I just finished reading "With a Vengeance" by Riley Sager, and I'm still reeling from the experience. This psychological thriller is a masterclass in suspense, with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.


The story follows Poppy, a true-crime podcaster who becomes obsessed with a decades-old murder case. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she begins to receive threatening messages from an unknown sender. It becomes clear that someone is watching her, and Poppy's investigation puts her own life in danger.

Anna, the daughter of a murdered, disgraced railroad tycoon is out for justice--to clear her father's name and have her revenge on those who destroyed her family in the form of a a nonstop train ride from Philadelphia to Chicago to personally deliver them to the FBI. Everything goes according to plan until someone turns up dead. Was it Anna? Or could someone else on the train be out to wreak their own form of vengeance? As a lover of both Riley Sager and Agatha Christie, I loved this. Riley Sager's take on a classic locked room murder mystery on a train is everything I wanted it to be--fast paced and suspenseful, yet cozy and nostalgic. Though this trope is nothing new, Sager adds his own spin with well-developed characters, interesting motivations, and numerous plot twists that kept throwing me off until the very end.

I will always read Riley Sager's books and will be very excited about it. This is back to his original layout of having a female lead but unlike most of his other books this does not have any ghosts or supernatural things that transpire.

This was a perfect setting for a closed in mystery because no one could leave. I like that the reader knew the plot from the very beginning and knew the interesting backstory of why Anna wanted justice for her family, even though it was a bit convoluted at times. I liked the use of the train in this story, and that they moved from car to car chasing the murderer even though he was right in front of them the whole time.

The story became a bit repetitive fast in that there wasn't much to reveal or curveballs to throw the reader off. While there was one reveal at the end it wasn't that shocking for me. It was a quick read, but I really wanted a punch at the end. 4.0 stars

Three strikes and you're out.

On paper, Riley Sager's books sound perfect for me, but they just never impress me. With each book of his I've read, the characters always come across as very overly theatrical and I find myself constantly rolling my eyes.

In this particular book, the plot felt like it was only being held together by a bunch of lucky accidents. The characters who had no business trusting each other always seemed to have just enough faith that everyone would do exactly what was expected of them to make this story happen. By the time the mystery was solved, I was just relieved it was over.

I will say though that the setting was great. I loved the dark, snowy night on a train feeling like a killer was around every corner. That at least kept things interesting. It was just the characters and weak plot that really made things fall apart for me in the end.

All of this being said, I can't say that people shouldn't read this book. I do genuinely feel that I'm in the minority when it comes to opinions on Riley Sager because he does seem to have a large fan base of people who absolutely adore his books.

Another great book from Riley Sager ! It a train ride to Hell! I always look forward to a new release. Thank you NetGalley for advance copy

Another absolute BANGER from Riley. I’ll admit, Middle of the Night was probably my least favorite of his books, so I’m happy to report this one was perfection from start to finish. I loved the condensed timeline, the full cast of character POVs, and the train setting. Each new reveal kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I stayed up way too late to finish because I absolutely had to know what happened next. This one kept me guessing until the very last page.

3.5 stars
This book had me on the edge of my seat and reminded me a lot of Murder On the Orient Express. Well written and gripping, I throughly enjoyed the book.

Thank you to Dutton Books and Riley Sager for my copy of With a Vengeance. This book was set in 1942 on a train from Philadelphia to Chicago, where Anna has gathered the six people who destroyed her life under false pretenses. She wants to confront them and get them to confess, and then have them delivered to the FBI at the end of the life. Unfortunately someone has other plans, and won’t stop until everyone on the train is dead. Anna needs to hunt the killer in order to protect the people she hates most, saving their lives so they will face the justice the deserve.

Thoughts: This was the perfect setting for a locked room mystery! I loved the way the reader knows the plot from the very beginning and the interesting backstory of why Anna wanted justice for her family. I liked the train in this story and the claustrophobic feeling of moving through the cars and hunting the killer.

The story was a bit repetitive for me and once the motive was out in the open, there wasn’t much more that could be revealed. I wasn’t surprised by much in the book, and even when there was a reveal, it felt obvious to me. This felt like a traditional locked room mystery but didn’t have many thrilling aspects or the psychological twists Sager is known for. It was a quick read, but I really wanted a punch at the end. 3.5 stars for me.

I found that this book is not a favorite of mine in terms of Riley Sager books I've read so far but it was still very compelling and interesting. At times I did joke with friends that it read like an Agatha Christie fanfiction but towards the end everything truly became what Riley Sager is known for...messy and keeping you on your toes until the end.

I have been a fan of Riley Sager for a while now and his books just keeps getting better. This title grabbed me from page one – loved the characters and most of all the setting on a train. I enjoyed how the story played out and then came together in the end. This has to be my favorite from him. Thank you for the ARC Net Galley #WithaVengeance#RileySager #NetGalley

Publishes on June 10th and follows a group of people who are trapped on a nonstop train headed for Chicago by a woman named Anna who is delivering them to authorities to pay for their role in destroying her life.

