I think the best part about this book was the good use of the unknown perpetrator perspective. I usually find they are riddled with blatant lies to throw the reader off which frustrates me in general. Although there were a number of characters, I found that the ending was predictable and this book was more of an along for the ride thriller than a guess who did it thriller.

It was a good start to the story. Then it kept getting more and more strange. I found this book to be very predictable. We all knew the killer from early on in the book. . I hate giving a negative review, but I can't pretend I enjoyed. it. I skipped huge sections just to get to the end. There was too many POVs and some of the characters really had no role in the book. I would've DNF'd if it hadn't been an ARC.

This book, first in its series, kept me on my toes trying to guess who the killer would end up being. Many twists and side plots definitely made it an interesting read. The killer, settling an old debt, is on a mission and won’t stop until the past is avenged. I look forward to the rest of the series and how the characters continue to develop.

Wow I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery! I knew straight away who it was but the distractions did nearly catch me out! But I stuck to my guns lol🎉 guessing who it was didn’t stop me enjoying it though. I really enjoyed the different POVs especially the Killer and their childhood!

DNF
This book had way too much going on. I made it to almost 50% but I could not keep reading. The writing has no depth. The plot is confusing. I honestly have no idea what's going on. There are so many POVs: Chuck, Scarlet, Becky, Lucius, Alex, Gretchen, The Past & The Killer, that it is so hard to keep track of everything that's going on. It feels unnecessary to have a POV for all of the Five that the title mentions--not everyone seems important to the plot.
The only significant thing that happened in this book before I DNF'd was a severed hand was sent to Chuck's publication office. And I was almost at 50%. Something else besides everyone freaking out about it should have happened to further develop this story. I felt like the author was spending too much time trying to tell all the characters' backstories... And this book is only 200-ish pages. That's not a lot of time to get to the point if you're spending too much time on backstories that don't even matter.
I will not be picking this book back up once it's published. I have no desire to know what else happens due to it simply being too confusing to keep up with.

I did not care for this book. I figured out about half way through the book who the killer was. The writing was done great (there were some spots were the conversation was weird). I would not recommend this book. I also think it's a bad idea to name the second book Four Will Die.

Worst. First. Day. Ever.

Becky’s first day at Evermore Publishing in New York City is not what she expected. She is looking to start her life over, leaving something bad behind her. She expected to be a bit intimidated by her more sophisticated co-workers (she is), and to need a little help as she reads submissions for possible publication (that’s not going to happen….and worse still, she is expected to review romance novels, which she hates)…but the delivery of a severed hand? She definitely didn’t see that coming. Add in highly charged office politics, an iffy boss, and sexual liaisons galore, and Becky has quite a bit of navigating to do. What she doesn’t know? There is a killer lurking around the office who intends to kill five people who wronged them years earlier, and will kill one by the end of the week. Who is the killer? Who is the first intended victim, and who amongst the co-workers is part of the remaining targeted victims?

As the reader gets to meet Becky and the six other characters who are her new office mates, it soon becomes clear that the killer could be anyone…including Becky. Given the past histories of each, they all have sins to hide and grievances to settle. Even as the killer describes who is first victim will be, it is far from clear just who it is. I was kept guessing right up until the end, and had some of my assumptions turned on their head in the final pages. Fast paced, with characters whom you don’t quite like but can’t quite hate, and the mystery of just which of these people is the killer to keep you reading till the end.. I found it an excellent read, and recommend it to lovers of a good whodunnit (in this case, a whowilldoit). Thanks to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the advanced reader’s copy!

Five Will Die written by L.A. Detwiler is the 1st in an expected 5 book series.

Becky, the new girl at Evermore Publishing, knew that when she took the job it was not a top-tier firm or a part of "the Big Five" of publishing agencies. But she had no idea about the secrets, lies, and complicated relationships involved with this new job. She also had no way of knowing that within a week, one of the team members will kill, and another will die.
The team at Evermore Publishing was blissfully unaware that a chain of events, decades old and long forgotten by most, was about to result in horrific consequences.

No one is safe.

