Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I am giving my rating based on my own personal opinion and not that of any other party.

This captivating novel completely exceeded my expectations. From the very first page, I was drawn into a world of darkness and intrigue. The author masterfully crafted a mysterious atmosphere that kept me on the edge of my seat, unable to put the book down.

This is a very entertaining tale, harkening back to the Golden Age of crime fiction with a brilliantly executed Christie-esque plot and several characters reminiscent of famous Christie and other Golden Age detectives. The main characters, Joe and Meri, are a delightful pair, (a little reminiscent of Christie’s sleuths, Tommy and Tuppence in their younger days) whose affectionate bantering adds some lightness to the plot.

Joe Penvale, an Australian writer of crime fiction and his twin sister Meri (short for Meredith) are embarking on an adventure of a lifetime on the Orient express travelling from Paris to Istanbul. Joe has spent the last eighteen months undergoing chemotherapy for cancer while Meri put her career as a lawyer on hold to help care for him so they are both looking forward to a well deserved break.

After boarding the train in Paris, Joe and Meri enjoy a splendid gourmet dinner with two fellow passengers, retired French policeman and a Jamaican born Detective Inspector from Newcastle. By the time they wake in their cosy cabin the next morning, the train is crossing the Italian alps and on the way to Venice. At breakfast they hear the disturbing news that a passenger has tested positive for a new strain of covid and the last two carriages are now in quarantine. However, Even more disturbing news waits for them back at their cabin. The passenger next door to them is missing and his cabin is liberally splattered with a lot of blood.

As a result of the covid outbreak, the Italian police refuse to board the train to investigate the disappearance and they are told the train must now return to France. Surprisingly, in addition to Joe and Meri’s dinner companions, there are an astonishing number of passengers who are current or ex police officers or detectives, who agree to band together with Joe and Meri to investigate.

After more murders occur, all the passengers are on edge, knowing they are locked in with a murderer. With nearly everyone now a suspect, the job of the ad hoc investigation team also becomes even more difficult.

The characters are all well written – some charming, some odd and some downright eccentric. Strangely, two young male crime podcasters, fans of Joe, are also on board the train to record his journey, adding a modern note to the mystery. The descriptions of the surroundings and delicious meals are sumptuous and the playful tongue in cheek humour, at times chaotic, is reminiscent of old-fashioned period farces.

Provided you’re able to suspend belief, this is a totally fun and entertaining locked room read. Yes, it’s over the top and implausible, but that is part of its appeal to lovers of Golden Age mysteries. If you’re very observant, you may pick up some clues about who the murderer is, otherwise it may come as quite a surprise. So don’t worry about the plausibility of the revelations and coincidences, just go along for the fun of the ride.

While I normally love a book set on a train, this one didn't quite hit for me. I think had the characters had a little more depth, this could have been a much more fulfilling reading experience. As it stands, they were a bit too surface level. However, the atmosphere and the suspense was well-cultivated. So, if you are someone who doesn't need to feel a stronger level of connection with the characters, you might enjoy this a good amount. Unfortunately, the story lost another star from me because of the pacing---it felt inconsistent, with some sections being a lot slower than others.
Overall, the atmosphere and the suspense kept me pushing through to the end, but I wished we had gotten more from the characters and smoother pacing.

This is a good fast paced murder mystery. The story has plenty of mystery and suspense as the characters are trapped on a train with a murderer. The character in the story are unique and quirky.

Joe and Meredith are twins and go on a trip together on the Orient Express in Paris. The trip seems to be going according to plan perfectly for Meredith, until the cabin next door to them becomes a crime scene. Soom five are found dead and one is missing. Now Joe and Meredith must fight to preserve their future and to catch a killer before they reach the end of the line.

I can hear the critics now….another locked room mystery? More Agatha Christie vibes? Too many characters and too many are eccentric as well? And the answer is…well, yes. Obviously, these critics have failed to realize that the author, Sulari Gentill, is not just rehashing an old cliché, but rather, she’s put a new and modern spin on it. And, she does it with style.

