This was okay. The writing style was very much giving the Poirot series by Agatha Christie, which I read the first book of and hated, so that one’s probably on me <3

The title of “Five Found Dead” itself is a spoiler of sorts which I didn’t love. The 3rd/4th person isn’t found until 60% into the book, and then the 4th/5th person isn’t found until 77% into the book. It definitely would’ve been more of a shock factor if we didn’t already know it was coming with the title.

Also, I did unfortunately see the “twist” coming that Frank was the man from 16G. They called the man from 16G very clumsy not very long after talking about how clumsy Frank was. I fear that one was pretty obvious unfortunately.

I also wish some of the names would’ve been different? There were a couple names that were very similar so it was hard for me to keep all of the characters separate, especially since they all had the sameish jobs.

Overall I don’t think this was a bad book. I could definitely see why people would like this, I just wasn’t the biggest fan.

smart, funny and a great time of a read. page by page and chapter by chapter i was intrigued and couldn't wait to see what this author would hand us next.im not sure if i was meant to find this so comical but i did!
the detective work in this book actually felt a bit like you might just see from mere mortals lol. totally wacky and completely ridiculous. Meri and Joe wouldn't be hired by our best detectives i dont think. but they make a great read as they try to figure it all out.
this book is definitely a romp that you'd get if you ask random passengers on a train to solve a murder and i was here for it. i had a great time reading this book and would find myself smiling in random place throughout, it was almost like being in the middle of a family game of cludo!

3/5 stars rounded up

What a completely unserious mystery novel. We follow two siblings, Meredith and Joe, onto the famous Orient Express. Of course Joe is a novelist (who just beat cancer!) looking for inspiration, accompanied by his cold water lawyer sister. They run into an eclectic mix of characters on board the train - then insert murder and mayhem. Five murder and more than five mayhem, probably.

To be clear, this is mostly good fun. At no point does the story take itself with solemnity. The banter between the two siblings is always quite funny. The pacing was sometimes erratic, and the mystery becomes incredibly convoluted. Lots of red herrings and twisty turns that one expects for murder mysteries. And what was the last chapter? I don’t know. Luckily the book was short and didn’t overstay its welcome. My brain wandered a little but I did not have a bad time. Altogether if you just want to pass the time by with a funky little mystery, give this one a try! This review is all mine; thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Good story, a little slow at times. Was a little confused with the multiple characters, hard to keep them straight. But overall, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery.

The plot of this locked room mystery was intriguing and the setting on the Orient Express clearly invoked memories of Agatha Christie and her well loved Belgium detective.

Unfortunately I found the story very confusing at times due to a large cast of characters. This story is told from one character's point of view and it has a very sluggish start. The end was very unexpected and the focus on health issues occasionally seems to overshadows the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy. The options in this review are my own.The

I think the Agatha Christie references for example how many times it was stated “the oriental express” was mentioned was not needed it took me outta the place setting in comparison to itself and the oriental express. You’re doing awesome and don’t need to mention the reference or likeness of the situation in a train, Otherwise a good murder mystery I will recommend

The Orient Express is probably the #1 bucket list item for every mystery reader. Joe Penvale broke out with just such a book and, after a battle with cancer, he and his twin sister Meredith are making their dream a reality. Meredith is hoping that her brother will be inspired enough to write his second novel. After a locked-room disappearance, he may just be. Now, I have a pet peeve: after living through it in real life, I want my fiction never to mention the word COVID. Its addition to any novel usually knocks down my enjoyment of it but in this case it works. There is an outbreak on board and some cars are quarantined, so it helps move the plot along and explains how the Orient Express is not running as usual. We also need some suspension of disbelief in that most of the cast are detectives, cops, spies or even PIs. The ghosts of Holmes, Miss Marple, James Bond and, obviously, M. Poirot are alive and acknowledged. There is also a self-referential element that the author understands that the reader will catch. I figured out most of the twists as will anyone who’s read Dame Agatha. But the whodunit is not the most important part here. As Joe and Meredith investigate, along with their allies, all the references to classic mysteries are a joy to uncover. The cast of suspects is varied and likable (well, most of them). They are the archetypal heroes of other novels, so it’s easy to root for them, even when they look suspicious and their secrets get exposed. So this will be catnip for fans of classic mysteries. I dare you to read this and not bump the Orient Express to the top of your list.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Poisoned Pen Press.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.75 stars)

Thank you to the author Sulari Gentill and the publisher for the ARC copy of Five Found Dead. I appreciated the opportunity to read this early.

