Every stranger has a story. And in author Ilona Bannister’s skillful hands, five people’s stories come together to create one unforgettable novel.
FIVE is a slow-burn psychological thriller that breaks the fourth wall and asks the reader to be judge, jury, and executioner. The novel grapples with some of the most complicated issues of contemporary life—motherhood, disability, addiction—and makes the reader complicit in deciding who deserves only five more minutes to live.
“Five is a gripping, chilling story that asks difficult questions about judgement, forgiveness, and the notion of cause and effect.”
—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark
Silent Book Club members are invited to a live Q&A with author Ilona Bannister on August 26th at 1pm ET. This event is free, but you must register in advance to receive the Zoom link by email.
📖 What: Live Q&A with Ilona Bannister
🗓️ When: August 26th at 1pm ET
🌎 Where: Zoom (RSVP to receive link)
Five lives. Five stories. Four will live—one will die. Who it will be? In this masterpiece of psychological fiction, the choice is all yours.
Have you ever tried to pass the time by imagining the lives of the strangers standing next to you? Ilona Bannister’s FIVE introduces readers to five seemingly random people waiting for a train. But these are not just any five people. From the beginning we know that one of them is going to die soon. Very soon. In five minutes the next train to London will arrive, killing one of them. But before this happens you will learn their stories.
None of these people are saints. Readers might fall in love with the beautiful young man who is on the verge of gambling his life away. They may pity the cantankerous old woman who has fallen to the ground yet is refusing help. Perhaps readers will look away from the child throwing a tantrum. Or judge his mother, who must surely be to blame. And some will be curiously compelled by the successful and damaged businessman orbiting them all.
These are the candidates for this morning’s misfortune. But they don’t know it. Only you know. And you, our complicit reader, will not be able to resist deciding who deserves to walk away, and who deserves only five more minutes to live.
Ilona Bannister, born and raised in New York, lives in the UK with her husband and sons. Her first book, When I Ran Away, was longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize.
Every other month, the Crowned Book Club spotlights a compelling title, complete with exclusive author insights, behind-the-scenes content, and the chance to chat with the author. You can follow along on Instagram @crownpublishing, RSVP for the author chat here, and learn more at www.crownedbookclub.com.
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