Thank you NetGalley for the arc! Riley Sager is a must read for me with every single book. This one…I don’t get it. It’s a classic locked door mystery set on a train. Set in the 1940’s with slam you over the head overkill, for instance the protagonist, Anne is a dame with a capital D who is bent on revenge against a group of people who betrayed her father. She has amassed all the evidence at the beginning of the book to make them pay but then proceeds to spend every cent in a Dr Evil type plan for revenge with dramatic flair. This one was a miss for me.

Some of the "false leads" on plot twist reveals I found to be a little annoying, and some of the twists were a bit over-the-top, but overall, I enjoyed the suspense and story, and I was engaged the whole time, trying to guess what would happen and how it would end. I also thought that Anna, our lead, was a sympathetic and likeable character. She had complex emotions and made some bad choices, but I rooted for her the whole time.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGally for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book started out slow but deff picked up. I was rooting for Anna, I know it was hard to exact revenge, but she did a great job trying to keep everyone alive on this journey. The plot twist was deff not something I was expecting with the end. Great read.

This book was incredible from the first page to the last. It wasn’t what I’d expect from Sager, but I loved every second.

The highlight of this book is the cast of characters. They’re incredibly fleshed out, grounded in their own beliefs and memories. Sager introduces them so well in the first part of the book that I was never wondering who was who - an issue I sometimes encounter with an ensemble of characters such as the ones onboard the Philadelphia Phoenix. They felt real and my understanding of them enhanced every part of the plot.

Sager’s writing in With a Vengeance is some of the most immersive storytelling I’ve come across in a long time. I felt I was amongst the throes of these characters, feeling the train jolt under me, hearing the hum of the train chug along. I even felt the bite of snow on my face in the moments when the windows were flung open.

It was due to this immersion that I read the book in one sitting. A feat I’ve only achieved a few other times in my life! The pacing was incredible and never left me feeling like any chapters or scenes were unnecessary. I had a distinct feeling of ‘Sager knows what he’s doing with this one’ the entire way through the book.

I would certainly recommend this title for the character and setting alone, but the twisty plot is the cherry on top. I never knew where it was going, and it made the reading experience even better.

Riley Sager never misses!

He creates interesting and suspenseful stories. I will read anything he writes!

With a Vengeance is a Christie-inspired mystery that starts a bit slow, building steam until it's chugging along at a solid pace. The mystery itself has a lot of moving parts with red herrings conveniently placed to put you on the wrong trail, but it is well constructed and thought through, with a majority of the clues laid out in the passing details, allowing eagle eyed readers to piece it together. Sager constructs a strong protagonist in Anna, easily the most developed character in the group, but the others fall a little flat at times. Outside of their motivations, you don't develop sympathy that would make the deaths more impactful. Some of the gotcha moments and reveals are a little over the top, all in good fun, seemingly. Sager's writing remains fluid and gripping, although he could do with a little more faith in his readers and less spelling out significant moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for this ARC!

While I love some other works from Riley Sager, this one was very middle of the pack to me,

The premise was an interesting one for me, and as someone who grew up riding trains quite frequently, I was excited by the relatable setting. I also liked our main character, Anna. I found her to be plucky and determined, and not one to lie down when the going got tough. The pace, flashes to the past for context, and including other POV's provided a bit of an unreliable narrator aspect that I found myself enjoying.

However, I think after the first big plot twist- I knew where the story was going. There were a couple that tripped me up (the VERY end, iykyk), but as a whole I had an idea of what would happen next even if I didn't know who was going to do it. I also found the ending a bit off since Anna somewhat facilitated the opportunity for these crimes to have taken place?

Overall, I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. Sager's books are so easy to breeze through that even though this one wasn't my favorite, I'll most likely still pick up the next book he comes out with.

Let me just preface this by saying people are either going to love or hate this one, which tends to be the case for most of Riley’s books. But this one felt VERY different! It’s a true slow burn locked room mystery, unlike anything Riley has written before. Not to mention it’s set in 1940 and has a very historical feel. It reminded me so much of Murder on the Orient Express but with the cold wintery setting of the Polar Express!

While there were many characters to keep track of, my favorite part was getting to know each one and discovering their motive. What I wasn’t expecting was the romantic subplot. I personally didn’t mind it but I know some people may not enjoy that aspect. I love how Riley has recently been weaving more emotion in his stories!

I was surprised but thoroughly enjoyed the subtle spooky vibes he incorporated and the winter setting made it feel even more isolated! I do wish he had run with the paranormal element a bit more or just left it out completely since it did feel slightly out of place.

This wasn’t my favorite locked room style thriller I’ve ever read and it won’t be taking the top spot as my favorite Riley Sager. But overall, this was a fast paced mystery that kept me entertained the whole ride through!

