Yes this took me awhile to finish but it’s not because it wasn’t a good book. Nah, it was intriguing and kept me guessing I just kept going to do other things. Locked in a train with a bunch of horrible people, yay! Good story, entertaining characters, and a satisfying ending.

Riley Sager jumped the shark with The House Across the Lake. His books since then are certainly better than that one, but nothing as good as his earlier work.

This was historical fiction, a sort of locked-room mystery with a bunch of unlikable people on a train. It was compelling and interesting to follow, but I didn't love the beleaguered romance. I also found the dialogue very out-of-period. The narration was very good.

Thank you for the ARC.

A Riley Sager book without a supernatural twist is unexpected (I actually spent the whole read waiting for a ghost or something). The plotline is very Murder on the Orient Express, although with a much darker back story. The slow pacing really holds the story back, however.

I loved this one! I've read a lot of Sager's work -- most of it, at this point. I love his books that lean more into horror or supernatural themes, but this one felt wholly different from those novels. With a Vengeance was such a page-turner, and reminded me a classic Agatha Christie thriller/mystery. The train setting was fleshed out really well, and I often felt like I could move through the train with the characters. The large group of characters (suspects) were mostly all intriguing, even if I didn't connect with each and every one. I did find the main character's trajectory a bit predictable, but not in a bad way. I was rooting for her in the end. I will definitely continue to pick up Sager's next work, and his next work, and his next work, should we be so lucky.

With a Vengeance is mid, and that, if I'm being honest, is being generous.

I give Riley credit for exploring a new time period, this one is set in 1942, and a new structure, this one a mix of two Agatha Christie classics: Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None.

And it’s that mix that is one of my issues with this book. It was so terribly derivative. Don’t get me wrong. I love an homage to the great Dame Christie. Some authors do it really well, like Peter Swanson’s Nine Lives. But this one feels like what would happen if you asked Chat GPT to mix two great mysteries with a few new characters.

Not that I’m saying he used AI to write this book, I’m just saying there was something about it that was even … “thinner” than his other ones. The setting should have been interesting, and yet it wasn’t. At all. We never had a sense of the magic or majesty of this classic train ride they were on. And as for the time period, it barely came into play.

The characters were flat cut outs of classic mystery novel characters: the greedy thief, the smarmy cad, the brassy blond. And on and on. Even our main character, who we most need to feel at least some sympathy for, is just a limp noodle, with nothing about her that makes me root for her.

And I know, we don’t read Riley Sager for great characterization. Usually, his plots save us from boredom at least. And, though I was able to finish this one in a morning, I did it with my eyes rolled so far up into my head, I feared for my longterm ability to see. The plot was just absolutely silly, with twists upon twists that, rather than being interesting, just tied itself up into knots. By the end, the plot was simultaneously overly complicated and embarrassingly simple.

And I was just plain exasperated.

But will I read his new book next summer? Yes I will.

I've ready many Riley Sager books and this one felt different but in a good way. Reminded me very much of an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery. It took places in the 50s on a train where the MC must find the killer before the train stops. But someone else doesn't want that to happen and is killing off those who know the truth. I did appreciate that this one stayed away from the supernatural, as his last few have strayed into that and it's not really my thing.

With a Vengeance by Riley Sager follows a woman who lures those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train in 1954 to confront them—but when a murder derails her plan, she’s forced to find the killer before the train reaches its destination. The premise sounded great, but the pacing felt slow and I just couldn’t connect with the characters, so I ended up not finishing it.

Atmospheric, twisty, and emotionally sharp—Sager at his best.

With a Vengeance traps readers aboard a snowbound luxury train in 1954, where Anna Matheson lures six people she blames for her family’s downfall. But her quest for truth and revenge quickly turns deadly when guests start dying—one by one.

Riley Sager masterfully blends locked-room suspense with Cold War paranoia. The pacing is taut, the atmosphere richly claustrophobic, and the twists come fast. Anna’s transformation—from vengeful daughter to reluctant hero—is the heart of the novel, and the final reveal packs a serious punch.

With echoes of Murder on the Orient Express and modern psychological thrillers, this is a sharp, stylish mystery that grips from start to finish.

Sager’s use of the moving train adds urgency and dread, with each hour ticking down toward the final destination. The countdown effect keeps readers hooked. I hated having to put the book down. I could feel the urgency of the situation.

