Emily wird von Belle auf eine Luxusschifffahrt eingeladen - drei Jahre nachdem sie gemeinsam schlimmes erlebt und sich seitdem nicht mehr gesehen haben. Belle hat in der Zwischenzeit in eine reiche Familie eingeheiratet. Ihr viel älterer Mann und seine fünf Kinder sind ebenfalls an Bord. Die Stimmung ist alles andere als gut, denn die erwachsenen Kinder verabscheuen ihre neue Stiefmutter. Außerdem wird es gefährlich an Bord des Schiffes.

Das Buch war ganz in Ordnung, aber auch nicht mehr. Ich habe mir lange schwer getan die einzelnen Kinder der Familie auseinander zu halten. Es hat lange gedauert bis man sie so gut kennen lernte, dass ein Bezug zu den Charakteren hergestellt werden konnte. Es sind auch einfach zu viele, die plötzlich alle da sind. Generell fand ich, dass das Buch etwas zu schnell erzählt wurde - nicht unbedingt auf die Länge der Geschichte bezogen, sondern eher die Abstände zwischen den Geschehnissen. Kaum geht der eine weg, kommt der andere um die Ecke während ein Dritter vorbeiläuft - wie soll man da noch den Überblick behalten?

Davon abgesehen waren, finde ich, einfach alle Charaktere zumindest zeitweise unsympathisch. Klar braucht ein gutes Buch nicht zwingenderweise einen Sympathieträger, aber ich fand es dennoch schwierig, dass ich bei all den Dramen eigentlich nicht mal wusste, zu wem ich halten soll.

Grob betrachtet dreht sich alles darum, herauszufinden, wie die Mutter der Kinder gestorben ist. Ich könnte nicht behaupten, dass ich sonderlich gespannt auf die Lösung war. Erst gegen Ende des Buches war ich gefesselt, weil zumindest bestimmte Zusammenhänge klar waren und nicht mehr alles so ein großes Fragezeichen. Spannung und Geheimnisse hin oder her - ich brauche zumindest irgendetwas zum Festhalten. Es war einfach alles ein einziges Rätsel - man wusste nicht, was Emily damals passiert ist, warum sie keinen Kontakt mehr zu Belle hatte, wer der Vater ihres Kindes ist, warum sie auf das Schiff eingeladen wurde, was mit der Mutter passiert ist etc. Also man wusste genau gar nichts und fast nichts wurde vor dem Ende des Buches aufgelöst - das war mir eine zu lange Durststrecke.

Auch Emotionen konnten mir leider kaum vermittelt werden, obwohl sie da waren und viele Situationen für die Figuren sehr nervenaufreibend waren. Sie kamen einfach nicht bei mir an.

Ich glaube, man hätte aus der Geschichte deutlich mehr machen können. Eventuell hätte sich die Autorin weniger darauf konzentrieren , immer wieder zu betonen, um welche Celebrities es sich bei der Familie handelt, dafür mehr auf die Emotionen eingehen sollen. Dann hätte daraus ein guter Psychothriller werden können

The premise was quite intriguing from the get-go. The characters were all quite ... unlikeable. I didn't particularly feel attached to the main character, though she does seem a very well-fleshed out character. There are several plot twists to anticipate and the multiple perspectives throw up lovely clues and red herrings to follow. Overall, I was captivated enough to finish reading this book in one go, and that's a good sign for a murder mystery.

Emily and Belle shared a childhood bond that defined their friendship. However, a rift emerged three years ago, shattering their connection. Presently, Belle finds herself wedded to Mattia, a significantly older and wealthier individual, while Emily grapples with the challenges of single parenthood and financial strain.

When Belle extends an invitation for Emily to join them on the inaugural voyage of her husband's luxurious cruise liner, they seize the opportunity to mend their fractured relationship. Yet, amidst their efforts to reconcile, tensions simmer beneath the surface. Mattia's five adult children harbor animosity towards Belle, and unsettling occurrences onboard raise Emily's concerns.

Trapped on the vessel with no means of escape and a distant destination looming ahead, Emily realises they're sailing into unknown territory, fraught with danger.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Emily and Belle have been friends for many years but they have drifted apart and now Belle is married to a self made billionaire Mattia Scarmardo. Out of the blue Emily is invited to join Belle and her new family on their luxury cruise ship for five nights. Before she even boards the ship, Emily is issued a warning. She is already nervous about meeting up again with Belle and this jangles her nerves even more. She is met by the handsome son Jimmi and soon finds herself embroiled with the other Scarmardo siblings Xander, Lila, Chloe and Bean.

This is such a compelling book, I could sense from the outset it was going to be one of those books that you don't want to put down and I am pleased to say that this is absolutely the case.

The characters and setting lend themselves so well to a engrossing story and as we discover more about the family and their past the more intriguing it becomes. Belle married Mattia only six months after his first wife Viola died so there is no love lost between her and his five children.