Side note: content warning for self-harm.

Thank you to Dutton for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Anna has lured the people who have destroyed her family onto a train, seeking revenge. Her revenge comes in the form of planning to confront them and have them confess, which will end with her placing them into the authorities' hands. This plan seems sound, but then one the people is killed and she has to try and keep the people she's seeking vengeance against safe. I feel like Sager's work is very hit or miss for me and this one was mostly a miss. I found it boring too often, despite enjoying the train setting. The surprises weren't so surprising and the plot holes could fit a literal train through them.

Riley Sager is one of those authors that is extremely hit or miss authors for me and the last few releases have been erring a bit more on the miss side. With a Vengeance was a bit more middle of the road for me, it mostly kept my attention but definitely didn't wow me. I will absolutely still read more from him in the future, but I'm still waiting for a return to the Last Time I Lied esque books.

I really enjoyed this murder mystery with a bit of a historical fiction and thriller flare. A bit of a departure from Riley's normal books, but an enticing read that kept me turning the pages. The characters are fully formed and interesting, and there were plenty of plot twists and red herrings while staying true to the plot.

Firstly, thank you so much Netgalley and @duttonbooks for the ARC of Riley Sagers latest novel, With a Vengeance. I was so excited when I saw my request had been approved, and it didn’t disappoint.

With a Vengeance drew me in immediately, and the pacing throughout continued to keep me invested. I liked how the multiple POVs through the first few chapters introduced us to each person as they entered the train, and the trap that Anna had set upon them all.

I know that this premise may sound familiar to some, as I know that similar ideas have been put to paper before, but the way that Riley Sager spun this web and unravelled it was twisty and kept me guessing.

The last 100 pages felt more roller coaster than train ride, and ultimately led to a satisfying ending.
There was, admittedly, a small twist that I’d guessed, but honestly, there was so much going on and so many other surprises that it didn’t bother me in the slightest. It was so well done and addictive.

I’ll definitely be recommending this one!

Anna is out for revenge. When a master manipulator causes her to lose her entire family, all she can see is how she can make him and those that helped him suffer. She gets Semus, who also lost someone due to this mess, to help her devise a plan to load a train with all the people who played a part in wronging them and deliver them to the FBI in Chicago. Little does she know that others have a plan too and not everyone will make it to Chicago alive.

You never know what you will get with Sager. His books are all so different for each other. This one may be the most different…set further back in time, on a train, but still with the “who done it” vibe. I enjoyed the ride!

What a perfect homage to Agatha Christie's Murder On the Orient Express! It took that well known tale and did a modern twist that kept you at the edge of your seat. The slow unraveling of the characters was done so well!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dutton, and Riley Sager for the digital ARC of With a Vengeance. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️.75

I love a good locked-room mystery. I love the suspense, the limited suspect pool, the twists I know are coming. I still remember the first time I read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (and the second time, years later, when I’d forgotten the culprit). I find that Christie’s work is what I compare nearly all locked-room mysteries to now. Unfortunately, Sager’s newest novel fell a bit flat for me.

I think part of my problem was that it took 30% or more of the book for me to really get invested. Even then, I sometimes found fault with characterization and motivation. I really loved Sager’s earlier thrillers and have struggled with his most recent ones. I just didn’t care? about Anna and her issues and the victims on the train. I don’t think the novel was atmospheric enough to engross me and make me feel the suspense. I only gave it 2.75 stars because I don’t totally feel like it’s one I’d recommend (3 stars for me I’d still typically recommend). I will say that, while disappointed, there were still a few red herrings I fell for, so I’ll give the story that!

Anna Matheson is on a quest for revenge. Years before, she lost her entire family because of the actions of 6 people in particular. For one night, Anna, an accomplice, and those 6 will be trapped on an overnight train ride with no stops and no chance of escape. However, Anna wants justice in the form of them paying for their crimes with the FBI. But someone else has their own form of revenge when people on board start to be picked off one by one.
This definitely had some mystery and suspense to it but overall, the story felt very lackluster compared to some of Sager’s past work. The ending especially felt flat compared to some events earlier in the novel. Not my favorite from Sager, unfortunately.
Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed it. A strong four stars.

"With a Vengeance" by Riley Sager is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller with masterful twists that kept me hooked from start to finish. Sager’s sharp storytelling and intense suspense make this a five-star must-read for any thriller fan. Thanks Net Galley!

If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie, you’ll love this book. It’s got the suspense, the twists, the double-crosses and the trains!

Not at all a horror. I just need to say that. A solid mystery with some fun surprises. I admired Anna and her revenge plot. Spoilers ahead. The length of the train ride was the downfall of her plan. These people did a despicable thing and deserved to rot in prison. This is not the typical book I expect from Sager but if you like mysteries it’s worth reading. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC