Tension builds from the beginning as we don't why the narrator, Agatha, is heading to Montreal or why she is is in such a hurry to get away from her husband. Ends up as a locked room or rather a locked train carriage mystery as things begin to turn rather bizarre. Information is revealed about the narrator and other passengers gradually but i was still not sure who to root for, apart from Rupinder. While i still have questions about the 'solution' overall an engaging read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Poisoned Pen Press for the e-copy.

Thanks to Eva Jurczyk, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an intriguing book. The author labels each chapter at a specific point in the timeline of the murder and developing situation, which I found unique and interesting. It helped create a sense of immediacy and presence as I moved through the story.

The story involves a set of characters trapped in a train car on a winter day in Canada and a murder takes place. I love this type of mystery when the characters are trapped. And the who and why remains solidly a mystery until the end. A good read but some plot choices keep it from a great read.

2.5 rounded up.

This book was neither thrilling, suspenseful, or mysterious.

We meet Agatha, an author struggling to write her second novel, whose husband bought her tickets on the train from Toronto to Montreal, and who has one of the more normal names in this book. The train takes off, and other than an incompetent trainee, other passengers who have the weirdest names ever that will definitely take you out of the reading experience, and an annoying main character, everything seems like it’s going well.

Of course, this couldn’t be a locked-room mystery on a train without a locked room, so the train gets stuck in a snow storm and everything goes to shit.

Now, I want to say that this could have been a very fun mystery! But the more I think about it, the less I’m convinced that there was actually a mystery at all. There is very little suspense (despite absolutely bonkers shit happening in the car), nobody actually tries to solve anything, and it feels like there are no stakes. It’s all actually quite boring. The ending makes no sense. There’s a cancer plot line thrown in for some reason I can’t figure out. I think the actual mystery elements need to be redone in order for it (being the book) to work. As it is, it feels rather blah.

Like the train in which the novel is set, the plot begins in a leisurely manner--and then picks up speed--long after the train has ground to a halt in a blizzard of epic proportions, the story races on. I enjoyed the opening but as the pace quickened, so did my interest until I could hardly put the book down. I was guessing at various solutions--although part of what I was guessing at was who these characters were, including (maybe especially) the narrator.

Agatha, the narrator, has had a one book sensation. Unexpectedly, after all her "serious" efforts were rejected, a throwaway light-weight mystery, featuring a yoga/life styles coach, took off and topped the charts. Now, Agatha has to produce a second book and, not surprisingly, has a severe case of writer's block. In addition, she's struggling with health issues that have pushed other needs to the side.

To give her a treat, a vacation, and a chance to write, her husband has purchased a ticket to, as the title tells us, Montreal. Just a one-day jaunt to break the monotony of her life as wife, mother to a young child, and blocked writer.

And although I knew this was a murder mystery, I was surprised at who got killed.

I love mysteries--particularly the cozy (or semi-cozy) ones, often featuring amateur sleuths. Agatha Christie (not the Agatha of this story) tops my list of favorites. I've read so many though that it can be a challenge to find one that excites me. And this one very much did. There are elements of a thriller--not usually my favorite genre but it works well here, keeping what could become a very claustrophobic, almost suffocating, space alive with threats and potential danger.

My favorite part though was the character of the narrator, who can't help but see the events in the light of a narrative dying to be exploited.

And yes, I do mean dying.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for an advance copy of this ebook which will be published September 2025 for the opportunity to enjoy this roller coaster of a story.

Unfortunately, I didn’t quite enjoy 6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk as much as I had hoped. While the premise had great potential—a thrilling journey filled with suspense and unexpected twists—the execution didn’t quite land for me. The story relies heavily on twists, but unfortunately, many of them felt too far-fetched and unrealistic, which took me out of the experience.

While I appreciate the author’s attempt to craft a tense and gripping narrative, I found the plot’s direction to be a bit too contrived at times, leaving me struggling to suspend disbelief. The pacing, while steady, didn’t quite build the tension I was hoping for, and by the time the twists unfolded, they felt more improbable than intriguing.

Despite this, the writing style was solid, and the atmosphere was well-crafted, with Jurczyk managing to capture the setting effectively. While this book may appeal to readers who enjoy wildly unpredictable plots, it didn’t quite resonate with me.

The description of this book had me wanting to read it immediately, but actually getting through it unfortunately turned into a chore. I felt like I could never get a clear grasp of the characters or where the book was going, and then the ending just fell so flat. I'm sure if I went back I could see the hints to where the plot ended up, but none of it was compelling enough to even do that. I didn't care for any of the characters, and I also feel like Cyanne and Agatha should have had a more fleshed out backstory, as I don't think we even learned why they stopped being friends. The way Agatha narrated things felt like something much more sinister had happened, or was going to happen, but then nothing really did. It just felt sort of like a bunch of disjointed plots that could have been a first draft of a book, rather than a fully focused and cohesive story. I really wanted to enjoy this book but I'm honestly just glad I'm finally done with it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it and diaadn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

DNF at 25%
I really wanted to love this book. I love the premise, and it started off strong. There were enough mysterious loose ends that I wanted to keep reading. But once we get on the train, nothing really happens. There are large chunks where the main character describes the novel she wants to write, but she’s not writing it. I don’t know, it was weird. The plot all but dissolved and I just couldn’t go any further.

