This was a really good book, much to my surprise. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. It was well written and kept my attention. I would definitely recommend this book.

The story is set on the Orient Express while traveling through Italy. I loved the descriptions of scenery throughout the story. I added some pictures from my trip to Cinque Terre, where part of the story takes place.

Rory is the main character for Ginevra’s upcoming new book. Ginevra invites the most important people in Rory’s life for this trip of a lifetime, all expenses paid. What is Ginevra’s motive for this? Soon we begin to learn everyone’s secrets and the reason they are brought together.

The author is paying homage to Agatha Christie. It is an original mystery, but I felt like the execution was lacking in parts of the story.

The ending was pretty abrupt & you are left wondering about all the loose ends. It was an overall enjoyable read though!


Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis
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After being interviewed by a famous author, Rory has been gifted a lavish train trip along the Italian coast. She is surprised to find that her brother, her best friend, and her ex are all on the trip as well. Which is uncomfortable after a truth the author revealed during the interview.
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What I liked:
-I really did not see where this book was going and it was just chock full of fun surprises! What a twisty little web Goldis weaved!
-I loved that this is set on a train. I’ve always wanted to go on a week long train trip. Hopefully one that does not end in murder, though. 😅
-What an interesting premise as well. An author who writes her main characters based on a person she specifically interviews for that purpose.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was an excellent popcorn mystery/thriller that kept me guessing. I loved that I didn’t see where it was going and just when I thought it was all out of reveals, it pulled out one last one.

Rounding up to 3.5 ⭐️
I think the premise of this book is very unique.
An author writes books using a “main character” who is a real life person with real life stories of hers or his own.
Rory is the current main character, and is gifted a trip on the orient express. Everything seems to unravel once on the trip, when Rory finds there are some other guests she didn’t know were coming on her adventure.
I thought there was some petty drama involved and I thought the story took a minute to develop, but for the most part it was different and entertaining.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

Rory is the newest main character for New York Times bestseller Ginerva Ex. Ginerva has made a name for herself by basing her main characters and plot after other people. She interviews people and then writes her best sellers based on people’s lives with murder involved. Ginerva invites Rory to the Orient Express and seemingly invites her brother, best friend, and ex fiancé. Rory had lost her job and her fiancé after he breaks off their engagement out of the blue. Nate, her ex fiancé, wants to get back together and throughout the trip he tries to get Rory to get back together with him but she decides to remain friends with him. Her best friend Caroline works for her brother Max at a company that is trying to find a way to help their father. Rory finds out that Caroline is embezzling from her brothers company when in truth Max is paying her to keep quiet about how the drug is truly working and harming people instead of helping. Caro also slept with Nate by accident and both of them regret it. Caro tells Rory and Max during dinner and they are both heartbroken. Turns out that Ginerva is Max’s biological mother and she has loved and helped them out for their entire lives and that she fell in love with their father but her evil twin sister kept them apart. Ginerva confronts Osolo her sister after Max dies from Rory hitting him in the head with a bucket because he was trying to kill Caro so that she wouldn’t tell about the drug and also tried to push her off the colosseum and make it look like suicide. Ginerva pushes Osolo off the balcony of the hotel suite she is staying at because Osolo caused Ginerva to lose the family she should have had and her great love with Rory’s father. Ginerva asks to help pay for Rory’s father’s care and the company that Max started.

The Main Character is a perfectly serviceable mystery. While it didn’t totally draw me in, and the characters weren’t terribly relatable, it was still a decent way to pass the time on a summery afternoon of reading.

Thank you Jaclyn Goldis, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book is a trapped on a train murder mystery with interpersonal drama. A rich, highly acclaimed author has a new book ready to be released, the manuscript is made. The way she writes her stories is a bit unconventional. She seeks out individuals to be her main character. She gets to know them and their friends, family, acquaintances on a very personal level. Then she writes a murder mystery based off of bits and pieces of the said persons real life scenarios. In this story, she treats her (in real-life) main character of her latest book a trip on a train, The Orient Express. Brother, Best Friend and Ex appear. Later on a murder commences. Who is it? And more importantly, whodunit??

I appreciate the Author’s Note in explaining how the story connects with her family’s story. That the character Ansel and the backstory is loosely based on their father and his parents. I knew that there must be a personal connection with the author upon reading these chapters. I can tell there was a lot of care put into that time period, and bringing light on the history (Soviet Union, USSR, KGB, Moscow 1980s) to readers. I do think this Author should have written a Historical Fiction based on Ansel and Ginevra instead, as it is clear that is where the focus of the attention and passion truly was with this story.

I will be honest and say that I had many issues with the book. I found the story was incredibly drawn out. I found myself reading in short spurts, putting it down and didn’t feel a drive to move forward with my reading journey. The detailed descriptions of the setting locations, the scenes and the characters that were paragraphs long - it was too much. It was so much to the point I was losing interest in the story and where it was going to go. I couldn’t see a main story with a beginning, middle and end. I kept getting sucked into Nate, Max, Rory, Caroline and Ginevra as individuals and what locations they were at, rather than progressing the main story.

