I love Agatha Christie so the prospect of this cozy mystery had my really excited. The plot is pretty original. I love the idea of a modern-day Orient Express, and the purpose of the surprise luxurious train trip is unique. The setting is fun and exotic but ultimately, I found this book really hard to get into and the characters were generally unlikable, which works for some but sadly not for me.

I liked the general concept of it, but the pacing was extremely slow. It took me a long time to finish this book and it just didn't wow me.

This was SO SLOW. The setting and story was interesting but it was much much too long. And the characters weren’t my favorite. It could have been done much better.

The premise of the book was so interesting, but I don't feel like it delivered. The dialogue felt repetitive and any interesting plot point got squashed quickly. I was also lost the entire time as there were too many POV's. There also wasn't a single likeable character in my opinion.

Authors hire main characters? New to me, and in the book appropriately title, Genevra Ex has done exactly that. 26 times. 26 Main Characters. Genevra will go to any lengths to reesearch those who become her chosen ones. And then she can practice veritas, spinning truth from fiction. As a mostly successful author, her last book has bombed. Meanwhile, Genevra has orchestrated a three-month trip on the famed Orient Express for Rory, who is her latest main characters. Rory soon learns she is not on the trip alone, as she will be riding along her friends and her brother. However, it is Rory alone who will be enjoying decadent accommodations. Being one of Genevra’s main characters does not come without cost. In fact, it comes with dire consequences.

Excellent premise, to be sure. However, the execution fell short of my expectations. I admittedly struggled through this book, and it nearly reached the point of abandonment on several occasions. Maybe it was the storyline. Maybe it was the characters. As a diehard fan of Murder on the Orient Express, I was excited to imagine such a murder mystery, but that didn’t happen. Furthermore, the characters failed to evoke any emotional connection, making it difficult for me to remain engaged with the narrative.

Many thanks to and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I read this book to 60% and I couldn’t get into it. It never grabbed my attention and I didn’t really care for the characters. It’s not poorly written, I definitely think there is a group of readers who will and do love it, it’s just not me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel!

The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis in quick, rapid fire thoughts.

-character driven with multiple points of view
-various unlikable and deceptive personalities
-dark and edgy tone
-slow reveal of hidden information
-various buried secrets created family drama
-twisted plot full of surprises
-more depth and history than anticipated
-startling ending
-four stars!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the complimentary copy to read and review.

The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldie offers a gripping, high-stakes locked-room mystery that pulls readers into an opulent world of secrets, lies, and deception. Ginevra Ex, a reclusive bestselling author with a unique method for creating her characters, has invited her latest muse, Rory, on an extravagant trip along Italy's Mediterranean coast aboard the legendary Orient Express. What seems like a luxurious adventure soon takes a dark turn when Rory discovers that her brother, best friend, and ex-fiancé are all also on board, each hiding secrets of their own. The deeper Rory digs, the clearer it becomes that Ginevra is orchestrating a real-life thriller, and soon, Rory starts to fear that this trip might end in murder—just like one of Ginevra's books.

Goldie crafts a story that's both immersive and suspenseful, weaving in rich settings and a plot that keeps you on edge. The homage to Agatha Christie is clear, with its locked-room structure and an ensemble cast of characters whose hidden motivations and twisting relationships drive the tension. The Mediterranean coast and the luxurious train setting are vivid and atmospheric, adding to the intrigue.

However, there were a few elements that kept me from fully loving the book. The pacing felt slow at times, especially in the first half, and it took me a while to really get invested in the story. While the characters were meant to be complex and mysterious, I found them largely unlikeable and a bit flat, which made it difficult to connect with them emotionally. Additionally, the ending felt somewhat abrupt, leaving several plot points unresolved, which may frustrate some readers looking for closure.

Despite these issues, The Main Character delivers plenty of twists and tension, and Goldie’s writing keeps you engaged even when the pacing lags. It's a fun, suspenseful read for fans of psychological thrillers and Agatha Christie-inspired mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

One of my favorites of the year. No other words needed.

I loved Jaclyn Goldis's The Chateau, so I was excited to read The Main Character. The Orient Express is an opulent and claustrophobic setting perfect for the plot. The narrators, not always reliable, weave a tale full of twists and turns. And at times I thought the story was losing momentum, but really the author was just building towards another bit reveal. I would recommend this book to fans of Lisa Jewell, Lucy Foley, and of course Agatha Christie.

