Five people stand on the platform of a suburban station, awaiting the arrival of the 7:06 a.m. train that will transport them to London Victoria.

One of them is destined to die.

We aren't told whether by murder, mayhem, mishap or malady. Just that one will die.

The waiters are: Emma, a mother with an unruly child; Gideon, Emma's child, who might be a sociopath; Mrs. Worth, a cantankerous and eccentric retired forensic pathologist, bound for the funeral of a daughter-in-law she has been unable to love; Sonny, a bright and frenetic young man with an addiction that has blighted his future; and, finally, Liam, a self-made man with a connection to Emma and a desperate need to talk to her this morning.

We will be introduced to these five, each in their turn. We will learn their stories and secrets. Some we may despise and others pity. We may even find reason to admire some for what they've achieved. None of that will change the fate awaiting one of them.

There are other people on the platform this morning and some of them have a role to play in the story, but they are auxiliary characters and not in the crosshairs of destiny.

The clock ticks. The train is running late. No matter, fate doesn't adhere to man's schedule.

Ilona Bannister invites her reader to speculate on who will be the victim and how. Your guess may be as wrong as mine. It doesn't matter. This is Bannister's tale and she tells it well.

It's a gripping and original psychological thriller with well-drawn characters, sharp insight into human nature, and twists that will hit you like that speeding train. You may not like some of the characters, but you won't forget them in a hurry, either.

[ visit Ilona Bannister's website ]