This was my first Camilla Sten book and I had a very enjoyable reading experience. The setting of the island was eerie and atmospheric. It felt like you were right there along with the characters. The story itself was a bit of a slow burn and took awhile to pick up, but I liked the plot enough to keep going. I will definitely read more Camilla Sten books in the future and have already added "The Lost Village" to my TBR!

This was a fun read! I think if you are a casual thriller lover this would be a great book to take with you on vacation. A little predictable but as someone who loves thrillers as a
Palette cleanser in between fantasy- yeah id say read this!

For the vibe readers for sure

I really had high hopes for this one, but it was a hard one for me to get into. Maybe it was a timing issue for me. I think many will likely enjoy this—thanks for the opportunity to read it though!

The Bachelorette Party was a bonkers book about a group of women who disappear while spending the weekend on a remote and secret island. Then 10 years later, a woman consumed by the story of these women, even going so far as to having a podcast about them, ends up at a bachelorette party at a yoga retreat in a small island eerily similar to the one the women disappeared at. It was creepy, suspenseful and so compelling. At the edge of your seat kind of thriller. Definitely binge worthy.

The pace of this thriller was fine and I was very captivated until about 50%. Unfortunately the perpetrators of the present day massacre was far too obvious and ruined the twists. It was hard to place who was where during the ending. The climax wasn’t all that thrilling. I would try another book by this author.

This book felt like an early 2000s scary movie, which was fine with me! You know the type: sort of eerie but also silly; bunch of girls running up the stairs when they should be going out the front door.

Maybe that’s why I figured the “who” out; no twist for me. It’s a good “who”, it just didn’t surprise me. The “why”, however, slipped past me; a twist I didn’t see coming.

I have to be honest, however; I almost DNFd this one in the first few chapters because it looked like there was possibly going to be some same sex relationship stuff. But then, it seemed to just be more of a fact about the character and not something that was going to play out. Unfortunately, 42% of the way in, I had to skip several pages. I just don’t want to read about same sex relationships (I also don’t read anything “steamy”). There is also quite a bit language, typical curse words, which I can always do with out, and, more troubling, many instances of the Lord’s name being taken in vain, which is indefensible for me. It was also a bit gory.

Three stars because the story was good, it was well-paced, and I enjoyed the mystery; but for those who don’t want to read language or same sex, skip this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books!

I was really excited for this story. However, I struggled with the slow burn plot, the back and forth of the timelines, and often was overwhelmed or confused with all the multiple characters. I normally love a dual timeline, locked room, true crime thriller, with messy, complex characters but this one was a little over the top dramatic, feeling forced and unnatural. I did enjoy the dark and eerie setting on a remote island off of the Sweden coast, and the attention getting cover that matches the atmospheric vibes.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and I did like the narrator’s voice, tone and pacing, which helped paint a mental picture of the dark and eerie island and many unlikable characters.

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC! All opinions are my own.

3.25 ⭐

The storyline was intriguing, loved the plot and this taken place on a remote island. The downside to me is this being written in 3rd person, and with all the different names I am not the best at keeping up with who is who. The ending definitely picked up, and I did enjoy it, I think this makes a great summer thriller read.

“Just like in the theater, I could just about hear the scary music playing as I raced to learn all of the whos, whats, and whys."

⭐️⭐️💫 (2.5/5)

On a remote island nestled off the coast of Sweden, four friends meet every year for one night of fun, secret sharing, and going back to life. The location of the island is a secret to everyone but them. Until one night…

Ten years later we meet Tessa Nilsson, a true crime podcaster, who has been consumed by the story of four friends who disappeared. 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.

Tessa gets invited to a bachelorette party at a sophisticated yoga retreat on a small island off the coast—one with such similar characteristics to the tragedy years ago. She 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.

I really wanted to like this book, as I love locked door, secluded who done its, and dual timelines, but this one missed the mark for me. The dual timeline almost felt unnecessary as it didn’t provide much detail to the current timeframe. This also didn’t feel like a bachelorette party group of women, it was kinda rigid.

None of the characters were relatable so I just had a hard time connecting. The overall premise of the book was intriguing so I had higher hopes. I will say it’s a quick read!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books), and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ten years ago, four childhood friends, known as the Nacka Four, gathered on a remote island off the coast of Sweden—a location they kept secret from everyone. They were presumed drowned after an intoxicated boat trip, but their bodies were never found.
After ten years, four more childhood friends reunite at the same location, this time for a bachelorette party. The island is now owned by the sister of one of the victims, and Tessa is determined to uncover the truth.
Well, I really am sorry to say that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as her other works. I mean the plot was good, the pacing was good, and the intertwining of the past of the Four women missing with the present-day bachelorette party mystery was something I really loved. However, it wasn’t that satisfying. It was overly exaggerated and I struggled to connect with the characters and when the truth was revealed, that twist captured my interest for lil bit.

