This was a very entertaining story. The characters were all so different and kept the story interesting. I did not see the ending coming at all. This always makes me happy. I would recommend this book to my friends.

This murder mystery has a stunning backdrop: the modern day Orient Express. Set during the COVID pandemic there is a valid reason nobody is allowed to leave the train, that didn't feel too fabricated.
I liked the brother and sister duo, that made fast acquaintances with the other passengers.
The solluntion felt a tiny bit muddled at the end, but the ending was very much satisfying. The last chapter, that is part of the podcast recorded on board of the train was not necessary in my oppinion, but it didn't hurt it was there.
I really enjoyed this author, the narration was so well done.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Five Found Dead is a locked room mystery taking place on the Orient Express. Two siblings are taking the trip when the man next door disappears and the room is covered in blood. When COVID is discovered in several cars they are quarantined and no country will let them cross the border so they are stuck. It seems that there are a lot of investigators on the trip and they try to solve the case of the missing/dead guest before someone else is dead. What will happen next?

This is an interesting mystery taking place on a well know train. Agatha Christie made this train famous. Many people travel on this train to see where the famous mystery took place. But now there is a new mystery. What an twisty mystery that will keep you turning the pages.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #SulariGentill and #PoisonedPenPress for a copy of this book.

Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill is a thrilling and clever mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. The intense setting on the Orient Express and the complex characters made for an unforgettable reading experience. I really enjoyed the story and rated it five stars.

Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill is a classic locked-room whodunit aboard the Orient Express. Brother/sister duo Joe and Meredith are en route from Paris to Istanbul for personal reasons. Joe has just finished cancer treatment and seeks renewed writing inspiration as a crime writer and Meri is besotted with the Orient Express (one of my personal dreams, too). She has had a difficult time as well. They are both drained and the change of scenery is very welcome. They enjoy the little details of a luxury train experience until murder enters the scene. There is blood but no body. But death strikes more than once. Joe and Meri's eye for detail place them in great stead for investigating a motley crew of fellow passengers. Red herrings appear from the nooks and crannies.

My favourite aspect of the story are the brother/sister relationship and the locked room train setting. I did not love the covid connection but the author's notes provide insight. Parts are over the top and implausible but it worked for me as it suited my mood. As a rabid Agatha Christie fan, I always read retellings with trepidation and sweaty palms. But I'm glad I read this one. Though the setting and plot are Christie-esque, the writing is uniquely Gentill.

This book was ok. It just didn’t have me hooked and adding in the COVID quarantine carriages put me off the book. But if you like a classic whodunnit, locked room mystery and Agatha Christie you will like this book.

I’ll start off by saying I’m a mood reader so maybe that’s why I wasn’t super into this book. I liked the thrill and wondering what was going to happen next. I also liked the story within a story. In the beginning it was kind of confusing because characters were thrown in immediately and the names of the rooms and carts. Maybe I’ll give it another try in the future.

Out August 19th, 2025
Sulari Gentill’s Five Found Dead opens with a macabre tableau: five bodies discovered in a secluded cabin, each victim seemingly unrelated yet bound by a sinister thread. The atmosphere is immediately claustrophobic, with Gentill’s signature prose weaving dread into every shadow and silence. Detective Rowena Locke, a sharp and intuitive investigator, is thrust into a case that defies logic and demands emotional resilience. The pacing is deliberate, each chapter peeling back layers of mystery while deepening the psychological tension.

As Locke investigates, the narrative fractures into multiple timelines and perspectives, revealing the victims’ tangled histories. Gentill excels at crafting morally ambiguous characters—each one harboring secrets that could explain the carnage or obscure it further. The forest setting becomes a metaphor for the case itself: dense, deceptive, and full of hidden dangers. With every revelation, the reader is forced to reassess what they know, and Gentill’s manipulation of truth and memory keeps the suspense taut and relentless.

The climax is both shocking and inevitable, a masterstroke of narrative control that redefines the story’s emotional core. Gentill doesn’t just deliver a whodunit—she explores the cost of truth, the fragility of trust, and the haunting consequences of choices made in desperation. Five Found Dead is a cerebral thriller that lingers like smoke in the lungs, a testament to Gentill’s ability to turn a murder mystery into a meditation on survival and guilt.

