I wanted to like this book, but a) it would require an impossible supension of disbelief, b) I didn't like any of the characters, and c) the ending was ridiculous.

This eARC was given in exchange for an honest review.
Pubdate: September 23, 2025

Agatha is an author who recently had a successful first novel about a yoga instructor but is on a writer's block following her health crisis. Her husband, Teddy, gifted her a ticket to a train going to Montreal in the hopes of her finding an inspiration to write.

Her journey, with what promises to be a break for her not related to writing, became a dangerous situation for her and the other passengers.

This book seemed like The Murder On The Orient Express minus Hercule Poirot. Finding out whodunnit was the one that hooked me to the story, but I somehow guessed the culprit in the middle of the book. What the characters did in the book are unbelievable and questionable, and honestly, I don't know how they got away with it.

After all the stress in the journey, I was surprised with how the story ended.

What a fun and twisted ride this was! Agatha, a best-selling author, is going through a rough time. She has been diagnosed with melanoma, is undergoing treatment, and doesn’t have the best prospects. The nearness of death creates a dissonance with life: she can’t enjoy time with her young son and struggles with intimacy with her loving husband. On top of that, she’s battling writer’s block and can’t make progress on her second novel.

For Christmas, her husband surprises her with a return first-class train ticket from Toronto to Montreal—a mini writing retreat. But when the train gets stuck in a snowstorm, the passengers are trapped, someone dies, and things spiral quickly from there. The question becomes: will any of them make it out alive?

The book is more than just a locked-room mystery à la Murder on the Orient Express (Agatha, fittingly!) or a thriller à la Strangers on a Train (which I haven’t read, though it’s referenced in the story). It’s also a tragicomic exploration of personal crisis, depression, life, death, and the extremes we might go to for love and the people we hold dear.

I really enjoyed the cast of flawed characters. There were just enough of them to keep track of while still getting to know each one well. Some of the twists were absolutely brilliant. Reading it in the middle of summer, I found the wintry, stormy atmosphere perfectly chilling and refreshing. And I especially loved the book’s metafictional vibe—it’s smart, original, neatly rounded, and capped with a delightful ending.

I received an early advance reader’s e-book from NetGalley, for which I’m very thankful. This is my honest review.

I love locked room mysteries, so I thought this book that took place on a train from Toronto to Montreal would be right up my alley. However, I thought the execution was lacking.

I liked the homage to Agatha Christie by naming the main character Agatha, and I did appreciate how there were only a few characters in the story. A lot of locked room mysteries have far too many characters to keep track of, and this one doesn't fall into that.

I didn't think the plot or the ending were especially strong, and I found it a bit of a slog to get through the book. I did like the writing so I would be willing to try another one of Eva Jurcyk's novels in the future.

twists and turns of this mystery were pretty interesting, and the big dramatic reveal worked well, although it was hard to predict. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

I was really excited for this ARC because I love thrillers & locked room mysteries. I finished reading this one to find out who did it, but there were moments I just wanted to skim or skip ahead. I felt ~meh~ about the book overall.

Great take on the closed door mystery. I enjoyed the fast pace, complex characters, and did not see the twists coming at the end!

While this book could have almost devolved into the black comedy humor of Weekend at Bernie's, it actually unfolds as a macabre sequence of events that occur after Agatha is encouraged by her husband to take a train from Toronto to Montreal as a way to rejuvenate her writing. And boy does it! No one could have predicted the train stalling on the tracks after a ferocious snowstorm. Or that all of the cell connectivity would disappear. Or that the group of characters on board would be the strangest people to be stuck with.

I did have trouble getting into the book, especially since one of the characters was named Dorcas (which is way too much like dufus), but the need to find out what was going on overrode that. There is a lot that will require the reader to suspend disbelief, but just go with it and I promise this book will stick in your head for a long time!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sending an advance reader's eArc by this new-to-me author!

🚆 Trapped on the Tracks

⭐️⭐️💫 (2.5 stars)

Agatha boards the 6:40 a.m. train from Toronto to Montreal with one goal in mind: finish the draft of her book. Six hours of peace, no Wi-Fi, no distractions—it’s the perfect writer’s retreat. But when the train suddenly breaks down in the middle of the frigid Canadian wilderness and a passenger dies quietly in his seat, Agatha’s quiet day turns into a claustrophobic fight for survival.

