This one is for the Agatha Christie fans! This book felt Agatha-esque with the vibe of traditional whodunits, while this author adds his own modern twists to keep readers on their toes.

The book’s strongest asset is its atmosphere—the snowy setting and sense of claustrophobia heighten the tension from the start. The pacing is quick, and the “race against the clock” urgency keeps the pages turning. It’s a story that’s easy to get swept up in, especially for readers who enjoy a high-concept mystery that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

However, some elements may divide readers. Character development takes a back seat to plot mechanics, and while the setup is compelling, the twists might feel more familiar than fresh for seasoned thriller fans.

That said, this is a fun, bingeable read—perfect for a snowy weekend or a plane ride. Recommend to readers who enjoy fast-paced thrillers with a touch of retro mystery flair, or anyone looking for a quick escape with a strong sense of place.
I won’t be selling it in my store as it wasn’t particularly memorable, but I’ll recommend to friends personally!

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this, especially when comparing it to Sager’s other novels. I found it difficult to stay invested in any one character because there were so many. It also felt as though the plot progressed too slowly. That being sad, I can see readers who like a slow burn enjoying this more than me.

What a ride! The story had me questioning each character, sometimes multiple times throughout. I enjoyed the locked room mystery aspect and the twists just kept coming. I had no idea what to expect and that kept me engaged.

Riley Sager is so good with the mystery genre. With a Vengeance really was an endearing read for me. Revenge plot was great. The build up with suspense was phenomenal. Great book!

I love an isolated closed circle mystery, and a train setting is one of my favorite sub-variants. So did I have a good time reading this? Sure. That said, this is simultaneously felt so fast and so slow in the reading experience, and the sheer volume of ending twists coupled with their "duh-duh-DUUUH" delivery veered into unintentional camp. Basically, I had fun with this but I'm not sure other people will overlook its flaws if they don't love this kind of plot as much as I do

Thank you for the opportunity to review early! I really enjoyed this book, and as an existing fan of Sager's work this definitely didn't disappoint. I'll be recommending it for our book club, and excited to discuss with them!

4 stars
Riley Sager hits another home run! I think k he just gets better with each book! Love this one and I’m sure to buy upon release!

it seems my streak of 4 star books continues because i really liked this one!! read it in one sitting in just over 3 hours, this was so so addictive to read. i have loved a lot of riley sager's books in the past, and i loved the direction we took with this one (it was very much giving agatha cristie-esque murder mystery). it was super atmospheric which was one of the things i really enjoyed about it, the snowy setting paired with the inescapable train journey was so fun. i also loved how this felt like a race against the clock - definitely made me read this all the more quickly. would highly recommend and im excited to see if riley sager ends up doing any more stories in a similar vein!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my gifted copy.

Riley Sager has done it again! A compulsive page-turner that I had a hard time putting down. Riley Sager is an auto-read author for me and if you love his previous novels you will definitely love this one.

I'm a big Riley Sager fan since I read Lock Every Door back in 2019 and read anything he has put out since then, so this was no exception. While Sager's consistency in quality has dropped a small amount since releasing titles on an annual basis, I would say this one is slightly ahead of the middle pack. I would describe it as a cross between the movie Clue and Murder on the Orient Express, so if you're a fan of either of those you'll enjoy this. While I mostly guessed the big twist early on, there were still a few unexpected surprises along the way.

Mysterious, propulsive, engaging, and fun. I love this new take on the whodunit genre. Feels like an updated Agatha Christie! Really enjoyed.

With a Vengeance had an intriguing premise; revenge on a luxury train with a deadly twist; but it didn’t fully live up to its potential. The setup was promising, and the suspense built well early on, but the pacing quickly became uneven. The characters, especially Anna, felt underdeveloped, and the constant twists became more predictable than shocking. The reveal was somewhat lackluster and lacked the depth I hoped for.
While the tension on the train kept me engaged for parts of the story, the book ultimately didn’t deliver the level of suspense or emotional payoff I was expecting. Overall, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me.
I appreciate the ARC and will purchase this title for our library

I could not put this book down - it is a must read. The tragic twisty story of a locked room mystery unfolding as an express train barrels down the tracks will keep you guessing until the very end!

This was the first Riley Sager book I have read because I had always heard good things about his novels. I really found the premise a bit overdone – vengeance and murder on a train, like Murder on the Orient Express. I found that the story was quite flawed, and while I generally enjoyed the read, I am hoping that his other novels will be better. Just okay!

The plot of this book has hope and I love Riley Sager as an author. This one however missed the mark for me because it was slow to start. 140 pages in and barely getting to the mystery after pages upon pages of character development was a bit much. Not my favorite but not too bad.

Was so excited to read this one but it was a huge disappointment. Nothing at all like Sager’s other novels. The entire novel takes place on a train over the course of 9 hours. The protagonist has invited all of the people on the train aboard because they were all involved in a plot that killed her brother and framed her father. But.. (this is very important and we hear it so many times) she doesn’t want them dead! No! That would be too easy. A murder on the orient express like closed door murder mystery ensues except you’re never quite sure who is really alive or dead. By the end I just didn’t care who was killed or who did the killing.

With a Vengeance is a locked room type mystery from Riley Sager! Only instead of a locked room in a house it takes place on a TRAIN. I thought this was a lot of fun. It reminded me of Murder on the Orient Express actually. And while it may not be my favorite book by Sager I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery!

I will ALWAYS grab his books, hands down couldn't talk me out of it. This intriguing mystery was fast-paced and pure entertainment. I loved the main character, Anna, and rooted for her as she sought revenge on the train with the many smucks who did her father wrong. Anna Matheson has waited 12 long years. Six people are responsible for the downfall of her family and the deaths of those she loved the most, and they've gone unpunished--until now. "Revenge is a dish best served cold," the saying goes, and for Anna, she's planned every last detail. I really enjoyed the locked room aspect, the twists and turns that were perfectly executed, but most of all, I loved the moral dilemma presented. In addition to being a stellar thriller, I think readers will appreciate the depth in this plot.

Usually I enjoy Sager's books. They're fun, fast paced, have a few twisty turns tossed in and make for a generally good read.
Not so much this time around.
It just felt convoluted, rather than twisty, bloated, instead of fast paced and I never really found myself invested in the whodunit of it all.
Anna has gathered all the people who she believed ruined her father's, and therefore her, life. Greed and jealousy caused them to set her family up to take the blame for a tragic train crash that cost her family their company and her brother, amongst many other, their lives. She has the proof and she's going to make them all pay. But first? A jaunty little train ride so Anna can gloat a bit. Unfortunately, the train ride is interrupted by murder... oh wait not a murder... and another murder.. or not.. oh yes.. and so on.
By the time they reached Chicago, I rather hoped NONE of them would make it... but alas...




Thanks to Netgalley and this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this dark thriller-cum-murder mystery from Riley Sager, we are once again transported to another place and time. This time, the luxurious Philadelphia Phoenix train in 1954, travelling from Philadelphia to Chicago.
The characters were wholly dimensional, and seemed so well developed that they were as real to me as anybody at my side.

I pored over my Kindle devouring this, happy to find my mind completely satiated at the end for the mystery, however I was quite upset at how seemingly abrupt the book finished. Indeed, I would have liked to know a little more about what happened to Anna after reaching Chicago.

Nevertheless, this is without a doubt one of the best books I have read by the author, and I look forward to reading more.