This was a fun read! Definitely gave me some Agatha Christie vibes with the train setting. I didn’t expect the twists but they were also logical. A few parts of this were just absurd but that’s kind of what I signed up for going into this lol. Overall I enjoyed this!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

Riley Sager is so good at twists! Half way through this book I thought I might know what’s happening and who the killer is. Only to get smacked in the face with another twist that makes everything I thought impossible! I was on my toes the entire time! Anna was such a strong and fierce character. Her loss was devastating and learning that made me hate the people on that train so much! I felt her vengeance like it was my own. As people started being killed, I couldn’t feel bad for them but I was sad that this perfect plan Anna had made wouldn’t turn out the way she wanted. Also I was worried, who would be next?

Anna Matheson brings six people aboard a train to confront them about the death of her father. However, the tables were truned on her as her passengers start dying.

I found this story okay, many twists and turns that happened and ended rather too quickly for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC.

Riley Sager’s “With a Vengeance” offers readers a suspenseful journey reminiscent of classic Agatha Christie mysteries. Set in the 1950s, the novel follows Anna Matheson as she seeks justice against six individuals responsible for her family’s downfall. The narrative unfolds aboard a train, providing a claustrophobic atmosphere that heightens the tension. Sager’s attempt to blend historical fiction with a locked-room mystery is commendable, and fans of the genre may appreciate the numerous twists and turns throughout the story.

However, some readers might find the character development lacking, making it challenging to connect deeply with the protagonists. Additionally, while the plot is intricate, certain twists may come across as predictable or reminiscent of familiar tropes. Despite these shortcomings, “With a Vengeance” remains an engaging read for those who enjoy classic mystery setups and are looking for a modern take on the genre.

Overall, while it may not stand out as Sager’s best work, the novel provides a decent escape into a world of suspense and retribution.

The idea of Anna Matheson seeking retribution against the people responsible for her family’s downfall creates a solid foundation for a thrilling mystery, but the execution left a little to be desired.

The setting—a tense overnight train journey from Philadelphia to Chicago—is perfect for a mystery, and the idea of multiple characters harboring secrets and motivations makes for an interesting dynamic. Sager does well to build the tension at first, as Anna’s plan to confront her enemies begins to unravel with the murder of a passenger and the discovery that someone else on the train is out for revenge. The claustrophobic setting of a moving train and the ticking clock of the impending arrival in Chicago add some much-needed urgency to the narrative.

However, the book's pacing is a significant issue. While Sager clearly intended for suspense to build slowly, it often felt like the story dragged on unnecessarily, with repetitive conversations and characters rehashing the same points over and over. At times, the plot felt like it was stalling rather than advancing, and the slow progression made it hard to stay engaged. The constant mention of characters’ full names, while possibly a stylistic choice, became distracting and repetitive, detracting from the experience.

The characters themselves were a mixed bag. Some, like Anna, had potential, but others were more caricatures than fully realized figures. Anna’s motivations and her actions weren’t always clear, and the constant references to her deceased family felt forced at times. While the tension between Anna and the other passengers could have been explored more deeply, it sometimes felt like the plot was more interested in throwing in twists than developing the characters in meaningful ways. The romance subplot, which seemed unnecessary to the overall mystery, added little to the story, making the relationship feel more like an obligatory trope than a genuine emotional connection.

The twists, while numerous, sometimes veered into the unrealistic. There were moments when the reveals felt too far-fetched or poorly explained, especially towards the climax. The ending, with its multiple surprises, seemed to rely on too many last-minute explanations, making it difficult to fully buy into the resolution.

Despite these issues, there were elements of the book that I found enjoyable. The setting on the train created a tense atmosphere, and the mystery of who was behind the killings did keep me guessing for a while. Additionally, Sager’s ability to write atmospheric scenes and suspenseful moments can’t be denied.

This was not Sager's best work, but I still enjoyed it. I wish the ending had a little more to it. I like the idea of the story taking place on the train, I just feel like it was lacking a bit. I would rate it maybe 3 stars.

I'm so happy that I was approved to read this advace reader copy! I think I've read every book he's written, I don't even need to know what they're about before I get them.

This book took us back into the past. It was about a woman seeking vengeance from those that ruined her family. I don't know why, but I was expecting everything to be black and white. Once I thought things were figured out another wrench was thrown. I guess redirection was a major element at play.

I don't want to say more because that will spoil things.

I’m usually a fairly big Riley Sager fan but I fell off for a little—this one brought me back in! It’s very much like Murder on the Orient Express meets Clue, and while that bothered some readers, I found it fun and engaging. As always, Sager had twists coming throughout and I found myself wanting to connect all the dots as quickly as possible. I’d give this a solid 4-4.5/5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is by far my favorite Riley sager book. The premise of the book, the characters, twists and turns. So spectacular.

