THE MAIN CHARACTER, Jaclyn Goldis
Ginevra Ex has an unconventional writing approach when it comes to her mystery novels: she bases her main characters on real people that she selects and interviews. In her latest book, Rory, the main character, is working through her relationships with her friend (Caroline), brother (Max), ex- fiancé (Nate) and dad (Ansel). But this time, Ginevra’s reasons for selecting Rory are a little more personal than usual.
As a thank you for her time, Ginevra surprises Rory with a luxurious Italian journey on the Orient Express that weaves through picturesque stops (Cinque Terre to Rome to Positano). Rory is initially elated by the extravagant bonus but is swiftly disconcerted upon boarding the train, when she finds that Caro, Max and Nate are there too.
Told from the different perspectives of each character, the unfolding events reveal that Ginevra has orchestrated a real-life, twisty plot with Rory as the unwitting main character. As the journey goes on, and Ginevra's deceptions escalate, the story takes a dark turn as we soon realize that they all have secrets of their own… who is telling the truth?
The story is a fun and twisty mystery with an original plot, but the ending is disappointingly abrupt leaving issues unresolved.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

A bestselling thriller author arranges a luxury train trip that is not what it appears to be in this electrifying modern homage to Agatha Christie from the author of the “tense and twisty” (Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author) The Chateau.

This was solid but nothing special. I don't hate that I read it but I don't know that I would actively recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Quite an accomplishment for the author, this book entwined elements of her own familial history, with her own very vivid imagination, resulting in a magical multidimensional novel that is complex, imaginative and fascinating..

I found the historical element (and this is where the main character contains historical similarities to her own father) and the plight of the Jews (and those believed to be Jews) in Russia during the scourge of Hitler's reign to be mesmerizing. I had never read about the role of Russia and the KGB agents during what can easily be argued the singularly most historically atrocious and unimaginably horrific time in modern history.

To the primary part of this novel, this multifaceted book reminds us of valuable lessons such as finding our own self-worth, and following what we feel to be true despite what others attempt to convince us of (regardless of how close we might be to that person).

I have seen some relatively critical reviews of this novel, but personally, I think it was a work of art - one the author should take pride in creating. I wouldn't define it as a mystery, rather I would categorize it as a work of literary fiction, despite endearing connections and homages paid to the great Agatha Christie, and numerous corpses, amazing twists, and some "close calls".

Took me a bit to get into the story, but I was glad I stuck with it, a valuable, thought-provoking novel.

I so wanted to love this book because of the blurb and description. I think it was well written and most people would probably enjoy it, but I thought it was a little to slow for my taste. There are alot of different POVs between the characters (and while normally I enjoy that) I couldn't keep track with this book, but I was determined to finish it and was even disappointed with the unsuspenseful ending.

This just wasn't the book for me but others may very well enjoy! 3/5 stars.

Rory goes for the ride of her life on the Orient Express through Italy à la Hercule Poirot. She glimpses all the sights and secrets those around her could be hiding. Especially those close to her. And throughout her trip, she soul-searches and finds there to be no coincidences.

The reason she is sent on this trek through different Italian locales is due to none other than famed author, Ginevra Ex. Even her name oozes drama and promises this to be the story of a lifetime. Her approach to storytelling is unconventional and intriguing to say the least. She intentionally selects real people to be her fictional main characters to star in each of her works. But her reasons for selecting Rory are a little more personal than usual. As you read, you’ll discover why and get a look into several different perspectives: Rory herself, Caroline, Rory’s best friend, Max, her brother, and Nate, her ex-fiancé.

I mostly enjoyed this book and was readily allured by its premise, but there were a couple loose ends left behind. Some including never finding out why Rory lost her job as a news anchor, and mostly towards the end in regards to the twist, which was powerful yet not fully believable.

Sometimes to seek beauty, however, we must look deeper into ourselves and coax our insecurities out of hiding in order to address them and this book genuinely speaks to that. It also speaks to what it means to heartbreakingly lose time.

It is sad, devastating, and original through and through and reminds that we can’t be someone else’s main character our whole lives, but own the integrity and truths of our own stories. Really, take control of our specific narratives and rewrite and edit them in the ways we see fit. And along the way, hopefully enjoy life more than survive it when we can because it passes by in the flash of an eye.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 Stars

I received an advanced copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley.

