A train mystery based around revenge and unextremely unlikeable and rather flat characters. Slow paced, non-stop repeating dialogue and extremely predictable.

A non stop train to Chicago with vengeance in mind. What could go wrong?!

I was amazed how many twists and turns happened in this book. It was a wonderful read and hinted to past murder mystery books by the likes of Agatha Christie.

Riley Saga’s writing created a wonderful setting and the characters were all mysterious in their own ways. Add to that a feisty lead character and you have an epic journey.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

“Revenge is fleeting. Vengeance lasts a lifetime.” I am always excited for a new Riley Sager release, and With a Vengeance did not disappoint! This classic whodunit mystery follows Anna on a twisty plot to get back at the people who destroyed her family. Over the course of a thirteen-hour train ride, a body turns up, and the passengers realize that no one is safe.

It was so easy to root for Anna throughout the story—after all that heartbreak, we were cheering for her to find just a little retribution! The train setting was also serving main character energy, giving the locked room trope the perfect atmospheric backdrop. I was hooked! Perfect for fans of true whodunit mysteries and “Clue”-style detective work.

4.5* Can’t wait to recommend this to our library’s mystery readers!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton Books for providing an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is June 10, 2025.

I’ll admit that this newest thriller by Riley Safer didn’t really live up to my expectations, but it wasn’t the worst thriller I’ve ever read. It was a play on the theme of a group getting killed off one by one, and in this story it takes place all in one night on a train traveling from Philadelphia to Chicago. With Sager I’ve learned to expect a major plot twist that is totally unpredictable, but it never really happened in this one. Everything felt very “yeah I saw this coming.” I did really enjoy the main character toying with the idea of losing humanity and what it really means to find peace whether through vengeance or justice. The story felt stagnant at times as the characters rushed back and forth on this train trying to figure out who was committing all these killings, but I did like the premise of the express ride with no stopping. This wasn’t my favorite of Sager’s novels, but it isn’t last on my list either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Del Ray for an ARC of this title.

Eight people locked on a moving train. All of them connected, but it’s every man or woman for themselves. If you are a fan of a taut, twisty, turny thriller, Riley Sager’s With a Vengeance is just the ticket. This suspenseful tale will keep you guessing until the very end.
As to be expected from Riley Sager, this is a book that will keep you up far too late into the night because you simply can’t put it down. Just when you think you have it figured out, Sager throws in a twist that puts your theory right back to square one.
The atmosphere is perfect for this tale, making a train feel both claustrophobic and large enough to be creepy all at the same time. The characters are all intriguing and easy to become invested in, making you care about how things play out for them…and wondering what their true plans and motives may turn out to be.
Like the Philadelphia Phoenix train, barreling toward its final destination, With a Vengeance had me speeding to the end to find out what happens. I always look forward to Riley Sager’s books and this one does not diminish that excitement at all.

Yet another twisty mystery from Sager! This kept me guessing until the last page!

Riley Sager never fails me!!! I would read his grocery lists at this point :)

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

4.5* Riley Sager has created another whodunit with multiple twists and suspects. Aboard the Phoenix train, traveling from Philadelphia to Chicago, are six suspects and Anna. She has lured them aboard with invitations, but little do they know she will deliver them to authorities at the end of the journey for the downfall of her family. In 1942, Anna's family was destroyed and twelve years later she sought justice. Nothing goes as planned. One of the passengers is murdered because someone else must be seeking revenge. As Anna hunts for the killer, she must protect the ones she despises for her justice. It becomes complicated and there isn't anywhere to go or without knowing who is the killer, she suspects them all.
"One train. No stops. A deadly game of survival and revenge."
Quite entertaining and mysterious. I love Riley Sager. I'm not a fan of train books, but he set it up well. It is fast paced, which is a plus.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Riley sager is such a hit or miss author for me but this one was a huge knockout of the park!

One of the best locked room mysteries I’ve read in a long time with twists and turns that just kept coming! I was questioning everyone and in the end didn’t see it coming!

Loved loved loved and can’t recommend enough

Thank you NetGalley for this Arc! Riley Sager has easily become one of my favorite thriller authors, I was SO excited to receive this advanced reader copy of his new book!

