Thank you NetGalley and SS Atria Marketing for the ARC of The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis. I enjoyed this book, the setting aboard the train and the destinations. I was familiar with the areas visited, and I liked the concept of the story. Although, it failed to be on par with Agatha Christie (as described in the promo).
The storyline of an author creating her stories through real people, instead of writing about her own experience, was interesting. A solid 4*. An interesting twist in the final chapters.

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read! It was new and fresh, twisty and turny. I had no idea what was coming and LOVED IT! This is a masterpiece in fiction. I think that the author just earned a place in my top 5 favorites of all time! This book was so interesting and I kept reading under the covers like a child. I just couldn’t stop! I adored the characters; they were so nuanced and complex. The scenes were perfectly descriptive without being wordy or overly done. Honestly wish that I could give it 10 stars, that’s what is deserved for this masterful storytelling!

I love mysteries and thrillers. You tell me something is going to be like Murder on the Orient Express and I am HERE FOR IT.

This book fell so flat though. There was too much going on. To be honest, an ENTIRE character could have been cut (at least as a POV) and it wouldn't have made a difference.

I'm not mad that I read it, so it gets three stars, but I expected more from this kind of concept.

Great premise. Author on a train, trying to come up with the best plot for her new novel. She likes to write her real life, so she sometimes hires people to write about, after intense interviews. Brilliant setting on the Italian- Mediterranean coast. Never really connected with this authors writing style. I’m sure many people will love this homage to Agatha Christie, just wasn’t the book for me.
Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Atria books for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 stars rounded up

As stated in the description, there are certain ly parallels to Agatha Christie, and the setup is well done. I found the title and use of “main character energy” odd. When we stop using this term so often, the book might grow old and outdated quickly, but i would like to be proven wrong. I would still recommend this to patrons who enjoy closed room family dramas.

Honestly the second from this author that I wasn't a fan of. Maybe she's just not for me! I had a feeling from the first chapter and it never really took off for me. Cool premise though!

This was such a good book! I loved the characters, and their story. The dialogue was realistic and enjoyable. I was very surprised by the ending!

Jaclyn Goldis’ homage to Agatha Christie continues with this refreshing new twist on “Murder on the Orient Express.” Her first mystery, “The Chateau,” gathered characters at an isolated chateau, all with secrets, much like many Hercule Poirot scenarios. Her main author character in this book hates being known as a “derivative Agatha Christie” but it really is a compliment to be compared with the very best.

In this novel, we already know the “mastermind” behind the unfolding plot: a super best-selling author named Ginerva Ex. Ginerva’s particular literary speciality is interviewing a real person about their life, then incorporating the juicy parts into a fictional murder mystery. However, her last book bombed due to a poor choice of character who was perceived as exceedingly dull.

This time, Ginerva has selected Rory Aronov, daughter of a Russian immigrant, Ansel (currently suffering from dementia) and sister of a multimillionaire pharma tech bro, Maximillian, on the cusp of developing a vaccine for Alzheimer’s. Rory was a popular newscaster in Los Angeles until something blew that up and she left in disgrace. At the same time, a ten year relationship with her boyfriend Nate imploded. Rory, Max, and Nate had all been close, including her bestie Caroline, who is employed (and loved) by Max. But they have all drifted away from each other. After her intense interviews with Ginerva, Rory took some lengthy meditative time off (a silent retreat), isolating herself from the world. Now she’s ready to resume her life and she finds she’s been gifted with a ticket from the author on the famous Orient Express (once a dream of hers that she shared with Ginerva). As she boards, she’s confronted with a not-so-pleasant surprise: Max, Nate and Caroline are onboard, too, along with Ginerva’s lawyer Gabrielle, with whom Rory had a fling. And a preview copy of the book, “Cabin on the Lake” is also given to everyone. But…is the book finished? Is Ginerva still scripting Rory’s life and those of her friends? The book contains a fictional murder, but what happens if a real murder among the group now takes place?

There are 4 first person POV narrators: Rory, Max, Caroline, and Nate. Ginerva gets a third person perspective in her chapters, many of them flashbacks. There are other background characters: Ansel, the ailing off-screen father; Marco, the steward; Gabrielle, the lawyer, and his daughter, Chiara; and various recurring train passengers. However, Goldis excels at keeping a multitude of characters easily understandable (as she did in “The Chateau”). The characters are well drawn and we eventually learn much of their emotions and motivations, although we still need Ginerva’s story to fill in the gaps.

