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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First off, I would like to thank St. Martin's Press|Minotaur Books and author Camilla Sten for allowing me to read this novel, The Bachelorette Party, via Netgalley. All opinions following are my own.
This novel bounces back and forth between two main time frames and one smaller one that comes into play later in the novel. Ten years before the present time the novel is taking place, four women disappeared on Blind Isle, a hidden, remote island off the coast of Sweden. They were four friends who had come to the island since they were teens. They would spend one drunken, carefree night together, and then they would go back to their busy lives. Except in 2012, that didn't happen.
Fast forward ten years to the present. Tessa is down-on-her-luck. She went from famous, true crime podcaster to infamous, FORMER true crime podcaster. However, her oldest friend is getting married, and she, along with the other bridesmaids, are going to Blind Isle for the bachelorette party. She doesn't want to go, but she feels obligated. Plus, no one knows what truly happened to those four women who disappeared ten years ago around, if not on, Blind Isle. It was assumed that they drunkenly crashed their boat and were swept out to sea. However, Tessa has never quite believed this explanation. She hopes in going to Blind Isle, she can solve the mystery once and for all, and rise from the ashes of infamy.
Will she be successful, or is she going to be another victim of Blind Isle?
This book was a fast read. While I didn't predict everything that happened, I was able to see some of the twists coming. While it all did come together, I felt it a bit far-fetched. I also felt like it took awhile to set the premise of the story up. It seemed to drag for the first 20% or so. Therefore, I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️. That being said, it was a fun, entertaining read. Readers who enjoy locked room mysteries may find themselves enjoying this one.
This novel bounces back and forth between two main time frames and one smaller one that comes into play later in the novel. Ten years before the present time the novel is taking place, four women disappeared on Blind Isle, a hidden, remote island off the coast of Sweden. They were four friends who had come to the island since they were teens. They would spend one drunken, carefree night together, and then they would go back to their busy lives. Except in 2012, that didn't happen.
Fast forward ten years to the present. Tessa is down-on-her-luck. She went from famous, true crime podcaster to infamous, FORMER true crime podcaster. However, her oldest friend is getting married, and she, along with the other bridesmaids, are going to Blind Isle for the bachelorette party. She doesn't want to go, but she feels obligated. Plus, no one knows what truly happened to those four women who disappeared ten years ago around, if not on, Blind Isle. It was assumed that they drunkenly crashed their boat and were swept out to sea. However, Tessa has never quite believed this explanation. She hopes in going to Blind Isle, she can solve the mystery once and for all, and rise from the ashes of infamy.
Will she be successful, or is she going to be another victim of Blind Isle?
This book was a fast read. While I didn't predict everything that happened, I was able to see some of the twists coming. While it all did come together, I felt it a bit far-fetched. I also felt like it took awhile to set the premise of the story up. It seemed to drag for the first 20% or so. Therefore, I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️. That being said, it was a fun, entertaining read. Readers who enjoy locked room mysteries may find themselves enjoying this one.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
good thriller
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
This book had a nicely creepy atmosphere with the missing four women and then 10 years later, another group goes to an isolated island to a newly built hotel for a getaway before a wedding. I will say, if I got an invite like that, to an island where I suspected four women had been murdered, bodies never being found and one of the requirements is to give up your tech (including cell phones) for the trip, then I would be in the next taxi heading away from the ferry! Things never end up well when people don't have access to emergency services. But it made for good suspense and the feeling of wrongness. Tessa was an interesting character and was the main viewpoint for this book. Her past was intriguing, hinting at past mistakes that cost her a lot. The others were pretty interchangeable, including the past missing women (there are quick sections of the past slowly revealed to ramp up the tension for when things start going odd in the present) and I did guess the twist pretty quickly, quicker than Tessa anyways which led to me yelling at her to open her eyes! The ending had plenty of action though and the story ended pretty well.
So, a bit of frustration when reading and not quite as strong as some of her other books, but I mostly enjoyed it. Props to the great setting of the story though.