In The Main Character, Jaclyn Goldis introduces us to Ginevra Ex, a bestselling thriller author known for her unconventional writing methods. Ginevra hires real people to inspire her books and conducts deep, probing interviews before weaving their stories into her fiction. When she invites Rory, her latest protagonist, on an extravagant train journey along Italy’s coast on the iconic Orient Express, Rory is surprised to find her brother, best friend, and even her ex-fiancé also on board. With each stop, Rory realizes that Ginevra has orchestrated a web of deception, and secrets from her companions come to light. As the tension mounts, Rory fears that this journey could end like one of Ginevra’s thrillers—with deadly consequences.

While the book’s concept is intriguing, I found the execution lacking. The story tries to evoke the suspense of Murder on the Orient Express, but it ended up feeling overly long and at times, tedious. The frequent back-and-forth between characters often felt unnecessary, and their actions seemed immature, making it hard to stay invested. Unfortunately, the pacing didn’t match the suspenseful premise, and I struggled to stay engaged with the story. Despite the promising setup, The Main Character didn’t deliver the gripping, twisty experience I was hoping for.

This is a cheesy play on Murder on the Orient Express. It's not a murder mystery, but more of a non-suspenseful thriller. The author tells tells tells the whole time. The fact that the telling is from multiple people's perspectives doesn't make it better. None of the characters is likable, but they're also uninteresting.

Not for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I purchased it for my library and will share with others who may appreciate it more than I did.

The book and the writing really remind me of Agatha Christie. And I will tell you that, that isn't a bad thing. If you enjoy her books, i think you will enjoy this one as well. Thanks netgalley and to the publishers

Domestic drama and mystery aboard the Orient Express.

A unique premise -- a young woman has agreed to be the main character in a book written by a famous author. In addition to the monetary compensation, the author has rewarded Rory with a lavish train trip aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient Express. In addition, Ginevra Ex has surprisingly invited along Rory's brother, Max, her best friend, Caro, and her ex fiance, Nate. They all board the train and head to Positano with several stops along the Italian Coast. Why are these people along on this trip? It feels like some sort of game full of secrets, lies, and manipulation.

Wow, a lot of characters and a very long, involved backstory about Rory and Max's father and Russian history. Parts of that seemed overly long and I wasn't very interested in most of it. Actually, I wanted more about the iconic train, but the characters spent little time aboard. There were some twists and turns, and some were predictable. Lots of emotional baggage to unpack. I didn't really care for any of the characters and was left unsatisfied by the climax and the conclusion. In short, I wish different things had happened to the characters than what I read!

The narrative is told from alternating character points of view and there are timeline jumps. I cared more about the modern-day story than the deep dive into the past. The resolution of the mystery seemed rather anticlimactic.

I listened to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The audiobook was quite unsatisfactory overall despite having 5 narrators. The reason being that the person who voiced the character of Caro sent me over the edge with her shrill voice. The other females were hard to keep straight but fortunately I was able to tell who was speaking due to the chapter titles in the e-book. Normally the experience of reading and listening enhances the experience for me but toward the end I had to turn off the audio as it was very irritating.

This was listed as a tribute to Agatha Christie books. Not even close. Boring, predictable and very soap opera-like characters. Really slow too and it wasn't even a long book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.

Lies deceit and betrayal have seemed to follow Rory on her presumed relaxing vacation. Rory is given an ultimate all expenses paid vacation after being the muse for the elusive best selling author Ginevra Ex latest book. But Ginevra has many secrets and an ultimate deceitful goal. Not only is this trip for Rory but unbeknownst to her Ginevra has invited those nearest to her along for the ride. What is Ginevra planning and what is her end goal? Just remember everyone has secrets and not everyone is telling the truth.
This book reminded me of Murder on the Orient Express minus the lovable detective. I felt this book was great at sticking to the Agatha Christie “who done it” trope but felt it needed less of the filler love stories. I do appreciate the revelation at the end that tied everything together.


*Thank you to Jaclyn Goldis, Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

The setting and premise of this one are really fun & entertaining enough as a domestic thriller type plot. However, I was hoping for a Christie-esque mystery which this did not delivery IMO - more family drama than whodunnit

cool little very Christie-ish with a modern twist work that was very intriguing to read and kept me guesssing

The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis was not what I was expecting. Started out slow for me but then really picked up for me. 3.5 stars!