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

This was a fun read and just so incredibly chaotic that I enjoyed it so much. There was just so much happening. You have a murder happening on the Orient Express and the conductor (I know I'm not supposed to call him that) puts together a ragtag group of passengers to solve the murder. All the individuals resemble other characters you've seen in literature and true crime novels. Oh, let's not forget that this train is having transportation issues due to a COVID outbreak on the train. I'm not sure if the point of this book was to be all over the place, but I was left with more questions than answers at the end. I feel like it was never clear "who" the murderer was and their end goal and I wasn't sure who to believe at the end. Not sure if that was the intended result, but it was still a super fun read either way! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill is a fast paced mystery book. It goves you a classic whodunit vibe with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing. This book had me hooked since the very beginning. If you like a good mystery, this is a great read.

Sadly, I found this one confusing. Too many characters made it difficult to follow, especially since some of the names and jobs were similar. The first part was okay, but it fell apart as it went on, and the 4th and 5th dead people aren't found until late into the story. The "twist" was a bit predictable, and the pace was too slow for the genre.

'Five Found Dead' is a lively, stylish mystery set aboard the legendary Orient Express, blending old-school glamour with a modern, knowing wink at the golden age of detective fiction.

Joe Penvale, a crime novelist recovering from a serious illness, boards the train with his twin sister Meredith, hoping for rest and inspiration. Instead, they find themselves caught in a locked-room puzzle after the occupant of the next cabin vanishes - leaving behind a room splattered in blood. As more passengers go missing or turn up dead, Joe and Meredith are pulled into a game of deduction alongside a colorful mix of travelers, from true-crime podcasters to nobility.

The novel shines in its sense of place: Gentill captures the romance and intrigue of the Orient Express in vivid detail, creating a backdrop that's both elegant and faintly claustrophobic. The banter between Joe and Meredith is sharp and funny, providing a playful counterbalance to the steadily rising body count. The mystery itself offers plenty of misdirection, and while the large cast can occasionally feel unwieldy, the ride is constantly entertaining.

Gentill plays with tone - cozy humor in one chapter, genuine peril in the next - and not every shift will work for every reader. Still, the combination of wit, atmosphere, and homage to classic whodunits makes 'Five Found Dead' a satisfying journey for dance of clever, character-driven mysteries.

If you like locked room mysteries then this is the book for you. I personally am getting tired of the genre. This one in particular just seemed to be so far fetched. It was also confusing at times because of too many characters. If you enjoy the genre though I think you will like it.

Five Found Dead is a locked room mystery thriller set against the opulent and nostalgic backdrop of the Orient Express, chugging its way from Paris to Istanbul. Joe and Meredith Penvale seek solace and adventure: Joe, a renowned crime author recovering from cancer treatment, hopes the luxurious journey will stir inspiration for his next novel, while his sister Meredith yearns for respite after a difficult period.

The cast is fabulously developed, with Joe and Meredith at the centre—a brother and sister whose love and resilience shine through. Their interactions with an intriguing group of fellow travellers set the stage for a cascade of twists and turns. As bodies begin to appear and the tension ratchets up, every character becomes a potential suspect, and the reader is kept guessing at every page.

The author expertly balances suspense and character development, never lingering too long on red herrings. Instead, each chapter propels the narrative forward, revealing just enough to tantalise, but never enough to spoil the fun. The intricate plotting is a delight with clues sprinkled throughout and a satisfying resolution that manages to surprise without feeling contrived.

While Five Found Dead pays homage to classic whodunnits and the glamour of the golden age of travel, it never feels contrived. The writing is crisp and immersive, capturing both the romance of the Orient Express and the claustrophobia of being trapped with a killer among them.

Five Found Dead is a perfectly paced, character-driven thriller brimming with atmosphere, intrigue, and devious twists. The author has crafted a modern classic for fans of locked room mysteries.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill

Embarking on a luxurious journey on the famous Orient Express, twins Joe and Meredith turn detective aboard the famous literary train to locate a killer. Trapped on the train with a killer and a deadly virus, Joe and Meredith have to work with other detectives before the body count gets any higher.

So I was really looking forward to this one. A new author I had never read before and an interesting plot - what’s not to love?
Well, my general reaction to the book was one that didn’t hit home for me. There were really two plots, the killer and locating a mystery passenger. I found at times that it was becoming a bit of a chore to read through. For me, the plot was interesting but there was a vast array of characters in and out of the story which for me made it hard to follow and took the excitement out of it.

Again, I’ve said it before, it’s extremely easy for me to read a book and give my view. It’s a completely different ball game to have the dedication and motivation to write a book and I always take my hat off to those who do! The book was written really well and the chapters were relatively short which I do prefer.

My rating for this book is ⭐️⭐️

It’s difficult to say whether I would recommend this book to others. I can’t say that I would tell a friend to rush to the shops to purchase the book but what I’ve learnt about bookstagram is that we all have different feelings about books so I would never say never read it! Try it, you may like it…

Thank you to Sulari Gentill and Poisoned Pen Press for an Advanced reader copy of this book.

Five Found Dead is released on 19 August 2025.

Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆

Title: Five Found Dead
Author: Sulari Gentill

Sulari Gentill has such a charming writing style. Even when the plot leans heavily into mystery, there’s a cozy, welcoming feel to the way she writes...it’s warm, inviting, and easy to get lost in.

That said, Five Found Dead didn’t quite hit the same mark for me as some of her previous works. It was undeniably silly at times wild, implausible, and chaotic, but in a surprisingly delightful way. Despite the over-the-top moments, I still found myself enjoying the ride in a few chapters.

The influence of Murder on the Orient Express was very clear, but also very annoying at times being too much.

There were moments when the plot felt a little all over the place and occasionally overwhelming.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I went into this one blind and it was so fun! I enjoyed the nod to Christie and the character development. Sometimes with books like these, the character list gets too long and things get jumbled. I did not find that to be a problem with this book! I also loved that the main character relationship was a sibling one.

I have never read the classic by Agatha Christie that this is loosely based on, but that didn’t stop me from liking this fun contemporary, sort of cozyish, mystery thriller. I really liked the characters and the setting was great, but I did struggle a bit with the mystery and keeping track of all of the suspects.

The story is related only through Meredith’s perspective. I really liked her and her brother Joe. They had a great sibling relationship which came across through their interactions with each other. Both of them are pretty smart and clever and very familiar with fictional mysteries. Meredith is a lawyer, although she has an artist’s heart, and that is how they get involved in helping to solve the murders.

There is a huge group of secondary characters, most of which are not fleshed out that much, so I had a really hard time keeping track of who was who. Many of them had some type of law enforcement background, or were invested in finding the murderer in some way. I was pretty sure that someone in this group was responsible for the murders, but never came up with a concrete suspect. I did like many of these secondary characters, such as the podcast duo, but many of them also felt like background noise or filler characters.

I absolutely loved the setting of the Orient Express. It was richly described and many times I felt like I was right there with them on the train. The pacing of the book was well done and it kept me interested throughout the story. My one dissatisfaction with the story was the mystery. It just felt kind of all over the place, and it was hard to follow the clues, sometimes it even felt like those clues were discovered on the spot by Meredith and Joe, with no hints prior to the discovery. I also kinda felt like five murders was a bit overkill, I didn’t feel like it was necessary to have that many. I did like the addition of some of the passenger’s being quarantined because of a new Covid strain. I think this added some nice tension to the story.

Overall I enjoyed this mystery thriller with a great setting and many mentions of literary train mysteries. I just wish the mystery had been a bit stronger and clearer, and perhaps not so many secondary characters. If you are a fan of this author’s work you will probably enjoy this one. Those of you who enjoy locked room/train mysteries will like this one as well.

This really wasn’t for me unfortunately and I had to DNF. The dialogue was really bizarre at points and felt really stilted. Parts of it had me confused as to whether it was satire even though I knew it wasn’t, I just couldn’t get on board with it.

Yes it's an homage to Agatha Christie but it also stands vibrantly on its own. Joe and his twin sister Meredith are on the Orient Express, a trip meant to celebrate that Joe has finished cancer treatment and to jump start his writers block. They didn't expect to find themselves dealing with a train compartment covered in blood, a missing passenger, murder, COVID, and then another murder. These siblings are a terrific pair to deal with a locked train mystery and this has more twists and turns than I expected. I liked how Gentill incorporated COVID as an element (I know others might not but it's a real thing) and added another layer. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read. No spoilers from me!