Review - Five by Ilona Bannister

Five by Ilona Bannister

Publisher: Juniper 

Release date: 5 May 2026

Back cover blurb: 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 …

If I'm honest, I enjoyed this novel more than I expected to. It's entirely my own fault that I seem to have read an awful lot of train (or indeed platform) based thrillers this year, and I wasn't sure I was ready for another.

This was by far my favourite. Although I will say that not all of the characters are particularly likeable, but then perhaps that is the point, as we know that one of them is going to receive an untimely demise. 

Here we have five main characters: a child, a mother, a businessman, an old woman and a gambler. One of them will die in the next five minutes.

Told in a mixture of real time and flash back, we learn more about these five individuals than they do about each other during their time on the platform. 

There is Mrs Worth, a furious old woman who had the most appalling upbringing, but has done very well for herself. 

Emma, who is unable to control her demon child, Gideon. 

Liam, on first glance, an honest businessman. At second glance, perhaps not so. 

And Sonny, beautiful, yet incredibly troubled. A gambling addict who is terrified of letting people down.

An unlikely group that ordinarily wouldn't cross paths with each other. But life doesn't often work in the way we expect it. As this novel makes very clear...

This is the first release by Harper Collins' new imprint Juniper, whose tagline is 'fiction to think about'. This is certainly true here, and I am very excited for their next release. 

Five is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Review - The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson

The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Release date: 12 March 2026

Back cover blurb: London, 1939. When war breaks out on librarian Joyce Kindred's doorstep and a call for help rings out across the libraries of London, she's determined to act. Joyce knows only the world of books can offer safety and comfort to her neighbourhood-and she will make sure no one is left behind. Joyce sets up a mobile library scheme, but soon her acts of resistance go beyond sharing books. She shelters a young Jewish refugee, Adela - and it's not long before she discovers Adela has a secret that could turn their world upside down again... Occupied Poland, 1942. Dorotha knows any chance of her escaping the barbed wire fences and cruelty of the Łódź ghetto dwindles by the day. Reading isn't just an act of defiance: it's the only thing left in her life over which she has any control. And so she shares books under the cover of darkness, creating a secret library away from her captors - that is, until even that last ray of hope is taken from her... Joyce and Dorotha were once librarians, ordinary women, and best friends. The war has forced them into acts of unimaginable bravery-but will they ever find each other again?

This is such a beautiful novel. Two of my favourite things combined, books (of course) and historical fiction. It also taps into a part of the war that I wasn't familiar with, the secret libraries that were run in the ghetto's by brave volunteers. 

In London, Joyce Kindred has wanted to launch a mobile library service for a number of years, but as a library assistant, has been stopped by her Library Manager, a no-nonsense woman who thinks the idea is ridiculous.

Joyce knows that books bring people comfort, and in wartime, that is something that is needed more than ever. Her Librarian friends, scattered across the country (and abroad) feel Joyce's pain. They each have a variation of Joyce's manager, who isn't necessarily prepared for the changes that war must bring.

In occupied Poland, Dorotha longs to escape the ghetto, but knows that it is almost impossible. She has had to leave her love of books behind and focus on staying alive. But she longs to be back in a world that revolves around books.

One day, her boss proposes something to her - a secret library. She thinks that she cannot do it. But knows that she must. It will help to keep her focus on something other than the depths of her despair (and others).

It is a huge risk, but she knows it will be worth it. 

The Secret Society of Librarians is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank you to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

Publisher: Michael Joseph
Release date: 9 April 2026

Back cover blurb: A road trip across America with her teenage daughter was meant to be much-needed bonding time for Simone before Lucy leaves home for university. But on the first night of their stay, in a cabin deep in the Texan desert, Simone wakes to find Lucy missing and a mobile phone in her place. The phone rings and the voice on the other end issues instructions: Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. Be prepared to do a deal… There is nothing Simone wouldn’t do to save her daughter. Hide the truth. Commit a terrible crime. Become a wanted woman. But this is no ordinary kidnap and ransom. Getting Lucy back is just the beginning.

What would you do if your daughter was kidnapped, held at ransom, with her life in danger. 

Would you do as the kidnapper asks, even if that could be deadly or illegal?

It sounds like the plot of a movie, right? Some far fetched Hollywood blockbuster designed to thrill and entertain.

Most of us never believe that it could ever happen to us, and yet that is exactly what happens to Simone.

Simone flys out to meet her daughter in the state of Texas before they both return home and Lucy goes off to University. As an only child, Simone has missed Lucy terribly, and is determined to make the most of their time together.

When Simone wakes the following morning after meeting Lucy, she is faced with her worst nightmare. 

Lucy is missing. 

Then Simone recieves a call from an unknown number, issuing instructions.

They have Lucy, but she must not tell the police. If she follows their instructions, Lucy will be returned to her alive. 

Fail to cooperate, and Lucy dies.

Simone knows that she should ignore the instructions and call her husband, and then the police. They cam do the right thing, the proper thing, follow the appropriate channels and get her daughter back safely.

But Simone is too frightened to do anything other than what she is being asked, and so begins a terrifying journney into a murkey illegal underworld to get her daughter back.

Lots of twists, and I certainly didn't see the ending coming. Another great read from this author. 

Caller Unknown is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - the Enemy's Wife by Deborah Swift

The Enemy's Wife by Deborah Swift

Publisher: HQ Digital

Release date: 9 April 2026

Back cover blurb: 1941. When Zofia’s beloved husband Haru is conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army, she is left to navigate Japanese-occupied Shanghai alone. Far from home and surrounded by a country at war, Zofia finds unexpected comfort in a bond with Hilly, a spirited young refugee escaping Nazi-occupied Austria. As violence tightens its grip on the city, they seek shelter with Theo, Zofia’s American employer. But with every passing day, the horrors of war and Haru’s absence begin to reshape Zofia’s world – and her heart. Can she still love someone who has become the enemy?

This book is the second in Deborah Swift's 'Survivors of War' series. Whilst I enjoyed the first one in the series, I don't think you necessarily need to have read it to be able to read this installment. It could definitely be read as a standalone.

Personally, I think I enjoyed this novel more, as it explores a side of the war that isn't written about that often in historical fiction. The brutality of the Japanese and the uncertainties that foreign nationals faced in what they thought was a safe haven.

Zofia has been left to navigate Shanghai alone after her Japanese husband is conscripted in to the Japanese imperial army. She only has her friend Hilly, and her employer to help her. And sometimes trying to help Hilly feels impossible.

But they are both strangers in a foreign land, and it is the only reason that they are safe.

When things become volatile, her employer Theo’s wife and young family must leave to ensure their safety. Zofia worries that this will mean the end of her employment, but Theo decides he must keep Zofia on to help him learn the basics of Japanese, for he will need to engage with the enemy.

As time passes it is clear that there is an attraction between them, but they are both married, both moral, so nothing can possibly happen between them. Or can it?

We all know that war makes different people of us, and this novel demonstrates just how far we will go to protect and keep safe the ones that we love. Another brilliantly written novel from Deborah Swift and as always I look forward to reading her next.

The Enemy's Wife is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publisher who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray

Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray

Publisher: Macmillan

Release date: 7 May 2026

Back cover blurb: A dead judge. A silent defendant. And a courtroom full of liars. When Leila Reynolds is handed her first murder case, she’s shocked at how high-profile it is: the murder of a well-respected, well-known judge. This shouldn’t be the kind of case she’s leading; it’s way beyond her expertise. But the defendant, Jack Millman, is clear. He wants her, and only her. To make things worse, he’s refusing to talk. How is she supposed to prove herself on what appears to be an unwinnable case? Losing is not an option. She must find the most persuasive argument. Trials aren’t won by convincing judges or fellow barristers – they’re all about convincing a jury. Suddenly, Leila finds herself fighting not only to keep Jack out of prison, but also to keep her own secrets buried. It’s true what they say – there are two sides to every story. Guilty or not guilty? You decide . . .

This is so much more than a legal thriller. It is a twisty rollercoaster of a thrill ride (read?) and will leave you wanting more.

Leila Reynolds is one of the best barristers in the country, so when she is handed her first murder case she is thrilled.

Until she learns that she is up against one of the toughest barristers in the country, her husband. 

Leila is good, but Julian is better, and she knows he will do everything in his power to win and ensure that her client is found guilty of murder.

Jack Millman, the defendant and Leila have history, it's one of the reasons he has asked her to represent him. He insists that he is innocent, but he won't say a word against the real culprit, so Leila is left to scrabble around trying to find evidence to eliminate him.

In doing so she finds evidence of something that could destroy her marraige, and jeapordise the case. So she must pretend that everything is normal. Because she has an even bigger secret, and will do everything in her power to ensure it doesn't see the light of day.

It could destroy everything.

I can't say too much more as I don't want to give anything away, but this is definitiely one of the best books that you will read this year!

