Just wrapped up The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten and honestly... it was a decent ride. Definitely had that locked-room thriller vibe with a fun “what is really going on here?” energy. The setting was super atmospheric—creepy cabin in the woods during a bachelorette party gone wrong? Yes, please.

That said, it didn’t fully stick the landing for me. The characters felt a little surface-level at times, and while there were some twists, none of them totally blew my mind. I kept reading because I wanted to know how it would all shake out, but I wasn’t gripped the way I hoped to be.

Still, it was a quick, entertaining read—perfect if you’re in the mood for some light suspense and drama with a side of wilderness paranoia.

It had an interesting fast start (by which I mean the prologue) and then fell kinda flat for me for a half of the book and then gained speed and thrill again. I couldn't really connect with the characters, but it was interesting to follow their stories both past and present.

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Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for providing me with this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I liked the concept of the story but overall just didn’t like the characters at all and it just fell flat for me
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me

I am always here for a good thriller. I felt this one fell a little short, as I struggled to connect with the characters or truly feel for them too much. I did like how the story went back and forth between past and present, and that there were connections between the characters both past and present. I am starting to find that thrillers that involve groups of women who go on a beach vacation together tend to fall short for me, so my feelings about this book may not resonate with all readers. Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this arc!

I really liked this gripping thrilled from Camilla Sten. The author used one of my favorite plot devices -- split timelines -- to share a tragic background story of a beautiful island, which set the scene for a years later, should-be-happy bachelorette party. We follow along with Tessa, a true crime podcaster who has been cast out of society and her relationship, for reasons that eventually become clear. Tessa is attending an old friend's bachelorette party in hopes of getting out of her depression and reconnecting... and maybe solving a bit of true crime between mimosas and sun salutations? Tessa believes the tragic disappearance of four women ten years ago may have actually been a murder on this very island -- and despite many warnings, she's going after the truth. There are lots of twists and turns, some more shocking than others, and a pretty violent climax. This book definitely kept me riveted on a recent flight and long layover! I'd recommend to fans of thrillers that revolve around true crime or wronged women.

The books starts with Matilda, Anna, Linnea, and Evalina. They meet once per year on an Island. The last time they met, someone murdered all four of them.

Now Lena, Caroline, Tessa and Mikaela go to this same Island, now run by Matilda's sister, to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Anneliese. Tessa only agrees to this trip because she wants to uncover what really happened to these girls.

The book goes back and forth between the groups of girls, revealing secrets and hidden connections. While I do feel it was rather predictable who the second killer was in the end, this book was great! I really enjoyed it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for The Bachelorette Party to give an honest review. Cover, title, font and description 10/10. I LOVE a locked door mystery so I was ready to dive into this one. However, this one was not it for me. It has all the standard trope themes (no wifi, stuck on an island, chaos and murder) but everything was very predictable. There was some back parts of the story that was refreshing but overall, I give this a 2.5 star. The fist 75%, while eye roll predictable, was enjoyable (...probably because I'm a locked door thriller sucker) it just fell flat after that.

A quick read that I found mostly enjoyable. There was a point about 60% of the way through where I set up a little straighter, thinking that this might just go in a direction that I had not encountered before but alas, the plot turned out to follow the more traditional beats of a murder mystery. On the other hand, I will admit, there were several points where I thought I knew who the killer was and I turned out to be wrong in both timelines. When the motive was revealed in the current timeline, I was surprised that I hadn't recognized it as such when it appeared earlier in the story, because it definitely struck me as a super fucked up thing to hear during a casual conversation. However, the author is able to expertly turn your attention away from that moment and onto a different character, so that when the topic is reintroduced a little bit later, you think "oh that's right! I should have paid more attention to that conversation." I thought that Tessa was a bit annoying as a main character, quite paranoid and complaining about everything… But then she turned out to be right about all of it so I guess I'm the one who shouldn't be complaining!

I will also mention that it was quite a bit gorier than most murder mystery books I have read. I have a bit of a weak stomach for that kind of thing so I had to skip over some of the more descriptive bits but for those who are not as squeamish, I imagine it wouldn't be a problem.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for access to a digital ARC. My honest review is my own opinion.

The book shifts from the perspective of four friends who disappeared from a remote island and a group of women who, ten years later, go to the same island for a bachelorette party. I enjoyed the suspense built during both time periods. Friendships are strained during both perspectives, friendships and motives changed for both groups of women.

The disappearance of the first friend group disappearing is the motive for Tessa, in the most recent friend group, to come to the island, not just because her friend is getting married and friendships will change.

I enjoyed the book and have already told friends they have to read it when it comes out! I recommend this book, as a 5-star read, to anyone who loves mystery, suspense stories.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ ARC for review - the cover of this book immediately drew my attention. As an engaged bride, the bachelorette title also caught my attention. This was a medium paced read that didn’t speed up for me until the end. There were a lot of characters to keep track of. I felt slightly disconnected to the main character Tessa not knowing until over half way through why she was struggling and lost her job as a podcaster. I think it would’ve helped if this information was provided earlier on. While I didn’t put all the pieces together, I guessed most of the ending. Overall a decent summery read.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the early copy!

Book review 📖

📜The Bachelorette Party
✍️Camilla Sten
📠St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: June 10, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @minotaur_books for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨On a remote island off the coast of Sweden, four best friends meet every year for a weekend of fun—drinks, yoga, relaxing, bonfires on the beach. What they don’t expect is bloodshed.

✨Ten years later, Nessa is consumed with the disappearance of the four friends on the island who disappeared. She has a wildly popular true crime podcast, but has hit a dead end in getting answers she so desperately craves.

