I cannot read this as intended as NetGalley will not allow me to open it up on my Kobo and I refuse to use Amazon for anything.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was soooo boring. I am used to thriller mixed with a lil horror from this author. This was not that. What it was was a wannabe Agatha Christie mystery set on a train. Except I didnt care about any of the characters or their motivations. The plot was so convoluted, I cannot. This was honestly enough to make me hesitate to pick up Sager’s future work. Giving it two stars because the writing was decent.

Oh my gosh! I love Riley Sagers books and was so excited to get an ARC copy! This was such a fun read
Lost of twists - I read this so quickly!

He’s back, baby! @riley.sager ate and left no crumbs with this one.

It was such a fun read, very claustrophobic, very twisty - something would be revealed and then, “but wait, there’s more” would happen. I read this in one sitting, and for fans of clue, murder on the orient express, and locked room thrillers, I think you will enjoy this one! I do think this was different than his other books, but I can’t explain why without ruining it, so… you guys will see!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thank you @netgalley and @duttonbooks for the arc in exchange for my honest review. PUB DATE: 6/10
.

An interesting premise, but an uneven read, this had all the makings of an Agatha Christie-style mystery—an atmospheric, historical revenge thriller set on a luxury train with a killer on the loose. The premise was strong, but the execution didn’t fully draw me in. The pacing felt uneven at times, and I struggled to stay completely invested. Anna had potential as a protagonist, but she felt a bit distant, and the mystery itself didn’t grip me as much as I’d hoped.

Riley Sager is an author I continue to read, even though none of his books have completely blown me away, and this one was no exception. Still, there were some well-done moments of tension and a few twists that kept things somewhat interesting. If you enjoy locked-room mysteries, this could be worth a read, but for me, it was just okay.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for providing an eARC of With a Vengeance prior to publication.

3 stars

In 1942 Anna Matheson’s latest fe was destroyed when her family was stolen from her. Now it’s 1954 and she is ready for revenge.

She brings together those responsible onto a train, and not just any train, but one that was the crown jewel of her father’s company. As the train makes a non-stop, overnight trip from Philadelphia to Chicago she will confront each of the perpetrators before delivering them to law enforcement at the end of the journey. Unfortunately there’s a killer on board who has other plans.

Riley Sager books always sound so good when described but I’ve often found them disappointing. This one was OK, though I wish he had made some sort of effort to make the book read as if it were actually set in 1954; but for the fact that it takes place on a train the rest reads like this happened yesterday. Also, Anna? Not the sharpest tool in the ol’ train house. No real surprise this didn’t turn out like she planned. However, I do like books set on a train….for another good one to be published soon check out 6:40 TO MONTREAL.

I loved this book, a different style for Riley Sager, but so good! Laid in the 1950’s on a train, a locked room mystery with an Agatha Christie feel.

...𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦, 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞. 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚'𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐝, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

How far would you go for vengeance? Would you take another's life? Would you let the desire for retribution slowly poison you over the years? Anna Matheson has waited 12 long years. Six people are responsible for the downfall of her family and the deaths of those she loved the most, and they've gone unpunished--until now. "Revenge is a dish best served cold," the saying goes, and for Anna, she's planned every last detail.

Anna lures these people onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, a non-stop, overnight journey of fourteen hours. Her goal, however, is not to execute these people. She plans to confront them in the safe confines of the train, get them to confess their wrongdoings, and smugly deliver them into the hands of the proper authorities when the train arrives in Chicago.

However, her plan falls apart when she finds a passenger murdered. Soon, it becomes clear that someone on board has their own personal vendetta, and they're not interested in delivering the guilty to the proper authorities. They only have one thing on their mind, and that is vengeance.

I really enjoyed the locked room aspect, the twists and turns that were perfectly executed, but most of all, I loved the moral dilemma presented. Would you put yourself in harm's way to save the lives of the people you abhor the most, and if so, what's your motivation? Is it to preserve the dignity of human life or to ensure these people stay alive to atone for their crimes? In addition to being a stellar thriller, I think readers will appreciate the depth in this plot.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Dutton for this early copy. This book is expected to publish June 10, 2025.

Riley has done it again! Anna sets out on a train ride of revenge. All of the people who ruined her family and whose actions caused the deaths of her parents and brother are on the train. She has invited everyone under false pretenses and has a non stop train ride to Chicago at the end of which the fbi will be waiting to arrest all of them.. if only they all survive the train ride. What unfolds is an into to all the characters and and then things start happening - stabbing, shootings, and whiplash galore about who is involved in the happenings and why. I relate found myself liking Anna her goal was just to get justice but along the way there was retribution, understanding about the past and layer by layer the truth came out. Everytime I thought it was wrapped up another surprise happened. Loved this one by Riley.

This book, a classic "whodunit" set in 1954, on a train, felt like Film Noir. Just like some of those old films, the plot wears thin in places, and there are some "wait, that couldn't have happened...", but it was a fun read, with some really surprising twists and turns.
Anna Matheson's family was torn apart deliberately. She has spent 12 years plotting her revenge on those responsible.
Anna sends out invitations, unsigned, but with information sure to lure those people onto a luxury train going from Philadelphia to Chicago, nonstop. What they don't know is that there are no other people on the train, other than the engineer who has been paid off. Anna's goal is to confront them one by one with the hard evidence her late aunt left to her. Things go wrong almost from the start when one of them ends up dead. Someone else has plans for these people, and unless they discover who it is, they will all be dead by Chicago.
If you're a person who likes to read books analytically and look for mistakes, you might find plot holes in this book. But if you read strictly for a good story and a fun time, you will enjoy this ride!
expected release: June 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

With a Vengeance is an EXQUISITE book. Each character had depth and a story and I loved trying to work it out every step of the way. The plot is simple enough to understand while also being so so engaging and fun. What I most need to say about this book is: Riley Sager is able to accomplish something with his writing that is so unique and special. I have tried to capture the same feeling in so many other thrillers and nobody manages to shock me like Sager. This book is a uniquely Riley Sager read, which to me means: fun, engaging, with twists and turns that leave me giggling and gasping. I absolutely loved this book!!!!!

Riley Sager does it again! This is giving Clue & Murder on the Orient Express. I was changing my guess for who the killer was every other chapter and in the end I was still wrong!! Such an incredible story.

This premise ws great - I love a murder mystery where everyone is trapped in one place. Make it during the 1950s on a beautiful overnight train? Even better. I read this in about 24 hours -- the very end was a little much for me (re: a particulr job offer), but other than that I really enjoyed it!

Riley Sager's new book is a mix of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes set on a train in the 1950's. By far my absolute favorite of her books she has written, the ending was absolutely perfect! An absolute must read for thriller and crime solver lovers!

Twelve years after her family’s destruction in 1942, Anna Matheson is ready to exact her revenge. She deceives the six individuals responsible for her family's downfall into boarding a luxury train for a fourteen-hour journey from Philadelphia to Chicago. Her plan is straightforward: confront her adversaries, extract confessions, and hand them over to the authorities waiting at the journey's end to ensure justice is served.

However, her meticulous plan unravels when one of the passengers is murdered. As the train hurtles through the night, it becomes evident that another passenger has their own vendetta and intends to eliminate everyone on board.

With the clock ticking, Anna must track down the killer while safeguarding those she despises most. To triumph over her enemies, she must first protect them, even if it means risking her own life.

I loved the time frame and setting of this book, it was a classic locked-room thriller. While parts of the book were predictable, I enjoyed this fast-paced read.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for this ARC!

Anna’s family was destroyed by 6 people and she’s finally ready for revenge. Making sure her victims can’t refuse an invitation, Anna lures them on to the sleeper train her father created. There the murders begin. But wait, what she thought was under her control isn’t and someone else is doing the killing. A huge fan of Riley Sager this book fell short for me. Maybe the closed train murders too reminiscent of past masters who do it better , or the abundance of characters I had to keep straight. The ending was a surprise and I’m sure many will love it.

Like many people I know, I love some of Riley Sager's books, but the others not so much. With a Vengeance was very difficult for me to get through. The setting sounded wonderful. 1950's - yes! Trapped on a train - yes! But the backstories took up way too much time. Then there was the stuff about trains... if you like trains, or want to know more about trains, then this will probably interest you. I found this book in no way to be a thriller. By the time it all came together, I was rather bored. I will look forward to Mr. Sager's next book! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

[TW/CW: smoking, drinking, toxic family relationships, abuse, death of family, language, cheating, death by suicide, grieving, blood, violence ]

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution.

Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of thirteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line. Justice will at last be served.

But Anna’s plan is quickly derailed by the murder of one of the passengers. As the train barrels through the night, it becomes clear that someone else on board is enacting their own form of revenge—and that they won’t stop until everyone else is dead.

With time running out before the train reaches its destination, Anna is forced to hunt the killer in their midst while protecting the people she hates the most. In order to destroy her enemies, she must first save them—even though it means putting her own life at risk.
Release Date: June 10th, 2025
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 400
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Riley Sager has great covers
2. Train mystery

What I Didn't Like:
1. So many plot holes
2. Unrealistic scenarios
3. Unrealistic characters
4. Very slow and boring
5. Addressing everyone by their full names the whole way through the book
6. Way too long for how slow this book is - could have been 100 pages shorter
7. That ending

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

The premise reminds me of the movie Clue, which is a phenomenal movie (based off the board game) from the 80s starring the amazing Tim Curry.

The whole idea of Aunt Retta slapping Anna into submission made me laugh because Retta was rich at 18. What would she know about being weak?

I just keep thinking where is this going? The problem with putting these people on a train with the shoestring plot is that it feels kind of boring and pointless. I'm with Dante it's a waste of time when the police would have gotten the people anyways and this could have been wrapped up in an hour train ride. I'm on page 100 and I keep thinking this is going to keep getting more and more stale. What more can they talk about??

It doesn't make sense that the conductor wouldn't stop when more money is offered to him. They're at the door right now offering him so much money but because she said that they would say that he won't stop. But why? If he's doing this all for money why wouldn't he want more money? He's already got her money and he could get more. I can't see no reason why he wouldn't stop. Does he have some allegiance to her? Is it some mystery guest? It just doesn't make sense if a dude does something for money he's going to do other stuff for more money. She says that the conductor wants Justice maybe for all the other ones that died and people on the train. Okay yeah okay.

So ridiculous Dante comes up to the door and Anna is freaking out that the conductor is going to listen to him. But she told the conductor to not listen to his dad because he was a part of it but why would he listen to the son? I don't get it. Plus doesn't this guy need a job he can just afford to throw away his job by not listening to the owner of the train? Other than being paid double what she paid the people on the train would that even be enough to throw away a job?

Just think it takes way too long to get to the conclusion that the poison was in the drink and who made the drink. They do this whole back and forth trying to decide who would be out to get the other and finally make it back to Dante aka the person who made the drink.

At this point I think Judd just killed himself. Or or or he's faking his death. Seamus didn't even check his pulse correctly.

People i suspect of Judd's death
• Judd
• Seamus
• Edith
• Dante
They're the only ones that weren't around Lapsford so during the distraction they could have faked a murder.

God, Anna says she can't see a reason for why someone who was paid to be on the train would put poison in the cup but for countless pages she's mentioned over and over that lots of people were affected by the actions of these people, so yeah there is many reasons why they would want to kill one if them. Why is this contradicting itself?

I don't know I feel like Reggie is a part of Anna's plan. That she kept him secret from the other dude

Reggie is working for someone because he says bosses orders when thinking about the bed. I still wonder if he's with Anna.

I do not care about the romance between Anna and Dante. Why does every thriller have to have some stupid cheesy cringey romance?

Would it be a Riley Sager book if we didn't have a ghost of someone's long dead family? Of course Anna sees the profile of her brother what else would be there? Pretty predictable.

I wish that the author would stop writing everyone's full name out. Is he getting paid by word count? This is getting ridiculous we already know the character's names we do not need their whole name every 2 seconds.

Edith has been bumped off in this whole time I keep thinking it must be Dante because all Riley Sager characters that murder someone are always the love interest to someone else.

So Davis is a agent. Like what? Where are we going with this? I feel I'm listening to my grandpa ramble on and on about things that don't matter.

After finding out who Reggie was it seems like such a lame reason for him to even be on the train. His whole job is to make sure they don't get off the train because the detectives in Chicago will want to go through the boxes for evidence. But then his boss tells him to not interfere and just observe but how would he do that and keep people on the train? Such a contradiction.

Please stop using full names......

Luckily Seamus just with luck taught Anna how to fight on the off chance that she would have to fight these people on the train, but good old Aunt Retta beat him to the punch (pun intended). Fate has Herb also luckily taking her hostage we get to witness this. Ridiculous.

Anna keeps saying there is no way to get off the train but there is. Dante can tell the conductor to pull into the next stop. She for whatever reason is choosing to let people die.

No matter what happens you'll hear over and over and over that Anna's brother and father were killed. It's so repetitive I want to scream!

Dante "reveals" that his dad the mad train tycoon did all of this because of his love of Anna's mom. Seriously??? That's what we are going with for this story?? He went with this insane plan because he wanted revenge for her breaking up with him. Dante also says he sent Retta the evidence his father had because he was mad that his father was this evil but I'm not buying it.

The fact that there is a killer on the loose and no one knows who the killer is but everyone opening the doors to let anyone in when they knock is stupid.