This is a really exciting read, told from multiple perspectives this tightly plotted thriller was a tense and satisfying read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

5 stars *****

Wow!!!!!!
I literally have no words. This book has blew me away! Im still in shock from the amount of twists in this book. When I say this book had me hooked it literally did I had to put all my daily day to day stuff on hold until I finished this book.

The location of the cruise ship I loved. I found this made it more frightening as there was no way off the boat until it arrives at port. My heart was pounding throughout.

This has to be one of my all time favourite books I have ever read. I will most definitely be reading more from this author in the future and I will be recommending this book to everyone!

On the 29th of February the book Five Nights came out. An intriguing story with some interesting characters. I received a copy from Head of Zeus via Netgalley.

When Emily gets invited to a luxury cruise, owned by the very rich Scramado, she is reluctant to go. It's only five days, but she hasn't seen the one who invited her for three years. The best friend who is now married to the head of this powerful family. It's not all that glamorous as it seems. Threatening notes, being stalked, and eventually someone ends up dead. Will she make it back to shore alive?

This one was a bit of a slow burn for me although it's quite an interesting and fun story to read. The characters were described in a way as you would expect rich people would act. The specific characteristics and traits they show definitely belong to the wealthy and the author managed quite well to describe that into this novel. The storyline is interesting as well, although sometimes the character of Emily developed a bit too quickly in combination with this rich family. It gets quite familial rather quickly although she did not even know the family beforehand. All in all, quite a decent read with only some minor hiccups.

3,75/5 ⭐

Wednesday 13 March 2024
Review - Five Nights by Rachel Wolf

Five Nights by Rachel Wolf
Publisher: Aria and Aries (Head of Zeus)
Release date: 29 February 2024
Back cover blurb: A powerful family. A luxury cruise. A killer on board… You’re invited to join the infamous Scarmado family on a five night voyage aboard their glamorous new ship. It’s a chance to see your best friend, Belle, newly married to Mattia Scarmado. You haven’t seen her in years. FIVE. On the first night, you’ll be wrapped up in the glamour of the ship. FOUR. On the second night, you’ll wonder who is sending you threatening notes. THREE. On the third night, someone will die. TWO. On the fourth night, you’ll discover that someone knows the truth of what you did. ONE. On the last night, you’ll be left for dead...Will you make it back to shore alive?








When Emily receives an invitation for a five night cruise onboard a prestigious new ship she only hesitates for the smallest moment. She doesn't want to leave her elderly Father and young Son, and isn't really sure of Belle's motives, as she hasn't seen her best friend in Five years.

But her Father insists she needs a break and encourages her to go. Emily agrees. Perhaps it is time for them to build some bridges...

Belle is now married to Mattia Scarmado, one of the wealthiest businessman. He is old enough to be her own Father, but Belle appears to be very much in love. Much to the disgust of Mattia's own children, still mourning the sudden loss of their Mother, and all vying for their Father's affections ... and inheritance.

They are the very definition of spoilt brats. Every single one of them is so entitled, it's vulgar (but brilliant), and they all seem to share a hatred of Belle. But you would never know. The four words; 'appearances can be deceiving' have never been so apt.

When Emily tentatively makes her way on to the ship to meet with Belle for the first time in Five years, she can't deny that she's nervous, but they've been friends for so long, that they should be able to pick up where they left off. Right?

Well maybe once. But now their worlds are so different, that Emily feels hideously out of place. She can't keep up with the Scarmado's. Even if she wanted to. And it's clear that somebody doesn't want her too. Whether it's because she friends with Belle, or they just don't think her face fits, somebody in the party has taken a dislike to Emily and is sending her threatening notes.

There are many twists in this story, but I think it's safe to say that the 'main' twist in this novel isn't the one that I thought I saw coming, but it works very well within the context of this story.

By the time you get to it, you'll know exactly what I mean!

A thoroughly enjoyable novel, which hasn't put me off cruising - Thankfully I don't move in the same circles as the Scarmado's!

I really didnt enjoy this one at all - slow slow burn at the beginning had me putting the book down and picking it back up - i never once felt drawn to picking the book up to finish and it was a hard slog to get through

I didnt care for any of the characters and I didnt care for the story and twists in general

I wish i could have loved it more as the premise sounded so good

2 stars

Loved loved loved this so so much. Brilliant!

I was absolutely gripped from the start. Belle, married to a wealthy family, invites her estranged friend, Emily on the maiden voyage of the family’s commercial cruise ship. Emily can’t pass up this opportunity, despite wondering why, as they’ve not spoken for a few years. It all starts glamorous…then the notes start..then it all gets worse. Who’s behind it all? What happened years ago?

This book caught me off guard repeatedly, and I couldn’t put it down. The twists just keep coming.

Brilliant!

My thanks to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one started a little slowly but when the action started thr pace was perfect with short snappy chapters that kept me turning page after page.

Following two estranged friends and an incredibly rich family on a luxury ship the isolation is prominent and everyone has secrets.

I would highly recommend this for thriller fans who love an isolated setting.