The premise hooked me right away—I love locked-room thrillers, and the idea of being stranded on a train with a killer on board sounded like the perfect recipe for tension. The cover is clever and eye-catching, which made me even more excited to dive in.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite deliver for me. I expected the tension to build as the pages turned, picking up speed like the train itself—but instead, I felt stalled. The pacing never quite took off, and the suspense wasn’t as sharp as I’d hoped.

None of the characters really worked for me. They felt immature and self-absorbed, which made it hard to connect or root for anyone. Agatha and Cyanne often felt childlike, Rupinder irritated me, and overall the group felt more caricatured than real. Being stuck on the train with them started to feel claustrophobic for the wrong reasons.

Some plot points also stretched believability for me, and the ending didn’t quite land. I wanted something tighter, darker, and more thrilling.

That said, the setting was atmospheric, and I appreciate the creativity behind the premise. Readers who enjoy locked-room mysteries with a slower, quieter burn may find more to love here.

📅 6:40 to Montreal departs September 23, 2025.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks Netgalley and Posioned press for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Agatha has gotten a ticket from her husband for a train ride from Toronto to Montreal. She is a writer. Then the train gets stuck for more than 10+ hours.

The premise was intriguing. It is a quick and capitvating read. The characters were good and the writing was top notch. Although there wasn't much of a thriller aspect to it I loved the "mystery" aspect.

The protective mom aspect shone through the pages but the thriller aspect sadly didn't.

Nobody reacted like human beings towards the end of the book! But if we ignore that then this was a quick read.

Agatha St John boards a first-class train, hoping for a peaceful six-hour trip to Montreal. She wants to overcome her writer’s block and work uninterrupted on the follow-up to her bestselling debut novel. The journey is a well-intentioned gift from her husband, Teddy, but what should be a quiet and productive trip turns into a claustrophobic nightmare.

Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2025/09/11/640-to-montreal-eva-jurczyk/

Mystery author Agatha is dealing with writer’s block. Her husband gifts her a first-class ticket on the 6:40 train to Montreal for a personal writer’s retreat.

She finds herself with a handful of characters. The first is an obnoxious man who sits next to her and demands she change seats with him. At first, she says no but eventually she lets him have her seat, since the train car isn’t full. That turns out to be a good decision.

The light snow becomes a blizzard, and the passengers find themselves stuck on the train without moving. Because it’s an emergency, the doors between the cars are locked. They have no escape.

She pulls out her laptop and loses all interest when a woman from her past who has sent threatening emails walks past her.

When the man who took her seat dies, she believes he was murdered and she might have been the target of the killer.

The story continues with more bodies and no way to escape.

The situation grows grimmer as the day goes on and each of the passengers suspect everyone else until it resolves itself with an ending I never expected. The ending worked but I can’t say it was totally satisfying.

This is my first book by this author, and I would probably read another, given the chance. I might not go looking for more only because my source of reading material keeps growing and my husband is starting to get a little grumpy with me about that. I also just realized that I will be reading The Department of Rare Book and Special Collections for one of my book clubs in October. So I do have that to look forward to.

I did enjoy this book. I thought it was fast enough paced for me. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a locked room mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my advance reader copy for my honest review.

The scheduled release date is October 28th.

I enjoyed this book through most of it until the end. It kept me intrigued and wanting to keep reading for the most part. We have a locked door murder with a whodunit. This had high potential to be really good, but the ending was just really weird and unsatisfying.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of 6.40 to Montreal, a riveting thriller by Eva Jurczyk. This is a locked-room, claustrophobic novel. Partway into the story, a train becomes stranded in the wilderness during a raging snowstorm. There is no cell phone connection, and power fails, causing doors between cars and to the outside to lock. The roads are impassible in the storm.

The narrator is Agatha, who wrote a bestselling debut novel. The publisher wants a second novel soon, but she is unable to come up with creative ideas. Her husband seems to be a kind and patient man. He gives Agatha a first-class return ticket from Toronto to Montreal, six hours each way. She will have few distractions, and hopefully she will make a good start on her next book.

Agatha is an extremely unlikeable narrator. She is critical, displays high self-esteem, and exhibits entitlement. Her inner monologues cast unfavourable light on the other characters. Usually, when the main character is extremely annoying, and the others seem unlikable, it takes me out of the story, and I do not finish the book. Surprisingly, I was engaged, rapidly turning the pages to learn what unpleasant thoughts would come next. Instead of quitting the book, I became riveted to the story. She complains that her husband always drags his foot, which annoys her greatly. She frequently repeats her dislike of a popular type of men's footwear.