This book was a solid, engaging read with an intriguing premise and some clever twists. I enjoyed the writing style and the layered tension that slowly built throughout the story. The characters were distinct, and the setting added a great atmospheric touch.

That said, while I liked the book, it didn’t quite blow me away. The plot was well constructed but didn’t feel particularly groundbreaking, and there were moments where I wished for a little more depth or impact.

Overall, a good read that I’d still recommend to mystery fans—just not one that rocked my world. Still, I look forward to seeing what Gentill writes next!

"𝑶𝒏 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒆…."

Special thanks to @poisonedpenpress @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one has been on my netgalley shelf for quite a while. The cover and the title drew me and and of course I went into blind and this definitely threw me for a loop. This one takes place on The Orient Express ride taken by quite a few main characters. It's in homage of the book and it's not short of its own detectives and murder.

This one takes you on a wild ride from Paris to (almost) Venice and back with a killer on the loose . I will say i felt like this was lacking some umph for me. I needed more, but I can't quite put my finger on what. It's a good murder mystery, but this one I'd recommend reading the synopsis, before going in blind.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Aug 19, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Have you ever been on a train? Where did you travel to?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #fivefounddead #poisonedpenpresspartner #netgalley
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Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've read one of Gentill's books before and I loved it! I was really excited to get this book...until I saw it was on a train-right after I'd read Sager's new book set on a train (which I sadly didn't like at all).

Luckily, Gentill is an amazing author and told a great story! This one kept me reading and engaged!

Told by the point of view of Meredith Penvale, her and her brother Joe set out on the Orient Express to celebrate that he is now cancer free-and to help him get the sparks going on his next book. But, after the first night, there is a murder on the train. With a cast of eccentric characters, they all set out to discover who the murderer is and stop him or her.

Without giving any spoilers, I'll just say that this one kept me guessing! Another hit for Gentill! Way to nail the locked train story!

This was a fun, quick read. This is the third book I've read by Sulari Gentill and it won't be the last. Five Found Dead starts with a mystery writer looking for inspiration taking a trip on the Orient Express with his sister. They are soon caught up in a murder mystery where the body count just keeps adding up. The well developed characters, fast paced plot, and numerous twist and turns kept me reading late into the night. Highly recommended

Thanks to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced reader copy.

Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill

I enjoyed The Woman in the Library but The Mystery Writer was harder for me to absorb. Now we have Five Found Dead and it might be my favorite for its mirroring of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. The story takes place on the Orient Express and twins, crime fiction author Joe Penvale and his sister, Meredith, are enjoying Joe's successful battle over cancer with a trip on this train. Hopefully this trip will reignite Joe's writing muse which has abandoned him during his cancer treatments and recovery.

The story is over the top and silly but I enjoyed those things about it. Expect lots of characters minus the many people quarantined in several cars due to a COVID outbreak. Thinking about that feels like a horror story to me, being locked into tiny cabins in train cars with no control over anything, I felt for these people we don't see, and was shocked at how disposable they could become when others are brainstorming what to do about them. But that's just me, my mind going off on a tangent when it's supposed to be paying attention to the mina story.

Why worry about COVID when there is a murderer aboard the train? A murderer who possibly becomes a serial killer before the trip is over. Among the dead are those who are assigned to watch over others, the innocent, and a mysterious somebody or other. All this action riles up Joe's writing spirit at least, what more could a crime fiction author want? It's as if Agatha Christie is leading the charge when it comes to inspiring Joe to write again.

I really like Joe and Meredith (although I'm not fond of her enthusiasm about ditching a few train cars in the middle of nowhere. Out of sight, out of mind, right?) We meet a host of folks who may or may not be tied together in some form or another. Be careful who you decide to like on this train because everyone is apt to be a victim to the plot. As I said, the story is silly but I thought it was funny. And wait for it, we get the long tell all that is expected at the end of Christie's novels. You won't be let down if you are expecting it. Be sure to check DeAnn's review because she was on this trip with me (and we lived!).

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

The plot was interesting but I found it confusing, lots of characters and only one pov. Would've been better with multiple. Also the story felt slow.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. It definitely gave me Agatha Christie vibes - modern day Murder on the Orient Express. I did get confused because of the sheer amount of characters. I was also thrown off because the whole book was on POV, I feel like multiple POVs would have made it easier to follow. The twist at the end threw me off and made the book a satisfying read.


Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was the perfect poolside read. I wish I could attach the photo of me reading it on the lounger! I enjoyed the heck out of it. It gave me total vacation energy. Partly because the characters are on a trip, but also because the whole thing felt like a melodramatic murder mystery play. (It’s not - in the book, the murders are real.) In my review of Gentill’s The Woman in the Library, I called that one “not the compelling vacation read I was looking for.” Five Found Dead is!

Joe Penvale, a crime fiction author, and his sister Meredith board the Orient Express. Joe finished treatment for cancer recently and they needed a reward.

When the cabin next to them is found blood spattered and the occupant has disappeared, they are compelled to investigate. Can Joe break his writer’s block to start his second novel and solve the crime?

The story is sprinkled with references to Agatha Christie, Patricia Highsmith, and Hitchcock.

The only negative is the title. I was pulled in by the connection to the Orient Express. I think it should have had some reference to the famous train.

This is the third book by this author that I have read, and it is my favorite. It was a fun read. I loved the characters and especially the setting. It is well written, and it did pull me into the story. There were plenty of suspects and I didn’t guess until the reveal what was happening.

I hurtled through the story along with the passengers until the very end.

Sulari Gentill tells a great story. If you love mysteries as much as I do check out this author.

Scheduled release date is August 26th.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this advance readers copy. It was a very satisfying read..

Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill is an intriguing mystery that begins with a locked room puzzle with a missing victim and grows into a locked train in the form of the Orient Express.
Past tales of the train haunt the passengers as they grapple with the missing victim and five subsequent murders seemingly committed to obfuscate the solution to the initial mystery. The main characters of the writer Joe and his sister Meredith are relatable and the dialogue is quick, suspects abound, and tensions increase, keeping the reader turning the pages. The descriptions of the Orient Express and its services are vivid, and reading them might be the next best thing to travelling aboard yourself.
Thank you for the ARC of #fivefounddead to #NetGalley .

This book was like reading a Agatha Christie book, but I just couldn’t get into it. I forced myself to self to read 50% but i wasn’t hooked sadly. I loved the description of the book and I love Agatha Christie. Maybe I’ll try it again later.

What a fun take on the idea of murder on a train. I really appreciated that the book talked about the many references to this idea that exist in history. I’m impressed that this book was able to add something new and interesting to the trope. The pacing was a bit slow in places, but otherwise I really enjoyed this story. The plot was fun and gave me just enough red herrings to keep me guessing. Without spoiling it, I do want to mention that I loved the ending as it brought things full circle in a way. I’d be down to read more about the exciting adventures of the Penvale twins.

Five found dead by Sulari Gentill is an atmospheric, twist-filled mystery that hooks you from the first page & refuses to let go. Set aboard the iconic Orient Express, the novel follows crime fiction author Joe Penvale & his twin sister, Meredith, as they try to recover from Joe’s intense medical journey—only to land in the middle of a chilling, Agatha Christie-style murder investigation.

What stood out to me most was the character development & emotional layering. Gentill doesn't just populate the train with suspects—she creates vivid, complex people, each with their own secrets, motivations, & vulnerabilities. Joe & Meredith’s sibling bond feels authentic & grounding amidst the chaos, & watching Joe reconnect with his creativity while being thrust into a real-life mystery adds a compelling meta dimension.

The twists & turns are relentless. Just when you think you've caught your breath, someone else turns up dead—or missing—& you're rethinking every assumption. The pacing is sharp, the suspense constant, & the stakes only rise as the train barrels toward its final destination.

That said, the one thing that took me out of the story at times was the frequent use of phrases in multiple languages—over three, by my count—which had me pausing to look things up more often than I would’ve liked. It occasionally broke the immersion, though I understand it added authenticity to the international setting.

Despite that, I absolutely recommend this title. Though it stretched over 2.5 days for me, it feels much longer—in the best way—because it keeps you on edge the entire time. With every new chapter, you’re wondering who will be the next to die, & whether Joe & Meredith will make it to the end of the line. If you love layered characters, literary nods, & a mystery that never lets up, this one's well worth the ride. So, all aboard! 🚂🚂🚂

*I received an advance review copy for free & I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

#ThankGodForARCs