Five Found Dead is indeed a locked room mystery. It takes place on the Orient Express as it travels from Paris to Istanbul with an intriguing and sometimes eccentric cast of characters. The passenger list includes author Joe Penvale and his twin sister, Meredith, who are taking the train to regroup and recover after Joe’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatments. But, the soothing and luxurious trip quickly morphs into murder as well as a Covid outbreak among some of the passengers.

Ms Gentill is a masterful storyteller. Her descriptions of the iconic Orient Express make the train very much a part of the story. The characters she has created are well-developed and they give the story depth and touches of humor. The plot, with a nod to other mysteries that have also taken place on this train, is well-conceived and well-executed.

Five Found Dead is clever, well-written, and quite entertaining. Even if the reader must suspend belief a little, it’s well-worth it to take a ride on the Orient Express with Joe and Meredith. I feel pretty certain many readers will add a trip on this train to their bucket lists when they finish reading this book. I already have. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance reader copy of Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill.

Let me start by saying that I love a train mystery. As mentioned within this book, many times, everyone loves a train mystery. Five Found Dead sets its reader up on a literal Oriental Express adventure. The difference here is that Gentill focuses not only on Agatha Christie, but mentions other authors that have tackled this hallowed mystery ground.. But let’s be honest. Christie set the bar really really high.

I wanted to like this and I must say that it was a fun read, but it definitely felt lacking to me. So much of this tale pulls on and uses the Orient Express and all of its decor and stylings, both physical and human. I suppose this was perhaps to “retell” a classic story by just adding a few new plot items.

I also found the characters to be quite surface level. One of our main characters, a writer himself, seemed disinterested, like he was living in his own little world for nearly the entire novel. Almost like a cat that just could be randomly distracted by anything shiny. Each of the other characters filled a place that was required, but I didn’t feel connected to any of them.

I have read Gentill before and thoroughly enjoy her writing, which is why there’s no doubt that I will continue to read her with the same anticipation. I wanted to give this a 2.5, but rounded up. Call me a purist if you will, but this one just sort of missed having its own mark in my opinion.

Five Found Dead was such a fun blend of humor, literary nods, and classic locked-room mystery suspense!

The setup immediately pulled me in. As the deaths began to pile up (with the title promising more to come), I found myself eager to see who would be next and how the clues would fit together.

What I especially loved was the balance between wit and tension. Gentill peppers in lots of Agatha Christie Easter eggs, and the cast of quirky characters was large but surprisingly easy to follow.

The plot moves quickly, really leaning into the “locked room” setup with the confined train setting, and while I was able to figure out some of the mystery before the big reveal, I still had a great time being along for the ride!

Overall, this is a clever, fast-paced, and very entertaining mystery for fans of Christie-inspired whodunits!

Imagine if Murder on the Orient Express caught COVID, invited every detective on board, and dared you not to enjoy the mess....

Sulari Gentill’s Five Found Dead takes readers on a ride aboard the Orient Express, where luxury quickly collides with chaos. Crime writer Joe Penvale, recovering from cancer, and his twin sister Meredith are just looking for rest and maybe some creative inspiration. Instead, they stumble into a blood-soaked cabin with no body in sight, sparking a cascade of murders and disappearances that turn their dream trip into something closer to a fever dream. The train itself becomes a character—claustrophobic, glamorous, and the perfect stage for a whodunit.

The book thrives on its atmosphere and playful nods to classic mystery tropes. Gentill has fun with the setup: a locked-train mystery, a cast full of ex-law enforcement types, and characters openly talking about crime novels while stuck in one. Joe and Meredith ground the story, their sibling bond adding warmth amid the spiraling tension. Joe’s backstory—his fight with illness—gives him a weight that makes him more than just another amateur sleuth scribbling notes in between bodies.

That said, the book isn’t shy about pushing believability. The body count climbs, the coincidences pile up, and the COVID lockdown subplot - it's a lot going on. The middle section is a bit slower, and the sheer number of characters can make you flip back and wonder who’s who. But if you’re willing to shrug and roll with a bit of absurdity, it’s a lively, entertaining ride.

For me, this lands as a four-star read—fun, clever, and self-aware, even if it doesn’t reach Christie-level precision. It’s the kind of mystery that’s perfect when you want suspense without taking things too seriously.

This was a fun read, but I think the title really gave too much away. It would have been funner if the amount of bodies was a surprise. I loved the setting on the Orient Express. It was an interesting combination of detectives, though some felt more stereotypical. The catacter who is a nod to Poirot is my favorite. The ending had a good wrap-up, but the best part was how the borders and hysteria played into the story. It helped anchor the story in time.

Joe after arduous medical treatment and his twin sister Meredith are treating themselves to a trip on the luxurious Orient Express to Istanbul via Paris. Joe is a writer and he hopes to get material for a story whilst traveling. Meredith wants to keep an eye on him. The characters boarding with them are a mixed crowd, some are mere travellers but most of them with ulterior motives, all which unravels slowly.

Murder is the starting point and the first one is mysterious as well. Murder but no body and with no way to dispose of one, the search is on. Coupled with the discovery of a new variant of an infectious disease, which means that two carriages have to be quarantined, adds to the complications of trying to solve the mystery. And then the body count keeps going up. Prevented from proceeding with the journey, the train is halted surrounded by the military and no closer to solving the many murders.

Atmospheric and very descriptive, the story is at turns modern and old fashioned because of its setting. A very good read. Very Agatha Christieish, with Ms Gentill’s own style.

This story drew me in right from the start with its unsettling premise and the sense that something wasn’t quite right. I liked the mix of perspectives and how each character added to the mystery as it unfolded. The suspense was strong, and there were moments that genuinely made me want to keep reading late into the night.
On the downside, some sections felt slower than they needed to be, and a couple of twists were a bit predictable. Even so, the tension and atmosphere kept me engaged until the end. I’d give it 3.5 stars

Book was an excellent read, kept me on my toes the entire time. Excited to read more from this author

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sulari Gentill has crafted a brilliantly tense and atmospheric thriller with Five Found Dead. From the opening pages, I was completely hooked. The story is layered with suspense, sharp twists, and richly drawn characters that kept me guessing right up to the shocking conclusion. Gentill’s writing is immersive and fast-paced, making this a one-sitting read for me. It’s the perfect blend of mystery, intrigue, and emotional depth—an absolute standout in the genre. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill is a twisty, character-driven mystery that had me hooked from the very beginning. The setup is sharp: five strangers, each with their own secrets and motives, end up connected by a chilling crime. Gentill does an excellent job weaving together their perspectives, keeping the tension simmering while slowly peeling back the layers of who these people really are.

What I loved most was the atmosphere—claustrophobic, unsettling, and filled with little details that made me feel like I was right there, trying to piece things together alongside the characters. The pacing is a slow build at times, but it pays off with reveals that are both clever and satisfying.

If you enjoy mysteries that focus as much on psychology and character as they do on the actual crime, this one’s worth picking up.

4★
" 'He lodged with us—in the spare room—you see' Penelope pours coffee.'"So, we feel…well… not exactly responsible but obliged.'

'Could you not have called the police?' Joe appears preoccupied with a bagel, but I know the ladies have his complete attention.

'Oh, yes, well the police.' Clarice rolls her eyes. 'I'm afraid the constabulary is not what it once was… The boy in charge…' She shakes her head. 'Penny and I were compelled to take things in hand.' "

Gentill has put a pair of Aussie twins, Joe and Meredith (Meri) Penvale on board the famed Orient Express to celebrate author Joe's successful cancer treatment. To accompany them, she has added some classic character types who are perfect for this locked-room mystery.

" 'Is this your first time on the Orient Express?' I ask, as coffee and pastries are placed before us. The question, it seems, is the traditional opening between fellow travelers on the midnight-blue train.

'Why, yes dear.' Penelope takes a chocolate croissant from the basket of pastries. 'I suppose some people do this sort of thing all the time, but it's a rare treat for Clarice and me. Impossible but for the generosity of the Lower Slaughter Civic Society.'

Joe's eyes meet mine. Octogenarian bounty hunters. Odd but intriguing.

'Why does the Lower Slaughter Civic Society want you to find him?' Joe asks carefully.

'He has rather a lot of money that belongs to the society. They would like it back.'

'And they sent you to…?'

'Demand the return of their funds,' Clarice says.

'With whatever menaces necessary,' Penelope adds."

