Another excellent Riley Sager book! I enjoyed the unique setting of the story, would make a great winter read!! Excellent pacing and characters.

Anna Matheson had lost her father, mother and brother at the hands of Kenneth Wentworth. Anna's father, Art Matheson, had built a luxury train called the Philadelphia Phoenix. Kenneth wanted to take Art's train from him and destroy him. Art had won a military bid to transport 37 soldiers, her brother included. The engine was defective at Kenneth's direction, and all 37 died. Kenneth Wentworth had it in for Art And he saw to it that the train was sabotaged. He also paid off four people who were close to the Matheson family to participate. He disgraced Art and saw to it that he was arrested and he was killed in prison. Anna's mother was devastated by the loss and she committed suicide. Anna's, Aunt Rhetta had received documentation in the mail that proved her father was innocent. Her aunt told her that she had the proof and that it would find her. A man named Seamus found Anna and gave her the proof. She sent it to the FBI in Chicago and told them that she was going to bring the five people responsible. So she booked all of the seats on the Philadelphia Phoenix and invited the five players along with Seamus to ride to Chicago. They didn't know the invitation had come from her. And by the way, Seamus's brother had been among the 37. So he was in cahoots with Anna.

Seamus had told everyone to meet in the first class lounge at 8:00, which is where they learned that Anna was behind it. She made the announcement that they were headed to Chicago to meet the FBI. She told them that they would be arrested and spend the rest of their lives in prison. She also told them that she had proof of what they had done. Everyone was there except Kenneth Wentworth. His son Dante came in his stead. Anna was furious about that because Kenneth was the ringleader.

They had 13 hours to travel and during that time three people were killed. Try your state may, they couldn't figure out who the killer was. There had been one more person on the train, Reggie, who was a member of the FBI. He didn't identify himself as an FBI agent, but he told them that he had purchased a train ticket and he had accidentally gotten on the wrong train. As the bodies began to pile up, Reggie decided to reveal who he really was. And it turns out, his father had been on the debacled train.

This book had all of the elements of the perfect whodunit. And what I loved most about it was the fact that there was more than one culprit and they were who you would least expect. I thought the author did a fabulous job telling the story and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved each and every character and they were well developed. This is a story I thoroughly enjoyed and I would love to read more by this author. I gave it five stars.

This was such a fun ride (see what I did there) and masterfully intertwined old train mysteries into a new tale. This is a fantastic who dun it, and keeps you guessing until the very end.

I've read many a Riley Sager and once again, he has put out an absolute, fast paced, page turner. I was able to read this book in just one sitting. I enjoyed the vibes and the setting of this novel. Some of the scenarios may be a little out there, but this is a fiction novel we're talking about and the action is no more goofy than you would see in a tv show or film. The story is supposed to take place in 1942 but some of the situations and dialogue can read a little modern in my opinion. Overall, this isn't my favorite Sager novel but I had a decent time reading this book!

I did not like this book. I found it to be pretty ridiculous to be honest. There were moments I enjoyed, but I overall was very underwhelmed by this. And when the reveals were happening at the end, it didn't spark any interest or surprise in me. I'll still continue to pick up Sager's work, but this was a disappointment to me.

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.