I loved this book, it was fast paced and left me guessing on who was the killer and who would be the victim to the very end. I also really enjoyed the multiple point of views, including the killer, and flashbacks to the past which kept be engaged throughout. I was so interested I had to keep reading and I enjoyed the multiple characters as it allowed me to keep guessing instead or=figuring out all the secrets early which happens with most other thrillers. There is plenty of drama between the teammates and cliff-hangers to keep readers with even the shortest attention span engaged. I also loved how every character was dysfunctional and had their flaws allowing you to see everyone in a morally grey perspective.

Five Will Die was a very fun read and different to most thrillers I've read with no clear "good" and "bad". I'm really looking forward to the next instalments in the series.

I’m not a huge series reader, so for me the shorter the better – three is probably my sweet spot before I get bored.

Becky is new to Evermore Publishing, and immediately she realizes that things are not what they seem. There are secrets, lies, and underhanded dealings and then sinister things start happening putting all the employees in danger. As events from the past come bubbling to the surface, Becky is unsure if any of them will survive.

Wholly characters batman! This one had so many characters I’m not sure I ever did get them all straight. I had the killer figured out early on this one, it was just easy to guess – which I did not appreciate. I love when thrillers keep me guessing until the end and this one did not deliver. I was also annoyed with the name of this one, Five Will Die – I figured there would be five murders – but no, it’s just a set up for the series, each with its own murder. This book was also overly description and not descriptive enough at the same time, that’s a hard thing to manage, but this one pulled that off. This one just had way to many things going on and I wish I would have enjoyed it more.

If you’re a fan of thrillers you know who committed the murder, and you enjoy many characters than this one is for you – out February 7th! Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours, the author, and @netgalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Absolutely loved it! Can't wait for the next ones! This was a fast read for me as I couldn't put it down! Page after page had me hooked! Highly recommend!

Not sure what I thought about this book. I was leery as I started it as to whether I would finish reading it. As I got into it, I really enjoyed it and was drawn into the story. I was curious as to who the villain was and I did guess about midway through. In the end, the bookw as well written and enjoyable, but it left me hanging. Guess I'll have to wait for next in the series.

What an awesome start to the series! I did read some reviews before I started and at that point, they didn't show the book in thr best light so I was a tad wary however this just goes to show that everyone's opinion is different and what works for one person doesn't work for another. I really enjoyed the book. I loved the cast of characters and it actually took me quite a while to figure out the killer or the actual identities of the fab 5! There were some rather large plot holes such as where the package in the box actually came from or how it was acquired but that aside, I still really enjoyed the book. It was also a nice twist to find out that the killer wasn't the only person with secrets or who was in on the plot. And to be fair..... I'm not sure I'd be any different if someone hurt my cat!

Thank you Netgalley and L.A. Detwiler for allowing me the opportunity to read the advanced readers copy of “Five will die”. The book is to be published April 18th 2023 and is the first in the expected soon to be five book series. Detwiler is a best selling author also know for “The diary of a serial killer’s daughter,” and a high school English teacher in Pennsylvania.
Evermore publishing isn’t a well known publisher company ran by a very shady man named chuck morris. The story revolves around the new girl Becky running from her past and soon landed at Evermore. She didn’t have a clue about the secrets and lies that made up Evermore publishing. She also didn’t know by the end of her first week at work one of her colleagues will kill and one will die.
This was the first book I’ve read from the author but I will definitely be looking into reading more from this author, and I’m looking forward to more in this series so I can find out how it all plays out. Overall this was a fantastic read . It was so well written and all the characters were described perfectly it felt like I actually knew them personally. It definitely had be guessing till the very end I had no idea who the killer was till the last few pages and I love that in a book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery and a book full of twists that has them guessing all the way through.
I received an advanced readers copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received an ARC of ghost book from Netgalley.

I did not like the brash manner of writing the author used. I found it difficult to identify with the characters. Personally I disliked the storyline as well.

I wanted to love this book but thrillers that have sequels never really do it for me. For an adult read, I felt like the wording lacked intensity and almost came off as if the writer was speaking to the reader like they were not smart. I got about halfway through before skipping to the end just to confirm my thought on who the killer was, I was correct. I’m a thriller junkie but this one just wasn’t it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

What if John Wick had a cat…….

