The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten was such a good beach read for me. I alternated between the physical copy and audio book- I loved both editions! The dual timelines were a definite plus for me. Definitely pick this one up if you haven’t already!


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

On a remote 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 party by the water, and reconnect.
Flash forward Ten Years Later, since she was a teenager, Tessa Nilsson has been consumed by the story of four friends who disappeared. Her interest in true crime has now turned into a wildly popular podcast, Tessa covered Sweden’s most gruesome cases, but could never find the answers behind what happened to these women who disappeared. 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 is about to be married which means- bachelorette party! The destination: Baltic Vinyasa, a yoga retreat on a small island off the coast—one very similar to the island the tragedy occurred on years ago so much so that it raises the hair on Tessa’s neck. Tessa will not pass this up. It’s her last chance to find out what happened to the four women, once and for all.
This was a fast paced thriller, that I really enjoyed. Getting to know Tessa and Her friends with flash backs to the four young women who disappeared throughout the story. Camilla Sten did an amazing job transitioning back and forth between timelines. I definitely recommend to any who enjoy a destination suspense/thriller. Thank You to Netgalley, Camilla Sten and Minotaur Books for the complimentary e-galley.

The setting and backstory were compelling, but something about this book just didn't work for me. I'm not sure if it was because the different backstories got a little overwhelming to keep track of, or if I just didn't like most of the characters, but whatever it was caused me to keep putting down this book. But once I got back into it, I enjoyed the pace and thought most of the twists were executed well.

⭐️⭐️ 1/2 (rounded down).

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for the ARC of this novel.

I was so excited to dive into this audiobook when I read the synopsis and saw the cover page. Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for me. The plot reeeaaaaallllllyyyyyy dragged on in the beginning. I was halfway through before something really interesting caught my attention. (Ie. The reason for Tessa’s fall from grace). In the synopsis, the book was compared to The Guest List - which is one of my favorite novels. Possibly my hopes were set too high because of this because other than the setting, this book was nothing like The Guest List. I didn’t find the main character likable and none of the supporting characters in both timelines added anything to the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

Both likable and unlikable characters are involved in this bachelorette weekend...and the setting is a great one for a psychological thriller. It was definitely a lot of character build-up and a slow burn for me...pretty easy for me to set down for a bit until more than halfway through. However, once it picked up, it was very intriguing.

I must say that I felt like I figured out the twists, but it didn't deter from me wanting to keep going! I'd recommend!

Camilla Sten’s The Bachelorette Party is a chilling thriller set on a remote Swedish island, where a seemingly idyllic yoga retreat for a bridal party becomes a claustrophobic nightmare. The story follows Tessa, a disgraced true-crime podcaster, as she returns to the site of a decade-old disappearance—only for history to repeat itself in brutally suspenseful fashion.
Sten expertly blends dual timelines, sharp psychological tension, and an eerie setting that serves as both sanctuary and trap. The isolated retreat, slickly modern and disturbingly haunted by the past, amplifies a mounting sense of dread.
While some plot twists feel obvious and the pace occasionally dips before building toward its swift, harrowing conclusion, the novel remains a compelling, binge-worthy read. Perfect for fans of locked-room mysteries and atmospheric psychological thrillers, The Bachelorette Party is a dark, suspenseful ride that lingers long after the final page.

Ten years after four young women disappear, Tessa is invited to Annelise’s bachelorette party - in the same area the women are believed to have disappeared.

Ever since she was a little girl, Tessa has been obsessed with true crime and especially intrigued at the girls disappearance, so despite Tessa’s reluctance for the actual bachelorette party, she is drawn to the islands.

The bachelorette party starts off without a hitch, but soon Tessa feels something is “off” - is it her imagination, or is there something sinister happening?

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A perfect thriller for a summer read, especially before a bachelorette getaway! The first half takes its time setting up the story, and while it felt a bit slow and at times dragged out, it builds the groundwork for the mystery and murders teased early on. The second half really picks up with plenty of twists and chaos. I enjoyed the ending, even though I figured out the killer early, it still delivered as a solid and entertaining thriller.

*Thank you to Camilla Sten, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

This one was not for me, I have liked many of the authors other stories however. this one was very over dramatized. Thank you for the copy in exchange for a fair review.

3.5 rounded up to 4. For some reason I struggled to keep focus while reading. There were some slow moments but that’s when you need to pay attention because small hints are dropped. The development of the story I felt was well done. The big surprise wasn’t my favorite but I’m willing to work with it.

2.5 stars, rounded to 3 stars.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten is a "locked room" style thriller set on a secluded island off the coast of Sweden. Every year, four best friends take a trip to this small, remote island owned by one of their fathers. Matilda, Anna, Linnea, and Evalina stay there overnight in order to catch up with each other. One year, things don't go as planned, and tragedy strikes.

Now, ten years later, a wellness resort has been built on the island. Lena books a special bachelorette party at the retreat for her bride friend before the place opens to the public. The bride and her bridesmaids, including Lena's sister Tessa (who is a true crime podcaster down on her luck) will enjoy all the luxury accomodations and inclusions while participating in a digital detox (no phones!). Everything is fun...until it isn't.

