A murder mystery set on the Orient Express with the lingering ghost of Christie's Orient Express? Sign me the hell up!

If you're a mystery reader, you're gonna love Five Found Dead, which is as much an ode to train mysteries, especially Murder on the Orient Express, as it is a fresh and gripping murder mystery on its own. Two twins - a writer and a lawyer ascend the train in search of inspiration,n but also a vacation. Little do they know that it's not a coincidence that so many of their co-passengers are spies, police, agents and whatnot - especially when there's a murder on the train.

I love Gentill's books, there's something about her writing style that immediately has me hook, line and sinker and this book was no exception. I boarded the Orient Express with our characters with the same amount of enthusiasm and was immediately invested in each and every person we met. The characters have so much heart and complexity to them, especially the Penvale twins, so you're rooting for them throughout. The book is fast-paced with a plot that grows more and more interesting by the second. The climax was an utter masterpiece. I was metaphorically holding my breath and was running on adrenaline as the mystery unfolded. You're not gonna guess the murderer on this one, trust me.

You know sometimes you're reading a good murder mystery and you just feel heady with the adrenaline and finish it in a sitting? Yeah, this is one of those <3

Thank you so much to the publishers for sending me an e-ARC, I absolutely loved this book and can't wait for readers to board this train ;)

Great characters, witty dialogue and an Aussie narrator make this even more fun than the original Murder on the Orient Express.

Five Found Dead is a locked room mystery that takes place on the famous Orient Express. As someone who hasn't read the original story, I found it a bit difficult to fully connect with the story. Maybe with reading Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express I'd get a fuller picture.

There were also so many characters in this book that it was hard to keep track of who was who and their relationship to the overall plot. I also found the book to be a bit boring and it didn't quite capture my attention as much as I would have hoped based on the premise. There were moments in this book when the actions and plot twists felt ridiculous or silly. I honestly just wasn't as impressed overall as I wanted to be.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced Kindle copy of this book!

I would like to thank Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. This is the third book by this author that I have read. I really liked The Woman in the Library, and was so so about The Mystery Writer. I am happy to say that this one was on a real par with The Woman in the Library! It takes place on the Orient Express and is in many ways a homage to the Agatha Christie book, as well as to several other mystery novels. It has the locked door murder, the people all in once place , all in peril, the detectives, both amateur and professional racing against time tosolve the mystery. Joe and Meredith Penvale are brother and sister. They are on the train to celebrate Joe's successful cancer treatment. They meet several people on the first night,including a French retired policeman, and 2 spinster sisters , as well as seeing 2 true crime podcasters that they are acquainted with in Australia( their home country). Joe is a writer, and is hoping to be able to draw on his experiences on the train for his next book. Meredith is a lawyer, who has put her life on hold to help her brother, and is now looking at a change of career. Then the man in the next room on the train disappears, and there is blood all over the room, but no sign of a body. It turns out that there are several police, investigators etc on the train and they all convene to try to sort out the mystery. Meanwhile, there is another threat on board- several guests are unwell and test positive for covid. The train is denied entry to Italy, and is stopped, with no phone or internet service. And then another murder occurs. It is a good story, with twists and turns that you would expect in any good murder mystery.The characters are intriguing and likeable. I thought the end was a bit rushed, but I did enjoy it very much.

I loved this book. It made me want to travel by train, read Agatha Christie novels and watch Hitchcock. The characters were well developed and relatable. The setting was romantic. And the mystery was well though out. Great read!

I loved this contemporary interpretation of Murder on the Orient Express! There are lots of characters (which I do not always like but really worked here), lots of references to murder mysteries (especially those set on trains), and lots of red herrings. I have really enjoyed Gentill’s last two books and have found that her witty and inventive mysteries really strikes a chord with me. Five Found Dead is an homage to Agatha Christie and classic mysteries and I found it captivating. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

I was immediately intrigued by this book. I mean, who doesn’t love a whodunnit on a train?

Personally, I found that this book perhaps had too many characters, which made it harder for me to remember names and stories. I also felt that the pacing felt a bit off, and I struggled to get through the beginning of the book.

I really enjoyed the overall atmosphere of this book and I could definitely see myself picking up another work by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A modern, somewhat metafictional take on the classic Golden Age/locked room mystery. The twists kept me guessing and the banter between the the characters is darkly funny at times. Overall, a fun read that's easy to devour!

I really enjoyed this book—the premise was so fun, and it felt like a cool tribute to Agatha Christie while still doing its own thing. The setting on the Orient Express gave it that classic mystery vibe, and the locked-room angle kept things interesting. Joe and his sister were great to follow, especially with their close bond and the whole recovery trip turning into a murder investigation with five bodies and one missing. The characters were engaging, and the twists kept me guessing the whole way through. I also liked how the story brought in media coverage at the end—it added a modern touch. Definitely a great pick for fans of Christie or anyone who loves a good mystery!

Twins , Joe and Meredith are travelling on the Orient Express from Paris, for rest and recuperation. Then the murders start, the first in their neighbours cabin. The cabincontents a lot of blood but no body. Is it a coincidence that so many varied detectives are on board. But who is telling the truth.
With all that happens is it all plausible though a nice twist at the end.
Overall an enjoyable mystery.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The pacing of the book is expertly managed, with twists and turns that maintain a high level of suspense throughout. The plot is intricate yet coherent, allowing readers to piece together clues alongside the protagonists. The writing style is engaging and vivid, painting a clear picture of the settings and emotions involved.
Overall, “Five Found Dead” is a compelling read for fans of mystery and thriller genres. It offers a satisfying blend of psychological insight and thrilling action

I started this book during my lunch break yesterday. I finished it before I went to work today. I didn't stop reading for dinner last night or breakfast this morning. Yes, this book definitely held my interest.

