The intense and gripping psychological suspense thriller from a brand-new literary fiction voice. New for 2026!

Five passengers. Five minutes until the next train ... five minutes until someone dies.

'Will have you glued to the page ... guaranteed to shock and entertain'The Times

Five passengers. Five minutes until the next train ... five minutes until someone dies. It''s 7:01. 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. On a train platform, five strangers unknowingly face a chilling countdown: one of them will die in five minutes. In this gripping tale narrated with a sharp tongue, the five main characters - a child, a mother, a businessman, an old woman, and a gambler - will draw you in with their stories as the clock ticks down. As the train gets closer and closer, we fall in love with the beautiful Sonny who is on the verge of gambling his life away. We pity the furious old Mrs Worth who grew up in a macabre household and so failed at being a mother. We look away from the demonic child Gideon. We judge his mother Emma who must surely be to blame? And we are curiously compelled by the successful and damaged businessman Liam. Five stories. Five minutes until a life ends. In this tense, intriguing drama that explores fate, sacrifice, and the real meaning of life, you will frantically turn the page to see who will survive, and who will be lost ... * * * Praise for Ilona Bannister: ''A furious and tender exploration of family and motherhood'' Pandora Sykes ''Richly textured, populated by wonderfully observed, deftly drawn characters ... Smart, brave and often very funny'' Sarah Haywood, bestselling author of The Cactus

Autorentext

Ilona Bannister

Klappentext

**An Amazon Best Books of 2026 So Far Pick!**Five passengers. Five minutes until the next train ... five minutes until someone dies.

'Will have you glued to the page ... guaranteed to shock and entertain'The Times

'Ridiculously good ... darkly thrilling and unforgettable' Chris Whitaker

'An excellent novel ... Bannister has a clear gift for a razor sharp, brutal, and oftentimes hilarious writing style' FIVE star reader review

'Dark, tense and compulsively readable, Fiveis a thriller that keeps you constantly questioning what you think you know' FIVE star reader review

'What a fantastic style of writing. Unique in it's telling that had me gripped from the start ... I couldn't put it down' FIVE star reader review

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.

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?

Five stories. Five minutes until a life ends. Unfolding in real time, FIVE doesn't just tell a story; it provokes, unsettles, and lingers. By weaving together the stories of those complex, flawed lives, Bannister creates a tapestry of human struggle, resilience, and hope. FIVEoffers no easy answers, but rather a nuanced exploration of the human condition in all its messy complexity.

Praise for FIVE:

'Brilliantly propulsive ... A seriously impressive novel' Hannah Beckerman

'Original. Urgent. Disturbing. Brilliant' Shari Lapena

'Insightful, emotionally punchy, wryly observed ... I read it in one sitting' Sarah Pinborough

'This is a sharply drawn, darkly funny, and quietly devastating character study wrapped inside a ticking clock thriller' FIVE star reader review

'Five stars for Five! ... This is a sharp, unsettling and original novel that explores morality, judgement, addiction, motherhood and privilege with confidence and control. It stayed with me long after I finished' FIVE star reader review