The plot and characters were fun. I enjoyed the story and felt like maybe it needed more because I wanted more. But there was nothing wrong with the story.

Sulari Gentill has become an auto read author for me now, not least because she has the uncanny ability to transport readers into very cleverly constructed stories that somehow conjure up the golden age of mysteries.

This latest caper, which is centred around a brother and sister who go for a journey on the world famous Orient Express is no exception. Although there are contemporary touches such as references to the pandemic, you can feel the spirit of Hercule Poirot twirling his moustaches in the background as the story unfolds.

As the body count increases, the claustrophobic sense of being trapped aboard a train with a murderer is expertly conveyed, and the reader is transported (pun intended) on to the Orient Express as they get it caught up in the adventure. Don't miss this one!

Really fantastic characters who were quirky and fun! Out of this world setting, such a fantastic take on Murder on the Orient Express. Really well developed characters and a great plot. Very Agatha Christie with a twist. Would recommend! Very unique and fresh!

VERY murder on the orient express except modern day vibes. fun protagonists, interesting characters, and AWESOME twists. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun modern take on Murder on the Orient Express. Meredith and Joe are siblings and their relationship was fun to read and felt genuine. The book was filled with interesting characters and I found it clever and interesting the way they worked together to figure out what has happened. I would recommend this one to all.

(Rounded up from 3.5)

I found this to be a generally enjoyable read. It seemed to follow the concept of a “classic murder mystery” and embodied this even more within the characters.

The characters had likeable personalities, and realistic flaws that added to both character development and story progression. The ending was good, and tied up all the subplots so no loose ends remained.

I would have rated this higher had the killer not been predictable from very early into the book

Ready for your next thriller? Watch for Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill this summer. It was a good one.

On a train, there are only so many places to hide… Great read! Chilling thriller! This book had great suspense, mystery, murder, action, intriguing, a great who done it and a few wild twists! The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I am sorry but I didn’t think that this book was one for me. I was expecting more thrill instead what I received was more of the same thing and I feel like it dragged on forever unnecessarily.

I got thru it but it took a lot honestly for me to finish.

As a longtime fan of Agatha Christie, I can never resist a story set on the Orient Express. As Joe, our main character and an author, says, “I know it’s been done, but there are other stories here.” And indeed, Five Found Dead offers a fresh twist on the familiar setting.

The novel reminds us that murderers are often the least noticeable people around us, and as we journey aboard the train, we’re haunted by the echoes of previous murder mystery stories and their cast of characters. While the stories of other crimes on the famous train lingers in the background, a new and compelling mystery unfolds before us.

Joe and his twin sister Meri are on the train to celebrate Joe's recovery and his hopes for writing another novel. However, as the train speeds toward Venice, the plot begins to take shape—a locked-door murder with a growing list of suspects. But the more Joe delves into the mystery, the more the lines between fiction and reality blur.

Who is the murderer, and how do they continue to elude capture? Why does it seem like every passenger is hiding something? The suspense keeps building, and each twist leads to more questions.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this locked-door mystery and the homage to Christie’s work. While I found the pacing to be a bit slow at times, the intrigue and atmosphere made up for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book.

I didn’t find this book as interesting or twisted as some of the other books by this author. I don’t know if it is meant to be a satire. The plot is silly but not that OTT. So I am giving it three stars.

My 6P review: Premise, Plot, People, Place, Prose/Pace, Praise

A modern day Murder on the Orient Express.

This was a quirky modern take on the timeless classic. A classic locked room mystery. I actually quite liked it.

The setting and description was wonderful and complimented the story.

Most of the characters were great. Some of them did fall a little flat and there really were a lot of them. I’m also not entirely sure I would be able to describe them either.
I liked Joe and Meredith’s relationship with each other.

The story was easy to follow and simply written.

Some of the story was so unbelievable it was utter nonsense and the gunshot scene was so out there but I didn’t seem to mind that either.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Score = 99/150=0.66
3⭐️

This was such a fun read and a unique, modern taking on Murder on the Orient Express. Each of the characters had their own quirks and added their own bit to the story. There were so many plot twists throughout that kept me on my toes and kept me guessing all the way to the end! The humour throughout was just right, very tongue in cheek. A very refreshing approach to a murder mystery

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC!

I received an eARC from NetGalley

A great mystery to watch unfold. Piecing together page by page on who did it was a great experience. It’s definitely one to leave you guessing at the turn of each page.

Gentill wrote this book as a paean to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock loosely based on "Murder on the Orient Express". With multiple characters such as a fake Dutchess, podcasters who produce stories based on mureders, retired teachers and many othrs with Police backgrounds and a recently published #1 mystery writer and his sister.

As the bodies begin to pile up in the train, most of the police professionals begin a group that is trying to suss out the murderer.

My problem with this book is the summing up at the end, like any good Christie. It's not a very good summary and leaves too much out.

3 stars. It has some 13 characters named early on, a lot of French (ok on Kindle to translate but still a pain) and the names have no flow. As a result of so many characters plus their nicknames, it was hard to follow especially in the first 60%. I nearly DNF'd as a result of this. I'm happy I didn't as it was good once I finally was able to lock in, but it was somehow too much and too little all at once. A locked in murder mystery on the Orient Express infamous train with a lot of references to Hitchcock and Agatha Christie. It simply felt a bit like overkill or a remake of a Christie novel.

Unfortunately the last 40% had quite a few grammatical errors that I hope will be caught in a final proofread and edit.

I loved how this was set on the Orient Express. It was entertaining and full of plot twists that kept me absolutely hooked and I could not put this down.

I wish there was more background about the culprit at the end (I'm not going to give spoilers, but I had some questions at the end of the story). I really liked the mystery and all the characters.
It was a fun read, I finished the book in one sitting, I'm going to keep reading Sulari Gentill's books for sure.

This was such a cleverly written and atmospheric mystery. The pacing was just right—building tension gradually while keeping me curious about every character’s motive. The closed-in setting added to the suspense, and I loved the layered storytelling.

The audiobook narration was smooth and immersive, making it easy to stay engaged. A great pick for fans of slow-burn mysteries with strong characters and an old-school whodunit feel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen!

I really enjoyed this book. Not too long ago, I read Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and this book took place on the same train. The characters are unique and each have their own intricacies that made the story fun to read. I definitely didn’t figure out who the murderer was until it was revealed which is nice because I don’t enjoy books that are too predictable. I’ve never read anything from this author before but will keep an eye out to read more. Thank you for the advance copy!