Thank you, NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC of this novel.
Well written and a page turner. Without disclosing too much, this novel will keep you involved from the first page to the last. Highly recommend not giving up when you think you have it figured out. Riley, you did it again!

Not one of my favorites by Sager. Very heavy on the Murder on the Orient Express vibes. I kept waiting for him to make his own, but it just fell flat for me. On the positive side I will finally be able to recommend Sager to a whole new population of readers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the e-ARC.

Set aboard a train in the 1950s, bound from Philadelphia to Chicago, Anna Matheson has trapped six people she believes to be responsible for the death of her brother and several other people on a wrecked train in 1942, as well as the eventual incarceration and death of her father held responsible for the wreck. An interesting premise, especially for someone who enjoys locked room mysteries and those set on trains.

An enjoyable and quick read you can take to the Shore with you this summer, if you can ignore the whipsawing of red herrings, suspend your disbelief of co-incidence (which all too many thrillers now rely upon), a climax that jumps-the-track (pun intended) and a ***SPOILER*** Disneyesque denouement.

Riley Sager books are my annual summer guilty pleasure. They don't always work for me, but they are always a good time. This one was a good time that reminded me of reading an old school Agatha Christie book and I was there for it. Was it the best suspense ever? Nope. But I was along for the ride and enjoying myself. I like that Riley takes chances and tries new things even if they aren't always home runs. This is a solid mystery story and I liked the historical setting and that added element.

This book was overall fine. Interesting premise and a good mystery, but personally, I didn't connect with the writing and the main character. Even though this wasn't a win for me, I can see a lot of library patrons enjoying it. So, I would recommend it to others

With a Vengeance is Riley Sager changing genres into a brand new style thriller/mystery: the Agatha Christie style train whodunnit. Overall I love Sager but I feel that With a Vengeance is not his best story but a competent and interesting story with elements that feel like Christie.

A mysterious invitation lures several people to train traveling from Philadelphia to Chicago. What began as revenge and confrontation turns to murder as the train begins its journey. Reminiscent of Agatha Christie this locked room mystery keeps you guessing until the very end. The story is way over the top, the twists come at you non stop. Similar to watching a movie that you know could never happen in real life but you set aside your disbelief and enjoy it anyway.

3 ⭐️

This felt different than his other books. A locked room thriller. A bit more old school. More of a slow burn

3.75 rounded up

This was a good closed door mystery, you could see from the beginning that Anna’s plan was not going to go well. Bringing everyone that had a hand in ruining her family’s lives together to get the truth? Dangerous. As bodies start dropping, you know that it can only someone from the group, but they keep throwing twists and turns at you until the very end. It was a good story, but felt a little different from what I’ve become used to when I think of a Sager novel. It is tragic, suspenseful, and mysterious. It makes you want to ask: Anna, was it worth it?

I really enjoyed it.

Riley Sager's With a Vengeance is a throwback nod to the Queen of locked room, or locked train, mysteries- Agatha Christie.

This felt so different from any of Sager's other books, but I loved the adventure, the red herrings, and the ride. Bonus for me, I read it on a train to Chicago.

I do think I struggled to get into this, but as with all of Sager's books, there's a point where I absolutely cannot stop reading, and I definitely hit that.

I think this is a great throwback novel and I hope thriller and mystery fans climb aboard the Sager Express, because it's a ride they won't regret.

A little lackluster compared to what I usually expect from Riley Sager...This book utilizes the very popular "murder on a train" trope, but of course not all is as it seems and all the passengers have something to hide. I liked that the main character was on a revenge journey rather than being another passenger caught in the middle of a crime, but I just wasn't interested in what was going on. I typically love Sager's works, so hopefully his next one will be closer to what I expect!

The premise of this book sounded bang on - a confined space, people dropping dead all over the place, a non-contemporary settings - but it just fell flat. I felt immense sadness for Anna, who spent her whole adult life bitter and resentful and seeking revenge for what happened to her family. But, instead of cheering for her, I also just felt immense annoyance. I didn't care for any of the characters and, despite providing a backstory for each of them, felt disconnected to them and by their actions. By all accounts, Anna's father was a decent man, so what made so many people who knew him (for the most part closely) willing to betray him? While the author tried to provide explanations, none of them really made sense to me.