Ginevra Ex, the enigmatic and reclusive author renowned for her unconventional approach to writing, has taken her craft to a new level. Crafting her latest bestseller, she recruits real people, conducts intricate interviews, and then transforms their stories into captivating fiction. For her protagonist Rory, Ginevra goes above and beyond, gifting her an opulent journey along Italy's Mediterranean coast aboard the legendary Orient Express.

Rory is initially elated by the extravagant bonus but is swiftly disconcerted upon boarding the train. To her surprise, she discovers her brother, best friend, and even her ex-fiancé among the passengers, all personally invited by Ginevra, all harboring secrets of their own.

As the train weaves through picturesque stops like Cinque Terre, Rome, and Positano, the unfolding events reveal that Ginevra has orchestrated a real-life, twisty plot with Rory as the unwitting main character. The journey takes a dark turn as Ginevra's deceptions escalate, and the lies and intrigues of Rory's fellow travelers accumulate. The looming fear sets in—will the trip end in a manner befitting one of Ginevra's novels, perhaps with a murder or two?

Amidst the luxurious compartments of the iconic train, Rory is thrust into a web of deception. Her task: to unravel the shocking motives behind Ginevra's grand scheme and determine the potentially deadly conclusion awaiting them all.

This book, despite its Agatha Christie undertones, fell short of delivering the suspense and intrigue that makes Christie's works timeless. The narrative failed to captivate me, and it wasn't until the final moments that the story gained momentum but that momentum was confusing and abrupt. Unfortunately, the bulk of the plot was rather lackluster.

One significant drawback was the cast of characters, a collection of thoroughly unlikable and uninteresting individuals. Each character seemed to share the same monotonous "voice," lacking the distinctiveness that would have added depth to the narrative. The main character, in particular, lacked the energy and complexity expected of a protagonist. She came across as basic and uninspiring, making it challenging to invest in the unfolding drama and her at all. The frequent shifts in point of view added to the confusion, as the characters failed to possess distinctive personalities.

The conclusion was disappointingly abrupt, leaving numerous loose ends and unresolved issues. The overall reading experience left much to be desired, especially in comparison to the anticipation built by the premise and setting reminiscent of Agatha Christie's signature style.

I appreciate a slow burn, but this book was like trying to start a fire with broken matches and wet logs in the middle of a windstorm. There were sparks of exciting ideas, but each was quickly snuffed out with repetitive dialogue and tedious descriptions. The entire narrative circled endlessly on a path to nowhere. Then, the ending was an explosive clash of events that ultimately felt rushed and unresolved.

📚Slow and unsuspenseful
📚 Too many character POVs - none of which positively impacted the story. A single narrator would have served the plot line better.
📚Unresolved ending that didn't address plot holes
📚Irrelevant storylines - whole chunks of the book could have been deleted

Aside from the setting of The Orient Express, it's confusing that this book is being compared to Agatha Christie in a positive way. Unfortunately, The Main Character was a miss. Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for providing an ARC.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this book, with my honest review below*

The Main Character had a very clever premise and I was so glad when it delivered on it ten fold. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and learning about their past, from Rory and Max to Caroline and Ginevra, as well as somewhat more minor characters.

This book calls back to Agatha Christie in many ways and I was dying to get the full picture of why the reclusive Ginevra, our author, had brought Rory and those close to her on the orient express (past the initial reason it seemed a little odd, given her subsequent interactions with the group).

Ultimately this unfolded as a supremely satisfying mystery. My only quibble is that after all the tension and all the mysteries, I wish more time had been spent with the final conflicts and closure! This left me wanting more, in the best way. Well worth reading and well worth getting excited for!

All aboard the Orient Express as four people reconnect in severely dramatic ways, eventually ending in murder in this ode to Agatha Christie. This took me a while to get through, and I can't say why because I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Although this features the classic train, this doesn't exactly read like a Christie story, so just beware before diving in. I wouldn't exactly classify this as anything but a dramatic mystery. If you are looking for murder and suspense on every page, this is not for you.

There was a lot of history here that I wasn't expecting but found myself fully invested in. It was eye-opening learning the true state of the Soviet Union and the horrendous treatment of a person simply because they were Jewish. There was also a love story woven through this in a twisty, yet sad way. This really focused on relationships with family, friends, and significant others and the pain that can bring. There was a lot of deceiving going on and the inner turmoil of each person involved. Overall, this was a well written, thought-provoking read, and I give it four well-deserved stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria Books, for this ARC.

