⭐️ 4.5 stars rounded up.
This was everything you want in a thriller and more! It’s intense, fast paced, gripping and left me shocked.

I was hooked in the first few chapters and I didn’t see any of the twists coming.
I really enjoyed the authors writing style and read this in less than 24 hours, I just couldn’t get enough!
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Thank you NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the opportunity to review this book.

I loved the setting for this book, the cruise ship, the weather, the glitz and glamour all helped build the story and atmosphere. I didn’t particularly like the main characters Emily and Belle but enjoyed learning more about their past as the book progressed. The Scarmado family were the ones you love to hate, entitled and spoilt but I did find myself drawn to a couple of them by the end. This book started off slow but packed a punched at the end, full of twists and turns (although a little far fetched)
It was engaging and kept me reading, a light read for a thriller, with short chapters, perfect to pull you out of a slump.

What a great setting for this book.
A very coherent storyline bringing past and present together easily within the,plot.
Good minor and major characters, each with their own back story.
Did not guess the murderer until the end.
Loved reading it.

Estranged friends, Emily and Belle are reunited after almost three years. They get on the cruise ship of Belle's new husband. From the moment Emily joins the ship, she gets threatened. She tries to keep her secret and stay alive while people start to get injured.

I loved the plot and and it kept my interest through out the whole plot. I loved how the plot unraveled and the ending was enjoyable.

Five Nights is a quintessential beach read. This is the book that will leap off book shelves in airport book shops this summer and be packed beside suntan lotion in beach bags. This was a glorious distraction from real life over the last couple of days, glamour, luxury, excess, secrets, deception , ghastly characters and twists and turns on a luxury cruise ship.

There was a Succession feel from this family which entertained me and while it was a little slow to start from a third of the way in the pacing improved and I read this quickly.

A page turner , perfect escapism thriller, recommend.

4 stars.

Rachel Wolf has certainly written a rollercoaster of a read in Five Nights. I've been on plenty of cruises but none have been as exciting as this one. Belle and Emily have been friends forever. They lost touch after the yacht they were crewing on was attacked by pirates and Belle was taken hostage for three days. Three years later Emily - back working in a factory in the UK - receives an invite to the inaugural cruise of a new cruise ship owned by Mattia Scarmardo now Belle's husband! The twists and turns now start and not everyone gets off alive! A brilliant read which I recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A suspense thriller reminiscent of TV hit Succession if it took an even darker turn.

The plot: Emily hasn't spoken to her friend Belle in years. Now married to the head of a huge wealthy family, Belle invites Emily onto a cruise with her for moral support. And maybe protection... Because Belle has news that will upset the family's grown children, putting their inheritance at risk.

Over five nights, battle lines are drawn, arguments ensue, and very soon lives are put at risk. Can Emily survive - and keep her own secrets?

This is a light and fast-paced thriller that you will either buy into, or potentially bounce off if you can't suspend disbelief for a little while. Luckily I took the former route and enjoyed the (cruise) ride.

The story takes us on a cruise ship owned by a very rich family. The father has remarried a very young woman, Belle, and his children, five in number, are not very happy. In truth, their wedding took place very soon after his first wife, Viola, died. Belle invites her estranged best friend on board because she fears someone is out to hurt her. Five days on the open ocean...what could go wrong? It turns out that a lot - secrets, murders, betrayals are only the tip of the iceberg.

I really, really enjoyed the book. I hope it finds its way to Bulgarian readers as well. We read the story through the eyes of Emily, Belle's friend. Ah, every now and then we come across Viola and her stories in the past tense. I was quite curious as to what happened to her and in the end my heart was broken. I really wanted another ending for her. The biggest shock for me was the revelation she makes to Belle and only she knows about it. I really didn't expect it, and it definitely took a star up because I'm rarely surprised in books like this anymore.

In the course of the story, we find out why Belle and Emily haven't seen each other in three years. We also get to know the heirs of the rich family up close. All five were quite different and interesting, but I liked Jimmy's portrayal the most. I admit that I didn't expect the ending with Emily either. I assumed that the murdered person would be someone else. Quite a few surprises. The chapters are short, the style is well sustained, and the action is dynamic. It kept me on edge all the time and I was building theories even while I wasn't reading. Luxury, secrets kept for years, murder, scandals and a huge dose of betrayal. I highly recommend the book as it is definitely worth reading.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for the ARC! I've read a few novels previously about murders committed on cruise ships, and it's just super interesting to me. There are tons of murders on cruise ships that never get investigated & crimes that go unpunished based on where the cruise ship is registered/nearest boundary. It's wild! This book did not fulfil my desires to learn more about the cruise ship criminal justice system. Dun dun dun...
About 14% in, I wanted to DNF, but I didn't. I said, 'BB, you already quit 2 books today. You need to follow through with this one, and it's on a cruise ship!' Well. I'm mad at two days ago me, because I did actually finish this book and it was not a fun read. I did a lot of skimming for key words; murder, death, killing, whatever. There's a lot of filler in this book, and I just wanted the author to get to the point. Instead of prolonging this past 'ohmyGod what did we do 3 years ago?!' and current 'how evil is this family?!' Ugh. I was just over it with both big 'reveals'.
All in all, this is a basic thriller. I'm just over these formulaic thrillers with unreliable narrators and these 'twists' at 50% and 80%.

Rachel Wolf is a new author to me, but she certainly delivers an interesting read.

As Five Nights is a story that starts off slow but soon packs a punch.

When estranged friends Emily and Belle reunite after three years on a luxury cruise ship for its maiden voyage. A cruise ship owned by Belle's extremely wealthy new husband Mattia Scarmando.

Who is a media and shipping tycoon and the head of one of Britain's most notorious and well-known families.

Although Mattia is about to retire and rumors are rife, he's ready to name his successor.

Which is what brings his five children aboard the ship. Five children who are opinionated, entitled, and horrible. They appear to be dependent on 'daddy' and will do anything to ensure that their inheritance stays secure.

And one thing is for certain, they don't approve of the new 'Mrs. Scarmando'.

But the Scarmando family is also full of secrets, and they are not the only ones. Which is why Belle invited Emily along.

However, nothing is as it seems. When out at sea, danger strikes, secrets are spilled, and confessions are made.

And with a well-executed storyline. That is full of characters to despise. This book was enjoyable to read. That nicely built the twists, and if you're looking for a book to escape in too. This is the ideal choice. As it's entertaining, implausible and hard to put down.

Emily is invited to join the infamous Scarmado family on a five night voyage aboard their glamorous new ship. It's a chance to see her best friend, Belle, newly married to Mattia Scarmado. She hasn’t seen her in years.

On the first night,the glamour envelopes her.

On the second night, she receives threatening notes.

On the third night, someone will die.

On the fourth night, she discovers that someone knows the truth of what she did.

On the last night, she is left for dead.

‘crewing on yachts in big oceans under the hot sun. Those images are sticky and bright, and I’d tried to wipe them away. To forget what I’d done. The whole thing.’

This book will just wrap you up in thrills, fear and glamour right from the start. You can feel the burning sun, the rolling waves and the tension ratchet up as we set sail on a fantastic locked ship thriller!

‘From love to death. I am already short on time. I had better tell my tale quickly.’

The Scarmado’s are an unpleasant lot it’s quite Succession vs The Sopranos with a big dollop of a locked mystery a la Christie. They are horrible, but I loved them, so well drawn in such a short amount of time. I was hooked and couldn’t trust anyone, one thing I’ve learned from reading Christie!

We learn what happened to Emily and Belle in their past and how it ties in with the first Mrs Scarmado. Emily is getting two sides of a story and doesn’t know who to believe.

Emily and Viola’s stories run in tandem and little snippets are trickle fed to us the reader. With everyone stuck on a ship together. It’s full of drama and really keeps you wanting more.

‘Let the ship sail, the holiday continues.’ ….. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.’

As we reached the end of the story, I was expecting one thing and thought I had the culprit - and I did ( in part - everyone loves a little win! 🙌🏻) but then the plot twists and yep, I was wrong!

This is one jaw dropping, glamour oozing thriller, addictive and compulsive, you won’t want to put it down!

This story had potential, it was enjoyable but not great. I really struggled with the first half of this book. I found that the characters lacked some depth and development. This that made the story not really believable. The second half of the book was a bit better. Overall the book lacked tension for me.

This is a perfect guilty pleasure holiday read. It has everything you want for an easy holiday murder/mystery. Stunning top of the range cruise ship, rich spoilt family of beautiful adult siblings that you love to hate and a whodunit moment on each of the 5 nights of the cruise. None of the characters are likeable, they are all very self centered and self important yet it kind of works in an old style Dynasty/new style Kardashian way.
Nothing life changing or out of this world but an easy holiday read and escape to see how the other half live. 3.5 stars rounded to 4 thanks for the copy of #FiveNights #NetGalley

I enjoyed the setting of this crime/thriller novel and the characters had interesting back stories. I did find the ending a little rushed and "neat" but the book was difficult to put down as there was always something going on and a new piece to the puzzle. Easy to read, and definitely entertaining, this would make a good holiday or beach read. Better still, read it on a cruise! Love the cover - it's very eye catching.

I received this arc from netgalley and Head of Zeus in exchange for my honest review.

Below deck mixed with real housewives turned who dun it. From scary notes and threats to multiple deaths and near misses, it’s a murder mystery on a cruise ship.
Between loving and hating the characters who were born into wealth and clearly show their discontent to “commoners” the character development is fantastic.
A rivalry between best friends who have you questioning their real intent, based on historical shared trauma.
I absolutely loved the trip 😅 this read took me on, and was left shocked time after time.
Such an easy read that I honestly couldn’t put down.
Buckle up your lifejackets and get reading!

This book had me gripped from the start the author has done a fantastic job of drawing you in keeping you hooked keeping you guessing and then wow a massive twist and your gasping like a fish on a hook amazing loved

A atmospheric and glamorous lifestyle is this book but who knows who will make it out alive. The characters are flashy but are not all friends.

This is built on the locked room murder mystery premise but with a big difference. The locus is a luxury private yacht and those on board are there by invitation. Of course all is not as it seems. There are past differences to reconcile and secrets to be kept. The cast of characters is small, but that makes it all the more interesting. I couldn’t work out where and how it was all going to end and was taken totally by surprise by the twists and turns on the way.

Can’t say I liked any of the characters but in this case it didn’t matter because I was swept along in the moment of life aboard a luxury yacht. What a different world! It’s all very plausible and I enjoyed this bit of escapist fiction. Well drawn characters with interesting backstories and this is a page turner that kept me hooked.

I liked the sound of this book, I love a good locked room thriller but sadly this left me disappointed.
I found the characters lacked depth and the main character Emily was shallow and unlikeable. The scarmardo family were clichéd spoilt rich types also with no depth of character.
I think for me this was too plot-led so if that's your bag you will love this. If you're looking for character development and emotional investment then it may leave you wanting more.

A luxury cruise ship travelling from the south of England to New York…what could go wrong?!!?

Five Nights is an addictive, popcorn thriller, full of wild twists and unlikeable characters. Estranged friends, Emily and Belle reunite on the cruise ship, owned by Belle’s new, uber rich husband. The whole Scarmando family are there, and the children and not keen on their new step mother. Emily answers Belle’s call for help and joins for on the ship. It is not long before things start to go wrong, people are injured and threatened. Is it the kids warning Belle off, or does someone know Emily’s deepest darkest secrets?

I was entertained throughout this book, even though I had guessed a few of the major plot twists. Always love a rich people behaving badly story, and a locked room mystery as well. It is a fun, quick read.

Thanks to Aria and Aries for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on February 29th.