The plot twists were unbelievable, the bait and switch with are-they-dead-aren't-they was tiring and, it seems to me, that if people on a train are being murdered when they are separated, maybe . . . just stay together? Where the author really lost me, though, was the whole adventure outside the train. In a blizzard. Has the author never experienced winter? Because in no way would someone be walking on the roof of a metal car in a blizzard barefoot without all the skin on their feet being torn off. Anyone who has touched a metal door handle when their hands are the slightest bit wet knows the feeling of releasing said metal door handle and hoping their fingertips don't come away bloody. Tell me you know nothing about winter without telling me you know nothing about winter.

I don't like coincidences in books which, I believe, is lazy storytelling, and this book had far too many of them for my liking.

Riley Sager is an autobuy for me and usually his books are so easy for me to fly through. This one was different than his usual style and I didn’t mind him trying something new, but sadly it didn’t work for me. I just couldn’t bring myself to care. I didn’t find the story compelling and the ending wasn’t worth the time spent getting there. There wasn’t much character development and I found myself zoning out a lot. The train couple had crashed partway through the book, killing everyone, and I think I would have been fine with it.

Sadly I can’t recommend this one.

I did enjoy this more than other books by Riley Sager thatI have read recent,y. A bit of a break from the norm for him, and it kept my interest throughout.

Riley Sager’s With A Vengeance cleverly deals with the old trope of murder among an isolated group. On this occasion, however, they are not stuck in some spooky old mansion, but on a luxury train.

In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution. Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of thirteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who’ve wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line. However, Anna’s plan is quickly derailed by the murder of one of the passengers. As the train barrels through the night, it becomes clear that someone else on board is enacting their own form of revenge, and they won’t stop until everyone else is dead. In desperation Anna is forced to hunt for the killer in order to protect people she hates the most.

It is a clever, unusual concept and Sager plays it very well, with plenty of twists and a good dose of mystery. The opening sections are a little slow as Sager takes his time in establishing the background and the role that the six suspects played in the death of Anna’s family. The pace increases towards the end and there are some good ‘locked room’ mysteries to keep mystery fans entertained.

With A Vengeance is very different from Sager’s previous novels, which trod the thin line between horror and psychological suspense, but is well worth a read.

This murder mystery takes place in 1954 on board the Philadelphia Phoenix, a luxury overnight train traveling nonstop from Philadelphia to Chicago. Anne Matheson plotted to trap her enemies on board, but in a very Agatha Christie-esque twist, a passenger is murdered, derailing her plans for vengeance. Author Riley Sager sets a fast pace as he counts down the train’s tense 13-hour trip, making “With a Vengeance” a gripping, quick read.

I'm a huge Riley Sager fan so i was so excited for the change to read his newest novel "With Vengeance". This book didn't disappoint and what a train ride it was! It kept me at the edge of my seat full of twists and turns. You won't be disappointed!

This is definitely not your typical Rylie Sager book, but decent nonetheless. The hardest part for me was keeping track of all the characters and why they played a role in what was going on. With that being said, the book kept me on my toes the entire time with all the twists and turns. I thought I had the suspect figured out at least half a dozen times, and I was wrong the entire time. The ending tied up everything which really help pull it all together.

This book is set in 1954 and is a nod to a few of Agatha Christie books. It is a story about revenge and features a locked room mystery set on a train, with a strong female character. I admit that the plot is a bit convoluted, and with both numerous characters and lots of predictable twists and turns it felt a little like a farce. Despite that, I still found it entertaining and enjoyed the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reading copy. 3.75/5 stars

My last few run-ins with Riley Sager's work have ended in a bit of disappointment. HOWEVER, the premise for this was just so interesting and it features one of my favorite tropes (locked room/train/ship/etc.) So, I was actually really excited for this one. While I did have some issues with it, this is hands down the best Sager book of the last 3 or 4 releases. The book starts with an interesting set up and we are introduced to the characters, some of which felt a little contrived, but it was still good. However, the second half of the book is just too twisty, almost. Which is a wild thing to say about a mystery/thriller. I loved the setting, and I did enjoy the characters. This is probably my favorite Sager release of the last few years! Hopeful that more going forward are like this.