I’ve read all of Sager’s books and will continue eat them up. I LOVE a locked room mystery and even more when it’s set on a train. For those reviewers saying the plot is tired, I feel it’s a rite of passage for mystery/thriller authors to try their hand at the train murder whodunnit—and Sager’s is good! Even though I love a locked room mystery, they’re usually easier to solve because the options are limited. I got about 75% of this one figured out before we got to the classic Sager twist upon twist upon twist. Was it a super original or plausible story? No! Do I care? No! It’s a historical revenge train mystery with a ticking clock and Nazis! I read it in one sitting. Enjoy!

Riley Sager's With a Vengeance propels readers into a high-stakes, claustrophobic thriller aboard a luxury train, blending elements of classic whodunits with modern suspense. Set in 1954, the novel follows Anna Matheson, who has orchestrated a meticulously planned journey to confront the six individuals she holds responsible for the 1942 tragedy that destroyed her family. However, as the train hurtles toward its destination, Anna's quest for justice is complicated by a murder among the passengers, leading to a deadly game of survival and revenge. The confined space of the train amplifies the tension, creating an environment where every passenger is a potential threat. Sager effectively uses this setting to build suspense and keep readers on edge.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one was a quick and easy read and the description sounded like an adventure. I will say I am a huge fan of Riley Sager but he's had a few that weren't my favorites and this is one of them. I felt like nothing new was brought to the table and just didn't find any of the characters likable or relatable. It just fell flat. Some of the story just felt like a bit of a stretch. I hope others enjoy this book it just wasn't for me.

In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution. Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago. She plans confronting the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them the the FBI. When one of the passengers turns up dead, it seems like someone else is also seeking revenge. Anna is forced to hunt the killer in their midst while protecting the people she hates the most. In order to destroy her enemies, she must first save them—even though it means putting her own life at risk.

Made it 27% and DNF. Riley Sager tends to be hit or miss, although I’ve had more hits than misses. This one simply did not work for me on several levels: as fun as the premise sounds on paper, the execution was not delivering. The writing felt incredibly phoned in and predictable; the characters all felt flat and the way they were introduced one after the other at the start felt extremely boring; the concept felt hard to believe, that all these people would simply agree to attend this train ride in response to a mysterious invitation, no questions asked; the confrontation at the front of the book laid out so much of the backstory in a way that was all tell, no show…I could go on. It’s very possible things get more interesting or at least more surprising but I did not care enough to continue. The quality just was not there.

Sager is one of my favorite authors to read and recommend, and when I saw that he was doing a Christie-inspired book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. This one did not disappear! With a classic Sager flare and twist, the Orient Express is resurrected into a new and chilling story.

I read this while traveling on a business trip. The multiple twists and suspects had me lured in so deepty that I actually passed on dinner one night so I could finish it. As entertaining as Murder on the Orient Express and once again Riley Sager didn't disappoint.

I love Riley Sager. I’ve never not liked their books. This one was no exception. It gave Agatha Christie vibes and I thoroughly enjoyed. My only feedback is that it started a tad slow. Thanks for allowing me to read this ARC!

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

This book felt like an homage to Agatha Christie since it was a "closed room" mystery, set on a train. I love how Riley Sager explores different mystery/horror tropes in each of his books and takes them in directions you might not expect. It's the 1940's, and Anna has lured 6 people that betrayed her family onto a train that is traveling 12 hours, non-stop from Philadelphia to Chicago so that she can confront them. At the end of the line, the FBI is waiting to arrest them. Very quickly, things don't go as she planned and people start to die.

This book kept me guessing, with lots of twists and turns. Did it twist a little too much sometimes? Yes. Was it still fun? Yes. (I did roll my eyes at a twist when it was the 2nd time it happened in the book - I don't want to give it away but you'll know when you get there. That was where it dropped from a star for me.)

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!!

I love reading Riley Sager books because they make me feel like I am running a marathon. My heart-rate is elevated, I’m always looking over my shoulder, and I feel completely out of breath! This is exactly how With a Vengeance turned out to be—a maddening dash to the end to find out what, who, when, where, and why? A little feeling of Agatha Christie’s classic plots and gotcha’s can be felt throughout this novel, with a permeating chill of a long train ride through a dark cold winter night. This is the perfect cozy mystery thriller for a night at home with a hot cup and a blanket to warm you up. I recommend to any Sager or Christie fan and of course any mystery or thriller junkie.

The book world could use more Riley Sagers, because I need more writers who can scare the pants off me without ever doing anything icky or upsetting.

This one is less scary than some of Sager’s true Horror offerings, though it’s no less exciting, suspenseful, and surprising. I wouldn’t call this a true Gothic like Middle of the Night or Home Before Dark, but there’s a bit of a gothic build in the first half of the book that works very well for the story, followed by a lot of well-paced and suspenseful mayhem once the book moves more toward Thriller territory.

I think Sager is at his best when he’s going for creepy/eerie vibes, but he does suspense so well too, and that’s evident here. I’m always impressed by how well he creates strong sense of place even in his more fast-paced, Thriller-style novels.

The premise for this is a good one, but the real star of the book is the train, and the way Sager makes use of it both to drive plot and to build atmosphere. The book has multiple twists and while some are easier to guess than others, they’re all fun and all serve the story well.

I have but one regret about this book, which is that scheduling did not permit me to read this while literally on a train, thus depriving me of the opportunity to terrify myself in the most immersive and enjoyable way. In all, another gem from an author who seems to be able to move freely between subgenres and still never misses.

