Five

 

Five strangers. A train platform. One of them won’t make it home. 🚂

I was warned. My friend Kristin raved about Five by Ilona Bannister and told me to get to it immediately. She was not wrong.

Here’s the setup: five strangers are on a train platform. In five minutes, the 7:06 to London Victoria arrives. One of them is going to die. You know it’s coming. They don’t. And the narrator, speaking directly to you, is making sure you’re paying attention.

Before that train pulls in, Bannister takes you deep into the backstory of each of these five people. A young gambler. A cantankerous old woman. A mother and her tantrum-throwing child. A successful, damaged businessman. None of them are saints. All of them are complicated. And the more you learn about them, the more you find yourself doing something uncomfortable: deciding who deserves to walk away.

This book has full Twilight Zone energy with an all-knowing narrator who pulls you into a tragedy you can see coming but can’t stop. That feeling of dread creeping in while you’re completely powerless to do anything about it? Bannister nails it.

This is not a locked room mystery, exactly. These people could leave the platform. The circumstances just make that nearly impossible. It’s a distinction that matters, and it makes the whole thing feel even more claustrophobic and propulsive.

I devoured this in less than 24 hours, which almost never happens for me. The format is unlike anything I’ve read. It pulls you in as a participant, not just a reader. Some characters had me rooting for them. Others… not so much. And the way those feelings shifted as each story unfolded? That’s the whole magic of this book.

Go in knowing as little as possible. Just trust me on this one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the early copy. Five by Ilona Bannister hits shelves May 5th and it’s worth the wait.

Looking for more thrillers? Check out Five Fast Paced Mysteries You Can Read in a Weekend.

About the Author

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.

I, Spy

 

She traded dead drops for drop-off lines. Turns out the PTA is just as dangerous.

I, Spy by L.M. Kemp is the spy thriller I didn’t know I needed. Now I want more.

Kendal Carter is a former operative who has spent four years trying to give her daughter Rosie the safe, normal childhood Kendal herself never had. That plan falls apart fast when her past catches up with her and she’s pulled back into the field — this time with a four-year-old in tow and a London school run as her cover.

What makes this work is Kendal. Her “mama bear” instincts aren’t just personality color. They drive every decision she makes. She’s tough, capable, and completely believable as someone who could shift between a playground pickup and a high-stakes op without breaking a sweat.

The pacing is tight from the start. No slow burn, no long setup. It’s just intrigue, action, and a story that moves. Yes, some of the characters lean into familiar spy thriller tropes, but it fits. And if you think something seems a little too good to be true at a certain point in the book… trust that instinct. You’ll get your “I knew it!” moment.

Ell Potter’s narration is fantastic. She nails both the emotional weight of the mother-daughter relationship and the cool, controlled tone of someone who knows exactly what she’s doing in the field.

This is a perfect beach or pool read. It’s smart. It’s fast, and it’s fun. I’d absolutely pick up a sequel. 🍿 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @macmillanaudio for the listen! I, Spy is out May 5.

If you liked this, you might also enjoy my review of The Cormorant Hunt.

About the Author

L. M. Kemp lives and works in upstate London (Essex). She writes for a vast variety of creative, cultural, corporate and clandestine clients: most recently co-authoring personalized books for Wonderbly; reviewing pilot episodes, cheap perfumes and random Instagram accounts for Ralph Magazine; and editing lengthy and devastating reports for Greenpeace. For the last two years her work has been dominated by the research and development of I, Spy and a deep dive into the murky world of modern spycraft.

IG Live | A Conversation with Ellery Adams

 

IG Live | A Conversation with Ellery Adams

I had the pleasure of sitting down on Instagram Live with NYT bestselling author Ellery Adams this afternoon to talk about her brand new book Invasive Species It was a conversation you don’t want to miss.

The story is set in Cold Harbor, a sleepy small town that’s seen its share of monsters in the form of cheating husbands and leering bosses. But nothing quite like Mrs. Smith, the mysterious woman who’s finally emerged from her crumbling mansion on the hill. Her secret? She needs nine human sacrifices to maintain her immortality. 

