Every family has secrets, but some have more than others.

‘Right from the beginning, I was hooked, and this book did not let me go’ Reitumetse Mokoena, Reedsy
‘It will captivate you until the final page’ Priya Murugesan, The Online Bookclub
‘Paul Ilett’s descriptive prose paint scenes that spring from the page’ Seb Fox, Goodreads
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It’s Charlie Fletcher’s 23rd birthday, the last birthday he will share with his dying mother, and he decides it's time to share with her a secret about himself. But, knowing she does not have much time left, she shares a far greater family secret with him, one that will have repercussions for Charlie and his siblings for years to come.

You see, the Fletchers are a family with more than their fair share of skeletons in the closet, and as one of their most closely guarded secrets is finally revealed, are others about to be uncovered too?

What is so important about a photograph of a little boy at Christmas? Why has a handwritten letter remained in a sealed envelope for more than twenty years? And which of the Fletchers is carrying the darkest family secret of all?

‘Five Siblings at 23’ is an epic family saga spanning more than two decades, visiting the Fletcher household each time one of the children is 23 years of age. From their home town of Southend-on-Sea to the stunning vistas of Gran Canaria, we share in their joys and heartbreaks, their triumphs and their tragedies, as five brothers and sisters navigate love and conflict, seething family grievances, and many, many secrets.

‘Five Siblings at 23’ is a beautifully told and deeply engaging story, a book that you won’t be able to put down.
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And here are some of the amazing reviews the book has already received from readers and professional critics too.

“Right from the beginning, I was hooked, and this book did not let me go. I kept turning one page after another. It was such an engrossing read that I found myself exclaiming, smiling along, and being saddened and nostalgic over memories that are not mine.”
☆☆☆☆ Reitumetse Mokoena, Reedsy

“You will laugh and cry, with moments that will touch your heart. Paul Ilett writes so beautifully, his words woven in a manner which will draw you into the book, and captivate you until the final page.”
☆☆☆☆ Priya Murugesan, The Online Bookclub

“Paul Ilett’s descriptive prose paint scenes that spring from the page, transporting you to a miserably rainy morning outside a hospice, then whisking you off to the baking sun of the Canary Isles. Within a few short sentences you are there, immersed in the world.”
☆☆☆☆ Seb Fox, Goodreads