There were some illogical leaps to hurry the storyline along, like Rory immediately assuming that because Italian Ginerva uncovered Rory’s adoption, she might be Rory’s mom or might somehow know Ansel who has primarily lived in Michigan his adult life. But that take was quickly put into the reader’s consciousness to consider.

The novel dives deep into parent/child relationships — especially ones where there’s an absent mother. But you won’t figure out all the twists until the very end…. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Rory, the main character, has green eyes, as does Gabrielle’s daughter Chiara.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Ginerva believes that to be happy, she needs to create a garden from weeds.

Thank you to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Review of eGalley

Ginevra Ex, with her newest manuscript, has planned a trip on the Orient Express, a perfect trip for Rory and the other characters in her book. She meticulously planned, but she forgot that often those characters have minds of their own and behave in unexpected ways.

Despite the extensive interviews, Rory is excited to have been chosen to be Ginevra’s latest main character. Now, she’s received this unexpected extravagance: a trip aboard the Orient Express. But she soon discovers that her brother, Max, her best friend, Caroline, and her ex-fiancé, Nate, are all aboard the train as well.

Why has Ginevra invited them? What secrets lurk, held close by each of the guests aboard the train?

And who will end up dead?

========

Told from several perspectives . . . Ginevra, Rory, Max, Caroline, and Nate . . . the unfolding narrative holds several shocking secrets that the characters slowly reveal to the reader. An undercurrent of tension runs throughout the telling of the tale and tension builds throughout the narrative.

Intriguing [but not necessarily likable] characters, an extraordinary setting, and a truly twisted plot all work together to keep the suspense building as readers slowly unravel the mystery as they read “The Cabin on the Lake,” Ginevra’s fictionalized account of the characters.

Despite an ending that is likely to leave readers wanting something more, most of the questions are answered and the mystery solved. However, a plot point involving Ginevra and Orsola is likely to be a disappointment for many readers.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#TheMainCharacter #NetGalley

This mystery has all the feels and cinematic suspense! Rory is an authentic character that is easily relatable as a person and as an inspiration for a murder mystery. Her family background and the way that her friends become her family makes for excellent character development of the integral players of the story. Ginevra is mysterious, though, as she can be a wonderful benefactor or a master manipulator - either is conceivable. The manner in which Genevra divines inspiration is an interesting concept - I like the way that she takes basic information on real people in which to spin an elaborate tale. This way, you have 2 mysteries in the book: the unfolding of Rory's life and the mystery of the fiction penned by Genevra. The pieces of the mystery are scattered like confetti - you try to gather up the pieces, but it is near impossible to fit them together to make a picture. It takes some shocking revelations to understand the full repercussions of the incredible train journey. I absolutely love the way the author penned a fairy tale out of the character's history. Persecution of Russian Jews is integral to this story, and I appreciate the sensitive way the author has woven fact into her fiction. This book is like the train ride the characters are on - hop on; you are going to love the ride!

Thank you Netgalley, and Atria Books for the ARC of this book.

I was very intrigued by the description of the book. Rory becomes thd main character of famous author, General Ex's next book. After tireless interviews over 3 months, Ginervra gifts Rory a luxurious trip on the Orient Express. Rory us quickly surprised by unexpected people on the train, her brother, her best friend and her ex-fiance. As the book proceeds, we learn about many betrayals, from the recent past to the long ago psst that will change both Rory's and Ginevra's lives forever.

I liked the book, though parts did fall short for me. I was expecting more from the ending, which seemed too rushed and didn't do the rest of the book justice. Comparison to Agatha Christie are really only valid as far as both books involve murder and The Orient Express.