I loved how fast-paced this story was, and the setting made it even more ominous to read. This book takes place over the course of one night on a 12 hour train ride with limited passengers. It is very much so a who-done-it type of story line that makes you want to keep reading more! The plot was addictive and so thrilling to follow… I am just unsure of how I felt about the ending of it all, that’s where I hesitate to give it a full 5 stars. It had aspects I could guess, but also couldn’t, so it was a mix of predictability and shock.

Overall though, I highly recommend to all lovers of thrillers, Riley Sager, and addictive, fast-paced plots!

Riley Sager's With a Vengeance is a high-stakes, claustrophobic thriller set aboard a luxury train in 1954. The novel follows Anna Matheson, who orchestrates a journey from Philadelphia to Chicago to confront six individuals responsible for her family's ruin in 1942. Her plan for justice is upended when one of the passengers is murdered, revealing that someone else aboard has their own deadly agenda. ​

The train setting amplifies the tension, creating a locked-room mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. Sager's narrative is filled with twists and turns, keeping readers guessing until the final pages. However, some readers have noted that the multiple perspectives can be disorienting, and certain plot developments may feel familiar to fans of the genre. ​
NetGalley

Despite these critiques, With a Vengeance offers a compelling blend of suspense and character-driven storytelling. Anna's quest for retribution and the unfolding mystery aboard the train make for an engaging read that will appeal to fans of classic whodunits and modern thrillers alike.

I've read all of Sager's books and always look forward to his new books - this is not one of his best. It's a quick read but it seems like the "train took a long time to reach the station." Thanks for the ARC.

So many red herrings, plot surprises, and unexpected revelations- all on a train barreling to Chicago!

While the story is interesting and the setting is fun - very Agatha Christie - this is not my favorite Riley Sager story. Revenge turns to several murders when these 8 people come together on a train journey.

Overall, I found this to be a rather lackluster, melodramatic mystery that relied a bit too heavily on obvious tropes. By the time things began to get interesting, I was already underwhelmed by the characters and didn't really care what happened to any of them. The unrepentant Nazi was certainly a choice of a character as well. I hated all of them and didn't care whether they lived or died. The twist lacked originality and felt like a reuse of Sager's debut. Multiple narrators can help in a novel such as this, however it was done in a confusing manner where the narrator change happened out of nowhere and detracted rather than added to the plot. I know that Sager has faced a lot of criticism and I respect his attempts to take the feedback and attempt to put out what some of his audience is asking for, however as someone who loved his early works this attempts at change have made me wary of new releases and justifiably so.

Anna Matheson’s family was ruined by six people so what does Anna do? She anonymously invites them all on a train ride…a deadly train ride. Anna plans to confront these people and then turn them into police when the train arrives in Chicago except that doesn’t go as planned. From the opening of the book, we are presented with one dead passenger. From there the story starts in the past, when each passenger boards the train. Riley Sager is one of my favorite authors and this was a good, quick paced book but I feel the passengers on a train is an overdone trope so I was also slightly disappointed with that plot/setting. Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced copy!

This book and the previous one have just not been as good as Riley's other books. Anna invites all of these people onto a train to get revenge for their part in ruining her family. Turns out other people on the train want the same thing and people end up dead. I literally read why they were on the train, and turned to the back to see whole the killer was. Just not that interesting.

Sager does it again with his wild twists and action packed mystery. I finished this in one sitting. Couldn’t get enough.

In With a Vengeance, Riley Sager delivers a gripping locked-room mystery set on an inescapable train ride. Anna Matheson pulls the strings to bring six people to their downfall—but when someone else strikes first and one of them ends up dead, Anna suddenly finds herself playing detective. Sager’s writing is sharp and clever; he practically dares readers to solve the puzzle before the final page. With fantastic character development and an atmospheric, unforgettable setting, this is a must-read for fans of locked-room mysteries. With a Vengeance is a total winner—and it’s bound to bring Riley Sager a whole new group of fans.

Not the best Riley Sager book I have read. I didn't feel much of a connection with any of the characters, so I wasn't really hurrying to the end to see what was going to happen with any of them.

3.5 TY to Net Galley and Penguin Dutton Group for the ARC. What I loved: the setting on a train is impeccable along with the seclusion that brings. What I didn't love: any of the characters or the plot twists that come at you like a machine gun in the end. I still love Riley but this is not a favorite for me.