Main Character by Jacqueline Goldis is about Rory who months ago lost her job and her fiancé and one fell swoop luckily one of the most famous authors Generva X wanted to make Rory her next main character so for a few months Rory lived in Italy while Generva interviewed her for an upcoming book and it ended with a grand trip on the new Orient express in one of the grand‘s suites on the train Rory believes she’s taking the trip alone but when she goes to the bar car she sees her best friend her brother and her ex fiancé to top things off she also sees Gabriella he is there with his daughter Kira and he informs Rory he has copies of the upcoming book for her and her friends and an envelope she’s to open by herself. When she finally opens the envelope it has earth shattering news not only for her but those with her but she puts her best face forward and decides to deal with it at a later date. It’s hard to have a grand vacation when you have such devastating end in Rory‘s case sometimes debilitating news swimming in your head but like most great books things only get worse for poor Rory. She is not only confronted with lies she thinks her beloved father told her but also even more lies from her best friend an ex fiancé not to mention the ending finale. It is hard to give a good summary of this book and let you know about the twist without giving spoilers away more than just a who done it the book is more like wow I can’t believe they did that and I really thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to be honest and say I didn’t like the authors first book but now after reading this one I think I’m going to give it another chance because I truly enjoyed the main character and even though no one has mentioned it in their reviews… Do authors really find main characters like this? I mean that seems like a lot to go through when most riders I’m aware of just make up characters out of whole cloth and their own imagination. In any event this is a great book and when I truly enjoyed I thought the author did a fabulous job connecting all the dots and creating them. They do have talk about adoption xenophobia and I’m sure other things I’m forgetting. I want to thank atria/Emily Bessler books for my free art copy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes I am blind and dictate my review.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster for advanced copy for honest review.

Happy Pub Day!

This is the second book of Jaclyn Goldis I've read. And just like her first book The Chateau, this book is very detailed in transporting you to the location. In this story we travel through the beautifully described Italian terrain. We are taken on a train ride as a retreat to write courtesy of Ginevra. Many points of view with this one, but the main character learns quickly this has been a set up because with each stop someone they are close with climbs aboard. IT'S A 4 STAR TICKET TO RIDE!

I was so excited to dive into ‘The Main Character’ because I love reading books about books, and I’m a sucker for mysteries. Mastering the many twists and turns that mysteries entail is a true skill, and I was ready to put on my detective hat once I started this one.

The story follows a woman named Rory, who has just boarded the Orient Express. Her 3-day vacay is courtesy of a famous writer named Ginevra Ex who has interviewed Rory to become the main character in her newest fictional thriller. However, when Rory boards the train, she is surprised to be met by a few people from her past, all plotted by mastermind Ginevra. Throughout the three day excursion, their secrets are all revealed —thanks to Ginevra’s book — and these secrets are eventually big enough to lead to an off-the-page murder.

While the first chapter of ‘The Main Character’ teases the big murder that takes place, the pacing mimics more of a complicated family drama as we wait for the actual murder to unfold in the last quarter of the book. The relationships between the characters and the secrets they are keeping from one another take center stage instead. While murder does eventually take place, this story felt like it falls into a family drama genre more so than a murder mystery (as implied by its Agatha Christie comparison and Orient Express setting) — so if you enjoy stories about dark family dynamics over suspenseful murder mysteries, this could be the book for you.

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The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis is an engaging, character-driven story.
I enjoyed the characters, the twists, the writing and how intriguing the story was.
A tightly plotted mystery with so many twisty angles.
Full of dizzying twists and turns that will keep readers riveted to its pages.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

First thank you to atria and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: giinevra is a famous author that hires real people and conducts extensive interviews and fictionalize their life story. Rory gets a trip abroad on a luxury train when her story is done. Will thus train ride end like her books do?

What I liked: the story premise was so unique buying a main character story. I also liked the nod to Agatha Christie with the luxury train ride. However I felt the pacing was off and moved too slow in some parts (middle) and went too fast in others(ending). There was also a story line involving her papa and his immigrant story that was very interesting. I have not read anything else by this author so maybe it was me.

3 stars.

After reading the synopsis, I instantly wanted to read this ASAP. This story sounded really intriguing but sadly, I felt like it took forever to get to the actual plot. I did the like the dynamic between all the characters but I just wished there was more plot, more thrill to the story. I also think this was supposed to be inspired by an Agatha Christie book and I just didn't see it.

Thank you Netgalley, Jaclyn Goldis, and Atria Books for the ebook!! A great and thrilling read that takes you into the heart and mind of an author! But what happens when the story flips and the author is no longer in control of the narrative?? I love how Jaclyn always ties in something that means so much to her. She really can weave a tale!