This had a very Agatha Christie feel, and not just because it was on a train (ala The Orient Express.) I think it was a combination of the time period and the locked room aspect. Regardless, I've never actually read an Agatha Christie book 😲 but this is what I would expect.

With a Vengeance was jam packed with twists. Although none were truly shocking they were surprising none the less.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, it kept me wanting to go back to it to see how it all wrapped up. I thought he did a great job transporting us to the time period. In addition to being a page turning locked room mystery, it was also emotional as we watch the MC deal with the destruction of her family.

loved the vibes, classic black and white detective drama/mystery! i thought the cast of characters was really interesting and i was hooked from the beginning. the ending felt so incredibly dramatic that i lost a lot of interest in it around the 80% mark.

Riley Sager's take on Murder on the Orient Express. I loved the setting of the book with the luxury 1940s train and wished more polish had been added to the time setting as a character. There is a metric ton of characters, all of whom we are introduced to early before they begin to get picked off. Anna, the mastermind behind this train ride, is set up as a very smart and capable detective as she investigates the deaths of the people on board. This is at odds with the fact that Anna chose this 8 hour train ride to bring the people responsible for the death of her family, sending every last dollar to make this dramatically happen as opposed to...calling the FBI. It ends up feeling a bit Nancy Drew as the book tries to trick you with red herrings or outright unreliable narrating. Pacing was slow at times, this is a long ass train ride. Not my favorite.

I hate to admit that this was my least favorite book by Riley Sager. As a huge fan of his work, it pains me to rate this book lower than five stars. The premise of a locker room mystery on a train was promising, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations. I appreciated how the locked room scenario unfolded on the train and how Anna was seeking justice for her brother’s death. It had an Agatha Christie vibe, but it lacked the suspense and unexpected twists characteristic of her work. The narrative felt repetitive, and I didn’t find any of the twists shocking. I powered through the book hoping for a more satisfying conclusion, but in the end I was left disappointed.

Thank you to NetGallery and to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for my copy.

Riley Sager’s With a Vengeance is a gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story centers around Anna, a woman haunted by her past and seeking justice for a tragic death. When she receives an anonymous tip, she is pulled into a dangerous game that blurs the lines between truth and deception. What makes this novel stand out is Sager’s knack for creating suspenseful, multi-layered characters. Anna’s determination to uncover the truth leads her through a maze of secrets, lies, and unexpected twists. The plot is fast-paced and filled with shocking reveals that kept me guessing until the very end. While some plot points felt a bit predictable, the overall intensity and well-executed storytelling made up for it. With a Vengeance is an engaging read for fans of psychological thrillers who enjoy complex characters and surprising twists.

With A Vengeance by Riley Sager
Rating: 3 stars
Pub date: 6/10

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Dutton Books for my advanced copy!

With a Vengeance takes place in 1942, where Anna Matheson has gathered the six people who ruined her life years earlier on a train ride to Chicago. Her plan is to get them to confess to their crimes so she can turn them over to the FBI. But when one of them turns up dead, her plan falls apart.

The setting is perfect for a locked-room mystery. There’s nowhere to run, and the tension rises as the hours tick by. The historical elements add some nice detail, and it’s fun knowing Anna’s plan right from the start, and watching it unravel adds to the suspense.

That said, the story does start to feel repetitive, and once the main motive is revealed, there aren't a ton of surprises left. The twists didn’t hit the way I hoped, especially coming from Sager. It’s a fast, entertaining read for fans of murder mysteries that take place on a train, but unfortunately, it wasn’t my favorite of his.

3.5 ⭐️ Well I’m exhausted! Anna deserves a stiff drink and a long nap. In true Riley Sager fashion the plot twists just kept on coming right until the end! It was a bit of a slow start for me and a little difficult keeping up with names and some of the switching POVs but overall a good read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy!

Oh I'm so disappointed...

I wanted to love this, and I thought I would. It sounded like a classic closed door murder mystery on a train but I think Sager just ended up trying to hard to shock us to the point that it didn't work.

The problem with writing this review is that I can't really explain what I disliked about it so much without spoiling the whole book. So I'll say this: I was enjoying it for the most part, but it felt like nothing was really happening until suddenly EVERYTHING happened in the last like quarter of the book. It all ended to fast and their were SO many "plot-twists"/reveals that it just lost the shock factor. Like "ok I get it there's more going on get to the point".

I see how people could enjoy this book, it just wasn't for me sadly.

Riley Sager provides a "locked room" mystery and revenge story, set aboard a train.

Anna Matheson has lured the six people responsible for the destruction of her family onto the Phoenix, an overnight express train from Philadelphia to Chicago. Anna has been gathering the evidence of their guilt and is now ready to deliver those guilty to the authorities. Her plans are almost instantly derailed when one guest is murder. Now, Anna must discover the killer, protect the people she hates most in the world, and save herself.

While some aspects were predictable, as most "locked room" mysteries are, this was well written and enjoyable to read.

Listen, Riley Sager is an autobuy author for me and I have loved a lot of his previous books, BUT this one just didn't do it for me. I felt like it was too similar to Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. The back and forth of questioning who the killer was and how many there were was just too much. It got to be a little "eye-rolling" at times for me. I hate to write a negative review, but of all the books Riley Sager has written, this one was my least favorite. BUT I will happily await his next novel and continue to devour his works!