Agatha's husband has given her a first-class ticket on a six-hour train from Toronto to Montreal as a gift― a one-day train trip with no distractions so she can work on her new book. The train carriage is a perfect place to be productive, with only a handful of other passengers, plenty of food and drinks, and beautiful views flying by outside the window.

Agatha however has other secretive plans for her day, plans that are thwarted when the train suddenly stops in transit and one of Agatha's fellow passengers dies suddenly in his seat.

Eva Jurczyk has written a darkly funny story of intrigue and trickery with a little traitorous adultery thrown in for spice. As each new snippet of information is divulged, the plot grows and gives birth to other side stories that muddy the waters of this unusual whodunit mystery.
The images of the frozen landscape as viewed from the train are detailed and well portrayed. The main characters in the book are authentic and well described, though sometimes rather unconventional and eccentric. The ending is unexpected and effective, providing a fitting outcome to the narrative.

If you like stories with interesting characters and an engaging mystery that is full of twists you will enjoy this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advance copy.

This feels like a classic mystery novel, like an Agatha Christie-type of story.

I just don't think this was necessarily for me, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't as exciting as I wanted.

The pacing feels a bit odd at times, but it is cool as you go through the journey of this mystery in segments of time whilst on this train. Each chapter starts with telling you what time it is, so you can easily keep track of what is happening and when. So this is a short time span kind of mystery.

It is also a sort of locked-room mystery, but on a train.

I did find the ending to be a bit random feeling, but I can't tell if that's a personal feeling or if other readers would feel the same about that. Definitely check out more reviews if that is a concern of yours.

This was a pretty short book too, so it didn't take me too long to get through at all. But maybe it was too long for the contents and that could be why the ending felt the way it did. I'm still a bit confused about that and how I feel about it too. Some things just didn't add up for me in this book. But that could entirely depend on the reader's individual taste in mystery/thriller book, I do know that I've gotten quite picky with them lately. Oops.

And I quite like the cover!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

A closed room (or in this case closed train) mystery that I found highly entertaining. Best selling author Agatha is struggling with medical and marriage issues and is spending a day on the train as a writer's getaway. Sounds simple enough, but she has more in mind, and when the train gets stuck in the snow and a couple of the very few passengers end up dead, things get interesting. I enjoyed Agatha's character, as her commentary was often so unexpected. The plot was slow at times, but her take on events kept me entertained. The ending was a bit farfetched, but overall this was a satisfying read for me.

Great premise and an atmospheric setting, but the pacing drags, and the ending goes off the rails. The locked-room mystery never fully delivers on its tension, and the main character feels more frustrating than compelling. Decent, but not quite as sharp as it could have been.

6:40 to Montreal is a fantastic journey of a group of people who are faced with unbelievable hurdles while on the train that stops nowhere. The narrative by Jurczyk is exceptional as well as the dialogue. The intriguing train ride may put the reader on the edge of the seat. The author has a way of pointing the reader in many different directions. The book is well worth the read!

I cannot say I liked it. It was well written but a bit too dark for my taste. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’m not sure where to start with this book. Over all I did not enjoy most of this book. Jurczyk writes a locked room mystery aboard a train that fell flat and never had the ‘big thrill’ or major breakthrough moment. The characters were very dull, our main character was annoying, and the story line didn’t flow well. It felt like the main character jumped all over the place and seemed very ‘flighty’. The timing throughout the book seemed to majorly lag on, especially in the middle. The plot was interesting, but ultimately left me disappointed. 2.5 stars rounded to 3. Thank you Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk is an enjoyable mystery with an Agatha Christie-style plot, full of intrigue and suspense. However, the pacing lags in the middle, making it feel overly drawn out, and the ending lacks the impact needed to fully satisfy. Despite this, the book offers an engaging premise and a well-crafted setting, making it a decent read for fans of classic whodunits.

Although I loved the premise of this book and the beautiful cover, 6:40 to Montreal just wasn't for me. I had really high hopes for this one but it was too long, and the ending was way out there. 2.5 stars

Our MC is Agatha, a writer trying to get some work done on her new book on a train from Toronto to Montreal.
The train gets stuck in a snowstorm and things go downhill from there.

What I did like- the Canadian setting. I love a setting that I am familiar with, have visited before or heard of.

I really wanted to love this book but it didn’t work for me but it may work for another reader. However, that being said I would love to read something different by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pub date - 9/23/25

The main character in this novel is an author. Her first book was quite a success. But she is struggling to come up with a follow up. Her health isn't good. And she is struggling in her role as a wife and mother. Her husband has given her the gift of a train trip, hoping it will stimulate her creativity. But she has other plans. She's going to have an affair.

But the trip begins to unravel. The train is halted by a massive snowstorm. Her adversary turns out to be on the train. And then, someone is murdered.

While I like the author's style, by and large, I'm afraid I wasn't keen on the ending. I found it to be a bit far-fetched and difficult to rectify. But otherwise, I thought it was well-written and compelling.

Murder On The Orient Express with a modern twist. This locked room mystery has enough twists and turns to keep you engaged from first to last page! The passengers, including the main character, all have their secrets and its edge of your seat reading to see who makes it out alive.

Thanks for the opportunity to read!

I loved the premise of this story - like a locked room mystery. After reading the book, I found it to be rather slow moving and somewhat predictable. I wish I would have liked it better, although I’m guessing there will be others readers who like it more than I did.