After losing her job, and getting dumped by her fiancé, Rory agrees to become Ginevra Ex’s main character. It’s how Ginevra writes her books…she digs into a persons life, and then builds the book around them. But Rory has nothing to hide so why not? The hundred grand doesn’t hurt either! When they finish their work together, Ginevra sends Rory on a lavish train trip as a thank you. What Rory didn’t expect, was to see her brother, her best friend, and her ex fiancé also on the train. As she reads the arc of the book, Rory feels like something is just not right.

This was such an intriguing idea for a book! I loved that Ginevra would choose a person and write her story around them and their life. It was obvious from the start that everyone here was hiding something, and I loved following along as Rory tried to piece together the lies. I aways love a book in a book, so that added to this story, though I wish we got to see a bit more of the final book! It was so interesting to see how each of the characters connected to the story in the end, and I truly enjoyed this book!

Ginevra Ex is a well known author living in Italy whose last book has not done well. Promising to fictionalize the story, she pays Rory, an American woman who has recently lost her job as a news anchor, to tell about her life. After their arrangement is done, she offers Rory an all expense paid trip on the luxurious Orient Express train through Italy. Rory's shocked to find that her best friend, her ex fiancé, an Italian man she dated, and her brother are all on the trip too, courtesy of Ginevra. What is Ginevra's motivation? We learn that each person has shocking secrets which will all be revealed by the end of the trip.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-arc.*

I am torn about this review because there were parts I so enjoyed, but things that I didn’t.This book started out with such an interesting premise, but it didn’t shine for me because it felt more historical fiction than thriller so I feel a bit tricked. There were some shocking twists, but you can tell the main focus and interest of the author is the post-WWII story and not the main character story. It felt like 2 book ideas merged into 1.

I think this will be enjoyable for anyone who goes in for a light thriller knowing it is more historical than an Orient-Express inspired story.

I liked:
🚂 the descriptions of the luxury of the orient express and the different travel locations
🔀There were some shocking twists
🌏 The past characters were intriguing

What didn’t work for ME:
🫓 PRESENT characters just didn’t feel like they had a lot of depth; more like each had a certain perspective and a few small facts and just kept spinning.
🤷🏼‍♀️There were 0 likable characters in this book.
📖There were still many things that were never explained or never came together, or the explanations seemed weak
🚂I would not compare this to an Agatha Christie novel.

For fans of Lucy Foley, Paula Hawkins, and Ruth Ware, The Main Character is a character-driven mystery filled with thrilling twists and a touch of dark intrigue. Even though this book had plenty of psychological suspense and plot twists, I found it rather difficult to stay engaged and keep reading. The characters felt like they blended together even with the multiple POV format. Additionally, I found that much of the plot was sacrificed in place of unnecessary details and drawn out descriptions or commentary.
Altogether, I’m not sure I’d recommend this book. It had parts that I enjoyed, such as the twists and turns, but I don’t think that was enough. I need a book that keeps me engaged and this one just didn’t do it for me.

The main character, Goldis’ follow-up to the chateau-is a modern day homage to murder on the orient express. A successful Mystery author has a unique set-up to create her stories-she follows real-life people and places them into situations that create good stories and turns them into fiction. Her newest main character-Rory-is shocked to discover that after participating as the main character in her newest novel, she is gifted with an elaborate Mediterranean trip on a luxury train. However, when she arrives she’s finds intimate people from her life with her on the trip, people she never knew were going-her best friend, her ex, her brother. Soon it becomes clear there are reasons for them all to be there and Rory tries to parse together what they all are hiding. Secrets are revealed, bodies pile up, and complicated family dynamics emerge during the trip.

I didn’t find this as much as a homage to murder on the orient express as more a homage to Christie herself and her mark on the genre. I think I was in the minority-I enjoyed the book through the first half and was really into it-the last half didn’t hold my attention as much and the ending didn’t do it for me! However, I still really enjoyed this and this would make a great beach or pool read this summer!

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

How do I know early on that a book will probably be 2 stars or less? When I find myself on goodreads looking for spoilers to find out what will happen and if the book is worth reading . I couldn’t find spoilers so I had to keep on going …

One of the things I do not like about ebooks is that I can’t easily flip to the end of the book 😂
It was pretty torturous trying to get to the end of this one but I did want to find out what happened
✔️ love the setting - The Orient Express & Italy - 💫
✔️ a unique concept ⭐️
✔️ a good start 💫

✖️pages and pages of being “told” stuff that just isn’t even relevant to the story for the most part … I’m a good slimmer but hey I could have almost skipped whole chapters 🤦‍♀️
✖️the ending and the story or the author was just way too much in the end - honestly couldn’t believe that ending 🤦‍♀️

Main Character starts with Rory, a person famed author Ginerva Ex is basing her next novel on, going on a train ride. She is surprised to stumble upon past some of the past-loved ones she was intentionally avoiding and distancing herself from, with a surprising note from Ginerva setting her off on the journey.

