Knowing the bride’s preferences is key to throwing a memorable bachelorette party. A trip to Nashville or Las Vegas is perfect for an extrovert who loves to drink and dance. The quieter types might prefer a spa weekend filled with massages and makeovers. The adventurous types? Camping and rock climbing. But what of the true crime lovers?
In Sandra Block’s latest thriller, The Bachelorette Party, bride-to-be Alex is obsessed with the 666 serial killer. As an intern for a crime show, she’s actually interviewed the man imprisoned for the crime several times. He proclaims his innocence; if Alex can prove it, she’s guaranteed a job on the show. Alex is also engaged to a wealthy single dad, and her best friends from college want to throw her the perfect bachelorette party. They’ve rented out the mountain lodge where the 666 killer murdered his first victim. What could be more fun?
Then Alex wakes up after midnight to find the house covered in blood and her friends missing. In the middle of a blizzard, in this isolated lodge, Alex wonders if the real 666 killer has returned to finish what he started. Or could the killer be even closer than she thinks?
While I loved Block’s terrific premise, I found the execution a bit lacking. Other than Alex, the characters are somewhat one-dimensional, and Alex herself has issues that feel very convenient and cause her to doubt herself. Block moves back and forth between the action of the bachelorette party and the backstory of Alex’s interviews and internet discussions about the killer. This structure helps at creating tension, but occasionally gets confusing.
Still, I hung in there hoping for a big payoff, and I got one. Block nails the ending completely, adding twists on top of twists and paying off subtle setups. She ties up loose ends and closes on the right note. It makes up for the muddy middle.
For readers who love serial killer books, The Bachelorette Party is a good fit for their library. It would also make a fun gift idea for women attending a hen-do. For brides-to-be—even the ones who love true crime—I hope the idea remains in a book, and doesn’t become the start of a trend.
Thanks to BookSparks for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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