It has been refreshing to get some queer rep in books from the author even if it's just secondary characters

I swear to God was Kenneth Wentworth like a psychic but he just knew everyone's secret and how he was able to find out everyone's secret is insane. Sally is a lesbian and hooks up with a woman who looks like Rita Hayworth but when the lady calls her at work Sally goes to go meet her and there is Kenneth Wentworth somehow knowing that she's a lesbian and that she was going to sleep with this woman and he was going to be able to blackmail her with this information. It's just absurd. The most far-fetched scenarios to get these people on board.

How is this going to work if Sally had said let's go to her apartment instead of the hotel? Originally that Rita person asked let's go to your place and Sally was the one who suggested going to the hotel. Of course there's a person hidden in the closet taking photos of them.... No flash and no sounds.... Okay....

Wait wait so Herbs killer left through the window on a speeding train in the middle of winter and climbed up to the roof of the train through a 3 foot window. And would survive too.

Seamus has to be the one behind some of this because if he didn't care about these people being murdered and her killing them he would have hid that pin. But now he's the one that magically finds it and he's telling people about it. It doesn't make sense other than he wants her to be the one blamed for everything. She had an altercation with Herb so anything could have happened and that instant. It could have stuck to him and they didn't notice and he brought it back to his room or it could have even been on his shoe.

Soooooo Judd isn't dead (hello Saw and what thought) and faked his death so he could kill people. I also don't understand why they moved him at all since the police would have wanted to investigate. Is Judd's whole plan count on them moving him? What if they left him there and continued walking around him? So many questions.... It's okay it's a Riley Sager book and we still got 10000000 twists left for zero reasons.

What is this red flaked foam about that Judd was able to put on his mouth to make it look like he was poisoned? Never explained or anything. That's cool we're only reading a book here so why explain things...

Ahhhhhh they have 4 hours left to go till they are in Chicago BUTTTTTT decide they should split up at the last moment to look for Judd. Why? They say they can't wait here til then but again why? It doesn't make any sense to split up and look for him when you could stay together. Plus as mentioned Judd knows this train better than anyone else so he has the element of surprise on his side. This whole scene reminds me so much of Clue the movie where they suggest splitting up into pairs.

The red foam is explained. Stupid. How was he able to do all this? There was still people on the train when he got on. No one said anything about him going into the kitchen and doing all of this? Remember how she said she hired people to be on the train so it would look like a real train none of these people thought it was weird dude was just going into the kitchen? I guess I just don't understand why he would still have it in his mouth when it's been 6 hours since this happened.

Why move Judd to his room again? What's the point?

Omg I get Anna wants answers but it's honestly annoying how she makes everything about her dead family. She's holding a pill in front of Lapsford mouth and trying to get him to confess his guilt while he's almost dying - not a good way to convince others you're not so resentful that you're killing them.

I'm on page 332 and in the middle of this we're talking about Seamus' hands shaking and his medical history, but why? There have been three murders on this train and we're 80% into this book but we're going to stop and talk about this dude's medical history. We're not going to talk about somehow how Reggie got stabbed but Jude was already dead? We're not going to try and figure out who the other murderer was we're just going to stop and talk about why he has the shakes. 5 pages of this.

Anna has accused every single person on this train. It's so repetitive.

I seriously keep hoping that the way the killer is getting around isn't by climbing on the top of a train. Because there's no way that would work. How could a killer climb on top of this slick train in the snow during a blizzard slide back through windows and show up not disheveled, or cold, or their clothes wet.

Omg Seamus is the murderer and I am just shocked completely shocked AKA not at all. How would you not know it's him? It seems really obvious. Plus doesn't make sense how would she not find out it's him when Dante's tied up and Lapsford had a massive panic attack. He painted himself into a corner.

Dante would have to be the one working with him. It can't be Judd because Seamus was the one with the motive. Then when Sal was shot Seamus was with Anna and Judd was already dead.

So there are two killers they just aren't working together. Seamus killed Judd when he found him. Guess Seamus didn't ask Judd why he killed those other people - odd but okay. So he assumed he murdered Sal and Herb. Is the murderer Dante or Reggie? He's been gone for so long. Oh and Seamus jumped off the train since he was dying anyways and Anna wouldn't lie about who did it, but then he hands he a gun and tells her to finish it. Why would she do that if she wouldn't even lie to protect him? Seems like a reason for the author to hand her a gun when it goes against everything she stands for.

Sigh. Well there it is again. Riley Sager king of 8 billion terrible twist endings strikes again. Sally when we thought was dead has opened her eyes. Oh but it gets better Anna somehow magically figures out that it was Reggie that's the killer and hides in Lapsford room and catches him. Of course of course of course his dad was killed by these people. Such a coincidence that he was put on this train.

