Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Published by: Juniper
Publication date: 5th May 2026
Content warnings: death, animal death, animal cruelty, addiction, gambling, suicidal thoughts, cancer, death of parent, ableism

“Someone will die here this morning, at this suburban train station. It will happen in the next five minutes when the 7:06 to London Victoria arrives.“

WOW, this was quite something!! Another of those proofs I picked up at LAST YEAR’s Harrogate Crime Festival (and now this year’s festival is next week 😅) I went into this expecting a fast-paced thriller, but let me tell you – this is so much more than that. I find it quite hard to explain what genre it is, but there are thriller elements, there is psychological suspense. And my god there is heartbreak and grief and such an intricate exploration of life. I am so happy to finally be sharing my review of Five by Ilona Bannister!

About the book

Take note of their positions. The child, the mother, the businessman, the old woman and the gambler.

One of them will die despite your attachment to them. There is probably one you want to get rid of. You don’t have to admit who. But perhaps you should ask yourself why.

The train has stopped.

Someone is dead.

Was it who you chose?

It wasn’t your fault …

So why, dear reader, do you feel so guilty?

My thoughts

I seem to always be on the hunt for something a little unusual in my thrillers and as soon as I started reading this, I knew I’d found it. The author breaks the fourth wall in Five as we’re introduced to five different characters; the child, the mother, the businessman, the old woman and the gambler. In five minutes, the next train will arrive at the platform at London Victoria. And when it does, one of them will die. Instantly, I was intrigued to the max (how could you not be?!) and I completely immersed myself in meeting these characters, understanding the kinds of people they were. The main story takes place over five minutes, but we also rewind a little bit and dive deeper into the lives of these five different characters through different POVs. You could argue that there is a little too much information about these people, but it’s not really a bad thing is it, when you can see them so clearly, predict how they might act in a moment of crisis? The character development was fantastic and even the humour was spot on which was such a nice surprise!

We’re guided through the book by a nameless narrator, who sometimes asks us to view a scene more closely, or asks us to think about what could happen, how a situation could escalate. It’s so uniquely written that it was genuinely like having a conversation with someone about the story. As we learn more about these characters over time, I had an urge to read the first parts of the book again, to read those opening scenes knowing more about these characters and what they have been through in their lives. I was expecting a thriller when I started this, but this book is so much more than that. I was floored by the exploration of grief, the pain of losing a loved one, and just how emotional and moving it was, how unexpected. The descriptions are so full, and I felt everything so deeply. But also, the humour! I loved how subtle but effective it was and I continued to love it. All of this combined made these characters so real. At the start of the book, these five people are just strangers in the same place at the same time. By the end, you’ll know them so intricately it actually feels weird but SO good!

As the train makes its way to the station, we know the outcome. We’ve known from the start; one of these people is going to die. The tension ramps up as each minute passes and thoughts of who and why were constantly whizzing around my brain. I found every moment so clever, especially the way the narrator just knew which of the characters I had as a ‘favourite’ to be the one to die 😅 It was a little unnerving, like someone was peering over my shoulder as I read, reading my mind almost. I just loved it, and it was a reading experience like no other. My one irk though was the chapter lengths. Some of them are long and there’s nothing I dislike more than a stupidly long chapter. But I also don’t see how those chapters could have been split up any other way. So maybe something that couldn’t be helped, but when the story is this good, who am I to complain about something so small as a lengthy chapter?!

Five is a short but impactful psychological suspense thriller that completely blew me away. It’s dark and tension-filled, written with such a unique voice. The thriller and suspenseful elements combined with that punch of emotion and intricate character development has made this such a standout read for me. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Ilona Bannister!

Huge thank you to Ilona and Juniper for my proof copy! You can grab your own copy of Five right now on Amazon* or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following Ilona on Instagram for more updates!

* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks so much for your support!

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