Five

At a suburban train station, five passengers wait for the 7:06 to London Victoria: a child, a mother, a businessman, an old woman, and a gambler. Each faces a hidden countdown: in exactly five minutes, one of them will be dead. Ilona Bannister’s 'Five', volume one of the series Five: The intense and gripping psychological suspense thriller from a brand-new literary fiction voice. New for 2026!, weaves together their stories with sharp wit and dark insight.

As the clock ticks down, the narrative explores the lives of Sonny, a gambler on the brink; Mrs Worth, an elderly woman haunted by a macabre upbringing; Gideon, whose disturbing behaviour shocks; his mother Emma, judged by all; and Liam, a businessman hiding damage beneath his success. This compelling work of suspense and family life, set in a city, examines fate, sacrifice, and the fragile connections between strangers fighting for survival.