’s there that will help her plummeting podcast. Unfortunately, she gets more than she bargained for when her friends start turning up dead.

The premise for this was so intriguing and I was stoked to read it! Unfortunately, it was a bit slow and I just couldn’t get into it at first. I made myself keep reading and while it did get better, I just feel like this missed the mark for me.

There were too many characters and the rotating timeline was a bit much to follow I think. I did enjoy the action part of this story and the original story of the first four friends.

Overall, I think people will love this twisty thriller, but it wasn’t for me at this time.

I really enjoyed this book by Camilla. Sten this locked door thriller of friends getting together for a bachelorette party was definitely an intense ride of crazy chaos and I was on the edge of my seat until the very end. At first, it was tough to keep track of who everybody was, but I clearly stuck with it and enjoyed the thrill of the chase to get to the end and know who Was the culprit. I really enjoyed the tumultuous tension among the group. I will be reading more from this author thank you from NetGalley for this arc in Stt Martin’s press.

After reading The Lost Village and The Resting Place, this author became an auto-read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the creepy, eerie atmosphere she created in her past two books, so I was excited to dive into The Bachelorette Party.

Unfortunately, the book fell a bit short of my expectations. While it isn’t intrinsically bad, it just didn’t have the darkness or the sinister atmosphere I was hoping for. The story wasn’t terrible, either. In fact, I thought the past/present narrative was interesting, the pacing was great, the island setting was intriguing, and I absolutely love a locked room mystery. However, I also found the characters to be stereotypical, a few of the plot lines somewhat convoluted, and the ending was predictable.

To summarize, it is a decent book but lacked the depth and atmosphere I loved from her previous works. I craved more darkness, and less cocktails and yoga.

Thank you @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Many thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for access to an EARC of The Bachelorette Party in exchange for an honest review.

Locked room mysteries are always a go to for me, so I was excited to get into this one. I was a little worried at first that it wasn’t going to be a hit for me - but it quickly drew me in and held my attention through the finale. I loved Camilla Sten’s writing style and I look forward to exploring more of this author’s work.

Four friends on a private beach island. Lots of sun and sand. What could possibly go wrong? On Isle Blind, apparently a lot. And you won’t want to miss a second of it!

I really wanted to like this book. I love the idea of a book like scream but tbh it reminded me of i know what you did last summer but with a podcast. I enjoyed the plot but the characters just didnt pull me in i wanted more development on them. I did like this book as a whole though.

This one was a page turner. Camilla Sten knocks in out of the park with her mysterious plots and this tale of friendship and betrayal is no different. This one is good but it is not my favorite of hers. I loved the dual timelines and the first few chapters were amazing…I felt like the ending wrapped up a little hastily. It was still really good and our library will be purchasing it!

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the EARC.

For fans of the Guest List, you will love the bachelorette party. The twists and turns were so good. I really loved it, I couldn’t put it down.

I will note the timeline can be hard to follow at times but it’s such an interesting edge of your seat book that it’s worth it.

I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

On a windswept Swedish island shrouded in secrecy, four childhood friends—Tilly, Anna, Linnea, and Evelina—gather annually for an exclusive getaway. Their tradition involves carefree nights of beer, dancing, and heart-to-hearts far away from the burdens of daily life. But one fateful night, they vanish without a trace, leaving only cryptic clues behind.

Fast-forward ten years: Tessa Nilsson, a true-crime podcaster with a faltering career, has long been obsessed with the mysterious disappearance of the four women. Her hunt for the truth reignites when her best friend Anneliese insists on a luxurious bachelorette weekend at a yoga retreat on a nearby island eerily similar to the one in the case. While the plan is all about bonding over yoga and bubbly, Tessa sees it as her last chance to uncover the secrets buried on that remote, rocky island.

This thriller hooks with its dual timelines, alternating between the carefree lives of the missing women and Tessa’s contemporary investigation. The flashbacks offer fascinating insight into the bond shared by the four friends and sprinkle breadcrumbs about their fate, keeping the mystery alive. However, the sheer number of characters and the frequent timeline jumps make the narrative hard to track at times, with similar names only adding to the confusion.

Despite its flaws, the novel does deliver an engaging murder mystery with a moody, atmospheric setting and some chilling moments. While certain twists are predictable, the journey to uncover the truth is still gripping enough to hold interest.

The Bottom Line:
The book thrives on its eerie, isolated setting and the intrigue of unraveling a cold case. Though the plot sometimes stumbles under the weight of its complex timelines and multitude of characters, fans of dark, atmospheric mysteries will likely find enough suspense and drama to stay invested. A solid read, though not without its challenges!

A bachelorette weekend away goes terribly awry in this thriller when, unbeknownst to most them, the ladies are drawn to the site of an unsolved quadruple disappearance from a decade earlier. True crime podcaster Tessa, one of the guests, is hoping to capitalize on the destination and learn a bit more about what she believes to have been a quadruple murder rather than a disappearance. However, when suspicious things start happening on the island, Tessa worries that history might be repeating itself and that none of them are safe.