✨In an opportunity that presents itself—Nessa’s best friend’s bachelorette party—they decide to have a similar yoga retreat weekend (one like that devastating weekend so long ago), only this time Nessa is hoping for some answers.

✨This was somewhat hard to follow with all the different characters, and took my attention away from the plot.

#netgalley #thebacheloretteparty #camillasten #minotaurbooks #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #summerreleases #thrillerfiction

After loving The Lost Village and The Resting Place by this author - I was so excited for her newest! Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. There were too many similar names, so I had to take a minute to try to remember who was who. I also felt like it was super predictable. I did like the prologue and the setting tho.

⭐⭐⭐ (3.5/5 rounded up!)

Camilla Sten's latest thriller "The Bachelorette Party" is giving major "don't go in there" energy with a side of "trust no one" – and those are practically my middle names.

Picture this: a remote Swedish island, a luxury yoga retreat bachelorette party, and a true crime podcaster with a secret agenda. Our main character Tessa is obsessed with solving the decade-old mystery of the "Nacka Four" – four friends who vanished from the very same area during their annual secret getaway. When Tessa's bestie Anneliese plans her bachelorette at the Baltic Vinyasa retreat, Tessa sees it as her chance to salvage her crashed podcast career and finally crack the case. 👀

Part locked room mystery, and part slasher, this book begs to be read in one sitting. Its twisty plot and the clever use of a dual timeline weave together layers of deception and hidden truths like a friendship bracelet from hell. 🪡

I love stories that examine female friendships in all of their depth, complexity and nuance. While I didn’t click with the entire bride squad, I did connect with Tessa. When her inner thoughts spiraled, and she started to question her own instincts, I found myself talking out loud, hoping Tessa would hear me and start trusting herself.

Veteran thriller lovers like myself might see a few of the twists and turns coming, but due to the solid pacing and gut-punch narrative, I’m not even mad at it. And while a bachelorette party is my own personal brand of nightmare, my only wish is that this murderous tale leaned a little harder into the horror space so it’d be closer to an R-rating, rather than PG-13. 🩸

Let’s talk tropes:

🔪 Fast-paced thrillers
🚪 Locked room murder mystery
🏝️ Remote island setting
🎬 Horror movie vibes
👯‍♀️ Toxic friendship dynamics
🤐 Everyone has a secret

Would I pack this in my beach bag? Absolutely – just maybe not for a girls' trip or anywhere that asks me to do a digital detox.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this eARC.

This book was wonderful !
I was not at all expecting the turns at the end, or some of the characters backstories. I had gone in a completely different direction with who I thought did it, and the twist made it even better !
I thought the book showed a lot of important things, while also being easily hooked in.

I’m a fan of the author and have read all of her books. This had quite a few characters to keep track of. The alternate timelines were a little tricky. I enjoyed the thriller aspect of the book but towards the end it became too unbelievable.

The opening scene of THE BACHELORETTE PARTY is straight out of a slasher film. One minute, a group of childhood friends is enjoying their yearly trip to a private island; the next, they’re running for their lives.

The reviews comparing this book to Scream are dead-on (😏). This was so much fun! Although I never have trouble getting sucked in to thrillers, I do often struggle with how they’re written, specifically with how the need to drop a huge reveal at the end tends to come at the expense of a coherent narrative and good character development. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Our narrator, Tessa, is sarcastic, morbid, and a bit of a mess, and her lifelong obsession with murder and serial killers means she has a self-awareness about the situation she’s in that I don’t often see in thrillers. Was the killer obvious? Yes, kind of, but turns out I don’t have an issue with that when the plot holds up around the twist.

This is the perfect beach read, assuming you like your beach reads with a side of 🔪 🩸 ☠️

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read THE BACHELORETTE PARTY in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Bachelorette Party: A Chilling Swedish Mystery That Will Make You Rethink Your Next Girls' Trip

Set against the moody backdrop of Sweden's Baltic coast, 'The Bachelorette Party' follows Tessa Nilsson as she heads to a swanky yoga retreat for her friend's pre-wedding celebration. But Tessa's got more on her mind than champagne and party games. Ten years ago, four women vanished from these same shores without a trace. Tessa's obsessed with their story, and now she's walking the same paths they did.

Sten builds tension like a master architect. The retreat feels increasingly claustrophobic as the story unfolds across two timelines, with the cold Swedish coastline serving as the perfect stage for murder. Think 'The Guest List' meets Nordic noir, but with more yoga pants and darker secrets.

The real genius here is how Sten captures the messy reality of female friendships. These aren't your typical thriller cardboard cutouts – these women feel real, complete with their petty jealousies, deep loyalties, and years of shared history. And when the past starts bleeding into the present, those bonds get tested in ways that will make you question everything you thought you knew.

Yes, a few moments stretch believability, and veteran thriller readers might guess some twists before they land. But honestly? You won't care. The story's grip is too strong, and by the time you reach the gut-punch ending, you'll be too invested to nitpick.

Here's the bottom line: if you like your thrillers with a side of complicated friendships and enough atmosphere to drown in, this book's for you. Just maybe don't pack it for your next girls' trip – or do, if you want to make things really interesting.

4/5 stars – A deliciously dark take on friendship, secrets, and the parties we wish we'd never attended.

A group of women go to a secluded island for a weekend and things don’t turn out as expected. This was a good mystery with a solid commentary on the true crime industry. Well-written with a nice twist!

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

WOW!! This was the book I didn't know I needed as an escape! Let's just say I'm glad my bachelorette party was nothing like either of these! Loved the dual timeline and character development.