Sounded a lot better than it actually ended up being. One dimensional characters and predictable plot twists made me skim read.

Five Nights is an incredibly gripping read.

I was hooked from the start and read it in one sitting. This is the perfect holiday read.

This was a fun, quick read, with some twists and turns to keep you guessing who did what right until the end.
Belle has married into the wealthy Scarmado family and isn't much older than her stepchildren. Belle and Emily became estranged after a traumatic incident a few years earlier, but now Belle needs Emily's support and has asked Emily to join her on a 5-day luxury cruise. Everyone has secrets, and they're about to be revealed!
This book offers a glimpse of what life might be like behind the scenes of the rich and famous - all is not as it seems, and this book is a good example of that. There are some interesting family dynamics, many secrets, and characters who were mostly easy to relate to. A perfect light holiday read for those who enjoy a who-dunnit. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC

Niche review - if you watched Death and other Bodies and wanted every single character to be the siblings who are completely self-involved and on a bender instead of being worried about solving the murder activities, this is the book for you.

I did guess the ending before the book got there but I appreciated that the clues were all there in subtle ways for solving instead of introducing the twist entirely out of left field that seems to be a bit of a trend in thrillers. A number of side twists that I also liked worked into this book as well. I think the siblings were honestly my favorite characters for all their rich chaos. The MC annoyed me a little bit for general lack of focus on the task at hand but it was definitely intentional and true to the character.

Wow. A fast paced thriller that kept me riveted . This well written, fun action packed thriller was packed with toxic characters and I loved the palatial cruise ship setting. A totally addictive ride

When a traumatic past event pulls apart a friendship, can it ever be healed? Belle and Emily haven’t seen each other in years. They both live in different worlds now. Belle married a millionaire and Emily living with her Dad and little boy. What caused the great divide in their friendship? Why the invite out of the blue to join Belle and her new family on a luxury cruise?

When you look at the book communities on social media. My favourite is Instagram for sure. I often see posts saying “OMG I am in such a reading slump” or “Nothing is exciting me”. Well, now I have the perfect solution, Five Nights by Rachel Wolf is the medicine I will dish out to aid the slump. Because from page one until the end it it is non-stop. You just jump on the ride and hold on for dear life. You can’t trust anyone and no matter how hard you try to play to detective the book is too clever.

I loved my time with Emily and the Scarmado family. The tagline for the book says Agatha Christie mixes with Succession and that sums it up perfectly. With the Scamado kids all fanning over papà’s cash. Any of them could be a killer.

I read a previous title by this author called Under the Ice (Rachael Blok) and it was my book of the year. Five Nights would be a contender for this year’s pick.

Fast-paced with a fabulous cast of characters and an amazing plot. Bravo, Rachel Wolf, I can’t wait to see what is next.

I loved the premise of this, trapped on a ship out at sea, someone knows what you’ve done and danger lurks around every glamorous corner.

Unfortunately, for me it didn’t live up to the hype. I found the writing style jarring and the pacing off. I couldn’t get into it and read several books inbetween, I kept going back to it hoping it would grow on me but it wasn’t for me.

A glamorous, mysterious thriller with so many people out for revenge I didn’t know where to look next!

When Emily is contacted by her old friend to come and help her she jumps at the chance. It just so happens that Belle needs her to accompany her on the Scarmardo ships virgin voyage. A luxury cruise liner only for adults, she is holidaying with the Scarmardo’s Belle’s new family and one of the richest families in the country so she gets a taste of the multi millionaire world they live in.

This was a fast paced, full of action story. The characters aren’t particularly likable and even though I felt sorry for Emily and Belle at times their actions were questionable. I love the contained setting of the ship too, there’s no escape and no hiding so it just descended into chaos.

I really enjoy a locked room thriller but unfortunately Five Nights did not live up to my expectations. It wasn't as action packed and twisty as I had hoped and I found it a little predictable in places.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Five Nights is an addictive thriller, written by Rachel Wolf, and published by Head of Zeus; Emily has been invited to a luxury cruise ship by her friend Belle, three years since the last time they reunited (and due to a good reason). But Belle needs her support to deal with the Scamardo family and their machinations, an opportunity for Emily's redemption.

But if the Scamardo family and Emily share something, is their life being full of secrets; and after receiving some threatening messages, Emily decides to start investigating, all to see if she can help Belle. However, passing five nights will be proven as tricky, especially as things start to heat, and the actual personality of many of the Scamardo's siblings are revealed.

A plot that starts unraveling more questions than answers, combining three timelines in order to let the reader try to guess who is the assassin inside; all while dealing with the unlikeable personality of many of the characters. The pacing is fast, going from scene to scene without a single moment to breath, creating a great intrigue that only gets resolved a few pages before the gran finale.

A really interesting thriller, which is perfect if you like character-driven narratives with multiple timelines; an intriguing proposal that Wolf executes almost flawlessly. If you are looking for your next film, read Five Nights.