I did not get anything out of switching character POV every chapter. It took me out of the story having it switch each chapter and there being so many POV’s (five characters, one including a before/after time period POV). Normally I enjoy multi-POV stories, especially with Mystery & Thriller genres but this story did not need it. I would have felt more satisfied if it was just Rory and Ginevra.

There was so much backstory and not enough of present day. The backstory became the main story - there were so many chapters upon chapters worth of it. It made it feel like I was reading a separate novel all together, one in which was a Soviet (Moscow 1980s) Historical Fiction family drama/love story.

The Covid anecdotes were unnecessary, it didn’t add anything and I would appreciate steering away from pandemic for new releases now.

A main issue I had was the many, many nicknames and nickname acronyms given to the characters - to be blunt I found it irritating. Rory (Ror, LS, MWD), Max (Maxie, Maximillion, BB, MWS), Caroline (Caro, C) and BA. This was, I must emphasize this, extremely overboard! Also, I don’t understand why the entire book Caroline is written under Caro for every thing she does (ex. “Caro asks”, “Caro says”). I understand if a character says the nickname Caro in their dialogue, but to then have Caro written for everything Caroline does or says under a character’s POV observations seemed out of place. There are 45 sentences that have “Caroline” and the remainder of the book she is written as “Caro”- in dialogue and otherwise. Caro is written well over 100 instances. As a reader, it was excessive.

I found the ending was drawn out and yet, at the very end, it completely rushed out the Ginevra and Orsola meet up. I think it would’ve been a stronger ending if it was left wrapping up everything together with Rory/Ginevra/Ansel.

Thank you Atria Books (Emily Bestler Books) and NetGalley for this eARC!

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

This one has a lot of nods to Agatha Christie, but only on the surface. This is a domestic thriller(ish) on a train. The main character is very bland and thus the story dragged a bit for my taste. I also didn’t find it to be all that thrilling - confusion yes, thriller no. Thanks to NetGalley for this read. I would have enjoyed more substance, but it felt more like it was a rush to finish.

This book was fine, but nothing outstanding. I hope it finds it's audience but it was not very memorable for me.

If you love Agatha Christie or murder mystery style, “the main character” is definitely giving these vibes in a new modern day twist

The plot follows a well known renowned author who hires every day people to study and use for inspiration for her next book.

Rory is the latest muse who gets more than she bargained for when she is offered a fully paid for vacation to the scenic picturesque Italy travelling along the Mediterranean coast on the Orient Express.

When a real life murder mystery begins to unravel she is thrown into doubt when people from her real life are involved.. her sibling, bff and ex fiancé are all on board and all seemingly have something to hide.

I loved the stunningly visual setting, the excitement of a moving locked door scenario, the vacation aspects, the murder mystery, the multiple cast of suspects. This had all the markings of an excellent summer thriller. A must read!

Thank you to Atria books, Jaclyn Goldis and NetGalley for the EARC!

Publish date: available now

The Main Character is easily one of the most unique mysteries I've ever come across. The book centers on an author who hires people to inspire her writing. She gets to know them through interviews and then turns them into fictional characters. But her latest muse, Rory, has no idea her role in the story is just beginning. Rory is treated to a luxurious trip along Italy’s Mediterranean coast on the newly renovated Orient Express (think Agatha Christie), but it’s more than just a thank you gift. Rory finds herself in a real-life murder mystery, surrounded by an unexpected cast of characters: her brother, best friend, and ex-fiancé, all of whom have secrets.

This murder mystery is full of twists and completely original. While the Agatha Christie nods are nostalgic, everything else feels fresh and new. I was hooked and couldn't put it down!

**3.5-stars**

The Main Character is the 2nd-release that I have read from Jaclyn Goldis, the 1st being The Chateau, which ended up not being a great fit for me.
While I still had some issues with this one, it was definitely a more enjoyable read, IMO. Thus, Goldis and I have an upward trajectory together, and I love to see that.

In this story we are following a group of characters on a luxury train trip aboard the newly-renovated Orient Express. The focus of our tale is Rory, who has recently worked as the main character for a bestselling mystery author, Ginevra Ex. What does that mean exactly? Basically, Ginevra researches Rory, her main character, including everything in her life, and everyone, and then the author frames the main character of her next book on what she discovered while learning about Rory. I'm sure that sounds intrusive and it was, but Rory willingly participated.

How bad can it be?

The train trip was a gift to Rory from the author at the conclusion of the project. The ARCs are ready and Ginevra wants to thank Rory for her time.
Upon boarding the train though, Rory is shocked to find her brother, her best friend and her ex-fiance already aboard. What the heck is going on here? Why would the author bring them all together like this?

