Five found dead A novel

Edgar winner Gentill (The Mystery Writer) pays homage to Murder on the Orient Express in this uneven whodunit. Mystery novelist Joe Penvale and his sister, Meredith--both superfans of classic detective fiction--celebrate the remission of Joe's cancer by booking a cabin aboard the Orient Express. Secretly, Meredith hopes the setting will alleviate Joe's writer's block so he can begin his delayed second novel. Their fellow passengers include a handful of current and former police officers and two elderly women on the trail of a thief who's made off with funds belonging to their community group. Before long, a passenger disappears from a locked compartment that's drenched in blood--a puzzle that proves to be the first of five Joe and Meredith tackle as their train barrels from France to Italy. Gentill's setup is intriguing, but the solution is underbaked, and the tone veers inconsistently from wry to sincere. Golden age mystery fans intrigued by the concept would be better off with Benjamin Stevenson's Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Aug.)

Gentill (The Mystery Writer) pays homage to Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express with this suspenseful novel set in the present day. Bestselling crime fiction writer Joe Penvale and his twin sister, Meredith, are excited for the trip of a lifetime--traveling on the Orient Express train from Paris to Istanbul. Joe has recently finished intense medical treatment for cancer, so he and Meri hope that the trip will furnish much-needed rest and rejuvenation--and perhaps the classic setting will inspire Joe to write again. After meeting a handful of intriguing fellow passengers, the siblings are shocked when the cabin next door is discovered bathed in blood (but no corpse in sight). Then part of the train is quarantined due to an alarming new COVID variant, and several passengers who work in law enforcement are enlisted to help keep the peace. As the train's body count rises, Joe, Meri, and the other passengers race to catch a killer before it is too late. VERDICT Gentill's latest is a fun, modern mystery/thriller with classic charm. The author's own recent battle with cancer adds authenticity to the narrative and the portrayal of Joe.--Linsey Milillo