Suspenseful, efficient, and fresh, I highly recommend this to any reader of modern day female-focused and friendship thrillers. I had never read any of Sten's work before, and now I'm a Sten stan. The Bachelorette Party hooked me completely. Loved the characters, their backstories, and (no spoilers!) how their lives all intersect. Delicious writing here.

I was so excited for this one, the premise sounded good and I had heard good things. For me it just did not work, I didn't find myself engaged in the read or wanting to pick it back up so I had to DNF.

I had high hopes for The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten - this was my first book by Sten and I had seen a lot of praise for her earlier work and I was drawn in by the cover instantly. Unfortunately, this did fall a bit flat for me and the plot was convoluted - there were a lot of characters and shifting timelines which made this hard to follow at times.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

"The Bachelorette Party" by Camilla Sten is a gripping psychological thriller that. Sten masterfully crafts a narrative that delves into the complexities of friendship, trust, and the dark shadows that can lurk behind even the most joyous occasions.

The story revolves around a bachelorette party gone horribly wrong, set in an isolated cabin in the woods. What starts as a celebration quickly turns into a nightmare as secrets are revealed, and the bonds between friends are tested to their limits. The claustrophobic setting adds to the tension, making every page a nail-biting experience.

Sten's characters are vividly drawn and feel incredibly real. Each woman at the party brings her own baggage, and as their pasts intertwine with the present, the layers of their relationships are peeled back to reveal hidden truths. The protagonist's journey is particularly compelling, as she grapples with her own fears and insecurities while trying to survive the unfolding chaos.

The pacing of the novel is expertly handled, with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. Sten's prose is evocative and precise, creating a sense of impending doom that permeates the entire story. The use of multiple perspectives adds depth to the narrative, allowing the reader to see the events from different angles and increasing the overall sense of unease.

"The Bachelorette Party" explores the theme of trust; Sten delves into how fragile trust can be, especially among friends who have known each other for years. The novel raises thought-provoking questions about how well we know the people closest to us and what happens when that trust is broken.

"The Bachelorette Party" is a chilling and atmospheric thriller that will keep you captivated.

Camilla Sten has crafted a story that is as psychologically complex as it is terrifying, making this a must-read for fans of the genre. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling and thought-provoking read.

I really enjoyed this. I’ve read a lot of locked room thrillers that take place on an island with a group of people, but this one felt fresh and different for me. I liked the dual timelines, and I really liked how it started. It pulled me in immediately. The mystery kept me invested, and the narrator was unreliable, which helped with the suspense. The ending was a bit rushed, but overall it was a very good thriller.

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley for this copy. It was a perfect combination of a past who done it meets a current escape mystery. Seeing the two stories blend together was my favorite part! I also really liked that each chapter was clearly marked with the time frame so I knew which “story” I was in. This is definitely not a bachelorette party any of these girls thought they were getting into when they embarked on the trip!

The Bachelorette Party had all the markings of a suspenseful read:

Secluded location
Tension filled friendship
Opening murder scene

I was excited going into this book, but it wasn't as great as anticipated. The main character, Tessa, had her own personal drama that was teased for half the book. By the time of the reveal, it wasn't as shocking.

The story is told from both the past and present. I didn't see the ending coming, but it made sense. Overall, this murder mystery seemed to drag on for far too long. I wasn't invested in the story. Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my advance copy.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were great and relatable and I liked the plot overall! I would definitely recommend!

I’ll be honest—I was expecting a pretty run-of-the-mill thriller when I got my hands on this book because of the cover and I don’t necessarily think that was a bad thing because I enjoyed the surprise. I’m very familiar with the genre (I’d even go so far as to say it’s my favorite), but after reading the prologue, I knew things were going to get sticky. This is not your typical thriller.

Since the book isn’t available until the summer of 2025, I’ll stay completely spoiler-free. However, I will say that if descriptions of gore bother you, be aware that this story has some pretty grim moments. That said, I think even readers who aren’t fans of gore could handle it—the moments are sparse, but when they appear, they’re incredibly vivid and impactful.

What sets this book apart is how it brilliantly toes the line between thriller and horror. The sense of dread builds steadily throughout, culminating in a finale that feels both satisfying and inevitable—and I mean that as a big compliment. While the ending isn’t particularly hard to guess, I didn’t mind at all because the journey to get there was so compelling. I really enjoyed this book and was pleasantly surprised by how much it drew me in.

I initially was intrigued by the beautiful cover of the book and the book title! Thanks to NetGallery for this e-arc.

What a captivating story with some twists and interesting turns along the way.

•For years four friends have met annually for a girls trip. They discuss each other’s lives, hardships, and celebrations. On one fateful trip, the women mysteriously disappeared.

•Ten years later, another group of women travel to the same remote island for a bachelorette trip. One of the women, Tessa, is a true crime podcaster who has been intrigued by the case of the missing women for as long as she can remember. Strange things begin happening quickly after the group arrives and Tessa is determined to figure out what is happening.

•I enjoyed this book, but the dual timelines with multiple characters was a bit confusing and hard to keep track of at times.

•Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Camilla Sten for this ARC. It will become available on June 10, 2025.

3 Stars

In 2012, four friends vanished mysteriously during their annual gathering on a secluded island. They were the only ones who knew the island’s secret location. The case remains unsolved to this day.