3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Rory is gifted with a lavish trip on the Orient Express through Italy, a reward from literary diva Ginevra Ex for her participation in her unorthodox writing process. But there's a twist – she's not the only one aboard. Her brother, best friend, even her ex-fiancé – all Ginevra's guests, all harboring secrets and agendas. Each among the quartet is given drafts of the author's forthcoming book, for which they were all interviewed extensively, as part of Ginevra's rituals for fleshing out her "main character." We experience the trip through each of their perspectives, and as the train rolls along, the intrigue picks up as we realize that even the secrets we thought we were privy to begin to twist in unexpected ways and lead to new revelations. Rory increasingly supects that she is much more than a mere muse to Ginevra and that no one, even those she loves dearest, are being honest with her. I thoroughly enjoyed this thrilling romp filled with history, glamorous travel, and juicy family drama.

You will be disappointed if you go into this anticipating an Agatha Christie inspired murder mystery. This was more soap opera on a train with a murder in the last 50 pages. It wasn’t until those last pages that momentum picked up and then ended abruptly. Despite the miss on marketing and mystery, I enjoyed The Main Character for what it was: a picturesque character and family-driven drama set on the Italian coastline with animated characters and some mild intrigue. While the story dragged on at times and fell short of delivering suspense, it was still alluring with dramatic characters and some unexpected twists.

I love this cover! The description of the book is fabulous but reading it didn't keep my interest in the story as much as I hoped. It fell flat and felt boring instead of a page turner to me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Overall it was a good book but in some parts it feel a little flat . I know it was a comparison to Agatha Christie’s life and I still like her books better

Rory has been providing her life story to Ginevra Ex, a very famous author.Ginevra has an interesting way of writing her books. She buys someone’s life story that interests her, then changes it enough so that she turns it into a fictional story. But Rory is stunned when Ginevra buys her a ticket on the Orient Express as a thank you present, when their work is done. She’s even more surprised that Ginevra also invited her brother Max, her best friend, Caroline, her ex-fiancé, Nate, and Gabriele, a man she has casually dated.
The trip of a lifetime suddenly doesn’t seem quite so glamorous to Rory. She has a lot of feelings towards these people and currently they are not bringing her joy. But what can she do? Maybe some rifts can be fixed or maybe not since there are numerous secrets and lies that will be revealed.
I enjoyed finding out why Ginevra set up this trip. When everything was revealed, I was like oh my gosh what a tangled web we weave. I will say that the ending seemed rather abrupt. I just would’ve liked a bit more. Still, I cannot say that I didn’t enjoy the ride.

I found the premise of The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis intriguing, and despite comparisions to Agatha Christie, the story is its own. A reclusive, best-selling author sends her latest story inspiration on a lavish trip with friends and family, and of course, everyone is hiding something.

This was a fun read for me from the beginning. I enjoyed the writing style and was interested the whole way through. It may have suffered a bit from one too many twists or secrets, but it's a book that I would recommend to most any mystery lover. This isn't a high-paced thriller but more a character study that looks at the impact of deception.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for a free copy of #TheMainCharacter by Jaclyn Goldis. All opinions are my own.

I’m obsessed with the cover. It’s perfection. Exact vibes, NAILED.

I stopped after chapter 1, but the prose feels luscious and overall well-executed. This seems like it will be a treat for readers. Likely a very easy three stars, four to five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.

Thank you #NetGalley for an ARC of #Main Character in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited about this book at first, because of the parallels between this book and the Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, but Christie is a tough act to follow most of the time. This book unfortunately fell flat for me in a lot of spots. I had trouble with the pacing, but I enjoyed the prose. I think my problem was that I was comparing it to Christie's version... I was determined to finish the book, but then I found the lack luster. I think some may enjoy and it wasn't a bad read, just not my fave. 3.5 starts seems fair.

The two similarities this has to Murder on the Orient Express:
1. Happens on a train.
2. Death. (eventually)

Comparing any mystery to Queen Agatha Christie is a bold move. You'd be hard-pressed to find a mystery-lover who hasn't read at least one of her novels. I rarely think the comparison is fair, and that's certainly the case here.

I do love a good dramatic cast, but the characters are more immature than anything. Despite being in their thirties, they were petty and childish in many ways. Despite the insane drama (cheating, unrequited love) it was still boring.

The story dragged out. It would have helped if this was an actual murder mystery. This reads more like a boring thriller. It's based on secrets that weren't super exciting. I can't decide if the secrets bored me because of what they were or if I didn't care about the characters.

If you love a soap opera cast and go into this expecting a thriller, you might like this one. Unfortunately, it was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books, for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.