As well as these quirky old ladies, there's a retired French policeman with the delicious name of Napoleon Duplantier and the accent and charming manner to go with it. He is seated with them at dinner.

"'I am told you wish to dine with a Belgian detective,' he says handing his walking stick to the steward as he sits down beside me. 'I hope that a retired French policeman will suffice. We are not as famous, but much more handsome.'"

He fills the Poirot role nicely, and the assortment of other characters are as different from each other as possible.

"The train lurches slightly, and a passing redhead spills her drink on Joe. 'Oh, hello!' She speaks with a distinct, if slightly slurred, Scottish enunciation. It is the only thing that doesn't fit entirely with the impression that she might have stumbled out of a glamourous Hollywood film set from the forties. 'Elle Baird, Duchess of Kinross. I'm afraid your shirt has soaked up my wee martini.' She looks sadly at her now-empty glass."

She isn't in one of the tiny cabins, as Joe and Meri are – she's in a lavish stateroom, which we visit, of course. Joe and Meri have to take turns getting dressed, there is so little room to move in their tiny cabin. They have a little wash basin, but the rest rooms are at the ends of the carriages.

It isn't long before 16G, the cabin next to Joe and Meri, is found to be covered with blood – all over the walls and windows – but there's no body… and later they find no fingerprints. No body? And right next door. They can't even lock themselves in - the restrooms are elsewhere.

Next, the body of a murdered steward is found in the restroom - in car G! Joe's and Meri's car! Now they're getting really nervous.

Not long after, Covid strikes – in the two rear carriages, which are then quarantined from the rest of the train. Meri is frantic that Joe's immune system will make him more susceptible to catching and suffering from it, but he's adamant that he's just fine, thank you.

Terner Fleischmann, the manager of the train, gathers together various passengers who have some experience with the law to form an investigative team.

Meri is a lawyer and Joe, as a writer, will be handy to keep track of things. Duplantier you've met, and the quirky old ladies already know their charity thief is the man who was assigned to cabin 16G and is now missing. The others also have useful skills, but lest you think it is all a cosy, intellectual parlour game, I will add this brief excerpt.

"The blow is so completely unexpected that I think I am more stunned by the fact that it was delivered than by its impact. It's followed by a shove before I can recover. I fall heavily with no thought or time to prepare, and I catch the corner of the porcelain washbasin as I go down. The crack seems loud, and on my hands and knees, I can see blood dripping onto the tiles of the restroom floor."

It's an enjoyable read, and I bet the audio will be good. There are plenty of accents to play with.

I especially appreciated Gentill's Acknowledgments, where she says how she came to write this during her own cancer treatment. I'd like to add my thanks to all her people who kept her going. Now all I have to ask is that she bring Rowland Sinclair and his crew back!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a copy for review.

I’ll admit I don’t like Agatha Christie OR locked room mysteries, but still had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it stayed true to its obvious theme and I struggled to get through it. If you’re a fan of whodunits, this one may be for you.

This is one of my favorite books. As a big Agatha Christie fan this modern take on The Orient Express has so much to offer. A writer and his twin sister embark on the train trip to Istanbul as a treat after his cancer is cured. The author Joe has had one published novel and has hopes for inspiration from this trip. He is very observant from the moment he steps onboard. The first thing is the opulence of the train and the passengers. At dinner the first night they meet a very diverse group of people, all on the train for personal reasons. By morning there is a hint of a murder in the cabin next to Joe and Meri's, lots of blood but no body. From there it gets more intriguing and the body count rises. This story is full of twists and intrigue and excellently written. I would happily recommend this twisty thrill ride to everyone. Thank you NetGalley and the author & publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

After a grueling battle with cancer, crime fiction author Joe Penvale and his twin sister Meredith board the luxurious Orient Express for a restorative journey. But when they discover their neighboring cabin drenched in blood—despite no body in sight—they’re drawn into a locked‑room-style murder mystery. With no authorities onboard and a fabricated COVID quarantine trapping everyone, they join forces with a group of passengers with law enforcement backgrounds to solve the case before more passengers meet grim fates.

This was a fun, movie like read. It of course, mirrored the Orient Express, in a fun way. I felt accomplished that I did figure out the twist, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. The characters all came together so well, creating the perfect amount of tension, mystery and banter. This was a really fun, quick mystery to read through!