There are very few passengers seated in first class, and they are all described as flawed in Agatha's mind. She is critical of everyone. In first class is a woman who hates Agatha and her book, for good reason. Agatha feels blameless and tries to avoid her. There is a mother who hovers over her university-aged son and is very bossy. A man brags that he sneaked into the first-class carriage. A loud, obnoxious man bullies Agatha to trade seats. After returning from the washroom, she notices that he is sleeping, but we learn he is dead from murder. Agatha is excited as she can now begin her book, but then wonders if she was the expected victim, as he died in the seat assigned to her. There is a sweet, attentive, calm worker who serves plenty of coffee, liquor, and food. Her trainee goes into a passenger car for Doritos. The train suddenly stops, and the doors lock, and the trainee cannot return. He is not seen again. The other passengers speculate that he is the murderer or that it could be Agatha. They are suspicious of one another. As they panic, there is no way out of the train, but the attendant assures them that help is on the way. After several hours, a young man goes into diabetic shock, and with no insulin, he may die. There is a second bloody murder. No help is on the way, as that was a lie.

Agatha has plenty of mysteries as a basis for her book, but is upset because she had secret plans to reach Montreal on schedule. Not going to happen! A man climbs out the emergency window to walk for help in the storm. Obtaining insulin is crucial in avoiding another death. Agatha now helps another passenger, but raising her prestige is foremost in her mind.

As the passengers become frantic and cannot trust anyone, many surprising twists and secrets are revealed. Will there be additional deaths? The story becomes preposterous, so a weird ending was expected

I thought this was a very propulsive book that keeps the reader engaged with the characters, fast plot and short chapters.

🚂 W I L D R I D E W E D N E S D A Y review 🚂 featuring “6:40 to Montreal” by Eva Jurczyk!

Agatha’s husband gifted her a first class return trip train ticket from Toronto to Montreal as a means to treat it like a writing retreat. 12 scenic hours on the train to herself to work on her next book without the distractions of their home life.

However, sitting on the train proves to be rather distracting (and terrifying) when the train breaks down in the middle of the woods in a menacing snow storm. Then Agatha finds out that her seat mate hasn’t been sleeping for the last few hours, and instead he is DEAD! The passengers are trapped onboard with a killer and have no idea who’s next!

“The train was stopped, a crew was coming. There was no immediate danger, but nor was there immediate exit. With no phones, or other connection to the outside world, we were to remain in our seats. Our crew of passengers was now a crew of captives”.

💭 I enjoyed the nostalgia of this book because I have taken the train before to Montreal to visit my grandparents as a child. The train was the perfect locked room setting and it created tension and claustrophobia to the mood of the story.

Thank you kindly to @msevav @poisonedpenpress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on October 28, 2025!

Eva Jurczyk's enthralling twisty new novel, 6:40 TO MONTREAL, immerses readers in a claustrophobic and spine-chilling atmosphere aboard a snowbound train traversing the Canadian wilderness. The setting is not just a backdrop; it becomes a character in itself, amplifying the tension and intrigue.

This masterful and clever locked-room mystery brims with suspense and clever misdirection, drawing readers into a web of deception and unexpected twists.

Jurczyk populates her narrative with vibrant, engaging characters, each adding their own layer to the enigmatic puzzle. Prepare for an exhilarating ride in this atmospheric whodunit that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

About...

Agatha's husband, with a heart full of affection, had carefully selected tickets for an enchanting scenic train ride as a cherished Christmas gift for his beloved wife, the esteemed crime writer Agatha St. John. This thoughtful gesture was inspired by the captivating tales of a legendary author who made a monthly pilgrimage from the vibrant streets of Toronto to the quaint charm of Montreal, only to return home by nightfall. It was more than just a journey; it was a self-crafted sanctuary for a writer—a soothing six-hour expedition through breathtaking landscapes that promised to rekindle her creative spirit.

Though her debut novel had soared to bestseller status, Agatha found herself mired in a creative drought since its release. As she boarded the train, a sense of anticipation hung in the air—would this mesmerizing voyage awaken the dormant ideas swirling in her mind, and spark the inspiration she so desperately sought for her next novel?