Dissection of a Murder is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - Eye Spy by C.M. Ewan

Eye Spy by C.M. Ewan

Publisher: Pan

Release date: 26 March 2026

Back cover blurb: Waiting for the Eurostar in Paris, Mark’s four-year-old daughter alerts him to a ‘Bad Man’ during a game of 'Eye Spy'. Things only get worse when Mark notices that the man is on their train with a suspicious-looking suitcase, and he’s sitting ominously close. With secrets unravelling from the past, can Mark piece together the jigsaw of his life in order to save his family? Or will their journey come to a fatal end? 

Mark is returning from a family holiday to Paris, but it is a trip he has been forced to take without his wife. They had promised their daughter, Molly and Mark's stepdaughter, Freya that they would go away and they don't want to disappoint them. 

It has been a largely uneventful trip, until they reach the security queue at the Eurostar terminal. 

During an impromptu game of 'Eye Spy' whilst awaiting their turn in the security screening queue, Mark's daughter, Molly identifies a 'bad man'. Mark, who already suffers from severe anxiety is suddenly terrified that something awful is going to happen to them.

Although in reality he knows that this is ridiculous. For a start, Molly is only four years old. How could she possibly know if someone is inherently bad or not. But Mark trusts instincts.

Mark's parents were killed years previously in a terrorist incident whilst they were on holiday, and he has never fully recovered. He is constantly worried for his own safety, and that of those around him, particularly when travelling.

They manage to board the train without further incident, but Mark is still uneasy. And then his stepdaughter Freya disappears. 

Gone, without a trace.

Which is impossible on a train full of people with no way to get off, right?

Eye Spy would make a great TV series, and actually reminded me a lot of Nightsleeper (tv series, in terms of pace), and is similar to the 10:12 (in terms of train mystery) that I also read recently but I enjoyed this much more. There seemed to be more plausible tension in this, and a greater air of mystery.

Eye Spy is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Review - the Drowning Place by Sarah Hilary

The Drowning Place

Publisher: Vintage

Release date: 16 April 2026

Back cover blurb: Every place has its ghosts. Edenscar, a town in the Peak District, has more than most. 17 years ago, its inhabitants were hit by tragedy when a school bus veered off the road and everyone on board drowned. Everyone, that is, except Joseph Ashe. His miraculous survival has haunted him and the town ever since. Now a Detective Sergeant in the local police, Joe is called to the scene of a brutal and apparently inexplicable crime. The whole town is spooked, but Joe’s new boss, DI Laurie Bower, more used to inner-city police work, has no time for superstition. She just wants to find the very real killer who has left no trace and apparently had no motive. Joining forces, Joe and Laurie work to uncover the secrets of Edenscar, both past and present. But when you dig up the dead, expect to get your hands dirty…

The Drowning Place is one of the best crime novels that I've had the pleasure of reading recently. Sarah Hilary never disappoints!

I also love an unpredictable novel, and this is certainly that. There is a brilliant twist at the end that I didn't see coming - and I read a lot of crime! 

Seventeen years ago Joseph Ashe was on a school coach with his best friends when the bus careered off the road in the most tragic accident Edenscar had ever seen. It was a fatal accident, and Joseph was the sole survivor, and has lived with the guilt ever since.

Now a Detective Sergeant, Joseph is good at his job, but it still haunted by the past. Sometimes literally. For he sees the victims, his friends, as clearly as if they were still alive. Edenscar is a small community and everyone knows Joseph, and some are thankful for his 'gift', some not so.

Detective Inspector Laurie Bower is not local to Edenscar, but she has moved to the area temporarily to support her husband, who has returned to the area to support his sisters in looking after his Father who is in the early stages of dementia.

DI Bower is used to the hustle and bustle of the City and is worried that Edenscar is not going to be able to hold her attention, particularly when it comes to work. She has been temporarily transferred to Edenscar, where she will be working alongside DS Ashe.

She needed have worried, within 24 hours of her arrival there is a major incident, and she must quickly earn the trust of those around her to enable her to do her job effectively. As with any rural community they are naturally suspicious of outsiders so Laurie has her work cut out for her.

At first she struggles to work with Joe, she finds him closed off and hard to read, but then she learns that they are both dealing with ghosts of the pasts, and must find a way forward together so that they can deal with the present.

This is a beautifully twisty crime novel, and the first of two (I think) in a DS Ashe series, and I really look forward to the next installment. 

The Drowning Place is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.