I'm not sure how much I can really say about Five Found Dead without committing major spoilers. All of the action takes place on the Orient Express going from Paris to Istanbul, the opposite direction than in Agatha Christie's famous novel. In many ways, the classic book becomes a character in Gentill's. In some ways it parallels and in others counters the action. Everyone is a suspect. Unlike Christie's book, the body count continues to rise as does the desperation. Hence my state of hunger.

The only flaw I saw, and I wouldn't really call it a flaw, was the last chapter. The second to last chapter wrapped everything up and felt like the conclusion. Then there was another chapter. That chapter was the transcript of the podcast being made by a couple of goofy sleuth fans that were minor characters in the action. It seemed like something that really should have been included, yet at that point was just something tagged on though I can't really think of a better place to put it. Perhaps if it were called an epilogue or just that blog's for the date rather than a chapter it would have settled in a little better with me.

I'll be gorging at lunch today. It was worth the growling stomach.

It seems as though taking a Christie novel and putting a new spin on it is what authors' do lately. Instead of using "And Then There Were None" as most authors have, Gentill takes "Murder on the Orient Express" and puts her own spin on it. "Five Found Dead" features Australian writer Joe and his sister embarking on the Orient Express. Joe has recently beat cancer and as a reward is going on the Orient Express. He plans to obtain ideas for his new book which will be a deconstruction of the Christie novel "Murder on the Orient Express". Within hours of leaving Paris, their neighbor in the next compartment is murdered. While talking with others on the train, it seems everyone else is a detective, police officer, etc. And they are all looking for the person who died under various pseudonyms. Joe and Meredith investigate themselves, but a murderer is amongst those on the train. Can they (and their investigating compatriots) find out who the killer is before dying themselves?

As mentioned above, the story takes "Murder on the Orient Express" and puts a new spin on it. For the most part, Gentill is successful. The story is enjoyable. Christie admirers and devotees of locked room mysteries will enjoy it.

3.5 stars rounded up. Agatha Christie, Paris, locked room mystery- sign me up! Unfortunately, this book also includes a theme that I avoid at all costs- COVID. I wish the summary gave some sort of warning to this. I find that once it's mentioned my brain switches off. This is to no fault of the author, jut my own personal issue. There are many who will enjoy this book, but with the COVID theme it's just not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

I love the spin on the Agatha Christie book. I didn’t expect the ending, it was a very enjoyable book!

Give me all the whodunits on trains! I am a huge fan of Gentill’s writing, and knew from the premise this thriller would be right up my alley.

I loved the meta approach to this story, studying the elements used in Christie’s own Murder on the Orient Express, as well as the ghosts of other thrillers past. I thought each of the characters were well developed, with the perfect amount of eccentricity and secrets. I never knew who to trust or believe.

Five Found Dead is perfect for lovers of cozy thrillers and armchair detectives alike! This story had the perfect balance of psychological suspense and thrilling twists, just like a Christie novel. It makes me want to take my own (hopefully uneventful) journey on the Orient Express someday!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this 'murder on the orient express' book. It was an enjoyable read and I like the mystery and intrigue of the train setting. There were a lot of characters to remember and I did forget who was who at points and what had already been discovered but it had a satisfying conclusion. I feel the last chapter (podcast from Flex and Herds) would have worked really well as an audio book but to read it just felt like a bit of a recap. 3.5 stars rounded up

I received an ARC of this book from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I just skimmed through some other reviews here, and I saw someone questioning whether ti was a satire, which I also wondered. Because the entire thing is just so ridiculous/ implausible/ unbelievable if it is not meant to be satire.

The beginning dragged and I almost chose to DNF, but when the actual murders started, the pace picked up a bit and I did want to find out what happened.

None of the characters were well-developed. I didn't really understand why Meri was the narrator, and she needed more backstory. I figured out pretty early on who was one of the suspects, as the clues were really obvious. Others I did not predict, but I also didn't quite understand their motivation.

Many occurrences were just wild, including passport stops between EU countries, what happened at the passport stops outside the train (unless this book was trying to verge into a dystopian thriller), one character's choice of carry-on baggage, and the fingerprint thing.

I was glad to finish this honestly.

DNF! Sorry, it wasn't my cup of tea. I tried really hard to finish this book, but couldn't. It was a bit boring, but the writing was quite interesting, and that was the reason I gave it more than two chances and tried reading three times.

Five Found Dead
Two Australian twins, Meredith and Joe, decided to take a trip on the Orient Express to celebrate Joe’s cancer remission. Joe was an author who wrote crime mysteries and Meredith was a corporate lawyer.
Once the train took off from Paris toward Istanbul, strange things started happening. At first the passenger in the room next to their was missing even though the room had bloods all over. Eventually 5 dead bodies turned up. Meredith and Joe joined a group onboard trying to solve the mysteries.
Several passengers were found to be traveling under false identities. Some passengers had secrets they did not want uncovered. There are many twists and turns until the mysteries are solved.
This is a clever story that will keep the reader interested until the very end. I enjoyed it and learning about the fabled train.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.