I liked the format of this thriller, switching between then and now which is quite normal, but the unique aspect was that the "then" portions were not necessarily in chronological order. Rather, they were set in an order that made sense with the plot that was unfolding with the modern day timeline. This wasn't something that I noticed right away, but it becomes about 2/3 of the way through the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy!

The Bachelorette by Camilla Stein is a captivating and suspenseful psychological thriller that explores the dark side of reality television, love, and deception. The premise—a young woman competing for the heart of a charming bachelor on a high-stakes dating show—provides the perfect setup for a story full of intrigue, secrets, and unexpected twists. Stein’s writing pulls readers into this world with sharp, engaging prose that keeps the pages turning.

The character development is strong, particularly with the protagonist, who is both relatable and complex. As the competition heats up and the stakes grow higher, her internal struggles and emotional vulnerabilities come to the forefront, adding depth to her character. Stein skillfully balances the glamour and glitz of the televised world with the darker, more manipulative undercurrents that often go unnoticed by the audience, making the story feel both gripping and thought-provoking.

The pacing is well-managed, and the book is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. The tension builds steadily, and while some elements of the plot are predictable, there are enough surprises to keep the reader engaged. The exploration of manipulation, both in relationships and media portrayals, is particularly well-done and adds layers to the narrative.

However, there are moments where the narrative could have been tighter, and some secondary characters could have been more fleshed out. While the story is engaging, I found myself wanting a bit more depth in terms of the psychological aspects of the characters' motivations. Still, the twists and suspense more than made up for these minor drawbacks.

Overall, The Bachelorette is a strong, four-star read. It’s an enjoyable, page-turning thriller that offers an exciting mix of romance, drama, and suspense. Fans of psychological thrillers and those interested in the darker side of reality TV will definitely find this book compelling. It’s an excellent choice for anyone looking for a gripping story with plenty of twists and emotional depth. I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

The timeline felt disjointed, along with both the prose and dialogue. While the plot was intriguing, I was not invested in any of the characters or even the large mystery at the center of it.

Using two different timelines to draw readers into what happened to four friends on a remote island in the Baltic Sea with a current bridal party's stay on the same island years later is at best confusing. It was hard to understand the relationships between the original four women as they weren't really developed enough as well as the current bridal party's member's relationships. It felt like I was reading standard character sketches instead of fully fleshed out characters. The character of Tessa is hard to pin down--is she manic depressive, a loner, emotionally unable to connect? She goes from being a fringe member of the friends' group to being the main character rather quickly. If you read a lot of mysteries, this one will be easy to solve. Those just starting out in the genre, will most likely enjoy it but there are far better efforts out there to enjoy.

This was the third book I read by this author and it is easily my least favourite. :(
Initially, I did like the setting, the mystery (about the main character's past as well as the one about the disappearence of 4 girls), the dual timeline and the journal and emails entries between some chapters.
Unfortunately, after the first 20 chapters (there are 50), I started to get bored by the cast of characters - all of them, from the past as well as the present timeline -, the whole plot turned out to be a massive bag of clichés and it all got very predictable. What's more, the interaction among the friends got very annoying, toxic and full of miscommunication tropes.
By the time the 'reveal' happens, I was no longer invested in the mystery - which is very easy to predict if you pay some attention to it, or if you are an experienced mystery/thriller reader.
By no means I think this is a bad book. The clichés are all over the place, yes. The writing is way too simplistic, yes. I never got the feeling that I should care for the characters or to think the stakes were too high, no. Yet, I won't say this is a bad book. I'll say this is a non-surprising nor exciting thriller to more hardcore thriller readers.
People who have read few mysteries before might benefit more from reading this one.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved Camilla Sten’s first few novels, and while I liked this one, I didn’t love it. The pacing felt off at times. I will be recommending it, however, to those who love a “locked room” mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
Generally I like Camilla Stern's books, but not this one.
It started out alright, but the further I read, the less I wanted to continue. There are other books I've read with a similar make up that were much better and I ended up scrolling through to the end.

Was not expecting that ending! It was a thrilling read from start to finish. I will say, having the past and present interspersed did make it a bit confusing, leading to me not understanding the dynamics and relationships (especially across different ages of characters. I will say that it was well written, I just wish the pacing was a bit better.

I enjoyed this Bachelorette party version of THE RETREAT meets THE HUNTING PARTY. We need more bachelorette party-themed stories imo. Tessa is experiencing a low point in her life but joins longtime friends at a bachelorette party, mainly to investigate a cold-case that could be linked to the island location, and has strange links to her personal life.
I found this thriller fun, exciting, and terrifying. And a little disturbing, it can be a bit gruesome. Although one part was obvious to me there were enough twists to shock me at the end. SPOILER I did not appreciate Tessa running at the end iykyk.
Thank you St. Martins Press/Minotaur and NetGalley for the digital review copy.