This is a unique story that takes place on a luxurious train! Rory is gifted a trip by an author who has chosen her to be the inspiration for her next book. While Rory is excited about the trip, she is less excited to find out her best friend, brother and ex-boyfriend will be joining her! Rory has to figure out who she can trust! I thought this was a really fun book!

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! I found the premise of an author who writes by conducting extensive interviews with real people and then fictionalizing their stories to be very intriguing. The action of the novel is set in Italy, largely aboard the Orient Express. The “main character” Rory has just concluded three months of interviews with author Ginevra Ex, and this trip is a parting gift. But, Rory does not realize that the author has invited her brother, best friend, and ex-fiancé to join her—and she’s not happy with any of them at the moment, so there is a great deal of conflict ahead. The ode to Agatha Christie is well done, the characters are interesting, and the story is very engaging. There are more than a few great twists in the second half of the book. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Jaclyn Goldis for this ARC.
This nod to Agatha Christie sadly fell flat for me. The premise sounded good, but unfortunately I found the characters to be boring and unlikeable.
Had this not been given to me for an early review, I likely would have DNF’d at ~35%. I am glad I pushed to finish the book; however, as a traditional reader of this story I doubt I would have carried on the the end.
2 ⭐️

This book is no Agatha Christie and there is no real murder to solve. I thought the premise of this book was so intriguing but the actual storyline veers far from the premise. I didn’t think the characters were developed enough. So much so that when the chapters had alternating POVS I got confused about who was talking and had to flip back to the chapter title. This book is ok just not the story it’s marketed to be. A very slow burn and not a thriller at all. Also I wanted the setting to play more of a role in the story. For me, sadly it’s a miss.

Ginevra Ex, the biggest mystery writer in the world, plots her stories by hiring people to act them out. For her newest she employs Rory, a recently fired news anchor. As a reward Ginevra gifts Rory an Italian train journey on the Orient Express. When Rory boards she finds her ex-fiancé, her best friend and her brother. What is going on? Is this some extension of the mystery?

The story is told in varying points of view from all the main characters, Rory, Caroline, Max, Nate and Ginevra. All have secrets (natch.). The locations (Cinque Terre, Rome and Positano) are all gorgeous and are used to lovely effect. This is a cute little mystery with some Russian history thrown in for good measure. Recommended.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for providing me with an advance copy ♥️

I was utterly captivated by this book! I went in with some preconceived notions, thinking it would be a run-of-the-mill Orient Express tale, but it blew me away! Rory's adventure with her diverse group of companions had me on the edge of my seat from the start. The characters are expertly crafted, with just the right amount of complexity and secrecy to keep me on my toes. If you love clever whodunits with added depth and intrigue, this story will consume you in one sitting!

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, it is not working for me right now. It is nothing against the story or the author, but I couldn't get into the story/characters. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!

Thank you to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC!

The summary of this book had me hooked and I loved the setting of the Orient Express. I really enjoyed the first half of this book and read it over the course of one afternoon. However, I do have to say the second of the half took a different direction than the first and it felt slightly chaotic. There were too many plot points going on and coming together at the same time. It felt like a lot of the revelations came together in a way that muted their thrill factor. Overall, I found this to be a good domestic thriller with more emphasis on domestic drama than a straight thriller. I would recommend with these caveats.

“The Main Character” by Jaclyn Goldis is a thriller that will have you engaged from the very first chapter. The story is about the most famous author in the world who bases her mystery novels on real people. She chooses these people by interviewing them, their families and friends. In this novel as a gift, she sends her unique main character, her brother, best friend and ex fiancée on a once-in-a-lifetime trip on the lavish and newly renovated Orient Express. From here we have a fun and extra twisty mystery which has a slight nod to Agatha Christie that has an ending you will not see coming!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is an intriguing mystery and drama aboard the Orient Express through Italy. The descriptions of Italy and later, Moscow are beautiful and interesting. Rory, the main character, is working through her relationships with her friend, brother, and ex-boyfriend. This is complicated by the new book coming out based on her life by her friend. The book delves into that author’s relationships and past which further entangles the story. I enjoyed the book but did not feel the story was resolved. The ending was quite abrupt.
Thank you Atria books and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

interesting plot! i enjoyed reading it. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.