Emily has been invited by her estranged best friend Belle to join her new but elderly and rich husband on their cruise ship’s maiden voyage. Needless to say things don’t go well and the children of the elderly husband aren’t impressed one bit by his very young new wife who is regarded as an interloper. Things of course happen, the ubiquitous storm (of course). The five nights feel more like five weeks! The family and Emily are all flawed so impossible to root for. It sounded like a great book but sadly didn’t live up to its blurb and definitely not to be compared with the one and only Agatha Christie. It might be more entertaining if it were shorter and placed in a holiday read section, especially if you happen to be on a cruise!

Elle’s best friend Belle has recently married a wealthy new man Mario, who owns a glamorous cruise ship. His first wife died and he has five grown up children. They are all on a five night cruise and invite Emily to join them. Emily hasn’t seen Belle for a number of years and as the story progresses we discover their secret past. On the cruise Belle reveals that she fears for her safety as the children seem to want rid of her and resent their father as they are all wanting their inheritance. It soon becomes clear that everyone is hiding secrets and things come to a climax as the truths are revealed. This is a fast paced book with plenty of suspense and tension. An enjoyable read.
Thanks to a Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A page turner set on a luxury cruise liner sounded like a great holiday read but for me this didn't quite live up to expectations. The characters are really unlikeable which I know is intentional but you have to want to root for someone! Also there were so many different characters I get a bit lost on who was who. Again this might just be me! Not for me on this occasion.

A gripping and fast paced read with so much suspense and tension as we build towards the explosive finale. Really enjoyed it and will look out for more from the author.

"Five Nights" by Rachel Wolf is an engaging thriller set aboard a luxury cruise with the enigmatic Scarmado family. The story unfolds with suspense as Emily reunites with her estranged friend Belle, only to find herself entangled in a web of secrets and threats. The opulent setting adds to the tension, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that heightens the stakes. While some character development feels lacking, the twists and turns keep the narrative gripping. Overall, it's a captivating read that delivers on suspense and intrigue, making it a solid choice for thriller enthusiasts. 4 stars.

Your best friend invites you on A luxury cruise with all expenses paid, ofcourse you'd jump at it. But secrets, lies and murder are on board aswell. Excellent read!

Five Nights has an interesting premise, following two best friends, Emily and Belle, who lose touch after a traumatic event. The reunion takes place on a luxurious vessel owned by Belle's uber-rich husband. However, things aren't as amazing as they sound, because multiple secrets are threatened to spill, and someone might even lose their lives

The book had a solid plot and intrigue, but it was the execution that seemed lacking. It was fairly readable because you wanted to find out what's going to happen, but the writing was too heavy and too much. I think the book would've worked fine without 30-40% of the book.

The characters don't make sense at all. You can't root for any of them, because they all seem horrible with no redeeming qualities. Emily started as a poor-me character, who's been through so much, but we find out that she was actually to blame for a lot of things, and she's a horrible, horrible friend. Belle is also portrayed as an innocent person who falls in love with a wealthy businessman after his wife's death, but she's full of secrets, too. She's also a horrible friend.

At first, the Scarmado family rightfully ignores Emily, a person who they never met. Similar to all wealthy families, they think they are better than the rest, but out of a sudden, all of them accept and confide in Emily as if they've known her their entire lives. It makes no sense for them to spill their secrets like that.

There are several interesting twists that you don't expect, but they sometimes get lost in the useless descriptions and rambling, and you might lose the rhythm if you end up skimming the book like I did.

Thanks to Netgalley and Aria and Aries for my advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Thanks netgalley for this book, which was overlong but still enjoyed it.
Emily has been given an invite to go on a cruise with her best friends very wealthy family and her step children.
Emily and her friend Beth had parted on very bad terms, and Emily was scared what could be discovered if they remet again,
After thinking about she decided to go she needed a holiday and it would be a good excuse to get their friendship together again.
The cruise liner owned by the family was amazing, and Beth looked amazing too but the family were forever arguing about money and secrets.
Emily also found out that someone knows hers and Beth’s secrets and she was terrified.

Five nights cruise.
Luxurious trip, full of entertainment became a fatal trap...

Honestly, it was good. Like page-turning, I was totally hooked at the beginning and then the tense was still going through the roof.
But the ending... that was weird. Complicated, yes, but also kinda unexpected.
Interesting twist and I'm really curious if only I find it unusual or it just doesn't fit to the vibe

A brilliant read, very clever and twisty. I enjoyed this one. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoy stories of high society, I love a good mystery embellished with family secrets and I am obsessed with cruises (who wouldn't be) so needless to say this immediately grasped my attention and I set my hopes quite high! Unfortunately though perhaps a little too much so.

I really wanted to love this one, however for me personally it just fell flat. It took me a lot longer to read than it probably should have and I couldn't get into it in the way I had hoped. I personally struggled to follow the vast array of characters and this lost much of the story and intrigue.

Overall, it was well written and well formatted with a brilliant concept and promising potential. For me, however it just missed the mark unfortunately. I do wish for the author every success and look forward to seeing other works.

I thank the author, publishers and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc.

This narrative of this book was really good and the plot flowed really well but I did find it slower in some places and I just wanted to be able to keep reading on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I seem to have a habit of picking books that have a rich family with no likeable characters. The book title and cover gave me a lot of intrigue and this book would be a great read for a holiday.

Book Review: Five Nights by Rachel Wolf

Rating: 3 stars

In Rachel Wolf's Five Nights, readers are taken on a thrilling journey aboard a luxurious cruise with the scandalous Scarmado family. The story unfolds over five intense nights, each filled with suspense, secrets, and a looming sense of danger.

The novel kicks off with an enticing invitation to join the Scarmado family on their extravagant ship, setting the stage for a reunion between friends amidst a backdrop of opulence and mystery. As the nights progress, tensions rise, threatening notes appear, and a chilling death sets off a chain of events that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Wolf's writing effectively builds up the dynamics between the characters, particularly highlighting the complex relationships within the family and the gripping interactions between Belle and Emily. While the pacing may feel slow at times, especially during the initial stages of the story, the narrative picks up momentum as revelations unfold and chaos ensues.

Personally, I found Five Nights to be an engaging read with a good balance of suspense and drama. The only drawback I encountered was the prolonged periods of inactivity among the characters, characterized by mundane activities like drinking and quarreling. However, once the plot intensifies, the story truly shines with its twists and turns.

Overall, Five Nights offers a captivating tale of intrigue and betrayal set against a lavish backdrop, making it a worthy choice for readers seeking a blend of mystery and family drama. While it may have its moments of sluggishness, the novel ultimately delivers a satisfying conclusion that will leave you questioning who can be trusted until the very end.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you to Aria and Aries and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. There is so much tension from the offset – the Scarmado family clearly has a lot of tension brewing from within that creates a real tense atmosphere from page one.

The twists and turns in this book appear out of nowhere and absolutely knock you off your feet. I can’t count how many times I uttered ‘what the heck’ ‘oh my gosh! What!’. I could not for the life of me figure out who was to blame for all the chaos and death, you could easily point the finger at any of them as they all had motive. I was shocked when we found out who was behind it all, but it was genius, and so well written. Sometimes the answer is right in front of you, but you dismiss it as you’re too focused on all of the obvious motives.

I like these kind of thriller/mysteries where all of the suspects are trapped within one space, which in this case is a cruise ship. It really amps up the fear and tension, something you can feel in the narration. My heart was absolutely racing as we got to the ending, I even shed a tear at one of the deaths – this is one fantastic thriller. I look forward to reading more from this author.

There must be something in the air with authors, as the ““holiday gone wrong” and locked room mysteries are very popular right now.
I enjoyed this book. However, it was so hard to warm to any of the character as they were all self entitled and arrogant people who I just wanted to get their comeuppance. They were quite horrible people. I really disliked Bella and her treatment of Emily just ordering her about and making her feel guilty
The book was very well written. For around 50% of the book, the reader is trying to piece together what has happened in the past between Emily and Bella and why neither of them spoke to the other for such a long time, couples together with the straining atmosphere onboard, it makes a perfect locked room thriller.
I really enjoyed the authors writing style and will look out for more books by the author. This book was a bit of a slow burner for me and I do like my books to be a bit more pacey. But overall I enjoyed the book

Unfortunately slightly underwhelming at times and there were points where I struggled to follow what was happening so what should of been big twists felt lack luster

I really enjoyed this read. It had a few interesting twists and turns and the setting of cruise ship was fun.
This was a quick read, with short chapters which helped keep up a good pacing throughout.
There was a good amount of suspense and intrigue.
A great, quick read.

Although it felt like quite a long book, it captivated me. There were little twists that revealed throughout the story which I really liked. I enjoyed the rich family vibes and the fact that most of the story took place on a ship, which makes for an eerie atmosphere. Overall, this was a solid 4-star book and I'm excited to read more mysteries from this author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

An addictive holiday read as the filthy rich and entitled are bundled aboard a luxury yacht to experience the glamour of a five night cruise with the notorious Scarmado family. Sextagenarian and head of the family, Mattia is newly married to a young bride and ready to retire. New wife Belle invites her old estranged friend Emily along to enjoy the adventure but also to share her fears. Her stepchildren are all vying for the family fortune, and she is a spanner in their works. Are her fears warranted? Secrets and vengeance seap out during this perilous journey, and not everyone who boards ship will make it off alive. A wild and rambunctious adventure that teases out the truth amidst deadly seas. #fivenights #rachelwolf #netgalley