Once I got into this, I couldn't put it down. It didn't end as I expected, and was a great mental escape as I tried to figure it out. It went all other the place as I tried to make sense of it - keeping me engaged.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the ARC.

I saw someone say this book reads like an Agatha Christie book, I have never read one of her books but maybe I need to read some now. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about this book, I thought it was going to be too slow for me. However, I loved it, the chapters are told from each of the different characters perspectives, they alternate back and forth. So, you get the story from all angles which I love. This book takes place on a train outside of Italy and all over compliments of the author in the book Genirva X.

Ginevra was a bestselling author who created her characters after interviewing real people which gave her writing a realistic intricacy. She gifted one of her newest characters, Rory, a luxurious trip on the exotic Orient Express (a personal dream of mine). As Rory began to settle into her lovely surroundings, she shockingly discovered people from her past on board, people she knew extremely well. While the train made stops at wonderful locales, mysteries deepened and skeletons in closets were exposed.

Rory is taken aback by the extravagance of her trip, but she quickly discovers that she is not alone; her brother Max, best friend and pseudo sister Caro, and ex-fiancé Nate are all part of her surprise. From Cinque Terre to Rome, each trip reveals betrayals, family secrets, and forces Rory to reconsider all she thought she knew about her life. Ginevra has developed a real-life mystery with Rory as the main character, who is subjected to experiences that shake her to the core, leaving her fearful that her story may end tragically.

This homage to Agatha Christie is for those who want a unique, masterfully written, and intriguing character-driven novel with alternating viewpoints and temporal leaps. Although not precisely a whodunit, and at times loaded with sensitive and emotional issues (antisemitism, Alzheimer's), the novel keeps the reader engaged with its twisting plot that gradually unveils itself until its unexpected climax. I would absolutely recommend the Main Character to anyone searching for something unusual!

This was a bit too slow moving for me to really get hooked into the story, I did enjoy the Mediterranean setting. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis is a riveting time slip mystery loaded with family (and other) drama and unexpected twists and turns. It took awhile to get immersed but slow burns and character-driven stories are my thing so after pulling me in, it didn't loosen its grip.

Ginevra was a best selling author who created her characters after interviewing real people which gave her writing a realistic slant. She gifted one of her newest characters, Rory, a luxurious trip on the sumptuous Orient Express (a personal dream of mine). As Rory began to settle into her lovely surroundings, she shockingly discovered people from her past on board, people she knew extremely well. While the train made stops at wonderful locales, mysteries deepened and skeletons in closets were exposed.

The Italian Mediterranean setting drew me in as I live on the Mediterranean part time and adore the traditions, culture, food, slow pace of life and atmosphere which the author beautifully describes. Though not besotted with the characters, the cunning plot and originality made me smile. However, this book did not remind me of Agatha Christie as touted so I enjoyed it for what it was without certain expectations.

My sincere thank you for the digital ARC which was provided by Atria Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan, and was excited to read this "modern homage" to Murder on the Orient Express. I enjoyed the premise--a mystery author basically bringing her characters to life and putting them in situations that lead to conflict and, of course, murder. However, I didn't really care for any of the characters, including Rory, the protagonist. That isn't necessarily a problem, but I didn't care about them either. That being said, I did think the ending was well done, and I look forward to seeing what Jaclyn Goldis does next!

"The Main Character" is a captivating modern twist on the classic "Murder on the Orient Express." The story follows Rory, a character chosen from real life by author Ginevra Ex, as she embarks on an unforgettable journey. Sent on a trip of a lifetime by the author, Rory soon discovers that she is not the only one invited on this train trip. Many characters from her past make an appearance and their stories intertwine, unveiling hidden secrets among family and friends. The narrative is filled with numerous plot twists, masterfully woven together, leading to an unexpected final twist that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

This book is a must-read for fans of the classic "Murder on the Orient Express" and for those who enjoy thrilling narratives that seamlessly blend fiction and reality. Its expert storytelling and surprising reveals make it a standout in modern mystery literature.

Read if you like:
🏝️ Beachy Reads
🔥 Slow Burn
🔎 Mysteries
#️⃣ Multiple POV

This is such a slow burn mystery that you need to know for your enjoyment to expect this slow burn pacing with characters that are not written to be lovable in any way really.

Now if I have you intrigued by that, I would highly recommend checking it out especially if you are a fan of Agatha Christie and her impact on the genre as this one pays homage to her work!

Thank you so much to Atria for my ARC in exchange for my review!