After mystery author Joe Penvale’s cancer goes into remission, he and his twin sister Meredith decide to take a bucket list trip on the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul. Aside from celebrating Joe’s good health, the twins are both hoping that the trip will prove inspirational for Joe's somewhat stalled career.

As the celebrated, luxurious setting works its magic, Joe does indeed start writing again. Meredith is pleased, even if she can’t help but tease him about the fact that his newest story just so happens to involve a murder on a train. Joe, however, has an interesting perspective on the topic, especially as it relates to Agatha Christie’s mystery classic Murder On The Orient Express:

QUOTE
“Sometimes the stories we know become part of the setting,” he says. [“]It’s everywhere here, it’s in the furniture and the staff, every flourish, every detail. It’s the reason most of us are on board… It’s the story we’ve come to be part of. Poirot and Christie’s suspects linger here as well as in her pages, as do Highsmith’s and White’s, not to mention Hitchcock’s depictions of the same, and sometimes we catch a glimpse of them in the periphery of our vision.”

“So how does that–”

“Well, it’s interesting. It’s like the old story is a character in the new one.”

“And you’re writing a new story with the old story in the shadows?”

“Nicely put! Yes. I’m trying to see how the old story will change how the new story unfolds.[“]
END QUOTE

Unfortunately for the Penvales, what looks like an actual murder does occur, and right next door to their berth, too. The room containing their unfriendly neighbor is absolutely splashed with blood, but there’s no trace of its rightful inhabitant, or of any body at all. The Penvales can’t help but wonder whether this is part of an elaborate murder mystery game meant to lean into the rail line’s famed reputation… until the body of the steward set to guard the bloody cabin is found dead in the carriage’s restroom.

As more people start dying, train manager Verner Fleischmann recruits the surprisingly high number of law enforcement personnel aboard to help him figure out what’s going on. Given that Meredith is a lawyer, she’s invited to join the task force too. Concerned for Joe’s safety alone, she insists that he come along as well. They all soon learn that the man in Cabin 16G had been a con artist who’d bilked plenty of the people on the train out of substantial sums of money. It seems far more than coincidental that they’re all here now, and with plenty of motive to do him in. The real question, however, is if he’s really dead or if he’s the one doing all the other killings in order to cover his tracks?

Complicating matters is an outbreak of a COVID variant that has two entire cars quarantined. As the Penvales investigate, they soon realize that they have no idea whom to trust besides each other. They’ve cheated death together before: will they be able to manage it a second time?

This absorbing homage to classic murder mysteries feels almost as much a law enforcement take on Kotaro Isaka’s Bullet Train as it does a spin on the Christie classic. Some of the plot twists are taken at a pace that swerves the proceedings almost into madcap territory, but the portrayal of the twins at the heart of this story grounds the narrative, especially when Meredith has to do a little soul-searching at the behest of an attractive French detective:

QUOTE
“Who are you, Meredith Penvale,” Duplantier asks, “apart from your brother’s champion? Who are you apart from him?”

I am both startled and seduced by the question. Who am I apart from Joe? “I’m not sure, yet,” I say in the end. “I was a lawyer. I loved the work–I thought the law was important and I was good at it, but…”

“You no longer think the law is important?”

“It’s not that.” I try to answer honestly, which is more difficult than it sounds because I’m not sure if I know precisely what’s changed. “Now that the crisis with Joe’s health is over, I’m not sure I can go back to my old life. I’m restless.” I laugh. “I think the answer is that I’m not sure who I am, but I’m trying my best to find out.”
END QUOTE

As with Sulari Gentill’s recent standalone novels, the real draw of this book is the way it grapples with metaphysical concepts of fiction and what writers owe both the past and present. Joe’s thoughtfulness as an author is underscored in the narrative by the musings recorded on the train by a pair of podcasters, who at one point engage him in discussion regarding how readers can continue to enjoy works that could be easily seen as problematic today. The layers of practical philosophy that Ms Gentill adds to her novel elevate it beyond the usual thriller, making for a thought-provoking novel that gently reminds readers of our own responsibility to evaluate the contents of what we read and hold them up against the demands of the real world.