Jude agreeing to murder people and frame Anna doesn't change that he would still go to prison for the crimes he did. Plus for the love of me I cannot understand why Reggie who so mad at these people would agree to work with one of them even if it meant killing them at the end. I do love how it's not explained how Reggie came upon that it was this group of people that were a part of his father's death. It's just skimmed over.

This book is ridiculous I mean what are the chances of finding two men seeking revenge and plotting the same thing on a train and then asking Anna the same thing - to not tell.

Oh my God so Sally's really alive she magically was used to use nail polish and lipstick to pretend like she was shot in the head. Weird. And Anna was working to save their lives so they weren't killed even though she hates these people for murdering her family she somehow cares enough to save them from being murdered so they can maybe go to prison. What?

Honestly it's my fault I thought we were going to go a logical way for the murders but I forgot Riley Sager just throws darts at a board with random ideas that make no sense and lack any sense of purpose.

For some reason Anna's logic is that she should get on the roof of the train also to follow Reggie because this way she can know where he's at instead of him surprising her by coming through the window. I am not a genius but I would probably find something I could put in front of the window or maybe just block out the light so he couldn't see and then just hold my ground in one room, rather than go on to an icy roof of a train doing 80 miles an hour and a blizzard.

Somehow and is able to say Reggie outside on a speeding train and he hears her.

She's also has the decision to shoot Reggie at the top of the train but decides not to because she wants to see him punished in the way the others should have been punished. You do not have the capability of detaining this man and bringing him into the train so I really don't know what her plan is at this point. Either way I'm pretty sure Reggie's going off that train one way or another.

Not once does Reggie even threaten that he would turn Anna in when she's the one who has motive and gathered these people on a train. He could have just said that she lost it and started killing everyone. He's a cop in the 40s and she's a woman I'm pretty sure he could get away with it.

Hey another plot twist when she finally goes to the engineer to open up the door guess who's there?? Kenneth Wentworth..

He fired the engineer who the hell is driving the train? Is this guy an engineer? Did I miss something that he can drive trains to? Why though? This could be the dumbest twist I think I've ever read in a book. He took the train because he was curious where she was taking it even though he knew it was going to Chicago. Oh this just works out for the plot well because he's going to be arrested. I mean it makes no sense at all in a reading way but I guess the author wants to wrap everything up so perfectly in this weird gifted way.

Anna's brother Tommy was really Kenneth's son...

Kenneth also had Anna's father Arthur killed in prison...

I just don't understand how Reggie wouldn't be able to frame her. When the police come on to the train she's holding a gun to Ken's back and Reggie has a shot out of his leg. This does not make her innocent. Plus he confesses to them that he did the killings. It doesn't make sense he was ready to kill Anna to protect himself before and now he's confessing like he doesn't care.

And just like that it ends with them offering her a job. I guess that makes sense in this weird world.

Final Thoughts:
This book is the most basic story that has been told 100 times. There is no mystery. I was never shocked when people presented themselves for who they were. The book just slowly continues on and on. You think it's going to go somewhere but it's so slow and so boring. Everyone sitting around talking about their lives and boring stuff. Where's the suspense or mystery? All I read was people talking about the sane stuff.

This is a whodunit but I don't care who did it story.

This book is guilty of the thing that drives me crazy that authors do. They have a character and they're working with someone but they act like they don't know what's going on even though we get an internal monologue to what they're thinking, but for some reason they never think about what's going on when it deals with showing us what's happening. I hate it and annoys me because a normal person would think about that constantly.

For me whenever I read a Riley Sager book I always feel like I've seen the movie but can't remember the name of the movie. I am 100% certain that he is writing his books based off obscure older movies that younger Generations don't know.

Why does he have to always do those twist endings that add nothing to the book? Ah.

Thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. When Anna invites the people she thinks wronged her father and killed her family on a train ride to Chicago, nothing could go wrong, right? It’s a locked room mystery on wheels when guests start dying. Is someone else on the train? Are any of these people capable of murder? What will happen by the time they actually reach Chicago? A bullet train of an adventure that I couldn’t put down.

Riley Sager is back with another edge of your seat thriller, and this time it’s a high stakes game of revenge set on a moving train. With a Vengeance is tense, cinematic, and absolutely gripping! Anna Matheson boards a train with one goal, justice. She’s spent years crafting the perfect plan to take down the people who ruined her family. But when one of them ends up dead, it’s clear she’s not the only one out for blood. Trapped on a train hurtling through the night, Anna has to unmask the real killer. If you love a locked room mystery with a revenge fueled twist, this one is an absolute must read!