I’ve really enjoyed Camilla Sten’s previous books, The Lost Village and The Resting Place, so I had high hopes for The Bachelorette Party. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t quite click with me.

I was immediately drawn in by the eerie, atmospheric, and eye-catching cover, and while the pacing felt brisk at times, the mystery itself was too much of a slow burn for me. I don’t do well with drawn-out reveals—I need an immediate hook to keep me interested and turning the pages.

On top of that, the story felt overwhelming. There were so many characters that I had trouble keeping track of who was who, and the shifting timelines made it hard to stay engaged. I found myself losing patience as the plot unfolded, and ultimately, I just wasn’t invested enough to push through.

I still love Sten’s writing and will definitely check out her future books, but this one just wasn’t for me. If you enjoy multi-layered mysteries with a large cast and a slow-building sense of suspense, you might have better luck with it!

Synopsis
2012-Linnea, Matilda, Evelina and Anna meet every year for a long weekend off the coast of Sweden on a remote island. The location is kept a secret from their families. This time, they do not return and the four friend are dubbed the Nacka Four for the name of Nacka Beach.

Ten years later Anneliese is getting married and her bachelorette party is at the Baltic Vinyasa, a brand new yoga retreat on a small island off the coast run by Irene and chef Adam. Tessa, Anneliese’s best friend since childhood is suffering through a recent tragedy of her own but her interest is piqued about the location. Tessa has been an avid true crime follower for years now a podcaster, and has followed the Nacka Four story. Tessa, Annaliesse and Tessa’s sister Lena, Mikaela (maid of honor), Natalie and Caroline may be in for more than they bargained for!

What will happen during this bachelorette party and how is it connected to the Nacka Four?

Overall I really enjoyed the book and even stayed up late to finish. It was a true page turner. I did need to keep track of the characters as it was a bit confusing especially with the dual timelines.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing a digital review copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was intrigued by the eerie setting, an isolated island off Sweden’s coast, and the premise had potential for a classic locked-room mystery. Unfortunately, I struggled to stay engaged. The large cast and shifting timelines made it hard to follow, and the pacing felt slow. I often had to reread sections to keep track of who was speaking or when events were happening. While the mystery connects two timelines, a missing group in 2012 and a present-day bachelorette party led by a disgraced true crime podcaster—it never fully clicked for me. That being said, others have really enjoyed it, so don’t let my experience stop you from giving it a try if the plot appeals to you.

Thank you Minotaur books, netgalley, and the author for the e-arc to review.

This started slow. Stayed slow. But really kicked off around the 60% mark. The main character was a bummer the whole time. The isolated setting on the island was perfect. I just wish the MC wasnt such a downer. The thrilling and dangerous parts would have been more fun if I wasnt depressed by the MC's inner thoughts the whole time.

This would make a great movie though.

The Bachelorette Party is a fun, twisty, suspenseful read that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own and completely voluntary.

This was a great ride. At times confusing keeping all the women straight and going back and forth between the past and present but still quite enjoyable.

Tessa reluctantly joins the bachelorette party of her childhood friend on a remote island in Sweden. A new resort has been built there, and the bachelor party is giving a sneak preview. Tessa’s real reason for attending is to find out information about murders that happened 10 years before in the same area. Soon, Tessa learns that someone is out for revenge and everyone in the bachelor party is in danger.

I probably would’ve rated this book higher if I hadn’t figured out who did it at the 28% mark. It was still interesting and I like the writing style of Camilla Sten. Just wish she hadn’t telegraphed the ending so much.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Camilla Sten for a copy of this book

This is a pretty good thriller that gets quite chilling and contains violence that is very brutal near the end of the book. Although I didn’t have anything in common with the characters, I did feel invested in Tessa (the main character) getting out alive. Some of the dialogue and the emphasis on describing the appearance of the women in each scene was not my kind of thing. I didn’t care what they were wearing etc. It also would have been nice to leave out the couple of instances of liberal bs. The color of the people in her school had nothing to do with anything in the story.
Maybe I’m too used to big dramatic twists lately, so I was always looking for one during the second half of the book. There was something I didn’t expect, although it wasn’t huge. The author really did do a good job of not leaving unfinished storylines, which I liked. But I’m not a fan of an overly talkative killer. It doesn’t seem real to me. They explain to the victims for what seems like a half an hour about why they are going to kill them, before they do the deed! Anyway, if you want some gripping suspense and like a frightening cat and mouse scenario, this is a fun book. 3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

This was a little slow to start but hooked me by the middle. Perfect for those that love a locked room thriller. My heart was pounding for most of the second half! Also posted on Goodreads

I tried to start this a couple times but it really wasn’t keeping my attention which might be my fault more than the book’s, but I swear I tried before I dnfd.