Screaming THANK YOU from the rooftops to Netgalley & Penguin for approving me for one of my most anticipated of 2025! There is just something about being able to read one of my comfort author's new books early.

The book follows Anna Matheson, whose life and family have been destroyed by six people whom she thought she and her family could trust. She has, under false pretenses, lured these six people aboard a train, ready for her retribution. She wants these people to confess to their crimes, and deliver them to the authorities at the end of the trip. Her plan is quickly dissolved when one of the six ends up murdered on the train, and it seems the killer won't stop until everyone is dead. Anna is crunched with time, being forced to find the killer and keeping all of these people safe.

Let me start off by saying that this Sager book will definitely not be for everyone. It doesn't give off the feeling that it's one of his books as much I miss the writing style of his previous books, but I still did enjoy this one. It throws off an Agatha Christie vibe, which I am not a fan of, but Sager puts his own twist on the train adventure aspect. Also, the setting is the 1950s, and you honestly can't tell throughout the book what time period it was. It could have been set in any place during any time, and it wouldn't have made a difference.

As usual with Sager's books, I absolutely loved the book's flashbacks and how each character plays a part in Anna's life and what happened that made Anna get her revenge on all of them. I was not a huge fan of the ending though. For me, there was a red herring throughout the book that I was so sure was going to play a part in who the killer was, and how it was going to end, but I was so disappointed when we found out who the true killer was. I really thought my ending was so much better 😅

Overall, this is a fun do-dun-it mystery book, and I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts about this book when it officially drops this upcoming June!

I love Riley Sager and everything he’s done. He makes very interesting characters and even if you don’t like them, you’re intrigued to see what happens. That being said, closed room mysteries and closed room train mysteries are a trope I am over. Sager adds more interesting elements such as loss, tragedy, historical and World War II elements that I think historical fiction readers will enjoy. This will not be my first Sager book to recommend, but with an eye-catching cover and a nice description, readers of classic mysteries (Hitchcock, Christie) will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Publishing for the ARC of With a Vengeance by Riley Sager. Wow, this was a fun read.! Very nostalgic of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, but a bit more modernized and with more twists. I loved the concept of this story and am happy to see Sager stretching from his typical plot line.

This book was very engaging right from the start! I loved the train setting and the twists and turns around every corner. I also enjoyed the cozy mystery vibes throughout the book. I would recommend this book for fans of Murder on the Orient Express.

Um. Where do I begin. There is a train, a murder and that’s about it. I’ve read this trope many times and enjoyed it until this book. It was just not interesting or compelling in any way. The last three books by Sager have been complete misses for me. He is trying different genres but nothing compares to his first two books. It really seems like he is writing books much too fast. A new book every year is a lot. Anyway, thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Think clue, but on a train. A main character set on revenge, six guilty passengers and two unexpected characters, this book is full of twists and turns till the end. However, our main character seemed to lack personality beyond wanting vengeance which wasn’t enough to move the story along for me. I will recommend this book because I usually love Riley sager and just because it wasn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean it won’t be someone else’s.

This book feels like it's been done before, but Sager's version had several additional twists.
That being said, it just didn't hit for me. There were so many plot lines to untangle that it felt excessively messy. Everyone seems to be trying to kill everyone else and it got really difficult to sort out who actually did the murdering.
I know it's fiction and that in itself is the only reason the plot makes any sense. I just can't imagine a world where people who have destroyed lives the way this cast of characters has would be assembled for a forced journey. What was Anna's goal of having them together? What was she planning to do with everyone while they were there? Sit and stare at them? That was a big hole for me, but there were others which I won't elaborate on so as not to spoil the book.
I guess this book hits on the who dunnit and red herring suspense lines but it wasn't as well executed as I'd hoped.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a bit of a wild goose chase! LOL

A bit different from his other novels, but Riley Sager delivers again with a twisty, action packed novel. I wouldn’t necessarily categorize this as a thriller—it’s more of mystery and suspense. But that doesn’t make it any less good.

This book is definitely full of unexpected scandals for the time period it’s set in which was a nice touch to the plot.

If you like a good old fashioned whodunnit—this one’s for you!

I love Riley Sager, but this one was a major miss for me. I didn’t find the story engaging and it took me way too long to get into this.

I don't know how to feel about this book. I love some of Riley Sager's writing, but this one wasn't clicking with me to well with the digital formatting. I'm hoping to get my hands on the physical book when it comes out.