Meanwhile, Natalie Scott is laser-focused on closing her first real estate sale. It’s the one that will finally take her from stay-at-home mom to working woman all while navigating the suffocating social expectations of 1980s suburbia.  But it’s Natalie’s twelve-year-old daughter Jill and her Icelandic housekeeper Una who sense something is really wrong. Armed with library books and a whole lot of grit, the two team up to save the town and face the bigger question lurking underneath it all: what does it really mean to be a monster? 

This is a genre-blending novel that weaves together Greek legend, Icelandic folklore, and the everyday horrors of patriarchal expectations. Ellery and I had a great conversation about all of it. She’s a fantastic guest and this book is unlike anything else out there right now.

Invasive Species hit shelves April 14th. Catch the replay on Instagram here.

Want to read my full review? Check it out here.

I sit down with authors for honest, unscripted conversations about their books. Follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss the next one.

Start Here

 

Welcome to The Retired Librarian!

Hi, I’m Kris, a retired high school librarian who never actually stopped recommending books. I spent decades putting the right book in the right hands, and it turns out retirement doesn’t cure that particular obsession.

Here you’ll find honest reviews with no hype and no fluff. I read across genres but my heart belongs to mysteries, thrillers, and a really great audiobook. If a book isn’t working for me, I’ll tell you that too — life’s too short for books you’re not loving.

A few good places to start:

• Mad Mabel — Sally Hepworth at her absolute best

• The Caretaker — a 5-star read I'm still thinking about

• 5 Mysteries That Take Place in 24 Hours or Less — perfect if you want something gripping and fast

• March Reading Wrap-Up — 16 books, 7 five-star reads

Want more? Come find me on Instagram at @theretiredlibrarian where I post daily book content.

Happy reading! 📚

IG Live | A Conversation with Michael Kardos

 

 

I IG Live | A Conversation with Michael Kardos

A few weeks ago I sat down on Instagram Live with author Michael Kardos to talk about his delightful crime novel Fun City Heist and it was every bit as fun as the book itself.

Here’s the setup: Mo used to be the drummer in a band that almost made it. Now he’s renting beach chairs to tourists and trying not to think too hard about the life he didn’t have. Then his old bandmate Johnny shows up with two things — a terminal ALS diagnosis and one last wild idea. Reunite the band for a 4th of July show at the boardwalk amusement park where it all began. And while they’re at it? Rob the place.

It’s a heist novel with real heart. What makes it work isn’t just the caper.  It’s Mo’s relationship with his teenage daughter running underneath everything. I gave it 4 stars and had a blast reading it. Full review here.

Watch my conversation with Michael on Instagram — catch the replay here.

I sit down with authors for honest, unscripted conversations about their books. Follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss the next one.

IG Live | A Conversation with Robin Yocum

 

IG Live | A Conversation with Robin Yocum

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down on Instagram Live with author Robin Yocum to talk about his thriller The Last Hitman — and it was a great conversation.

Here’s the quick version of the book: Angelo Cipriani is an aging mob enforcer who’s been quietly pushed out by new leadership. His days are simple now: lunch at the diner, a little harmless flirting with the waitress. Then the FBI shows up with a proposition that changes everything. Talk and stay out of prison. Stay silent and risk becoming a loose end.

It’s a character-driven crime novel with a surprisingly sympathetic main character and some of the crispest writing I’ve come across in a while. A hidden gem that deserves a lot more attention. I gave it 4 stars. You can read my full review here.

Watch the replay on Instagram —

 catch it here.

I sit down with authors for honest, unscripted conversations about their books. Follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss the next one.

IG Live | A Conversation with Mark Murphy

 

IG Live | A Conversation with Mark Murphy

Back in February I had the pleasure of sitting down on Instagram Live with author Mark Murphy to talk about his thriller Rose Dhu — and it was a great conversation.

If you haven’t read it yet, here’s the quick version: a beloved Savannah surgeon vanishes into thin air, and detectives Frank Winger and Pepper Stephens are left untangling a web of wealthy suspects, dark secrets, and moral compromise. Think high-society corruption with a genuinely satisfying ending.

I gave it 4 stars and loved how Murphy built the investigation without resorting to cheap tricks. It’s just solid, intelligent storytelling. You can read my full review here: Rose Dhu review

Watch the replay on Instagram — catch it here: IG Live | A Conversation with author Mark Murphy

I sit down with authors for honest, unscripted conversations about their books. Follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss the next one.