Tessa, a former true crime podcaster who’s fallen from grace, gets an invite to her friend’s bachelorette party. The destination? Baltic Vinyasa, a tiny island off the coast of Sweden that spooks her because it’s eerily similar to the tragic event that happened a decade ago. Tessa can’t resist this opportunity. She might just solve one of Sweden’s biggest unsolved murder cases and maybe even start to rebuild her reputation.

The story wasn’t bad, but the plot could’ve been better.

I usually love stories with multiple timelines, but this one threw me a bit. The multiple timelines are crucial to the plot, but I think it would’ve added even more suspense if certain facts, like the texts and emails, were revealed a bit later in the book.

One of the biggest issues I had while reading was the names of some of the characters were so similar that it was hard to keep them straight and remember what timeline I was in.

Thank you St- Martin’s Press, Netgalley, and Camilla Sten for an advance reading copy of this book.

Ten years ago, four friends mysteriously disappeared after what was supposed to be a night of bonding and fun on a remote island. Some people think they took a boat out and drowned, while others believe that they were murdered. Fast forward to the present, where several women are gathering together to celebrate their friend's upcoming nuptials. The bachelorette party is being held at The Baltic Vinyasa, which is a yoga retreat located in a secluded location on an island - in the general area where the friends disappeared from a decade ago. Will history repeat itself?

I enjoyed The Resting Place by Camilla Sten, so I was excited to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Bachelorette Party. I liked that the story alternated between the past and present. There were a lot of characters, so it took me a bit to keep track of the different women in the story. Overall, this locked room thriller kept my attention and I found it to be a quick read. The reveals didn't blow my mind, but I still enjoyed the story.

I was hoping to finally have a 5-star read from this author but, unfortunately, I'm giving it a 3.5. This is my favorite trope, so I had high hopes. Sadly, it didn't quite work for me. This was compared to Scream, so I was expecting a fun slasher, but it takes way too long for any deaths to happen in the current timeline. Things pick up when the killing starts towards the end, though I still wouldn't compare it to Scream. Aside from the slower pace, I also didn't like the main character, Tessa. She was kind of annoying with her woe is me attitude and the way she kept jumping to conclusions. I just never warmed up to her. While most of the twists were predictable a few surprised me. I did like the setting, and the prologue was great and got things off to a good start. I thought the ending was fun as well, although it was a bit over the top and unbelievable. Though The Bachelorette Party wasn't the book I hoped for, it was okay, and the deranged ending was enjoyable enough that I'm rounding up to 4 stars. I still hope to give one of Camilla Sten's books five stars one day! So far, the Resting Place is my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

four friends meet every year on a secret remote island to visit with each other. but something happens and they are not heard from again. Tessa is fascinated by the story and decides to to investigate.

This was far too overdramatic for my tastes. It read less like a tense thriller mystery and more like an episode of a reality show or a soap opera with a mystery plotline. I didn't connect with the characters and the plot was a bit messy.

This is a very compelling, twisty whodunit that is also a quick read because you won't want to put it down! The character development wasn't strong and the ending was a bit predictable for me but the overall writing and story were great!

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Scream meets The Guest List in this wickedly compelling and compulsively page-turning thriller of friendship and murder from the author of The Lost Village, Camilla Sten.

Ooof. I was so excited to dig into this, after reading and loving The Resting Place.
The first half of the book was okay. But the second half was an absolute mess.
Character development was overtly lacking. I had zero emotional anything for any of them. The FMC, Tessa, starts jumping to conclusions as soon as she steps foot on this wicked little island. Not in a organic way either. No, she's going balls to the wall, straight for the gold in Olympic hurdles.

Irene and her quest for vengeance was so contrived and illogical, I mean just so way out there, it was almost comical. Almost.

Then somehow we manage to find all these "friends" on the very same deserted island of tragedies past, only to watch them turn into a bunch of unhinged savages wielding a shot gun, blowing holes into each other, with some goober chef standing by like he's got stake in the game of revenge, but really, he just comes off looking stupid and wholly ornamental.
The pieces of Matilda's bones that Tessa finds in the end, in an oh-so-beautiful and personalized rosewood box, was just tactless and deranged excess.
And who the hell is Franz?
I'm so sorry. I am always appreciative for the opportunity to read every single arc, I truly am. But I am also always honest. And this just didn't work. At all.
Again, I have loved previous books from this author and The Bachelorette Party will not deter me from reading any of her future works.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this arc in exchange for review.

Pub date: 6.10.2025

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This title is published on June 10th, 2025.

'The Bachelorette Party' by new to me author Camilla Sten was a very well written thriller that, although the plot lacked surprise and there was no shocking twists, it kept me well engaged throughout. Initially, I struggled to identify which character was which, but that quickly solidified in my head as the vast majority of the main characters had a clear and defined personality that allowed them to stand out from the pack.

The writing and plot didn't rely on typical clichés and one part of the original timeline mystery seemed to be deliberately left open; never to be known by the reader in much the same way it wasn't known by the characters in the modern timeline.

And while Tessa (the main character) lacked some gumption and is as much fun as a wet weekend at a Swedish beach, I was still rooting for her throughout.

4 out of 5. .

(Press the link below to see this review posted as 'Peter' on GoodReads.)