While I have enjoyed other locked-room (or stuck-on-an-island) novels before, this was a pretty standard thriller - easy and quick to read but not really groundbreaking. I found the story picked up in the last quarter or so, but was slow going in the beginning and the characters were all pretty unlikeable. I would say this is one you might want to read, but pick it up at your local library rather than spend you money on it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Very rarely am I not able to figure out the bad guy in a thriller, but this was one of them. All the moving parts kept it exciting and threw me off the trails a little bit. I would’ve liked a little more at the ending. Wrapping everything up, but all in all? This book made me drop a dish

I have read this author’s novels in the past and have enjoyed them; however, this one didn’t hit the mark for me. Set in a remote island of Sweden, the locked room genre is usually something I enjoy. Four friends have been to the island for their yearly camping trip for many years, until something goes horribly wrong. Years later there is a resort built on this remote island and four friends go there for a bachelorette party. As is the genre, things go terribly wrong and the twists start to get out of control.

I think for me, I just didn’t jive with the characters or the storyline which I found for me at times to be a little bit predictable. Overall, it was OK, but not my favourite from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this E arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

3-⭐️

I really like locked-room mysteries and this one is that with a bachelorette party set on a remote island. Ten years earlier 4 best friends called the Nacka Four met there for their yearly get together & never returned home. Now Tessa is joining some girls there before her best friend gets married. Tessa has always been drawn to true crime so she’s intrigued with the island that last saw the Nacka Four alive. No phones or connections to the mainland or outside world. Just friends connecting and having fun until they realize someone might be out to take revenge on the visitors.

Again, I liked the locked-room mystery, along with the short chapters and pacing of the book. It was a bit predictable and I guessed the villain pretty early on. There were a lot of characters and two different timelines so it’s better to have a physical book in my opinion. I did a lot on audio but had to rewind several times until I could keep everyone straight. I’m glad I had a physical copy too. The narrator was good and this was an entertaining and a good summer read. It gave me vibes of She Started It by Sian Gilbert but could be for any fans of locked room thrillers.

I have been enjoying thrillers for the past two years. However, this one really scared me. I would usually read right before bed, but I had to stop doing it with this one. I do love the premise and remote places always make for good thrillers. The characters were not as likeable as I had hoped and it was a bit too much for me. I would still give it almost 4 stars because it did what it was supposed to do - be suspenseful!

Thank you to NetGalley, Camilla Sten, & Minotaur Books for this ARC Copy of The Bachelorette Party.
I have not read any of Camilla books before but heard great things and the book subscription really pulled me in so I was really surprised to have a really hard time wanting to keep reading the book. I almost gave up on it a couple times. For me, the book did not pick up until about 80% in the ending was OK. I just really wish the book had more consistency from the beginning to end.

The cover drew me in and the title yelled, "READ ME". A bachelorette party on a remote island had me packing my bags, but without my cellphone? I'll read this instead of tagging along.

This had all the elements of a fantastic thriller, but unfortunately, it felt flat and lost my attention. I liked the dual timelines and a podcast intertwined was so creative. I know many others enjoyed this one. I encourage readers of thrillers to give this a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an early copy.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten was a decent thriller. Nothing out of this world, totally twisted plot, but it did its job, and all loose ends were tied up by the end. All of the names of characters got confusing at times, since, how ironic, there was the same exact number of women to return to a secluded island. It was hard to keep track of names from the original 4 women to the current 4 women visiting the island/archipelago. Names were too similar to keep track of.
I knew right way something was not going to go well since it was the same number from before. Something seemed off about the perfectness of it all and there were red herrings in the group of women throughout. I can't say I was blown away when the killers were revealed from before or current times. It seemed as though Sten followed the outline of how a thriller is to go and it worked. Not terrible and not completely memorable, either.

I did not like this book. I could not get over the fact that this group of friends felt like they didn't know each other at all. The narrators voice was irritating. All of her thoughts made me angry. And there was no connection between the friends / sisters felt throughout. There needs to be better relationship and connection building.

✨ The Vibes ✨
Nordic thriller + the locked room trope

📖 Read if…
✨ You like a Nordic thriller
✨ You’re a fan of locked room mysteries
✨ The Guest List is your favorite Lucy Foley book

I haven’t fully explored the Nordic Noir genre, but whenever I get the urge to dip my toes in it, I always turn to Camilla Sten’s mysteries. Sten’s writing is dark and cinematic and is often best paired with a cozy blanket and steaming hot beverage.

The Bachelorette Party slightly strays from this formula and feels like the perfect book to enjoy on the beach. It follows Tessa, a true crime podcaster dealing with the consequences of a recent episode. As she struggles to figure out her next step, she’s invited to attend a bachelorette party on a remote island where four women disappeared. As the party unfolds, Tessa decides to solve the crime once and for all and is forced to consider the possibility that she’s next.

In my mind, a good mystery is equal parts vibes and clues. You need to set the scene to create tension, but also drop clues along the way to give the reader a way to follow along and solve the mystery. The Bachelorette Party did a great job on the vibes part – the island setting was perfect and Sten’s descriptions make you feel like you’re right there. But I really struggled with the clue portion.

You’re told upfront that four women disappeared from the island, and it’s clear why Tessa wants to solve the mystery. But the way it comes together feels very forced. There aren’t any clues along the way and whenever Tessa picks a suspect, it feels like she’s basing her accusations on very little information, information that is often coincidental. Because of this, when the culprit is finally revealed, it feels unearned since readers weren’t given hints along the way. I think I would have much preferred a deeper exploration of the case that got Tessa into legal trouble, as the stakes of that felt much higher and more interesting.

Even though this wasn’t my favorite, I still love Camilla Sten’s writing and look forward to whatever she comes up with next.

The Bachelorette Party is out now. Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.