So, a bit of frustration when reading and not quite as strong as some of her other books, but I mostly enjoyed it. Props to the great setting of the story though.
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Bachelorette Party is an atmospheric thriller set mostly in an isolated location, far removed from any form of communication setting the tone for a tense and suspenseful read. In 2012, four women vanish without a trace. A decade later, Tessa, an aspiring crime journalist desperate to revive her career sees an opportunity to dig into the case. But her pursuit of the truth might just cost her life.
The book is fast-paced, well-written, and kept me engaged for the most part. While the twists weren’t entirely unpredictable, I still enjoyed the ride. What held me back from fully loving it was the lack of deeper connection with the characters. Other than Matilda, none of them are given real backstories, including Tessa, who as the protagonist, felt underdeveloped in places.
Also, while the remote, communication-cut-off setting adds to the tension, it’s starting to feel a bit overdone in thrillers. That trope didn’t feel particularly fresh here.
That said, fans of isolated-setting mysteries will likely enjoy this one for its pacing and intrigue.
Thank you to Minotaur Books for the review copy.
The book is fast-paced, well-written, and kept me engaged for the most part. While the twists weren’t entirely unpredictable, I still enjoyed the ride. What held me back from fully loving it was the lack of deeper connection with the characters. Other than Matilda, none of them are given real backstories, including Tessa, who as the protagonist, felt underdeveloped in places.
Also, while the remote, communication-cut-off setting adds to the tension, it’s starting to feel a bit overdone in thrillers. That trope didn’t feel particularly fresh here.
That said, fans of isolated-setting mysteries will likely enjoy this one for its pacing and intrigue.
Thank you to Minotaur Books for the review copy.
This is a DNF at 1.8%. I have no intention to review this. I find the audiobook annoying. The narrators, wispy depressed voice makes this a slug to listen to. I’m nine minutes in and I have no desire to move further.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Camilla Sten has become an auto-buy author for me as I adore the way she writes and how to formulates her characters in their environment. Her books give an almost claustrophobic feeling while trying to come to conclusions about the characters surrounding the protagonist of the story.
The Bachelorette Party starts with the murder of a group of friends and then flashes to 10 years later, where another group of women is attending a bachelorette party on the same island and the owner of the island and resort is the sister of a previous missing woman. Tessa is a true crime podcaster that lost her job after having an interview with the father of a murder and he in turn commits suicide leading to the downfall of her career. She is down on her luck and it hoping attending this bachelorette party and finding out information would lead her to a story and in turn her career and life back. Things begin to take a turn as Tessa begins to look closer into the previous case, will this turn into another case or will she find out about the missing women and bring back her life.
I enjoyed this one a lot, but there were a couple things that seemed abrupt and without reason. Although, that did make this different from other thrillers I have read recently. The ending seemed to wrap up quickly and the romance of it all seemed to be unnecessary. I did, however, give it three stars because I guessed from the very beginning many aspects of the story. I am looking for a thriller that surprises me significantly, but this was a fun and fast read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Bachelorette Party starts with the murder of a group of friends and then flashes to 10 years later, where another group of women is attending a bachelorette party on the same island and the owner of the island and resort is the sister of a previous missing woman. Tessa is a true crime podcaster that lost her job after having an interview with the father of a murder and he in turn commits suicide leading to the downfall of her career. She is down on her luck and it hoping attending this bachelorette party and finding out information would lead her to a story and in turn her career and life back. Things begin to take a turn as Tessa begins to look closer into the previous case, will this turn into another case or will she find out about the missing women and bring back her life.
I enjoyed this one a lot, but there were a couple things that seemed abrupt and without reason. Although, that did make this different from other thrillers I have read recently. The ending seemed to wrap up quickly and the romance of it all seemed to be unnecessary. I did, however, give it three stars because I guessed from the very beginning many aspects of the story. I am looking for a thriller that surprises me significantly, but this was a fun and fast read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail