Five

Name: Five
Price: 32.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9780008770570

Ilona Bannister

$32.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

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English

Juniper
12 May 2026

Fiction & Literature; Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Thriller & suspense; Fiction: special features

Five passengers. Five minutes until the next train … five minutes until someone dies.

‘Ridiculously good … darkly thrilling and unforgettable’ Chris Whitaker

‘Brilliantly propulsive … A seriously impressive novel’ Hannah Beckerman

‘Original. Urgent. Disturbing. Brilliant’ Shari Lapena

‘Insightful, emotionally punchy, wryly observed … I read it in one sitting’ Sarah Pinborough
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Someone will die here this morning, at this suburban train station. It will happen in the next five minutes when the 7:06 to London Victoria arrives.

Take note of their positions. The child, the mother, the businessman, the old woman and the gambler.

One of them will die despite your attachment to them. There is probably one you want to get rid of. You don’t have to admit who. But perhaps you should ask yourself why.

The train has stopped.

Someone is dead.

Was it who you chose?

It wasn’t your fault …

So why, dear reader, do you feel so guilty?

Five stories. Five minutes until a life ends. Unfolding in real time, FIVE doesn't just tell a story; it provokes, unsettles, and lingers. By weaving together the stories of those complex, flawed lives, Bannister creates a tapestry of human struggle, resilience, and hope. FIVE offers no easy answers, but rather a nuanced exploration of the human condition in all its messy complexity.
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Readers are hooked on FIVE:

'This is a sharply drawn, darkly funny, and quietly devastating character study wrapped inside a ticking‑clock thriller' Reader review
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'What a fantastic style of writing. Unique in it's telling that had me gripped from the start … I couldn't put it down' Reader review
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'Five stars for Five! … This is a sharp, unsettling and original novel that explores morality, judgement, addiction, motherhood and privilege with confidence and control. It stayed with me long after I finished' Reader review
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By: Ilona Bannister
Imprint: Juniper
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 26mm
Weight: 380g
ISBN: 9780008770570
ISBN 10: 0008770573
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 12 May 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Ilona Bannister is a New Yorker but has lived in the UK with her British husband and two sons for fifteen years. She is a dual qualified US lawyer and UK solicitor and practiced immigration law in the UK before she started writing fiction. Ilona's parents and grandparents were Ukrainian immigrants to the US and their history and struggles had a great impact on her life, so she's always interested in stories about migration, otherness, and what it means to be on the outside of a place looking in. She has felt that a lot of times in her life and it's a human experience she likes to explore through writing. Her first book, When I Ran Away, was shortlisted for the First Novel Prize in 2021.

Reviews for Five

Praise for Ilona Bannister: 'Propulsive, sharp, and ferociously addictive, Five is one of the most original novels I’ve read in years. I devoured it quickly, but I can’t stop thinking about this story. Ilona Bannister is such a talent' Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of The Note and The Better Sister