So, right off the bat we learn that this is a story of revenge and that Anna wants these people to admit what they’ve done. Of course her plan doesn’t pan out exactly as expected when a passenger on the train ends up murdered.

I found this story absolutely dreadful. The characters were all so unlikable (they’re the self righteous boring business types) and the plot line was so played out, it didn’t have me gripped whatsoever. I knew from the get go that this was not for me.

I’ve read all of Sager’s books and want to continue on doing that because I’ve really enjoyed the majority of his books, but this one just was not for me.

The only positive thing I can say about this book is that it was fast paced so I was able to finish it in 2hrs.

If you’ve ever fantasized about getting revenge while holding a perfectly chilled martini and maintaining dangerously sharp eyeliner, With a Vengeance is your next obsession. Riley Sager has written the thriller equivalent of slow, sexy payback—layered, lethal, and dripping with tension.

This book is like if Gone Girl and Kill Bill had a love child raised on true crime podcasts and vintage noir movies. The plot is twisty enough to make you question every shadow in the room, and the characters? Deliciously unreliable. You’ll be flipping pages wondering who you can trust—and realizing the answer is absolutely no one.

Sager doesn’t just serve drama; he delivers it with a chef’s kiss of psychological chaos. Every chapter peels back another layer of secrets, betrayals, and just the right amount of unhinged energy that makes you think, “Maybe I could disappear into the night and start a new life if things go sideways.” (Just me?)

The vibe is dark, sharp, and as sleek as a blade. If you're into morally gray characters, plot twists that gut-punch you, and female leads who are messy, complicated, and dangerous in all the best ways—this book is your new religion.

It’s the kind of thriller that leaves you side-eyeing your neighbors, questioning your life choices, and maybe wondering if vengeance really is a dish best served cold… or on fire. Either way, Sager’s serving it, and I am here for the chaos.

I'm not typically a fan of murder mysteries, this one did keep my attention. It did take me kind of a while to read. It was a bit difficult for me to get sucked into, but that is because I prefer thrillers over murder mysteries. There were certain parts where I was gasping and was completely shocked. I really loved the writing in this book. It painted a very vivid picture for me. If you love Riley sager then you'll love this one!

This was definitely a departure from Sager's normal fare, and because of that it took me quite a while to get into it. I found the characters unlikable and the plot to have quite a few holes, but it was a quick and fun read.

I am so thankful for receiving this early copy as Riley Sager is one of my favorite thriller authors! This was highly anticipated for me this year, but unfortunately this is probably my least favorite Sager book. I found all the characters to be bland and the storyline just didn't hook me like his other books always do. While there were some twists, nothing was shocking or out of left field. This felt like a murder mystery on a train and nothing more. I think Riley Sager was trying something different with this one and it just didn't work. It didn't feel like his usual writing style and that really bummed me out. I'll still continue to read anything he writes, but this was just not it for me.

I'll read anything by Riley Sager, and I love a locked room mystery, so this was a lot of fun for me! Was it the most innovative mystery out there? No. But did I have a great time reading it and also fly through it to get to the end? Yes!

What’s better than a room full of angst filled humans with dangerous secrets, questionable pasts, untoward motives and a lust for vengeance? Trap that same group of unlikable characters into a rapidly moving train ride with no stops, no other occupants, and murders a plenty. Who do you focus on? What motives drive this runaway train? What rot lays at its core? Riley Sager has once again pulled an Agatha Christie level who-dun-it murder mystery aboard a locked in speeding train.

I would suggest you jump aboard the Phoenix, stock like a fly on the wall, and hold on to your britches as you navigate the cold hard wrath of vengeance denied … vengeance delayed.

If you like the whodunit mystery, locked in rooms, and Sager’s amazing storytelling, this is the book for you!

Thank you once again to the publishers, author and of course NetGalkey for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read, “With a Vengeance” by Riley Sager. As always, navigating Riley’s novel was quite the suspenseful fun!!

I'm a huge fan of Riley Sager and have never read a book that I didn't completely love, until this one. I enjoyed the throwback feel and the homage that he seemed to be paying to Agatha Christie. However, the plot just never gripped me. The story felt slow and it took way too much time to get into the thick of the plot. I don't think everyone will feel this way, it's just a matter of reading preference. As usual, the book is well written and engaging and I guess I was just expecting more with this one.

Riley Sager does it again! The first half of the book reads like a mystery novel with classic mystery tropes: murder(s) on a train, a locked room mystery, a smart heroine. In the second half the tension and action ramps up to a pulse pounding thriller with lots of unexpected twists and turns. I will definitely be recommending this one as sonn as it's out!