It seems Ginevra uncovered some truths during her research that could shock the heck out of Rory. Playing out on the train, as twisted as any fictional story, Rory finds herself suddenly in a vacation from hell. Was this the author's plan all along? Rory needs to find out.

As with The Chateau, there's a lot going on here. We get various perspectives in the present, as well as a historical perspective. Generally, I enjoy that, and by the end, I enjoyed that here as well, but in the beginning, I will admit to being bored by the historical portions. I did appreciate how the author ended up tying the two timelines together though, and it does make sense in light of everything that ultimately played out.

I did enjoy the characters and all of their interpersonal dramas. They're not likable, but they were definitely interesting. I did have times when I felt for Rory, and I sort of liked her best friend, Caroline, as well. As with most friend groups, there are secrets which end up being exposed. It makes for an intense trip and I do feel like Goldis did a solid job building that tension throughout.

One area where I was disappointed, however, was the atmosphere. I'm an atmosphere girlie and when you tell me we are going on a train journey, especially on the infamous Orient Express, I want to feel that. Honestly, I kept forgetting they were even on a train. There was so much focused on their interactions, they really could have been anywhere. It's unfortunate, because the train is a huge selling point for this novel.

Nevertheless, there are still some fun and engaging attributes to this, so I can see a lot of Readers really enjoying it. I'm also happy that I had a much better experience with this than with The Chateau. If you pick this one up, I highly recommend reading the Author's Note at the end, where Goldis discusses some of her inspiration for the historical portions of this story. I thought that was so good to know and I'm sure her family is extra proud of this one because of it.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm 100% on board with future work from this author.

I liked this multi-generational, multi-perspective, twisted story. I appreciate the author’s research for the historical pieces of the narrative, and I enjoyed the current storyline as well.

I thought this was an interesting book and concept. It had some really fun parts and it was interesting. It wasnt my favorite but it was okay and kept me entertained. I did feel bad for Rory throughout the book because she kinda thrown into a rough situation with no warning. It felt very Agatha Cristie type book but missed on certain things.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙡𝙪𝙭𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚.

Ahhh I’m so bummed I didn’t love this book as I went into it with high hopes… although I wasn’t a fan of The Chateau by this author, this book had such an interesting premise… with the take on Agatha Christie’s style of storytelling.

I should’ve known I wasn’t going to enjoy this book, but I still went into it expecting more than what it gave.

While I did find the luxurious train to be fascinating (Orient Express traveling to southern Italy), I didn’t care for the action. I also felt like the ending was way too abrupt. The story is also formatted in a confusing way with the way it just changed POVs out of nowhere, I kept getting confused when I would start a new chapter.

Overall, this wasn’t my fav thriller whatsoever… while it had its moment, it wasn’t for me.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Atria Books for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

I was slightly meh about this one. I keep thinking I know where it’s going then I’m wrong — but not in an exciting way but more in a “oh that’s a choice” way. There’s also a lot of backstory that’s boring and unclear how relevant it is.
I learned in the author’s note that there’s a bit of the book based on real experiences from the author’s family. I think ultimately I found the heavy backstory distracting and was way more interested in the present day storyline. Also there were a few loose ends that don’t get acknowledged so that felt a bit unsettling to me. I’d skip this one — what a bummer of a vacay read but I’m not opposed to giving the author another try since I loved THE CHATEAU!

I struggled with this one. I love the idea of an Agatha Christie homage, and the luxury train setting. But the characters were quite unlikeable/uninteresting and there were too many of them. I wound up not continuing with the book.

Ginevra Ex, a reclusive bestselling author, chooses a main character, does exclusive interviews and writes a fictionalized account of their lives. Her latest character, Rory, is thrilled to learn that as a bonus, Ginevra has planned a trip for her aboard the famous Orient Express. Her elation soon turns to puzzlement when she finds out friends, family and even her ex fiancé are also aboard. Why? Each have a secret, but will they come out on the trip? What does Ginevra have up her sleeve? It’s up to Rory to unravel the mystery, but will the trip mirror Ginevra’s past bestsellers? Will they survive the trip, or will someone end up dead? This book was difficult to connect with and the characters were all unlikable, leaving no one to really root for. While it’s toted to be a modern day “Agatha Christie” novel, other than the nods toward the original book, there is no real comparison and with its abrupt end, this one didn’t quite catch or hold my interest. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I was so thankful to receive this ARC from Atria Books and NetGalley. I am always excited any time I can get my hand on a thriller. This book takes place in a gorgeous setting and only heightened my desire to visit Positano someday. I thought the plot was original and enjoyed the idea of a mystery author using someone’s real life to guide their novel. I personally found it a little hard to connect with the characters and would have enjoyed more page-turning, rising action. The book included one of my favorite plot elements which is when the identity of the murderer AND the victim are a mystery. Though there were some shocking plot twists, it often felt like the main character was making quick connections on some pretty loose thread. I would still read more from this author even though this particular novel wasn’t a favorite.