I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Bachelorette Party: A Novel by Camilla Sten Published by Minotaur Books on June 10, 2025
Genres: Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 303
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Indigo
Goodreads
Scream meets The Sanatorium and The Retreat in this wickedly compelling and compulsively page-turning thriller of friendship and murder from the author of The Lost Village, Camilla Sten.
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 drink beer, dance by the water, and shake off the weight of life's expectations. The location of the island is a secret to everyone but them. One night of reckless fun and secret-sharing, and then they return to their normal lives.Ten Years Later. Ever since she was a teenager, Tessa Nilsson has been consumed by the story of four friends who disappeared. As her true crime fervor 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 before she walks down the aisle, she wants to have a bachelorette party. The destination: Baltic Vinyasa, a sleek, sophisticated yoga retreat on a small island off the coast—one with such similar characteristics to the tragedy years ago that it raises the hair on Tessa’s neck. The idea is to drink gallons of cava, do sunrise yoga, and get in their last chance to bond with the bride. Tessa 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.
Review
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, there are a few moments that 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.