As the train ventured into the wilderness, it would leave behind the distractions of modern life; there would be no WiFi or cell service once the urban landscape faded into the enchanting embrace of the Canadian woods. Teddy knew this isolation would serve as a perfect backdrop for Agatha, who desperately needed to carve out time to focus on her book.

Despite the allure of the journey, Agatha couldn't shake her skepticism. Six hours, she mused, hardly seemed sufficient to inspire the depth of thought she'd hoped for. She longed for two weeks enveloped by nature, but willing to appease her husband, she decided to give this brief adventure a chance.

As the clock struck 6:35 AM, Agatha settled into her cozy seat 1D, surrounded by a low hum of anticipation. The ticket agent, a sprightly woman named Dorcas, greeted her with a smile that felt like warmth against the chill of winter air. Surveying her surroundings, Agatha noticed only four fellow passengers scattered throughout the carriage, their faces a mix of eagerness and indifference.

Just as she began to adjust to the rhythm of the train, a newcomer stepped aboard. It was the time between Christmas and New Year’s, a time when the spirit of festivity lingered, yet a sense of uncertainty hung in the air.

However, her plans for a serene escape soon spiraled into chaos. The train ground to a halt in the heart of the vast, frigid Canadian woods, surrounded by an endless expanse of snow-dusted trees. As muffled whispers of confusion filled the air, Agatha's world was suddenly shattered when one of her fellow passengers succumbed, quietly slipping away in his seat.

What had begun as an enchanting morning of travel soon transformed into a battle for survival against an unseen and unknown threat. In the stillness of the icy landscape, Agatha faced the harrowing question: would she, or any of her fellow travelers, emerge from this nightmare alive?

My thoughts...

Atmospheric and spine-chilling, 6:40 TO MONTREAL envelops you in its gripping narrative, capturing your imagination as it unfolds this enigmatic train journey.

Agatha carries her own secrets, as do the other intriguing passengers inhabiting her first-class cabin. When the train unexpectedly screeches to a halt, throwing the group—and their attentive car attendant—into an abyss of uncertainty, they find themselves trapped in darkness. With the chilling specter of death looming, the question hangs in the air: MURDER? The tension is palpable, heart-pounding, and the claustrophobic setting magnifies every whispered conversation and furtive glance.

Agatha’s character is a richly woven tapestry of complexity. Married to Teddy for two decades, she also juggles the responsibilities of motherhood to her young son, Freddie. While she is celebrated as a writer, she is grappling with the heavy weight of a cancer diagnosis that casts a long shadow over her life. Little does she know, the harrowing events unfolding on the train will provide far more inspiration for her next book than she ever anticipated.

Time is precious, she will learn.

Inspiration...

I truly valued the Author's Note, which offered a delightful glimpse into the inspiration behind the novel. The inclusion of the Reading Group Guide for book clubs was a wonderful touch, as it fosters deeper discussions and connections among readers. Additionally, the captivating Conversation with the Author provided intriguing insights that further enhanced my appreciation of the book.

Interview...

Get ready for an exciting glimpse behind the curtain with my upcoming #LitLiftMiniAuthorChat, a special segment of the #AuthorElevatorSeries! Join us for an engaging Q&A session where we dive into the creative process of the book and explore the fascinating journey of the talented author behind it—pub day, Oct 28, on my blog.

Recs...

6:40 TO MONTREAL is a brilliantly crafted twist on the classic locked room mystery, weaving an intricate narrative that echoes the timeless style of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train, and Paula Hawkins' The Girl on the Train.

Fans of authors such as Carol Goodman, Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and Alice Feeney will find themselves captivated by its suspenseful atmosphere and cleverly executed plot. The story invites readers into a world brimming with intrigue and unexpected revelations, making it a must-read for those who appreciate intricate mysteries that keep you guessing until the very last page.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing a gifted digital advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 28, 2025
Oct 2025 Must-Read Books
Oct #LitLiftMiniAuthorChats QA

It moved entirely too slowly for is supposed to be an Agatha Christie like novel. I didn't care about the characters at all. I found myself skimming just to get to the ending which was lackluster.

What a twisted tale! At first I struggled with this book because I just didn't like the main character, but then the first twist was introduced and so I stuck with it. I'm glad I did. At the end I still didn't like the main character but the story was amazing. So many unexpected twists and turns that kept you guessing how the book would end.

I feel very mixed about this book. It held my interest and was different from anything I’ve read before. However, it lost me a little bit at the ending.