whitneydaniell

Synopsis

Ten years ago, four friends—Matilda, Linnea, Evelina, and Anna—vanished without a trace during their annual trip to a secluded island in the Swedish Archipelago. Dubbed the Nacka Four, their disappearance shook their small Stockholm town, leaving behind only a handful of eerie clues and endless speculation. True crime podcaster Tessa Nilsson has been obsessed with their case for years, but after her podcast imploded, any hope of uncovering the truth faded—until now.

When her best friend Anneliese chooses The Baltic Vinyasa, a sleek new wellness retreat on an eerily similar island, for her bachelorette weekend, Tessa sees an opportunity she can’t pass up. The plan? Sunrise yoga, gallons of cava, and one last celebration before the bride walks down the aisle. But for Tessa, it’s more than just a getaway—it’s her final shot at solving the mystery that has haunted her for a decade.

The Characters

In 2012, Matilda was standing at the edge of a major life change—motherhood. She and her fiancé, Carl, were, by all accounts, the perfect couple, their relationship moving in all the right directions. She should have been excited about this next chapter. But deep down, she wasn’t sure she was ready. Despite the morning sickness, the nagging uncertainty, and the knowledge that this trip might be their last together as a group, Matilda decided to go—so long as everyone else was on board. Anna was eager to go and took the lead on planning. Linnea was confirmed. Evelina, however, wasn’t responding. It wasn’t until Matilda practically begged her to change her plans that Evelina reluctantly agreed to come.

In 2022, the present-day girl’s trip to The Baltic Vinyasa is for Anneliese’s bachelorette weekend, bringing together her closest friends from high school—most of whom hadn’t spoken to each other in years. Mikaela, the maid of honor, is brash, rude, and completely self-absorbed. Natalie, the photographer, is a bit of a mystery—I wasn’t sure if she had history with the group or if she was a total newcomer. Caroline, another childhood friend, is now a family therapist. Then there’s Tessa, the narrator—a former true-crime podcast host—and her older sister, Lena, who is also a close friend of Anneliese and the one who found this retreat for their weekend getaway. Once they arrive on the island, they meet Irene, the proprietor of The Baltic Vinyasa, and Adam, the retreat’s chef.

The Plot

Like so many of us, Tessa is a true crime obsessive, which led her to start her wildly popular podcast, The Witching Hour. But after an unnerving interview and the fallout from a particular episode, her career imploded. Her reputation is in shambles, her bank account is dwindling, and her mortgage is past due. She needs a break—or a breakthrough.

When Anneliese’s bachelorette trip takes her to Isle Blind, Tessa sees an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: celebrate her good friend and finally get some answers about The Nacka Four. Maybe, just maybe, she can uncover something new and breathe life back into her career.

From the moment she arrives, Tessa is drawn to Irene—who, as it turns out, is Matilda’s older sister. She can’t help but prod, slipping in questions about Matilda whenever she can. Irene humors her, but she’s in control, keeping a firm grip on the weekend’s itinerary and refusing to let Tessa throw her off balance.

Then there’s Adam. A chance encounter with the resort’s chef sends Tessa’s mind spinning. Did he know Matilda? Did he grow up with them? Did he know anything at all about what happened? The more she digs, the more convinced she becomes that this trip is not going to be the peaceful, relaxing getaway Mikaela promised.

The morning before everything unravels, Caroline decides to leave early for the mainland. Irene takes the group on a mindfulness hike. After dinner, she surprises them with a bonfire on the beach. The sunset is stunning, but something feels wrong. The emergency dinghy is missing—it was cut loose. Caroline hasn’t returned, despite the note she left saying she would. And Tessa can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her.

My Final Thoughts

They say nothing under the sun is original—not even a thought. And early on, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had read this story before. Not identical, but very similar. A group of women, a bachelorette weekend, a secluded island… very She Started It.

Because of that, I knew who to rule out early. I knew who to pay attention to. I knew what to watch for in both the dialogue and the narrator’s descriptions.

It was clear that each character was meant to make you second-guess them at some point. Natalie, the quiet newcomer who doesn’t say much. Mikaela, the self-absorbed one who won’t shut up about herself, her husband, or her kids. Caroline, who disappears early—almost too early, making her an easy suspect. And of course, there’s Tessa, with her muddy past and a desperate need to revitalize her career. Could she have created this entire situation for the sake of a comeback? It all felt very cliché.

The story jumps between two main timelines—2012, with The Nacka Four, and 2022, with the bachelorette party. I found the timeline shifts easy to follow, but there were other elements that felt unnecessary. There’s a blog entry from Matilda that I initially thought would play a bigger role—maybe during an investigation or in Tessa’s research—but it doesn’t. It’s just there for the reader, and honestly, it didn’t add much. Then there’s a set of call records—one number ending in 1220, which we know belongs to a key player, but the number ending in 9813? Never revealed.

There are a lot of callbacks in 2022 that reference the women from 2012, giving the impression that the present-day characters know more about what happened than they’re letting on—especially Anneliese. But by chapter 38, I had it figured out. At that point, I just had to power through the last fifteen chapters to see how it all played out.

Finishing this book, I felt underwhelmed. The final reveal was a lot—over-the-top, even for someone like me who loves a good murder mystery. I get what the author was going for, but something about it felt disjointed. It tried to be twisty and shocking, but it didn’t quite stick the landing.

Acknowledgement

I’d like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review it ahead of its release. Your commitment to connecting readers with new stories is truly invaluable!