Ilona Bannister

Five

Released May 5th, 2026 via Crown

Per Spectrum Culture:

Ilona Bannister does a lot of things in Five, keeping a taut balance between them. It’s a mystery novel where the death comes at the end, rather than the beginning. It’s an interrelated short story collection with a strong framing device. In places it’s touching; in others it’s horrifying. The characters are all flawed in fascinating ways; the crowd that demands their protagonists be their morally pure best friends will hate it. There’s a lot to unpack from it, and if you’re the type to undertake such an unpacking with glee, you’ll find a lot to admire in Ilona Bannister’s latest.

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