🚆 Five people. One set of tracks. Someone isn’t walking away.

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I went into Five by Ilona Bannister expecting a thriller… but what I got was something much deeper—and honestly more unsettling.

This is a countdown-style story where you know from the start that one of five people will die on the train tracks. The tension? You don’t know who.

As the story unfolds, you’re pulled into each character’s backstory—layer by layer, secret by secret—and suddenly it’s not about what will happen, but why.

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💭 What stood out:
• The format is the real star—interactive, almost like the author is nudging you: “So… who do YOU think it is?”
• Strong themes of mothers and sons hit hard for me personally—especially as a mom to a misunderstood son
• A deeply psychological lens on how people become who they are

⚠️ Heads up: Some of the character backgrounds are disturbing, and one character in particular is extremely unstable—definitely check content warnings if that’s sensitive for you.

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✨ Favorite character:
Mrs. Worth—an older woman with a complicated relationship with her daughter-in-law (who performs autopsies 👀). Her arc was subtle but incredibly satisfying.

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📍 Set in London (though it could honestly be any big city), this reads less like a traditional thriller and more like literary fiction with suspense woven through it.

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📖 Final thoughts:
If you’re looking for a fast-paced, twist-heavy thriller, this might not fully scratch that itch. But if you love character-driven, psychological stories with a unique structure, this is absolutely worth picking up.

I flew through it in one sitting—perfect for when you want a short, immersive read.

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🗓️ Pub date: May 5, 2026
🙏 Thank you to NetGalley & Crown Publishing for the ARC!

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⭐️ Would you rather read a twisty plot… or unravel complex characters?

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