One train, 14 hours, no stops, and a game of survival and revenge. Anna has lured those responsible for her family's downfall onto a luxury train to confront them and get them to confess their crimes. But her plan gets derailed when someone starts murdering those on board. 

This is a fun spin on the Agatha Christie style and is a locked room mystery featuring six strangers and a deadly plan. I did enjoy the claustrophobic setting and the sense of urgency and race against the clock to get to the set destination. The twists weren't too shocking and the pacing lagged in a few spots, but this is definitely one of Sager's stronger mysteries. The main character is also (mostly) likable and compelling and will have you rooting for her as she seeks her revenge.

My rating: 1.5★

Oh. Oh wow.

With a Vengeance was my first Riley Sager, read for a book club, which is the only reason I've ever picked up a book by this author, and wow was this a RIDE.

This book definitely does NOT have likeable characters or an even slightly believable plot line and I suspect regular mystery readers will absolutely LOATHE this book—there might be a nod to Agatha Christie mixed into this mess but With a Vengeance is in a different league all together. 😬 However, I will admit that this book IS action packed, decently written, and absurdly twisty.

You should pick up With a Vengeance if:
• you're looking for an easy to digest popcorn read, OR
• you're in need of a well-acted audiobook to put on in the background of whatever it is you do in your spare time, OR
• you, like me, are on a mission to READ ALL THE TRAIN BOOKS!

*Thank you to Dutton, Penguin Random House Audio, and libro.fm for providing me an e-ARC and ALC of this book.*

Usually Riley Sager NEVER misses for me, but this one wasn't my favorite. The setting had all the promise to be a great thriller, but this one just fell flat. Too many characters, and to be honest, a bit boring.

Every year I read the new Riley Sager and every year I wonder why I did it. They are formulaic and unoriginal at this point, and the writing isn't even that good. I wanted to love this because of the Agatha Christie vibes but by the end I was just slogging through it. No.

Trapped on a train whodunit's are having a huge literary moment this year, and Riley Sager's With a Vengeance is a revenge thriller with many twists and turns.


Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

With a Vengeance by Riley Sager is a gripping, slow-burn thriller that turns revenge into a deadly chess game aboard a moving train. What starts as one woman’s calculated plan for justice quickly spirals into chaos when the bodies start falling. Tense, atmospheric, and full of sharp turns, this is a story where no one can be trusted—not even the one seeking justice.

This was such a fun and twisty thriller. I loved the dark setting on the train and the ominous storytelling. The characters were all very vividly described, and I had an easy time imagining them and how they act. I felt the plot was very straight forward and played out very well for a murder mystery. I definitely kept second guessing myself and being surprised by who did it! Definitely a fun mystery read!

This was fantastic! A locked room mystery aboard a moving train with so many interconnected backstories that I never wanted to stop reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an E-ARC version of this book in exchange for an honest review. With a Vengeance by Riley Sager was the third book I’ve read from this author, and it sent shivers down my spine with echoes of Murder on the Orient Express. The premise was a thrilling rollercoaster, set against the unique backdrop of a train, and the revenge plot had me hooked from the start. While the pacing was a bit leisurely, the intricate web of characters and their captivating backstories added depth to the story. It felt more like a historic mystery, but the atmosphere and the heart-pounding race against time kept me on the edge of my seat. Plus, the narrator on Libro.fm was absolutely fantastic, making the journey even more unforgettable!

Set in the 1950s on a train, Anna Matheson is out for revenge. Her brother died, her father was framed, her family fell apart. She’s out for revenge for the person who tore her family apart or the people.

This book is a locked room mystery written in the third person. There are multiple people stuck on a train with only one reason …..revenge. But who really did it ……who really killed Anna‘s brother and other people because the accident that killed Anna‘s brother also killed multiple other people.

I will say that this book was entertaining. Was it plausible,was it worth it for her to spend all of her money her inheritance for this revenge maybe not. Did I enjoy myself reading this book? Yes, I did. Did I finish it and go well that was enjoyable. Yes, I did.

but how far would you go if someone hurt your family? I think that’s the point of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

I normally love Riley Sager but I was pretty disappointed and that's a huge bummer. I thought the premise sounded interesting but unfortunately I was bored for a lot of the book and didn't find it very intriguing. The plot felt like it has been done many times before and the characters were not super interesting. The last 10% did get exciting and some characters came alive, but I don't think that makes up for the other 90%.