Book Information:

Five Will Die is written by L.A. Detwiler. Thank you to the author and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with an advance reader copy for review. The book is due to be published on April 18th, 2023, and is the 1st in an expected 5 book series. Detwiler is a USA TODAY bestselling author and high school English teacher from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.

Summary:

Evermore Publishing is not a top-tier publishing house. The new girl, Becky, knew that when she took the job but she had no idea about the secrets, lies, and underhanded dealings that were part of the fabric of the firm. She also had no way of knowing that within a week, one of the team members will kill, and another will die.

The team at Evermore Publishing was blissfully unaware that a chain of events, decades old and long forgotten by most, was about to result in horrific consequences.

No one is safe.

My Thoughts:

I did something I try not to do—read other reviews before I read the book. Between a negative opinion and an initial dislike of Detwiler’s brash style in the initial chapter, I was not optimistic. I am very glad that I kept reading. The style grew on me quickly and, honestly, was fitting for the story being told. The story was fun and kept me guessing.

The book has a handful of prime characters, and each chapter is written:

1) from one of their perspectives,
2) as a flashback to the past of an unidentified character, or,
3) from the perspective of the unnamed killer him/herself.

This is not a new literary device, but one that I thought Detwiler used well. There are enough characters, all with serious flaws, such that it isn’t clear who the killer is but not so many that the reader has trouble keeping them and their background straight. There also is no shortage of drama or mini cliffhangers throughout the book. When I say that the office and/or the teammates are flawed or dysfunctional—that’s an understatement.

Recommendation:

This is a fun book. One that will likely keep you guessing for a while as the book unfolds. If you enjoy mystery novels with the potential to become longer series, this book certainly warrants a read.

Rating:

3.5 Mystery Killer Stars

Becky joins the staff of a publishing company , running away from a broken love affair. There are strange happenings at the business. In the first hour of her first day, a severed hand is delivered to HR....... and Chuck Morris, the owner, forbids anyone to speak about it. It isn't the first gruesome delivery made.
Every one of the staff have a dark secret to hide, and have to hide the fact that the company is a front for the real business Chuck is in.

This is the story of the effects of childhood bullying.

Sooner or later, revenge will be taken. A bully may not remember the victim, but the victim never forgets the bully.

I thought that this book held promise, and I relished the fact that there would be four books to follow.
The plot looked good, I just felt that the putting together of the plot lacked proper construction, and I correctly predicted who the killer was quite early on.
The chapters where the killer describes his childhood were good. But the chapters pertaining to the present day seemed to be written by someone else, they lacked 'intensity'.

I doubt I will bother reading the future books, this book was a disappointment.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Working at Evermore Publishing is just like working at any publishing company. Reading transcripts and finding new authors was just part of the job. Being caught up in a real life horror show, well that was just a bonus.

It always began with a piercing scream and ended with a threatening note, a decapitated bird, or a severed body part - but by Friday, this time one of them will be dead.

Alternating between five co-workers and the killers perspective this is one heck of a thriller. Compelling and wildly hilarious at times, Detwiler crafts a perfectly wound and intense murder mystery. Someone is dead and someone has blood on their hands. What’s the cost of fitting in - of being part of the popular crowd. Turns out it’s deadly. A killer new series!

I received a copy of this book for free in return for an honest review.

Interesting story, poor execution. That’s the best way to describe this book.

Five Will Die follows main character Becky as she begins her new job at Evermore Publishing. Evermore Publishing has some skeletons rattling around in its closet, and everyone who works there is in grave danger. After all by Friday, one will kill and one will die. And in case you forget, the author reminds you every few pages.

Unfortunately I was not able to finish this book. There were spelling errors, which I could have gotten past, but the tone used by the author made it seem as if she thinks the readers are stupid.

I did read the first few chapters, and when I couldn’t take it anymore I skipped to the end.

Yes the killer is exactly who you thought it was.

I don’t recommend this book, there are far better psychological thrillers than this one. Go pick up one of those and leave this one alone.